19 Easy Dinners You Only Need 3 Ingredients to Make

By Melanie Fincher

March 25, 2020

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Credit: France C

Sometimes you just have to use whatever ingredients you have on hand to get dinner on the table. If it's been a minute since you've made it to the grocery store, shop your pantry for tonight's dinner menu. There's more you can do with just a couple ingredients than you think. All of these recipes require 3 ingredients or less, excluding salt/pepper and oil/butter. Keep reading to find 19 easy 3 ingredient dinner recipes to make for when you haven't planned ahead.

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Salmon with Brown Sugar Glaze

Credit: Paula

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"This is a recipe I'll make again for sure! Not only is it quick and easy, but the flavors are perfect together," says reviewer Marianne. Brown sugar, dijon, mustard, and salmon is all you need to make this 15 minute dinner (that looks and tastes like it takes much longer).

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Pesto Cheesy Chicken Rolls

Credit: OkinawanPrincess

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Use up leftover pesto and mozzarella cheese to make these elegant chicken rolls. "You can't beat recipes that call for so few ingredients," says reviewer Caroline C.

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Yummy Pork Chops

Credit: fabeverydayblog

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Got some pork chops but don't know what to do with them? In addition to pork chops, this recipe calls for Italian dressing, soy sauce, and pepper. "The quick and easy factor on this is HUGE," says reviewer TheManCooks. "This is tasty and really quick."

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Three-Ingredient Baked Chicken Breasts

Credit: naples34102

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Amp up plain ol' chicken breasts with a little butter and salt. Recipe creator Jennifer Jones says, "I use this as a basic baked chicken recipe when another recipe calls for cooked chicken. Works great for everything and is super customizable. Sometimes I use garlic salt or other seasonings, depending on what I'm using it for."

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Pesto Chicken

Credit: SouthernBelle

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"A simple way to prepare chicken that looks like you spent a lot of time preparing. It can also be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated until baked," says recipe creator Pjaros. "Be sure to use a good quality pesto for best results. I like to serve it with pasta, but it is also nice sliced and served on a green salad." Chicken breasts are covered in pesto and wrapped in prosciutto.

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Spicy Lime Grilled Shrimp

Credit: France C

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Grilled shrimp is jazzed up with a little cajun seasoning and lime juice. Reviewer kt1919 says, "Delicious and easy! Substituting Creole seasoning for the Cajun also works well. We grilled the shrimp on skewers and squeezed a little lime juice on them after removing from the grill."

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Fried Cabbage and Egg Noodles

Credit: kKallberg

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"This is a German recipe from my Grandmother. It's cabbage that is lightly browned in butter and mixed with egg noodles and browned lightly for a wonderful, hearty, and fast dish," says recipe creator judi.

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Crunchy French Onion Chicken

Credit: bd.weld

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"I smashed my fried onions in a plastic bag, no mess," says reviewer Dena. "Baked until perfection, crunch and very flavorful!" Dress up plain chicken breasts with French-fried onions.

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Barbeque Bacon Chicken Bake

Credit: Sugarplum

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Reviewer kuhill says, "I made this recipe tonight for the family. They all loved it! Added thighs to the mix." Use whatever barbecue sauce you have on hand for this easy recipe.

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Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs

Credit: cyndi

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"This is a wonderfully simple and delicious recipe to use for bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs," says recipe creator John Goddard. Garlic powder, salt, and pepper are spice-cabinet staples that season chicken thighs to simple perfection.

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Turkey Burgers

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Dry onion soup mix makes turkey burgers that are bursting with flavor. "We usually don't like onion soup mix (it can be a little too strong flavor and salty) but it works great in this recipe," says reviewer somethingdifferentagain?! "We BBQ grilled and we liked the flavor a lot!"

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Bacon Wrapped Pesto Chicken

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Chicken breasts are dressed up with basil pesto and bacon. "This was quite a tasty dish, something a bit more unique for the not-so-everyday dinner," says reviewer chrissysayshi2u.

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Easy Rib Eye Roast

Credit: Linda

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Reviewer KBHANSON21 says, "I make this every time rib eyes are on sale. Easy and delicious; there are never any leftovers! We usually cook ours medium-rare!" All it takes to spruce up a cheap rib eye is some butter, minced garlic, salt, and pepper.

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Fiesta Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Tacos

Credit: Christina

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Add chicken breasts, chicken broth, and taco seasoning to the slow cooker for a flavorful taco filling that's completely hands-off. "Simple and delicious," says reviewer Christina. "I used chicken tenders so they were cooked in about 4 hours on low."

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Simple Sausage Casserole

Credit: Molly

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Breakfast for dinner? "This very simple casserole is made with sausage, cream cheese, and crescent roll dough. If you have hectic mornings, you can bake it at night and just cut and reheat portions the next morning in the microwave," says recipe creator MOM3TCB.

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Brown Sugar Ham Steak

Credit: David Sheppard

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Is there anything a little brown sugar and butter can't make better? "I make this all the time," says reviewer Barbara. "It is a quick weeknight meal."

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Roasted Cauliflower 'Steaks'

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"This is a simple and beautiful way to cook a whole cauliflower," says recipe creator SPetrocelly. "These cauliflower steaks look beautiful on their own, and even better alongside a bit of mashed potato or yams. This is a great vegetarian alternative for meatless Mondays!"

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Stupid Simple Roast Chicken

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As the name suggests, this recipe is as simple as it gets. Place a whole chicken into a roasting pan and insert lemon halves into the cavity. Sprinkle with kosher salt and roast! Now you've got a dinner that will last several days. "What can I say — straight forward, crispy skin and moist, tender meat," says reviewer Baking Nana.

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Simply Roasted Artichokes

Credit: Cynthis Ross

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"This recipe is so simple it's hard to call it a recipe," says Chef John. Artichokes are drizzled with lemon juice and olive oil and stuffed with a clove of garlic in the center before baking.

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By Melanie Fincher