It’s time for another school term and every parent knows what that means: busy mornings and even busier evenings.
“That’s why you need easy weeknight dinners that can be on the table in 30 minutes or less, and, of course, taste delicious enough to satisfy even the fussiest eaters
Here at taste, we’ve done the hard work for you, rounding up our most popular quick weeknight meals.
‘Flavour bomb’ pasta bake saved 18k times
Top of our list is this creamy French onion chicken pasta bake, which is on the table in just 25 minutes.
Saved over 18,000 times by taste members and with dozens of five-star reviews, this pasta bake is an absolute “flavour bomb” thanks to its use of French onion soup mix.
“Honestly the best meal I have ever eaten,” one five-star review reads. “Just goes so well together!”
“Delish! The whole family couldn’t get enough. Everyone had seconds,” another says.
Read on for our list of the top-rated easy weeknight meals that are universally loved by taste readers.
Everything old is new again, with our re-discovery of the flavour bomb that is French onion soup mix. Although the mix has been around since the 1950’s, it came to recognition when mixed with sour cream to become French onion dip. Since then it’s made its way into other iconic dishes – we’re looking at you apricot chicken and now into this crowd-pleasing pasta bake. I think of this recipe for creamy French onion chicken bake as one of our “new” classics. Where a few of our favourite recipes have been on our website for years, this is a reasonably new recipe and in a short time has garnered more than 50 favourable reviews, being described as a “new family favourite.” Why we love this French onion bake recipe Let’s face it - it’s a cheesy pasta bake – and we all love that, but our recipe also makes use of pre-prepared ingredients that add so much flavour with very little effort. Not only the packet of French onion soup mix, but we also use supermarket-bought bbq chicken and three cheese mix. We also love that it can be assembled earlier on in the day and cooked just before serving. And, despite being a bake, there’s no turning on the oven, instead a short stint under the grill is all it needs to become bubbly and golden. What you’ll need for our cheesy French onion pasta bake Pasta: We use penne but other short pastas like fusilli, rigatoni or casarecce can be used. Mushrooms: if your button mushrooms are super small just halve them or keep the whole. You could also use sliced cup mushrooms, but I’d avoid large field mushrooms as they tend to turn the sauce an unpleasant grey colour. Thyme: Thyme and mushrooms always work well together, but could also use rosemary or a pinch of dry tarragon. Chicken: A supermarket barbecue chicken is loaded with salty spices and a great dinner shortcut ingredients. You could also use chopped pan-fried chicken thigh fillets. French onion soup mix: If watching your salt intake you can buy a low salt one. Pizza cheese: This handy product combines cheddar, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses that are already grated for you! Parsley: We us continental parsley, but there’s nothing wrong with using curly as we are being a bit retro. Bought barbecue chicken is a great time saver that turns up in many of our favourite recipes, like this chicken and leek pie and quick pesto pasta. It also stars in a warm lentil salad and provides the shortcut for these cheats tostadas, chicken nachos salad and smokey barbecue pizza. Additional recipe notes by Alison Adams - Food Writer and Recipe Tester How to cook our French onion pasta bake: full recipe below
I don’t remember ever visiting a Chinese restaurant and not ordering a Mongolian dish and fried rice. Both would have to be two of my personal, all-time favourites. The sweet soy sauce and ginger-based sauce is always a winner and, paired with fried rice, gives this fried rice recipe a new saucy twist. Why we love this speedy Mongolian beef fried rice recipe Best. Of. Both. Worlds! (Or, at least the best of two dishes combined into one excellent, speedy meal). To make this Mongolian minced beef fried rice recipe super speedy, we’ve used a clever shortcut: microwave rice. Using microwave rice means your rice won’t be gluggy and you will get plenty of light, fluffy grains. And, finely chopping your broccoli and using frozen peas keeps the cooking time down, making this an easy choice for a weeknight dinner. Flavour, flair, convenience: count us in. Key ingredients in our quick Mongolian beef fried rice Packet microwave rice: a no- brainer on a busy weeknight, long-grain microwave rice means you can have freshly fried rice on the table in 20 minutes. Yes, please. Beef mince: one of the most versatile speedy dinner ingredients around, minced meat cooks fast and adds depth (and protein!) to your plate. Brown sugar: an unsung hero. The molasses-like flavour of brown sugar rounds out the saltiness of soy sauce and gives this dish a subtly sweet boost. Hoisin: another shortcut to flavour town, hoisin does some of the heavy lifting in this quick-to-cook dinner recipe with its robust sweet-salty flavours. Soy sauce: no fried rice is complete without a splash of soy sauce, in my opinion. Eggs: light whisked eggs have the added bonus of bringing extra nutrients. Fresh ginger: we grate fresh ginger for added bite and mild heat. Garlic: another fried rice non-negotiable, garlic is a strong but mighty aromatic. Broccoli: finely chopped broccoli cooks fast and ensures you’re getting your greens! Peas: we use the frozen kind, because they’re almost always on hand in the freezer and easy to prepare. Green shallots: bringing their fresh, piquant flair to our fried rice, green shallots are a hallmark ingredient in our favourite fried rice recipes. Seeking more dinner inspiration? Try our easy fried rice, our classic Mongolian beef recipe and this delicious Mongolian beef chow mein.
China meets Vietnam in our sticky pork stir-fry. With pungent five spice and fish sauce teaming up with crunchy snow peas and pak choy. Bright and colourful, our pork and vegetable stir-fry ticks all the boxes; fast, healthy and best of all delicious. The secret to the success of our quick and easy pork stir-fry is that it gets a quick sit in a marinade before being added to the wok. This adds both flavour and colour to the pork. Many of the major brands make a gluten free oyster sauce, so paired with rice noodles we have a coeliac-friendly dinner for all the family. Why we love this Chinese pork stir-fry recipe First of all we love that despite its decadent flavour our pork stir-fry has a high health score of 8.3. We use pork medallions in our simple stir-fry as they are easy to slice and cook in a matter of minutes. You could also play around with whatever protein you have on hand, whether it be chicken, beef or even tofu (use a vegetarian oyster sauce and the dish is vegan)! Treat this recipe as a guide and use whatever veggies you have in the crisper drawer. What ingredients go into our pork and noodle stir-fry? Pork: We use loin medallions, which are exceptionally lean and tender - this equates to low fat and quick cooking. Sugar: We use brown sugar but it can be swapped for caster if that’s what you have. Soy sauce: Make sure you use light soy sauce as the dark should only be used in small amounts to add colour to a dish. If you want this dish to be gluten free, use tamari instead. Five spice: A combination of spices, only a judicious amount is needed for a complex tasty hit. Fish sauce: Is a concentrated way of getting salt and umami into your dish. Ginger and garlic: It wouldn’t be a stir-fry without these aromatic heroes. Make sure they’re finely grated and crushed so they meld into the sauce. Vegetables: Our pork stir-fry uses a combination of capsicum, carrot, bok choy and snow peas, but these can be swapped for what’s in the crisper drawer or what the family prefers. Mushrooms, zucchini and bean sprouts all love a stir fry. Oyster sauce: Sweet and salty and earthy oysters sauce packs a load of flavour to meat fish and vegetable dishes, Cashews: Rich with healthy fats, we use dry roasted cashews that haven’t been salted. Green onion and red chilli: When thinly sliced, these add flavour, texture and make the dish look so moreish. For more stir-fry inspiration, peruse our wonderful weeknight stir-fry recipes. Additional recipe notes by Alison Adams - Food Writer and Recipe Tester
There’s nothing we love more than a speedy, easy and healthy dinner, which is why we’re always in the mood for a chicken stir-fry with a delicious sauce. Whether you’re short on time, looking to empty out the stir-fry vegetables in your fridge, or you just feel like tucking into a good chicken recipe, an easy chicken stir-fry is a great all-in-one meal that even the kids will love. What makes this such a great chicken stir-fry recipe? The best part about a chicken stir-fry is that anyone can make them, regardless of cooking abilities. But this chicken stir-fry recipe is one Asian food dish we find ourselves coming back to again and again when we crave a healthy, easy meal during the midweek dinner rush. There's no need to head to a Chinese restaurant. Ready in 30 minutes, our easy chicken stir-fry uses a range of colourful vegies, tender chicken breast, and a salty, sweet, Asian-inspired sauce. Not to mention, this delicious chicken stir-fry has a 9.1 health star rating, thanks to lean chicken breasts and low-sodium soy sauce, making it a great dinner for those following a lower-calorie diet. We’ve also adapted this chicken recipe to serve two. 💡 Tip: Don’t overcrowd the pan Avoid overcrowding your pan to keep your vegies beautifully tender-crisp. If there are too many vegetables cooking all at once, the pan juices won’t be able to evaporate, which will lead to soggy vegies and a limp stir-fry! We even add the soy sauce and oyster sauces right at the end to ensure they just coat the chicken and vegetables, rather than stew them. Key ingredients in this easy chicken stir-fry recipe Peanut oil: peanut oil forms a great flavour base for a chicken stir-fry. Substitute for grapeseed oil, vegetable oil, sesame oil or canola oil. If using sesame oil, be sure to only use a splash (1 tbsp) as the flavour is quite intense – simply add another 1 tbsp of another more-neutral oil. Chicken breast fillets: we use 3 chicken breast fillets in this easy stir-fry recipe, and cut them into strips. But if you'd prefer to buy pre-cut strips, that's perfectly fine, too. You can also use chicken thighs, if you prefer. Vegetables and aromatics: this delicious chicken stir-fry includes a plentiful serving of feel-good thinly sliced vegetables and aromatics, including brown onion, capsicum, mushrooms, broccolini, fresh ginger, garlic and red chilli. Feel free to add broccoli, snow peas, sugar snap peas or green beans for some extra greenery! Soy sauce: all good stir-fry recipes include a splash of the salty deliciousness that is soy sauce, and this chicken stir-fry is no exception. We've use a low-sodium soy sauce in this stir-fry. Oyster sauce: another great flavourful addition to our chicken stir-fry is the umami-rich oyster sauce, which brings added depth. Bean sprouts and coriander leaves: for crunch and added greenery, we top this chicken stir-fry with bean sprouts and coriander leaves (but of course you can omit the coriander if you're not partial to it!). You can also scatter over some finely chopped green shallots (green onions), if you like. White rice: ideal for soaking up that delicious stir-fry sauce, medium-grain white rice makes a meal of it. For more speedy and healthy dinner inspo, try these vegie-filled vegetarian stir-fries, these easy chicken dinners (we love to add chicken to our weeknights) and our top 100 healthy recipes of all time. And, see some delicious stir-fry recipe ideas for varying your dinners, in our recipe notes below. Intro and additional recipe notes by Alison Adams, Food Writer and Recipe Tester and Natasha Shaw, Food Writer.
If you think preparing prawns mid-week is too hard, think again. This easy sauce made with curry powder and milk goes beautifully with fresh red prawns. It's prepped in 5, cooked in 20 minutes - dinner doesn't get much easier than that.
Mexican meets Italian in this super easy macaroni tray bake made with beef mince, spicy taco seasoning and dollops of sour cream.
The dip du jour (or decade) of the 1970s was built from the combination of dry French onion soup powder mixed with sour cream. And to be honest, it’s never really gone out of style. So much so that you can buy it ready-made in the dip section of the local supermarket. Not just for snacks, French onion dip is the flavour bomb at the centre of this creamy chicken bake. Filled with hacks and shortcuts, this recipe is loaded with protein, carbs and veggies and rocks with flavour. The fact that it takes only ten minutes to throw together is just an added bonus. We’re big fans of hacks here at taste.com.au especially when it comes to one-ingredient flavour bombs like ready-made French onion dip. We’ve used it to make a quick creamy dressing, and added it to pasta dishes like this orecchiette recipe and penne pasta bake. We use it in a casserole topped with garlic bread and a twist on beef stroganoff. Why we love our creamy French onion chicken bake Creamy chicken bakes are a passion for us here at taste.com.au whether made with pasta, potatoes or gnocchi. They’re loved by kids and adults alike and even more for the chef/washer-upper as they often only use a saucepan and a baking dish. Rice is the carb of choice in this cheesy bake. Using microwave rice cuts down on cooking time and when mixed with a bought barbecue chicken and the ready made onion dip you get big, big flavours in such a small, small time. We also love that the dish contains fresh mushrooms and spinach. Now I’m not going to say it’s the most nutritionally dense of meals, but I like the fact you’re introducing kids to these vegetables in the tastiest of ways. What do you need to make our ten minute rice bake? Butter: when adding cream to a dish I like to start off with its dear relative butter. We’re not counting calories here, we’re indulging in a quick “cook’s (nearly) night off” dinner. Mushrooms: if you buy ready-sliced mushrooms, our easy chicken and rice bake is even easier, but they do cost more than unsliced. Green shallot: not just for Asian cooking, green onions are a great way of getting oniony flavour with just a quick saute rather than the 5-10 minutes it takes to soften onions. Baby spinach: tender baby spinach leaves are quick cooking and a subtle sweet way of adding greens to a dish. French onion dip: the secret ingredient, you can use both low fat and full fat dip in our rice bake. Cream: we use pouring cream in this recipe. Also known as pure cream, you could always use thickened cream or even sour cream. Chicken: using a bought barbecue chicken adds loads of flavour. It does take a little bit of time to take the flesh from the chicken but if you’re like me you get to sneakily eat the wings while you’re doing it. You could always pan-fry then chop chicken breast fillets if you wanted. Cheese: we use a combination of shredded cheddar and mozzarella to scatter over the top of the rice bake. You could use a pizza blend instead. Additional recipe notes by Alison Adams - Food Writer and Recipe Tester
Maybe it’s the bite from the fresh lettuce (see notes for our secrets to the best crisp lettuce!) or the complementary aromatics of ginger, garlic and sesame oil… or the fact you eat it messily with your hands that keeps us coming back to this san choy bow. A beloved Chinese starter dish, these light, easy and flavourful lettuce cups have become a dinner staple in Aussie households, and for good reason. I love the scent that emerges from my kitchen when I make this recipe. What's in a classic san choy bow recipe? Typically Chinese lettuce cups are made with pork mince, we’ve jam-packed our version with chicken mince, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, water chestnuts and noodles, making it the perfect filling and satisfying meal that the kids will gobble up. For extra crunch-factor, we top ours with crushed peanuts as a finishing touch. Why is this a favourite san choy bow recipe? The real reason why this san choy bow is one of our favourite weeknight dinners is because it’s insanely easy to make. Seriously, it’ll be on the table in less than 30 minutes. Now that’s what we call a winner dinner! We think you'll also love this sticky Chinese pork stir-fry, and our collection of enticing Chinese recipes.
An easy weeknight dinner recipe that takes only 5 minutes to prep? It exists and it’s delicious. Meet my sticky Korean beef mince and rice recipe. As a mum of an 18-, 14- and 6-year old, dinner time needs to hit a very specific brief: quick, easy and absolutely packed with flavour. Weeknights are always so busy, so I have very little patience for recipes that require a lot of prep. Enter this sticky Korean beef mince recipe with only 5 minutes of prep! It ticks all my essential dinnertime boxes, plus it’s budget-friendly to boot! What I love about this sticky Korean beef mince and rice recipe This flavour-packed weeknight winner brings bulgogi vibes with minimal fuss. There are no tricky ingredients, just supermarket-friendly items you probably already have in your pantry. Adding grated pear or apple to a bulgogi dish is not uncommon and I tried both, but I found Packham pears broke down a little quicker than Pink Lady apples and added a touch more sweetness. Grated Packham pear is a classic Korean touch that also tenderises the mince. The combination of dark soy, brown sugar, garlic and ginger creates that irresistible sweet-savoury balance, while the grated pear melts into the sauce, adding natural sweetness and gloss. You’ll find that the beef crisps beautifully in the pan, giving you an incredible texture that kids and adults both love. 💡Tip: Choose the right pan for the task For this recipe, it’s best to use a wide frying pan in order to get the ultimate crispy beef texture from your Coles 3 Star Regular Beef Mince. Key ingredients in my sticky beef mince and rice recipe Medium‑grain rice: the ideal sticky, plush base, you can use the absorption method or a rice cooker for reliably tender grains. Dark soy sauce: for deep colour and umami I use dark soy. If using regular soy, your sauce won't be as dark but will still taste great. Packham pear: grated for tenderising the beef and adding gentle sweetness, you could also use a Corella pear or an apple, if that’s what you have on hand. Brown sugar: this encourages caramelisation and stickiness. If it’s leaning too sweet, balance with an extra dash of soy or a pinch of salt. Garlic: freshly crushed, garlic provides a punch of umami. Fresh ginger: this brings bright warmth and aroma. There’s no need to peel if finely grated – a microplane gives fine, even strands and catches any fibres. Sesame oil: adds a lovely nutty fragrance. For a stronger aroma, swirl a little through at the end, off the heat. Coles 3 Star Regular Beef Mince: this beef mince works well for crisping. Spread it in a single layer in the pan and let it sit to develop colour. Spoon off excess fat if it pools to help browning. Frozen stir‑fry vegetables: convenient, consistent and no chopping. Add straight from the freezer. Cook just until bright so they stay tender‑crisp. Toasted sesame seeds: crunchy finish, it’s optional but welcome. Lightly toast in a dry pan until fragrant. Sprinkle right before serving to keep their crunch. You could top the dish with sliced green shallots, kimchi, shredded nori or a fried egg for an added protein boost. Feel free to stir in a teaspoon of gochujang or chilli flakes with the pear mixture for a warm, gentle kick. You could also serve the mince mixture in lettuce cups. Make weeknight dinners easier thanks to our Dinner Heroes This back-to-school season, taste is partnering with Coles to help make your weeknights easy, stress free and tasty. Inspired by the flavours you love – and fuelled by a mission to ease the mealtime mental load – our expert team of Dinner Heroes has created, tested and approved four weeks of all-new dinner ideas. Choose from Budget-stretcher Mondays, 5-ingredient Tuesdays, One-pot Wednesdays, 20-minute Thursdays and Fakeaway Fridays, and build a menu that works for you. Looking for more budget-stretcher recipes to help your grocery shop go further? Here's my pick of great-value family meal ideas that always go the distance. We also have plenty of mince stir fry recipes for weeknight dinners to try next. Recipe and recipe notes by Amira Georgy, photography by Nigel Lough, styling by Lucy Busuttil, and food prep by Lara Reynolds.
Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of this super easy, deliciously saucy weeknight dinner - it’s bursting with mouth-watering sweet and salty flavours. The perfectly cooked beef mince and ramen noodles soak up the teriyaki sauce and the stir fry vegetables add extra complexity to the texture of the dish. The pre chopped stir fry veggies are a great, easy shortcut and offer a delectable crunch! More than just the delicious taste though, one of the reasons this meal is one of my favourites to make is that it can be on the table in 15 minutes flat! It’s the perfect dinner to cook when you’re short on time but not wanting to sacrifice a tasty meal.
We throw tradition to the wind with our speedy spaghetti carbonara recipe, with some sneaky shortcuts for time-poor cooks. It may taste exactly like the real deal, but this carbonara sauce has some secrets behind its glossy surface, proving some rules are just begging to be broken. What's the secret behind this easy spaghetti carbonara recipe? Beloved my many, our easy carbonara recipe is one of Australia’s most popular recipes, and we know exactly why it's become the stuff of weeknight legend. We do the thing your nonna told you not to: we add cream. And yet, although it breaks from the traditional Italian recipe, it’s all for a delicious reason. We promise. Traditional carbonara recipes require a degree of technique (for example, adding ingredients at just the right temperature and time) and quality (read: expensive) ingredients, which just aren’t ideal for regular weeknights. That’s why we like to add thickened cream to our carbonara recipe with cream. A cheaper supermarket ingredient that ensures a velvety, indulgent sauce that will rival a restaurant-made spaghetti carbonara, a splash of cream means dinner's ready in 12 minutes! This carbonara recipe is one of the quickest you’ll come across. Here's to making weeknights simpler (without compromising on flavour). Go on, break the rules. We won't tell. Key flavourful ingredients in our spaghetti carbonara Pancetta: providing the perfect salty hit for your carbonara dish, pancetta acts as a shortcut to umami deliciousness. If you don't have pancetta, you can certainly use bacon. For a vegetarian version, you can sprinkle your pasta with 'bacon bits' instead, which are generally made from soy-based ingredients (just check the packet!) or use some rinsed capers for a salty addition. Eggs: Not silky carbonara sauce would be complete without eggs, which also bring added protein to your dish. Though this may not be a traditional carbonara, the eggs still play an important role. Thickened cream: our shortcut to getting this meal on the table in next-to-no-time, thickened cream bolsters the sauce and creates a luscious, rich sauce. Parmesan: sharp, tasty parmesan cheese brings extra cheesy goodness to the table. We suggest adding some to the creamy carbonara sauce, and reserving extra to sprinkle on your bowl of pasta at the end (alongside parsley, if you're using it). Vegetarians can also look for vegetarian-friendly parmesan in supermarkets. Here's some other old-school favourites we've made simpler. More time to spare? Try our slow-cooker carbonara recipe, too! Additional recipe notes by Alison Adams - Food Writer and Recipe Tester How to make our easy spaghetti carbonara: get the full recipe below
Easy stir fry recipe This beef and vegetable stir-fry recipe may be ‘basic’, but the end result is far from it. Yes, it’s easy, with only 10 minutes of prep and 10 minutes of cooking. In fact, it comes together in the same time it takes to make steamed rice. And the taste is out of this world! Of all our stir-fry recipes, this is one of the simplest and easiest to follow, and always brings the best results. Why is this our best basic beef stir-fry recipe? In this basic beef and vegetable stir-fry recipe, tender beef is bound in a garlicky, sweet and salty sauce with a rainbow of tender-crisp vegetables. Oyster sauce is the hero here, lending the beef its unique umami taste and glossy sheen. This stir-fry recipe is open to being adapted. Use pork, chicken or tofu instead of beef, and maybe throw in a sneaky chopped chilli, if that’s your thing. Feel free to play around with the stir-fry vegetables in our recipe to create an easy stir-fry that suits your family. If you have snow peas or sugar snap peas, green shallots or extra carrots, a stir-fry like this is a great recipe to reduce waste in your kitchen. As a lovely flourish and flavour punch at the end when plating, sprinkle your stir-fry with some toasted sesame seeds. 💡 Tip: Don’t burn the oil It is important to heat the wok before adding the oil to the pan, otherwise the oil can end up overheating and burning. The oil is hot enough when the beef starts to sizzle when added to the wok. Key ingredients in this beef and vegetable stir-fry Peanut oil: this is the perfect oil for stir-frying thanks to its high smoke point and subtle nutty flavour. If you don't have peanut oil, then vegetable oil or canola oil is okay, too. I also like to use sesame oil in my stir-fries, as it introduces an unmistakable nutty, toasty flavour that gives stir-fries their depth and 'takeaway-style' aroma. Avocado oil also has a high smoke point introduces a neutral, slightly buttery flavour. Lean beef: we use rump steak in our delicious beef stir-fry recipe, sliced thinly against the grain so that it cooks fast and stays tender. See the recipe notes below for other options. Brown onion: thinly sliced, this stir-fry staple is the savoury base that ties all the flavours together. It's sautéed in a little oil with the vegies to bring out the flavour. Red capsicum: we love the colour and crunch that this stir-fry vegetable brings to the table. Its natural sweetness also balances out the savoury brown sauce. Baby corn: we halve these for a little pop of sweetness and texture that makes every bite fun. Broccolini: adding this crunchy green veg rounds out the nutritional colour palette of this stir-fry – and we love how the heads soak up the sauce. You could swap this out for broccoli florets at a pinch. Soy sauce: light soy sauce adds a salty, umami richness to your savoury brown sauce that seasons all the meat and veg perfectly. We use light soy sauce as dark soy sauce is stronger and can overpower the other flavours. You can use a low-sodium soy sauce if watching your salt intake. Garlic: this is the aromatic backbone of almost every stir-fry and so this beef and vegetable stir-fry wouldn’t be the same without it. the garlic can be crushed or thinly sliced. Oyster sauce: a drizzle of this umami stir-fry sauce provides depth, sweet-savoury notes and that irresistible glossiness. White rice: it’s hard to go past this classic sidekick, which soaks up all the saucy goodness. You can use white or brown rice for this meal, as well as egg noodles, if you like. For a lower-carb meal, serve this tasty beef vegetable stir-fry over cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles. Hungry for more nourishing stir-fry dinners? Make this easy Chinese stir-fry sauce (that's as versatile as it is delicious), our budget-friendly quick beef sausage stir-fry, this collection of 30-minute stir-fry recipes, and 21 noodle stir-fry recipes you'll want to add to your weeknight repertoire. Plus, here's every sizzling hot tip you’ll need to level-up your stir-fry skills. Intro and additional recipe notes by Alison Adams, Food Writer and Recipe Tester and Natasha Shaw, Food Writer.
For me, the aromatic and enticing scent of Japanese curry conjures memories of living in Osaka. On a winter's day, I'd slide into the booth of a cosy Japanese restaurant and order a katsu curry (or 'kare rice') that would warm me from the inside out. This recipe offers all the flavour, comfort and warmth of a full-bodied Japanese curry, while also being easy and speedy to make at home. Why I love this super easy Japanese curry recipe With only a handful of ingredients, the quick and easy Japanese curry comes together in less than 20 minutes -- thanks to the flavour bomb ingredient that is a curry roux block. And, you can always make tweaks based on your preferences or dietary requirements. I often make this curry using crumbed eggplant or tofu instead of chicken (I've also used a freezer-aisle vegie schnitzel) for an easy vegetarian version that even my small children enjoy. You can pop in leftover vegies you have in the crisper (think snow peas or Asian greens) and you have an instant use-it-up, waste-free dinner. This curry roux based Japanese curry is mild, creamy and a beautiful match for white rice. And yet, you can use brown rice or even quinoa if you'd like an alternate bed for your curry. Key ingredients in our quick Japanese curry recipe Peanut oil: we use peanut oil in our curry, but you can always use a neutral vegetable oil or sesame oil, if you don't have peanut oil. Protein: this recipe uses free-range chicken tenderloins, but tofu, crumbed frozen schnitzel (pre-baked), or even eggplant work really well here too. Red onion: red onion brings its signature piquant bite to the plate. Japanese curry roux blocks: easy to find at your local supermarket and even easier to use, S&B Golden Curry Sauce Mix roux blocks bring all the instant flavour to this quick and easy curry recipe. While curry roux provides instant flavour in this Japanese curry, you can always add a splash of soy sauce (regular soy sauce, as opposed to dark soy sauce) if you'd like further depth. Broccolini: halved broccolini mops up the creamy curry sauce beautifully, but you can add any greens you have in the crisper, if you like. Coconut cream: elevating this curry to top-tier comfort food status, coconut cream puts this curry somewhere between a Japanese and a Thai curry. Baby spinach: finally, a use for that leftover baby spinach! This leafy green vegetable boosts the nutritional value of the curry further. Lime wedges: a little squeeze of lime brings an sweet acid tang to the finished curry. Rice: we use white rice as the vessel to carry this curry, but you can use a brown rice or even quinoa, if you prefer. If you love the sounds of this easy Japanese dinner, try our top 15 easy japanese dinner ideas next. And, test out the Japanese desserts we love to make (cotton cheesecake, anyone?) Introduction and additional recipe notes by Sonya Gellert, food writer and recipes editor.
Curtis Stone hit the nail on the head when he developed this quick and easy stir-fry featuring slippery rice noodles, tender chicken and vegetables all coated in a umami-rich sauce. Perfect for a weeknight dinner, this dinner ticks all the boxes for speed, nutrition and taste. This recipe is on high rotation at my place as it is so versatile. Noodles are always a favourite with kids and this recipe is a fun way of getting their vegetable intake up. On its own you’ll only get a very mild heat, but feel free to serve with sliced fresh chillies or chilli crunch on the side to spice things up a bit. Why we love this one-wok wonder Using chicken mince and cheap-as-chips rice noodles, this stir-fry is really friendly on the budget - even more so if you just use whatever you have lying around in the crisper drawer and perhaps a bit of leftover roast meat. Super easy, this recipe requires little chopping (often the bane of a tired cook). You can even buy shredded carrots and sliced mushrooms to make life even easier and using the ready chopped garlic and chilli sauce gives a deep flavourful hit. You can easily play around with this noodle stir-fry to adapt to different dietary requirements. Omit the meat and use tofu for a vegetarian option (you can stir through a whisked egg at the end of cooking for extra protein). This dish can also be made gluten free (read more below). What you’ll need to make this family friendly stir-fry recipe Oyster Sauce: made from dried oysters, soy sauce and sugar, oyster sauce packs a mighty punch, adding an amazing umami element to stir-fries, marinades and glazes. Soy sauce: make sure you use light soy sauce as dark is used more for colour and is a bit overwhelming. Chilli garlic sauce: although optional, I recommend you always have a jar of the chilli garlic sauce in the fridge. Medium in heat, it works as both condiment as well as added to stir-fries. Pad Thai noodles: these versatile noodles can be served cold in a salad or warm as in this stir-fry recipe. Chicken mince: so much easier to cook than strips which can tend to overcook. You can swap for pork mince if preferred. Mushrooms: we just use cup mushrooms, but buttons or a mixture of shiitake, enoki and oyster can be used. Avoid large field mushrooms as they tend to make the stir fry look a bit grey. Instead they are best stuffed or used as an alternative to meat in a burger, or simple top with a dab of garlic butter and cooked in the air fryer. Carrot: we say to cut the carrot into matchsticks, but I opt for the easier option of coarsely grating them (sshhhh). Onions: we use sliced brown onion in our chicken stir-fry as a flavour base and then thinly sliced green onion for a fresh oniony hit at the end. Introduction and recipe notes by Alison Adams.
Dinner's ready! Make the most of store-bought sauces and get food on the table fast with this 10-minute tuna mornay bake.
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