28 Easy Homemade 8 Ingredient Recipes For Dinner

Leaning on 8 ingredient recipes is a must when we’re busy working, chasing children around, or simply strapped for time, as most of us always are! Here are 28 dinner recipes that are short on ingredients but big on flavor.

Yes it is back to school time and that is the main motivation for compiling this list of 8 ingredient recipes that you can bookmark and come back to when things get hectic.

But even if you aren’t participating in this stressful yearly ritual, there are plenty of other reasons for wanting quick meals that require very little fuss but still delivers on flavor. This list proves you don’t need a long list of ingredients to eat well.

Whatever your motivation may be, here’s a collection of quick and easy (not to mention, tasty) dinner recipes that you’ll come back to again and again.

28 Easy 8-Ingredient Dinner Recipes

1. Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Peaches from Cup of Jo

This simple recipe is great for the end of summer, beginning of fall, when stone fruit is still in season, although you could use ripe pears or persimmons well into fall. Garnish with some basil or fresh parsley and serve with a nice glass of chilled white wine.

A person holding a plate of sliced grilled pork tenderloin with peaches. — Image from Cup of Jo

2. Quick & Easy Skirt Steak

This is the ultimate fast, easy meal—all you need are four ingredients—skirt steak, olive oil, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. If you are looking for easy beef recipes, this is it.

A skirt steak on a piece of parchment paper with slices of steak on the side and some lemon wedges.

3. Pork Flautas from ¡Hola! Jalapeño

These only require 3 ingredients, but you can round it up to 8 with adding a few garnishes like shredded lettuce, avocado, sour cream, or pico de gallo. Fry in a single layer in a skillet until golden and crispy.

Several flautas on a plate topped with salsa and avocado and lime wedges.

4. Italian Baked Beans & Greens from Feasting At Home

Sylvia says, “A simple recipe for Italian Baked Beans, with kale, cannellini beans (or chickpeas), and your favorite homemade (or store-bought) marinara sauce, baked in the oven until golden and bubbling. A delicious vegetarian main!”

A white casserole dish of baked beans topped with kale and mozzarella cheese on a wood table. — Image by Feasting At Home

5. Double Pork Pork Burgers

Made with ground pork, bacon, fennel seed, and smoked paprika, these burgers are simply the best! One of our favorite dinners with a short ingredient list. Don’t you just love sandwiches for dinner?

A pork burger on a bun with coleslaw and a michelada next to it.

6. Apple, Onion, & Chicken Sausage Skewers from California Grown

Whether you’re planning a summer cookout or just looking for a tasty and easy dinner, this recipe for skewers with chicken sausage, apple, and onions is sure to impress. A drizzle of hot honey seals the deal.

Several skewers of pork sausage with apples and onions on a bed of wild rice with a bowl of honey next to it. — Image from California Grown

7. Salt & Pepper Shrimp Tacos from ¡Hola! Jalapeño

This recipe takes about 15 minutes to complete but tastes like you’ve spent at least 53 minutes on it, maybe more. Serve with lots of lime wedges to squeeze fresh lime juice over each taco.

A plate with several shrimp tacos topped with crema and cheese next to a dish of shrimp. — Image by ¡Hola! Jalapeño

8. Zucchini Pasta with Mint & Pine Nuts

It is so simple that you would be right to assume it might be kind of bland or boring.There’s no cheese, no garlic, not even an onion but somehow it is rich and buttery and completely satisfying.

Farfalle pasta with pine nuts and cubes of zucchini topped with thin slices of mint.

9. Crispy Parmesan Polenta Chicken from This Mess Is Ours

This is a fast and pretty much fool-proof recipe. Spend the extra time in the kitchen prepping a side dish like roasted beet salad or sweet and sour braised cabbage. Using polenta instead of bread crumbs means it’s gluten free!

A plate of breaded chicken sliced with lemon wedges next to it and a salad near by. — Image by This Mess Is Ours

10. Chorizo Tacos from ¡Hola! Jalapeño

This 15 minute Chorizo Tacos recipe is for those nights when you are starving and need to eat—NOW, without weighing down your grocery list.

A chorizo taco topped with salsa verde and crumbled cheese on a piece of parchment paper. — Image by ¡Hola! Jalapeño

11. Roasted Lime Chicken Thighs from ¡Hola! Jalapeño

Four simple ingredients and a few minutes of your time will give you a delicious, healthy dinner that is anything but boring.

Several chicken thighs on a long platter with limes and cilantro.

12. The Best Salmon Recipe

This simple mixture of five pantry ingredients including extra-virgin olive oil, mustard seed and dried dill will turn any piece of salmon into a work of art. Best part? It takes a total of 10 minutes! Serve with a crusty loaf of bread and spinach salad.

A piece of salmon on a plate next to a lemon wedge and a spinach salad.

13. The Easiest Fried Chicken

If you think fried chicken has to be “an affair”, try this recipe with a whopping five ingredients! All purpose flour, sea salt, and pepper are all you need for the breading. Lots of tips in the post to help along the way too.

Several pieces of fried chicken on brown paper

14. Mandilli Pasta with Creamy Pesto Sauce from Salt & Wind

If you can’t find the mandilli pasta which are basically fresh lasagna sheets, use any kind of pasta you’d like. The pesto gets its creamy texture from a secret technique and lots of parmesan cheese.

A bowl of pesto pasta with a small dish of parmesan cheese behind it. — Image by Salt & Wind

15. Red Wine & Garlic Marinated London Broil from ¡Hola! Jalapeño

This one isn’t super fast (it needs at least 4 hours to marinate) but the simple, delicious marinade made from red wine, garlic, and brown sugar comes together quick and makes for a truly stunning meal.

A London broil in a dish with a few slices and a large fork in the dish. — Image by ¡Hola! Jalapeño

16. Fideo Seco from Lola’s Cocina

Lola says, “Fideo Seco is a comforting Mexican pasta dish inspired by my travels to Oaxaca. In this recipe, fideo noodles are toasted in oil to enhance their rich, nutty flavor, then slowly simmered in a luscious tomato broth infused with guajillo peppers.” Garnish with avocado and thinly sliced red onions or green onions.

A large dish of Fideo Seco topped with avocado slices, Cotija cheese and red onion. — Image from Lola’s Cocina

17. Cilantro Garlic Pork Chops from ¡Hola! Jalapeño

These delicious grilled Cilantro Garlic Pork Chops takes seven ingredients and just a few minutes of prep and makes for a perfect weeknight meal. See the post for step-by-step instructions.

A pork chop on a plate with broccoli and sweet potatoes and a lemon wedge. — Image by ¡Hola! Jalapeño

18. Spaghetti with The Best Marinara Sauce

If you’ve only ever used jarred spaghetti sauce, please, I’m begging you, stop! This pasta sauce is so easy to make, takes about 30 minutes, and tastes a million times better. The flavor is that of a ripe fresh tomato.

Spaghetti in a bowl with tomato sauce and a basil sprig on top.

19. Easy Oven Chicken Thighs from A Girl Defloured

Alison says, “These chicken thighs are rubbed with a heady dose of chopped garlic cloves, studded with rosemary, and thoroughly coated with both smoked and sweet paprika. It’s a recipe we have on repeat, especially during the colder months.”

Several chicken thighs in a cast iron pan topped with rosemary and a glass of red wine behind it. — Image from A Girl Defloured

20. Sweet Potato Nachos with Smoked Cheddar & Black Beans from ¡Hola! Jalapeño

The nachos to end all nachos…if you’ve never made nachos with sweet potatoes, you are going to love this. With just 4 ingredients and a quick blitz under the broiler, this healthier nacho recipe will be ready in minutes.

A large plate of sweet potato nachos topped with black bean, cheese, and jalapeños. — Image by ¡Hola! Jalapeño

21. Lemon Broiled Cod

Shockingly good, this broiled cod recipe is truly the best! Coated in a creamy sauce bursting with lemon juice then broiled, it comes out moist, flakey, and super flavorful. You will never believe this dish only uses a handful of ingredients.

A piece of broiled cod on a bed of beans next to some broccoli.

22. Garlic Butter Pasta from Foolproof Living

Aysegul says, “Garlic butter pasta is a rich, savory, and—most of all—easy dish the whole family will love.” Toss in a hearty handful of halved cherry tomatoes for color or caramelized mushrooms for veggie oomph if you’d like.

A green bowl filled with spaghetti and topped with chopped herbs and a spoon and a fork in the bowl. — Image by Foolproof Living

23. Instant Pot Pork Tinga from ¡Hola! Jalapeño

Pork Tinga is easily one of our family’s favorite recipes. This stewy mixture of tender pork, tomatoes, and chipotle chile is one of the easiest and tastiest Mexican recipes out there. Try it for dinner tonight!

Hunks of pork in a tomato sauce with a fork in the bowl. — Image by ¡Hola! Jalapeño

24. Easy Beef & Barley Vegetable Soup

With prep time at 10 minutes, this easy Beef Barley Vegetable Soup is the simple bowl of comfort you’re craving with tender hunks of beef, plump barley, and lots of nourishing vegetables. Another favorite easy beef dinner recipe that’s also a great source of whole grains.

Two bowls of beef barley soup topped with chopped basil.

25. Crispy Chicken Cutlets from My Diary of Us

Leigh Ann says, “Thinly sliced chicken breasts are breaded and then pan fried until golden in color and perfectly crispy. Chicken cutlets are a staple recipe that I cook almost weekly for a variety of dishes.”

Chicken cutlets on a paper towel-lined baking sheet next to a dish of salt. — Image by My Diary of Us

26. Rainbow Veggie Quesadilla from ¡Hola! Jalapeño

This super yummy Rainbow Veggie Quesadilla filled with a boatload of colorful vegetables and lots of melted cheese. A quick and easy recipe that is a clear winner for the whole family.

A quesadilla with bell peppers and red cabbage cut into wedges on a parchment-lined counter. — Image by ¡Hola! Jalapeño

27. Vegan Pesto Pasta with Green Beans

If nothing else, this vegan pesto pasta has flavor! No cheese necessary to make this almond pesto with basil and garlic shine.

A bowl of rigatoni pasta topped with pesto, green beans, red pepper flakes and cheese.

28. Five-Spice Oven Broiled Beef Skewers

These beef skewers are the perfect chill, low-key dinner. They get a quick dip in an Asian-inspired marinade made with soy sauce, garlic, ginger, black pepper, and 5-spice then thread onto skewers with sweet bell pepper.

beef skewers with red bell pepper on a piece of parchment paper.

Simple Recipes For When You Can’t Even

We could all do with fewer ingredients now and then, right? Bookmark this post so you can return to it again and again. This collection of recipes are a great way to get a homemade dinner on the table with very little fuss.

More Recipe Inspiration

If you use your crock pot all the time, you’ll love these 11 delicious and cheap crock pot recipes or these 13 healthy chicken crock pot recipes. Many of them have short ingredient lists.
For ideas on what to do with ground turkey, here are 18 healthy ground turkey recipes.
I also have a list of 17 vegan pastas.