If you’re on the hunt for meals that can please even the pickiest eaters without spending hours in the kitchen, you’re in for a treat! We’ve put together some fantastic 30-minute recipes that are as quick to make as they are delicious. 

10 Best 30 Minute Meal Recipes For Picky Eaters

Short on time but need to please a picky eater? These 10 quick and tasty recipes are perfect for busy days when you want to serve up something they'll actually eat!

Paprika Chicken And Quinoa

Perfect for a mid-week meal, this dish is quick to prepare and features wholesome, staple ingredients. It’s also ideal for prepping ahead and packing for lunch throughout the week. The fresh herbs bring a burst of flavour, but feel free to substitute with whatever you have available. 

Type: Chicken, Gluten Free

Serves 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes 

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1. 1 cup quinoa 
2. 1 bunch of parsley, chopped 
3. Handful mint leaves, chopped
4. Handful coriander leaves, chopped 
5. 1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
6. 3 spring onions, sliced 
7. Zest of 1 lemon
8. 1 tablespoon olive oil
9. 3 large chicken breast fillets 
10. 1 sprinkle paprika
11. 6 tablespoons Greek yoghurt 
12. For the dressing:
13. 2 tablespoons olive oil
14. Juice of 1 lemon
15. 1 teaspoon paprika
16. 1 teaspoon cumin
17. Cracked black pepper

Recipe

1. Cook the quinoa according to packet instructions, then drain and set aside to cool. 
2. To make the dressing combine the oil, lemon juice, paprika, cumin and pepper in a small bowl and stir to combine. Reserve some of the dressing for serving, and the rest for the salad. 
3. To assemble the salad add the cooked quinoa, parsley, mint, coriander, tomatoes, spring onions and lemon zest to a salad bowl and toss together. Add the salad dressing and stir through. 
4. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Mix the olive oil with a sprinkle of paprika and rub over both sides of the chicken breast. Add the chicken to the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes on each side until cooked through.
5. To serve: Divide the quinoa between 6 serving bowls. Slice the chicken breast and arrange on top of the quinoa in each bowl. Serve with a tablespoon of the Greek yoghurt, and drizzle with the remaining salad dressing. Enjoy!

Here’s a tasty treat to add to your meal lineup: give Baked Lemon Chicken a whirl! It’s a super simple, flavour-packed dish that even picky eaters will devour. 

Quinoa With Roast Zucchini, Pumpkin And Pesto

This vegetarian dish is bursting with delightful flavours, thanks to the cinnamon paired with zucchini and pumpkin. If you’re out of homemade pesto, no worries—store-bought will do just fine. Just keep in mind that it might not match the homemade version in flavour or nutrition.

Type: Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Contains Nuts

Serves 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1. 2 large zucchinis, cut into large pieces
2. 500g pumpkin (any variety), peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
3. 2 tablespoons olive oil
4. 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5. ½ cup (95g) quinoa
6. Juice of 1 lemon
7. 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
8. 1/3 cup (90g) homemade pesto

Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Place the zucchini and pumpkin on the prepared baking tray, drizzle over the olive oil and sprinkle with cinnamon. Gently toss to coat, then spread out in a single layer.
3. Bake for 30 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender.
4. Meanwhile, cook the quinoa according to the packet instructions. 
5. Remove the vegetables from the oven and combine with the quinoa, lemon juice, parsley and pesto.
6. Serve in bowls and enjoy.

Tip: On time-poor days, cut the pumpkin into smaller pieces as this will reduce the cooking time. 

Miso Salmon With Green Veggies

This dish is a breeze to make and super versatile. If you’re missing any of the veggies listed, just swap in whatever you have on hand. It’s also great served with rice or quinoa for a complete meal.

Type: Fish, Gluten Free, Lactose Free

Serves 2

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1. Two pieces of salmon, skin on
2. 1 sweet potato, diced into bite-sized pieces
3. 1 teaspoon olive oil
4. 1 handful edamame beans, shelled or in pods
5. 1 cucumber, diced
6. 1 spring onion, sliced
7. For the marinade:
8. 2 teaspoons white or yellow miso paste
9. 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
10. 1 teaspoon olive oil
11. 1 small squirt honey
12. For the dressing:
13. 2 teaspoons white or yellow miso paste 
14. 2 teaspoons tahini 
15. Juice of half a lime
16. Hot water

Recipe

1. Combine the marinade ingredients in a small bowl and mix to combine. Add the salmon fillets and coat in the marinade. Place in the fridge for at least half an hour to marinate.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Place sweet potato on the tray with a teaspoon of olive oil. Bake for 15-20 minutes until starting to brown.
3. Remove the baked sweet potato from the oven and set aside. Place the salmon fillets onto the oven tray and drizzle with the excess marinade. Place into the oven for 5 minutes, then turn the fish over to its other side and cook for another 5 minutes. 
4. Meanwhile, cook the edamame according to the packet directions. Combine edamame with the cucumber, spring onion and baked sweet potato.
5. To make the dressing combine miso paste and tahini in a small bowl and whisk together. Whisk in the lime juice and enough hot water to create your desired dressing consistency. 
6. To serve, add the veggie mix to two serving plates and top with the salmon fillets. Top with the dressing and enjoy!

Mediterranean Chicken 

Here’s another easy and delicious dinner idea that keeps things simple with minimal clean-up! Why not double the recipe and have extra on hand for the week? You can use leftovers for a quick lunch or reheat for a hassle-free dinner. It’s a great way to save time and effort during those busy days. 

Type: Gluten Free, Lactose Free, Chicken

Serves 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes 

Cooking Time: 20-30 minutes

Ingredients

1. 3 tablespoons olive oil
2. 2 cloves garlic, crushed
3. 1 tablespoon dried oregano
4. 1 teaspoon dried thyme
5. Sprinkle of salt and pepper
6. 3 lemons
7. 4 small chicken breast fillets
8. 1 cucumber, chopped
9. 1 punnet cherry tomatoes, chopped,
10. Handful parsley leaves, chopped
11. 1 avocado, chopped

Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. In a large bowl combine 2 tablespoons of olive oil, garlic, oregano, thyme, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Mix well to combine.
3. Add in the chicken and toss well to coat in the marinade.
4. Transfer the chicken and the marinade to a small baking dish. Quarter 2 of the lemons and arrange around the chicken.
5. Place into the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes, until the chicken breast is cooked through.
6. Meanwhile, prepare the side salad. 
7. Add the cucumber, tomatoes, parsley, and avocado to a bowl. Squeeze in the juice of the 1 remaining lemon and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Stir well to combine. 
8. Divide the side salad between 4 serving plates. 
9. Once the chicken is cooked, divide between the 4 serving plates. Serve with a baked lemon wedge alongside, to squeeze over the chicken. Enjoy!

Butternut Pumpkin Soup

Using butternut pumpkin gives this soup a wonderfully sweet and creamy texture, making it ideal for those cooler days. Also, it’s perfect for batch cooking—just store it in the fridge or freezer for easy meals all week long. For an extra treat, serve it with some crispy toasted wholemeal bread.

Type: Vegetarian, Gluten Free

Serves 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients

1. 1 tablespoon olive oil
2. 1 garlic clove, crushed
3. 1 onion, diced
4. 1 large butternut pumpkin, approximately 1kg, peeled and diced
5. 3 small slices fresh turmeric (skin on), or 1 teaspoon dried turmeric
6. 1 teaspoon cumin
7. 1 litre vegetable stock
8. Cracked black pepper
9. Greek yoghurt to serve, if desired

Recipe

1. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil, garlic and onion. Cook for 5-10 minutes until softened. 
2. Add the chopped pumpkin to the pot along with the turmeric and cumin. Stir to combine and cook for a couple of minutes. Pour over the vegetable stock and turn up the heat to bring to the boil. 
3. Reduce the heat and allow the soup to simmer for 15 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender and falling apart when stirred.  
4. Remove the soup from the heat and use a stick blender to blend the soup until smooth. Alternatively, allow the soup to cool slightly before blending in batches in a blender. 
5. Return the soup to the heat to ensure it is heated through before serving. Divide between serving bowls and top with a dollop of Greek yoghurt and cracked black pepper. Enjoy! 

For a fun and tasty twist on your usual pumpkin recipes, give this Healthy Pumpkin Pasta a go. It’s a delightful way to enjoy pumpkin in a whole new way!

Leek And Potato Soup

Try this classic leek and potato soup with a delicious twist—fennel! The fennel adds a fantastic depth of flavour to this creamy delight. It’s also ideal for batch cooking; just store in the fridge or freezer for for future meals. For an extra touch, you can toss in some chunks of white fish at the end and let them simmer in the soup for a few minutes to cook through.

Type: Vegetarian, Gluten Free

Serves 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients

1. 1 tablespoon olive oil
2. 1 large leek, thinly sliced
3. 1 large bulb of fennel, chopped
4. 1L vegetable stock
5. 4 large potatoes, peeled and chopped
6. 1 tablespoon parsley
7. 100ml milk
8. Cracked black pepper

Recipe

1. Heat a large saucepan or pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil, leek and fennel. Reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally. 
2. Pour in the vegetable stock and add the potatoes. Increase the heat to medium and bring the soup to a simmer for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are softened. 
3. Remove approximately half of the soup and add to a blender with the parsley, then blend until smooth. Pour this back into the pot with the remaining soup. Add in the milk and simmer for a couple more minutes.  
4. Serve the soup with cracked black pepper and a sprinkle of parsley. Enjoy!

Homemade Chicken Tortillas

Making your own tortillas might seem a bit ambitious, but the flavour payoff is well worth it. This dish is also great for entertaining—serve all the ingredients on the table and let your guests create their own tortillas. It’s a surefire way to impress and make your dinner party a hit with your homemade touch.

Type: Chicken

Serves 6-8

Prep Time: 30 minutes + 30 minutes resting time 

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

1. 3 cups wholemeal or whole wheat flour 
2. 2 tablespoons olive oil
3. 1 cup warm water
4. 2 large chicken breasts, sliced into strips
5. Juice of 1 lime
6. 2 tablespoons coriander leaves, chopped
7. 1 bag baby spinach
8. 1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
9. ½ red onion, thinly sliced
10. 1 avocado, sliced 
11. Greek yoghurt, to serve

Recipe

1. Add the flour to a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour the olive oil and warm water into the centre and mix until ingredients just come together. Tip out onto a clean surface and knead the dough for approximately 2-3 minutes until smooth. Place dough back into bowl and cover, then allow to rest for 30 minutes. 
2. Once the tortilla dough has rested, divide it into 16 small balls of roughly the same size. Sprinkle some flour on your bench and rolling pin, then roll out each ball of dough into a thin circle shape resembling a tortilla.
3. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Place one circle of tortilla dough into the pan and cook for 1 minute. It should start to form bubbles and turn slightly golden. Flip over and cook the second side for another 1 minute. Remove the tortilla and place onto a plate. Repeat with remaining dough balls. Stack cooked tortillas on a plate and cover with a pan lid or tea towel to keep warm, or place in the oven at a low temperature to keep warm until serving.
4. To cook the chicken, heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the chicken breast and cook for around 5 minutes on each side until cooked through. Remove from the heat, then squeeze over the lime juice and add the coriander. Stir to cover the chicken then set aside.
5. Serve the warm tortillas on the dining table with the cooked chicken, spinach, tomato, onion, avocado and Greek yoghurt and allow guests to fill their own tortillas with the toppings. Enjoy!

Wholegrain Seeded Rye Loaf

We opted for a rustic round loaf shape by baking it on a flat tray, but if you prefer a classic loaf, feel free to use a loaf tin instead—just keep an eye on it, as baking times may differ. You can also mix and match seeds according to your taste. Remember to start the recipe ahead of time, as the dough needs plenty of time to rise. 

Type: Vegetarian, Snacks

Makes 1 large loaf

Prep Time: 20 minutes + 2 ½ hours rising time

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1. 2 ½ cups wholemeal flour
2. 1 2/3 cup wholegrain rye flour
3. 1 teaspoon salt
4. 2 ½ teaspoons dried yeast (1 sachet) 
5. ¾ cup sunflower seeds
6. ½ cup pepitas
7. ¼ cup sesame seeds
8. 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
9. 1 tablespoon golden syrup or honey
10. 320ml warm water
11. Olive oil spray

Recipe

1. To a large mixing bowl add the wholemeal flour, rye flour, salt and yeast. Reserve ¼ cup of the mixed seeds for later, then add the remaining sunflower seeds, pepitas, sesame seeds and poppy seeds to the mixing bowl. Stir to combine, then form a well in the centre. 
2. Add the golden syrup and warm water to a jug and stir to combine. Add the water and syrup mixture to the mixing bowl, then mix well to combine. If the dough does not come together you can add a little more water. 
3. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and bring together into a ball. Knead the dough, sprinkling more flour as you go if necessary to stop it sticking, for 5-10 minutes until smooth. Place the dough into a bowl lightly sprayed with olive oil spray, cover with a tea towel and place in a warm spot to rest for 2 hours. 
4. Line a flat baking tray with baking paper. Tip the dough back onto your bench and punch in the middle to knock out the air. Form into a ball shape, then roll the top and sides of the dough in the reserved mixed seeds. Place onto the baking tray, cover and allow to rest for a further 30 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Once the dough has risen, use a sharp knife to slice a criss-cross pattern on the top of the loaf. Bake in the middle rack of your oven for 30 minutes until golden on top. The loaf should sound hollow when tapped. Allow to rest and cool for at least 15 minutes before removing from the tray and slicing into thin slices. 

Tip: This bread stores well in the freezer. Slice the loaf and freeze, then pop it in the toaster before eating. 

Beef And Lentil Bolognese

This pasta recipe is a must-have for your cooking collection. With lentils added in, you can cut back on meat without sacrificing taste. In addition, you can amp up the sauce with extra veggies, like mushrooms, for even more flavour and nutrition.

Type: Contains Meat, Lactose Free

Serves 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1. 300g wholemeal fusilli pasta 
2. 1 tablespoon olive oil
3. 1 clove garlic, minced
4. 1 onion, finely diced
5. 1 carrot, finely diced
6. 1 teaspoon cumin
7. 1 teaspoon oregano
8. 250g lean beef mince
9. 1 tablespoon tomato paste
10. 1x 400g tin crushed tomatoes
11. ½ cup vegetable stock
12. 1x 400g tin lentils, drained and rinsed
13. Sprinkle of salt and pepper
14. Handful of basil leaves, to serve

Recipe

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil over high heat. Add the fusilli pasta and cook for approximately 12 minutes until al dente. Drain. 
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add garlic clove and onion and sauté for 5-10 minutes until soft. Add carrot, cumin and oregano and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
3. Add in the beef mince and use a spoon to break it apart whilst cooking. Once the meat has browned, stir in the tomato paste and pour the crushed tomatoes over. Add in the stock, then allow the sauce to simmer for 10-15 minutes until thickened. 
4. Once the sauce has thickened, stir through the lentils and a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and leave on the heat for a couple more minutes until the lentils have heated through.  
5. To serve, divide the pasta between 4 serving bowls and top with the Bolognese sauce. Top with torn basil leaves and enjoy!

Lentil Dhal

Lentils are an excellent plant-based protein and fibre source. This recipe uses dried lentils, available at most supermarkets and health food stores. For a cool touch to balance the chilli's heat, consider adding a dollop of plain yoghurt on top.

Type: Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free, Lactose Free

Serves 6

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1. 1 ½ cups dried brown lentils, rinsed
2. 1 tablespoon olive oil
3. 1 onion, diced
4. 1 tablespoon cumin
5. 1 tablespoon turmeric powder
6. 1 tablespoon curry powder
7. 1 teaspoon chilli powder
8. 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
9. 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
10. 1x 400g tin diced tomatoes
11. Cooked basmati rice, to serve
12. Coriander, to serve

Recipe

1. Add the lentils to a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain the lentils and set aside.  
2. Return the pot to the stove over a medium heat. Add the olive oil and onion and cook for a couple of minutes. Add all the spices, garlic and ginger and cook for another 5 minutes stirring occasionally.  
3. Pour in the tomatoes and ½ cup water. Bring to a simmer and cook for a further 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the mixture becomes too dry, stir through a bit more water and continue simmering. The liquid should be absorbed and the lentils soft.    
4. Serve the dhal with basmati rice, and sprinkle with coriander to serve. Enjoy!

The Bottom Line

Busy evenings? No problem! These 30-minute meals are your new best friend. Perfectly crafted for picky eaters, they pack in flavour and nutrition without eating up your time. With easy ingredients and simple steps, you’ll have a tasty dinner ready in no time. Say hello to stress-free meals that’ll win over even the fussiest eaters!

Hungry for more quick and healthy recipes? Visit our Recipes section!