19 Lazy But Brilliant Recipes That Won't Let You Down (2024)

    You don't need to spend hours in the kitchen to enjoy a great homemade meal.

    by Marie TellingBuzzFeed Staff

    1. An easy, 25-minute orange chicken recipe.

    And it's budget friendly, too.

    Get the recipe here.

    2. A black bean soup ready in 35 minutes, tops.

    19 Lazy But Brilliant Recipes That Won't Let You Down (4)

    Monique / Via ambitiouskitchen.com

    Vegetarian and full of protein.

    Get the recipe here.

    3. A skillet peach crisp ready in under an hour.

    19 Lazy But Brilliant Recipes That Won't Let You Down (5)

    Dana Shultz

    Cobblers and crisps are such easy, great dessert options. This one also happens to be gluten-free, but you can sub all-purpose flour if you can eat gluten.

    Get the recipe here.

    4. A quick and easy way to upgrade your instant ramen.

    19 Lazy But Brilliant Recipes That Won't Let You Down (7)

    Tieghan Gerard / Via halfbakedharvest.com

    This one, ready in 15 minutes, will take your ramen game to a whole new level.

    Get the recipe here.

    6. A foolproof chicken breast recipe.

    19 Lazy But Brilliant Recipes That Won't Let You Down (10)

    Ali Ebright / Via gimmesomeoven.com

    These baked chicken breasts have now been tried and adopted by most of our team. The secret is in the brining: Just put the breasts in a saltwater bowl for 15 minutes while your oven is warming up. Rinse them, coat them with olive oil and spices, bake them, and you'll get some super tender and juicy chicken breasts. I usually only bake two at a time and add some veggies on the roasting tray for a full meal.

    Get the recipe here.

    7. A reliable and tasty 10-minute pasta recipe.

    19 Lazy But Brilliant Recipes That Won't Let You Down (11)

    Tieghan Gerard

    You don't need much (in this case only fresh herbs, eggs, parmesan, and butter) to make delicious, creamy pasta.

    Get the recipe here.

    8. A lemon pie recipe that's so good and easy you'll want to make it every week.

    I'm legit obsessed with this pie. The crust is made out of just saltine crackers and butter and gives the pie an unexpected but delicious salty kick. The lemon curd is basically lemon juice mixed with sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks — no need to preheat it in a pan before it hits the oven. Top it all with whipped cream and you've got yourself the perfect pie.

    Get the recipe here.

    9. Indulgent skillet chicken chilaquiles for an easy weeknight dinner.

    19 Lazy But Brilliant Recipes That Won't Let You Down (15)

    Ree Drummond / Via thepioneerwoman.com

    One skillet, five ingredients, and whatever toppings you'd like.

    Get the recipe here.

    10. A five-ingredient Nutella cookie recipe recipe that'll satisfy your weekend cravings.

    Ready in only 20 minutes.

    Get the recipe here.

    11. A great recipe for homemade French fries.

    19 Lazy But Brilliant Recipes That Won't Let You Down (18)

    Deb Perelman / Via smittenkitchen.com

    Lazy-ish since they take 45 minutes to make but they are SO worth it.

    Get the recipe here.

    12. The perfect grilled cheese recipe.

    19 Lazy But Brilliant Recipes That Won't Let You Down (19)

    Annie Chesson

    If you're using only one type of cheese, you're doing it wrong.

    Get the recipe here.

    13. A butter chicken you can make in a slow cooker.

    19 Lazy But Brilliant Recipes That Won't Let You Down (21)

    Tieghan Gerard / Via halfbakedharvest.com

    Slow cookers are a lazy cook's best friend.

    Get the recipe here.

    14. A classic no muss, no fuss cheeseburger.

    19 Lazy But Brilliant Recipes That Won't Let You Down (22)

    Holly Lofthouse / Via life-in-the-lofthouse.com

    This one is inspired by In-N-Out's classic cheeseburger, so you know it's good.

    Get the recipe here.

    15. A tinfoil garlic Parmesan salmon recipe.

    19 Lazy But Brilliant Recipes That Won't Let You Down (23)

    Chelsea / Via chelseasmessyapron.com

    A whole meal in a foil pocket, ready in 35 minutes.

    Get the recipe here.

    16. A straightforward but delicious chocolate cake recipe.

    19 Lazy But Brilliant Recipes That Won't Let You Down (24)

    Deb Perelman

    I've already made this cake a few times. It only takes about 45 minutes to make and bake and the result is really good. (And if you're actually not feeling lazy, you can also use this recipe for a layer cake.)

    Get the recipe here.

    17. A slow cooker short ribs recipe for your taco night.

    Dump it all in a slow cooker in the morning, live your life, and enjoy perfectly tender barbacoa short ribs in the evening.

    Get the recipe here.

    18. A brilliant way to make a simple cake look fancier than it is.

    19 Lazy But Brilliant Recipes That Won't Let You Down (28)

    David Frenkiel & Luise Vindahl / Via greenkitchenstories.com

    This simple blueberry cake was shattered then filled with yogurt for serving. Super smart, yummy, and pretty!

    Get the recipe here.

    19. And a one-pan sausage and veggies recipe that only requires 10 minutes of prep.

    19 Lazy But Brilliant Recipes That Won't Let You Down (29)

    Chelsea / Via chelseasmessyapron.com

    Ten minutes of prep, 30 minutes of cooking: The perfect option for a busy weeknight.

    Get the recipe here.

    19 Lazy But Brilliant Recipes That Won't Let You Down (2024)
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