5 High-Protein Dinners Ready in Under 20 Minutes

By the time dinner rolls round on a weeknight, the last thing anyone wants is a recipe with fifteen ingredients and an hour in the oven. These five keep things simple without leaning on ready meals.

1. Baked cod with roasted veg

Cod fillets baked for 12-15 minutes alongside a tray of whatever vegetables need using up. Minimal washing up, genuinely quick.

2. Turkey chilli (small batch)

Lean turkey mince, a tin of tomatoes, a tin of kidney beans, and whatever spices are in the cupboard. Simmers in under 20 minutes and freezes well for a night when cooking isn't happening at all.

3. Prawn and courgette stir-fry

Prawns cook in a couple of minutes, courgette ribbons even less. A genuinely fast pan meal with very little prep.

4. Cauliflower and chickpea curry

A tin of chickpeas, cauliflower florets, curry paste, and a tin of coconut milk. Mostly hands-off simmering time.

5. Egg and avocado wrap

Not just for breakfast — scrambled eggs, mashed avocado, and a wholemeal wrap make a properly filling dinner in about 5 minutes when even 20 feels like too much.

The common thread

None of these need a special trip to the shops. The easiest way to actually eat well on a weeknight is having 4 or 5 meals like this on rotation, not a new recipe every night.