15 Easy Dinner Recipes That Taste Like You're Dining Out (2024)

French Onion Soup Gratinée

"About as good as it gets! This is the version of French onion soup that people seek when they go to restaurants," says reviewer Jersey Tomato, who perfected this recipe. "I have been making it for 30 years and it never fails to please." Besides ½ cup of red wine in the soup and the cheese piled atop each bowl, every single ingredient is humble (read: budget-friendly) yet flavor-rich and cozy.

• Get Tips to Make the Best French Onion Soup

Chef John's Individual Beef Wellingtons

This is one of those fancy-sounding dishes we all think must be way too complicated to make at home. But thanks to a couple of shortcut ingredients, you can easily pull this off. Chef John deems the semi-homemade Wellingtons "hard to beat" thanks to its foundation of "perfectly cooked filet mignon topped with a rich, savory mushroom paté [that] is wrapped in a crispy pastry crust and served on top of a buttery pastry base." That pastry, by the way, is store-bought puff pastry—which can remain our little secret.

Indian Chicken Tikka Masala

Craving Indian cuisine? Carve out 45 minutes and round up some pantry staples, chicken breast, and tomatoes to whip up this simple medium spice level curry that's "very easy and fast to make," according to Allrecipes member Chriss. "Loved it!"

• 9 Indian Recipes Ready in 35 Minutes or Less

Pan-Seared Duck Breast with Blueberry Sauce

Ooh la la! Close your eyes, take a bite of this succulent duck breast, and you'll swear you're seated at the best table in a five-star restaurant. You might have to splurge a bit on the duck, but the rest of the feast—including frozen berries, potatoes, mushrooms, bacon, and herbs—won't break the bank. Allrecipes fan Grace8561 raves, "THIS WAS AMAZING! My husband said it was the best meal he ever had." Have extra duck fat leftover? Put it to delicious use in these seven rich recipes.

Better-Than-Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce

When you're here, you're family—and we won't make you wait for another basket of breadsticks! You'll want several to sop up every last drop of this easy, cheesy pasta sauce recipe that takes just 30 minutes start to finish. "I am SOOOO picky about Alfredo sauce and this is the #1 best recipe I have ever tasted," swears Misty Thomas. "Don't waste your time on any other sauce. This one is smooth, creamy, flavorful and worth every effort, which is small, to make this amazing gravy of the gods." The recipe calls for angel hair pasta, but you know you can use any pasta you like.

• How to Make Alfredo Sauce

Chicken Marsala Milanese

"I usually only try to improve recipes one at a time, but here, we're going to do two," says our own Chef John. "We're making chicken Marsala better by doing the chicken Milanese-style, and we're going to improve chicken Milanese with the same amazing sauce that goes on chicken Marsala. The results were incredible. Serve with an arugula salad." As always with Chef John's recipes, you'll get a step-by-step video coaching you through every stage of this surprisingly easy, show-stopping recipe.

Garlic Wine Mussels

Whether you nestle them over cooked pasta or serve them up with warm, crusty bread, you'll definitely want a carb to pair up with this easy Italian entrée to soak up every last drop of the sauce. Tomatoes, clam juice, onion, garlic, and tomatoes team up with a cup of white wine to make a delectable sauce you'll want to eat with a spoon. We'll let you decide how you'd like to put the other 17.4 ounces of that bottle to good use!

Copycat Ramen

Cozy up to a big bowl that feels like a big, warm food hug. Inspired by TikTok food trends and with results that taste a lot like takeout ramen, this 25-minute meal is a massive upgrade from the standard packet of pasta you might remember from dorm room "cooking". That's because the technique involves dressing up each bowl of crunchy fresh vegetables and ramen noodles with a complex and umami-rich soy-based sauce.

Shrimp and Soba Noodle Salad

Inspired by Panera's popular Shrimp and Soba Salad, and reminiscent of a dish you might order at a Japanese restaurant, this 25-minute recipe is a complete meal in a bowl. In addition to the quick-cooking shrimp and hearty soba noodles, it features a colorful array of vegetables and a ginger-infused orange miso dressing. Try tossing half of the dressing with the noodles and the other half with the vegetables to ensure even distribution, Allrecipes Allstar Buckwheat Queen suggests.

Pistachio Crusted Rack of Lamb

"This was one of the best dishes I've ever made, and I was told this meal was as good as any restaurant meal," Allrecipes home cook Karen raves of this holiday-worthy yet ultra-easy Chef John creation. The magic lies in the mustard and pistachio nut crust that amps up both the flavor and the texture of the restaurant-quality lamb dish. While it looks elegant, this entire entrée can be on your table in less than an hour.

Barbeque Chicken Grilled Pizza

Why choose barbecue chicken or pizza when you can savor both on a single slice? Inspired by pizzerias like California Pizza Kitchen, this saucy pie is semi-homemade and much simpler than it looks to DIY. Plus it cooks right on an outdoor grill or grill pan, so clean-up is a cinch. "I LOVED this! I'm not sure why I've never tried pizza on the barbecue before, but I'm sure glad I did. It will for sure become popular on our summer menu. This is such a great way for people to customize their own pizzas," says Allrecipes fan Chef V.

Restaurant-Style Tequila Lime Chicken

Marinate chicken in a smoky teriyaki blend that's spiked with just enough tequila and you'll be treated to some of the most tender and tasty chicken breasts you'll ever eat. What really takes this easy chicken dinner over the top, though, are the toppings. A crown of melted cheese, crumbled corn chips, and a zesty Mexi-ranch dressing team up to make this, "By far my favorite recipe I have ever found on the Internet," according to five-star reviewer ORANGEWHIP.

Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto

Don't be intimidated by the process of making creamy, dreamy risotto from scratch! It's actually not nearly as tough as you might expect on the stovetop—and gets even easier when you tag in your Instant Pot. The pressure cooker function eliminates almost all of the stirring. "Risotto made in a pressure cooker is so simple and quick that it feels like cheating. It's not. This is the real stuff," says Shauna James Ahern of her white wine, mushroom, and rosemary risotto. "You'll probably start making risotto far more often after you try this one." (We know we definitely did!)

Barbacoa-Style Shredded Beef

Watch out Chipotle: Jack Grigsby III has mastered your recipe right in his own slow cooker! Simply simmer beef chuck roast in a mixture of beef broth, lime juice, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, and a few spices. Eight hours later, you'll be treated to a platter-full of fall-apart tender beef. "This is the real deal. The meat is very flavorful, not overly spicy. Perfect for tacos, taquitos, or burritos," explains Allrecipes Allstar Baking Nana.

Linguine with Garlic-Butter Shrimp

If shrimp scampi is your go-to Italian restaurant order, turn to this "simple but elegant" meal from ECLECTIC78. With one of the simplest sauces ever, it's "excellent if you're looking for something that's full of flavor without the heaviness of a cream sauce." (Psst…reserve some of the pasta cooking water and add a splash or two at the end if you'd like to smooth out the garlic mixture even more.)

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