36 Heart-Healthy Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes (2024)

Following a heart-healthy diet has never been easier (or tastier). These recipes boost the whole grains, vegetables and healthy fats while limiting sodium and saturated fat to help your heart stay healthy. All of these recipes can be made in 25 minutes or less, to save you time on busy nights while still putting a healthy dinner on the table. Try our Seitan BBQ Sandwiches or Loaded Black Bean Nacho Soup to get in on the heart-healthy deliciousness.

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Miso-Maple Salmon

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36 Heart-Healthy Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes (1)

White miso paste packs an umami punch to this healthy salmon recipe. But being the mildest and sweetest variety of the gluten-free fermented paste, it won't overpower this dish. Use any leftover salmon (within 3 days) to make our Lemon-Garlic Pasta with Salmon, Easy Scallion-Salmon Dip or Spicy Salmon Cakes (see Associated Recipes).

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Homemade Chicken Tenders with Everything Bagel Seasoning over Salad

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36 Heart-Healthy Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes (2)

Using everything bagel spice is a quick way to season and add extra crunch to breadcrumbs for chicken tenders. If you can't find any premixed, make your own by combining equal parts dried minced onion and garlic, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, salt and ground pepper (see Associated Recipes). This healthy chicken recipe tops a simple salad for an easy dinner that's ready in 25 minutes.

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Zucchini-Chickpea Veggie Burgers with Tahini-Ranch Sauce

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36 Heart-Healthy Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes (3)

This vegan burger recipe is one you'll want to make again and again. Savory chickpea and zucchini patties are topped with a creamy, herb-flecked tahini ranch sauce, juicy tomato slices and peppery arugula for a satisfying and healthy homemade veggie burger. Serve them on buns or stuff them in pitas. We recommend making extra sauce--it's a great dip for veggie sticks and, thinned with a little water, it makes a wonderful salad dressing.

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Seared Scallops with White Bean Ragu & Charred Lemon

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36 Heart-Healthy Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes (4)

This recipe for seared scallops with white beans and spinach turns out a healthy dinner that looks impressive (and tastes great) in just 25 minutes. Giving lemons a quick sizzle in the skillet amps up the flavor of this piccata-inspired dish. The heat helps release even more citrus juice and sweetens it too. When shopping for scallops, look for ones labeled "dry." Some scallops are soaked in a solution that prevents them from searing properly and can give them a soapy flavor.

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Strawberry Spinach Salad with Avocado & Walnuts

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36 Heart-Healthy Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes (5)

Serve this summery strawberry spinach salad alongside soup or a half sandwich, or top with grilled chicken or roasted salmon for a complete and easy healthy meal.

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Charred Shrimp & Pesto Buddha Bowls

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36 Heart-Healthy Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes (6)

These shrimp and pesto Buddha bowls are delicious, healthy, pretty and take less than 30 minutes to prep. In other words, they're basically the ultimate easy weeknight dinner. Feel free to add additional vegetables and swap the shrimp for chicken, steak, tofu or edamame.

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Pan-Seared Steak with Crispy Herbs & Escarole

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36 Heart-Healthy Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes (7)

This easy dinner takes just 20 minutes to prepare, meaning that seared steak can be a weeknight meal. Cooking herbs in the pan with the steak releases their aroma, infusing it into the meat while creating a crispy garnish. After the steaks and herbs are pan-seared, the escarole is cooked in the same skillet, so this healthy dinner requires minimal cleanup too.

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Mushroom & Tofu Stir-Fry

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36 Heart-Healthy Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes (8)

This tofu veggie stir-fry is quick and easy, making it a great go-to weeknight meal. Baked tofu has a firm, toothsome texture that crisps well in a hot pan. You can find it in flavors like teriyaki and sesame, both of which are delicious here. Or opt for a smoked version, which has the same texture with a more robust flavor. Serve over brown rice.

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Crunchy Chicken & Mango Salad

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36 Heart-Healthy Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes (9)

This Asian-inspired dinner salad has terrific crunch, thanks to sugar snap peas and napa cabbage. Give the dressing a kick of heat by adding a bit of sambal oelek, an Indonesian hot sauce that you can find in most large supermarkets and Asian grocery stores.

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Fish Amandine

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36 Heart-Healthy Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes (10)

In this quick dinner recipe, fresh tilapia fillets are dipped in a buttermilk-panko coating, sprinkled with almonds and Parmesan, drizzled with melted butter and red pepper and baked until flakey. It may sound complicated, but it takes just 20 minutes from start-to-finish!

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Easy Pea & Spinach Carbonara

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36 Heart-Healthy Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes (11)

Fresh pasta cooks up faster than dried, making it a must-have for fast weeknight dinners like this luscious yet healthy meal. Eggs are the base of the creamy sauce. They don't get fully cooked, so use pasteurized-in-the-shell eggs if you prefer.

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Lemon-Tahini Couscous with Chicken & Vegetables

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36 Heart-Healthy Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes (12)

When you want pasta in no time, couscous is your best friend! The tiny pasta balls cook up in minutes, and absorb all the water so you don't have to fuss with draining. Tossed with sautéed vegetables plus leftover chicken, it's a fast and tasty meal in a bowl that's perfect as an easy dinner recipe.

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Tex-Mex Pasta Salad

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36 Heart-Healthy Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes (13)

A light and creamy green-salsa dressing highlights this easy pasta salad with Southwestern flavors.

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Cajun Salmon with Greek Yogurt Remoulade

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36 Heart-Healthy Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes (14)

Paprika and garlic powder make a quick Cajun-inspired seasoning that flavors salmon fillets in this easy dinner recipe. Traditionally, remoulade sauce is prepared with mayonnaise; here, we substitute nonfat Greek yogurt for a lighter version.

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Stuffed Potatoes with Salsa & Beans

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36 Heart-Healthy Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes (15)

Taco night meets baked potato night with this simple recipe for loaded baked potatoes with salsa, beans and avocado. This easy, healthy family dinner comes together with just 10 minutes of active time, so you can make it on even the busiest of weeknights. This recipe is just as delicious with sweet potatoes in place of russets.

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Seitan BBQ Sandwiches

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36 Heart-Healthy Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes (16)

Enjoy classic BBQ flavor with filling vegan seitan, or wheat meat. The sliced seitan needs time in a hot pan to turn brown and crispy; let it sear before coating it with the tangy ketchup mixture for the best texture. A side of sweet potato chips makes the perfect pairing for a fast weeknight meal.

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Grilled Blackened Shrimp Tacos

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36 Heart-Healthy Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes (17)

Give juicy shrimp tacos a Cajun flavor spin with spices and a quick sear on a hot grill. An easy avocado mash adds creaminess to cool off the spicy kick.

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Loaded Black Bean Nacho Soup

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36 Heart-Healthy Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes (18)

Jazz up a can of black bean soup with your favorite nacho toppings, such as cheese, avocado and fresh tomatoes. A bit of smoked paprika adds a bold flavor kick, but you can swap in any warm spices you prefer, such as cumin or chili powder. Look for a soup that contains no more than 450 mg sodium per serving.

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Grilled Salmon with Cilantro-Ginger Sauce

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36 Heart-Healthy Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes (19)

Ginger, fish sauce and honey combine to create a delicious basting sauce in this easy grilled salmon recipe. Look for Thai red chiles in the produce section of your grocery store, or use a green or red jalapeño instead. Not only is this salmon dish delicious, it also takes just 25 minutes to prepare, making it the ideal centerpiece for a healthy weeknight dinner.

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Chinese Ginger Beef Stir-Fry with Baby Bok Choy

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36 Heart-Healthy Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes (20)

All of the ingredients for this easy beef stir-fry recipe are cooked in one wok (or skillet), so not only is the meal-prep fast for this healthy dinner, cleanup is quick too. Look for Lee Kum Kee Premium oyster-flavored sauce in the Asian-foods aisle of your grocery store. It has the most concentrated oyster flavor.

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Stuffed Sweet Potato with Hummus Dressing

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36 Heart-Healthy Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes (21)

Hearty yet simple to prepare, this stuffed sweet potato with black beans, kale and hummus dressing is a fantastic 5-ingredient lunch or dinner for one!

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One-Pot Garlicky Shrimp & Spinach

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36 Heart-Healthy Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes (22)

Shrimp, spinach and garlic brown and cook quickly for a simple one-pot weeknight dinner. A fast pan sauce gets life from zesty lemon juice, warm crushed red pepper and herby parsley. Serve with a slice of whole-wheat baguette to swipe up every last drop of sauce.

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Baked Fish Tacos with Avocado

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36 Heart-Healthy Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes (23)

Instead of deep-frying, the fish fillets in this quick-and-easy 5-ingredient recipe are coated with a flavorful seasoning blend and baked. Several varieties of flaky white fish can be used for these tacos. When you go to the market to purchase fish, the best strategy is to be flexible and choose the variety that looks freshest that day.

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Green Goddess Salad with Chickpeas

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36 Heart-Healthy Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes (24)

In this cucumber, tomato, Swiss cheese and chickpea salad recipe, a healthy green goddess dressing is made from avocado, buttermilk and herbs. The extra dressing is delicious served with grilled vegetables.

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Classic Sesame Noodles with Chicken

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36 Heart-Healthy Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes (25)

Sesame noodles become a satisfying meal with lean chicken and tons of veggies in this quick, healthy noodle recipe. Be sure to rinse the spaghetti until it's cold, then give it a good shake in the colander until it's well drained. Are you a spiralizing pro? Swap 5 cups of raw zucchini, carrot or other veggie "noodles" for the cooked pasta.

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Rotisserie Chicken Tacos

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36 Heart-Healthy Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes (26)

Rotisserie chicken tacos are the perfect way to get tacos on the table fast. The chicken is gently heated and flavored with chili powder and ground cumin. Toppings can be customized, but sticking with a quick pico de gallo and the classic toppings of shredded lettuce, cheese and sour cream keeps things quick and simple.

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Red Beans and Rice with Chicken

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36 Heart-Healthy Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes (27)

Fiber-rich red beans, whole-grain brown rice and skillet-cooked chicken breast are ready in just 20 minutes.

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Beef & Bean Sloppy Joes

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36 Heart-Healthy Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes (28)

This healthy copycat recipe of the comfort food classic trades beans for some of the meat to bump up fiber by 7 grams. We also cut back on the sugar and ketchup in this Sloppy Joe recipe makeover to save you 12 grams of added sugar.

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Herby Fish with Wilted Greens & Mushrooms

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36 Heart-Healthy Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes (29)

This healthy fish recipe makes a tasty and easy weeknight meal. Serve with wild rice or roasted potatoes.

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Sheet-Pan Chili-Lime Salmon with Potatoes & Peppers

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36 Heart-Healthy Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes (30)

Busy weeknights beg for something simple like this salmon sheet-pan dinner. Like the name suggests, it's all cooked on one pan. The potatoes get a head start, followed by sweet bell peppers and finally chili-coated salmon fillets. It's a complete meal with easy cleanup!

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Roasted Vegetable & Black Bean Tacos

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36 Heart-Healthy Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes (31)

These hearty vegan tacos are quick and easy to make, perfect for busy weeknights. They are so tasty no one will miss the meat or dairy.

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Easy Cauliflower Fried Rice

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36 Heart-Healthy Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes (32)

This vegetarian faux fried rice uses riced cauliflower in place of white or brown rice to pack in extra veggies and cut down on carbs. Chile-garlic sauce pumps up the heat, and fresh ginger adds a bright, warm bite. If you don't like the heat of the chile-garlic sauce, leave it out and add a bit more tamari or soy sauce for a rich, fermented tang.

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Sichuan Ramen Cup of Noodles with Cabbage & Tofu

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36 Heart-Healthy Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes (33)

The Sichuan province in the southwestern corner of China is known for its fiery dishes. Here, the richness of tahini tempers the spicy chile paste in this cup-of-noodles-style mason jar soup recipe. You can grind the Sichuan peppercorns in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, or crush them with the bottom of a heavy skillet.

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Quinoa, Avocado & Chickpea Salad over Mixed Greens

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36 Heart-Healthy Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes (34)

Protein-rich quinoa and chickpeas add staying power to this zesty and healthy salad recipe.

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Copycat Chipotle Sofritas

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36 Heart-Healthy Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes (35)

This copycat Chipotle Sofritas recipe captures the essence of the original version with a sweet and smoky coating on crumbled tofu. Use this easy recipe as a burrito or taco filling or as a spicy salad addition.

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Mixed Greens with Lentils & Sliced Apple

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36 Heart-Healthy Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes (36)

This salad with lentils, feta and apple is a satisfying vegetarian entree to whip together for lunch. To save time, swap in drained canned lentils--just make sure to look for low-sodium and give them a rinse before adding them to the salad.