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30 Minutes or Less

Thai Fried Rice with Chicken

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thai fried rice in a bowl.

A wholesome and delicious Thai chicken fried rice, ready in under 20 minutes! This healthy one-pan dinner is bursting with flavor. Fresh, savory, hearty, and oh-so satisfying – who doesn’t love a good fried rice?!

Thai fried rice in a pan with fresh thai basil on top

What You’ll Need To Make This Thai Fried Rice

Chicken – Either chicken, shrimp, beef, pork, or tofu will taste amazing in this Thai-inspired recipe. Or, you can easily omit the protein altogether. I chose chicken since it’s a crowd-favorite. But for other proteins, simply slice them into small strips or cubes, then season and cook them just as you would the chicken. For shrimp, beef, and pork adjust the cook time until they’re cooked through. Then, for tofu, simply cook until golden brown and crispy.

Cooked White Rice – The key here is cooked and cooled rice. Leftover rice works especially well since it’s dryer, meaning it’ll cook up even crispier. However, if you don’t have leftover rice, simply make a batch of rice and then leave it to cool, uncovered, for as long as possible before using it in this stir-fry. The less moisture present in your cooked rice, the better. And while white rice tastes the best in this recipe, feel free to use brown rice instead.

Oyster Sauce – What is oyster sauce, you ask?? It’s a thick brown sauce comprised of oyster juices, sugar, and salt. It’s sweet, with a hint of savory, and doesn’t at all taste like oysters in my opinion. Oyster sauce works to balance out the intensely savory flavors of this Thai fried rice.

Thai fried rice in a serving bowl with a fork and a spoon

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Paleo/Grain-Free: For a paleo meal, use cauliflower rice in place of the cooked white rice in this recipe. Also, replace the soy sauce with coconut aminos and the oyster sauce with 1 tablespoon of maple syrup.

Make it Gluten-Free: Most of this dish is already gluten-free, though to guarantee it’s gluten-free, replace the soy sauce with tamari. Tamari is the gluten-free equivalent to soy sauce and tastes exactly the same!

Make it Vegan: For a vegan Thai fried rice, replace the chicken with cubed extra-firm tofu, and leave out the eggs. Also, replace the oyster sauce with 1 tablespoon of brown sugar.

Thai Fried Rice with Chicken

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: MainCuisine: ThaiDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes
Total time

20

minutes

A wholesome and delicious Thai chicken fried rice, ready in under 20 minutes! This healthy one-pan dinner is loaded with flavor. Fresh, savory, hearty, and oh-so satisfying – who doesn’t love a good fried rice?!

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken breasts, thinly sliced

  • salt and pepper, to taste

  • 3 tablespoons avocado oil

  • 1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

  • 3 garlic cloves, minced

  • 3 green onions, chopped (white and green parts separated)

  • 1 carrot, peeled and chopped

  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten

  • 3 cups cooked white rice, see Notes

  • For the sauce:

  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce, use tamari for gluten-free

  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, see Notes

  • 1-2 teaspoons hot sauce or chili paste

Directions

  • Season sliced chicken with salt and pepper on all sides.
  • Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add in chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
  • Add ginger, garlic, white part of green onion, and carrots to the skillet. Cook for about 3 minutes, tossing frequently, until carrots are tender.
  • Push veggies to one side of the skillet and pour whisked eggs into the other side. Gently scramble eggs until fully cooked, then combine with the veggies.
  • Add rice to skillet and mix together all sauce ingredients in a small bowl, then pour sauce into skillet as well.
  • Cook for about 2 minutes or until everything is coated in sauce, then stir in green part of green onions and cooked chicken, serve warm.

Notes

  • Rice: You can use brown rice, white rice, or even cauliflower rice in this recipe.
  • Oyster Sauce: If you can’t find oyster sauce, you can use hoisin sauce or brown sugar in its place.

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30 Minutes or Less

One-Pan Kung Pao Tofu

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overhead close-up image of kung pao tofu in a pan

This kung pao tofu will quickly become one of your favorite dinner recipes! One pan and 15 minutes is all you need for this intensely flavorful meal. This kung pao tofu is also entirely vegan, plant-based, and gluten-free!

kung pao tofu on a plate over rice, with sesame seeds on top

What You’ll Need

Extra Firm Tofu – Extra firm tofu is the key to getting it super crispy! It will hold its shapes once cut and cooked, forming these little golden brown nuggets of perfection. Tofu is also the perfect blank canvas to really any recipe! It has very little flavor on its own, but absorbs all the flavors it’s paired with. The tofu in this recipe soaks up all of our delicious kung pao sauce, making it just incredible!

Red and Green Bell Peppers – Two bell peppers give this dish incredible color and brightness! Start by removing the core and any seeds from each pepper. Then, chop them into similarly-sized pieces. Stir fry the bell peppers for only a couple of minutes in the fourth step of this recipe. The goal is to get them tender, while still maintaining their bite.

Unsalted Cashews or Peanuts – You’ll find either cashews or peanuts in most kung pao recipes. They, too, give this overall dish the perfect crunchy texture that pairs beautifully with our smooth and tangy sauce. However, if you don’t like nuts, you can simply leave them out of your kung pao tofu.

kung pao tofu in a pan

Top Tips

  • Oil your pan well before frying up the tofu. If not enough oil is used, your tofu might stick to the pan – losing that delicious outer, crisp coating!
  • For an even saucier vegetable stir fry, double the sauce recipe! This kung pao tofu sauce is seriously so good, you’ll practically want to drink it. So don’t skimp on the sauce, and make as much as you’d like!
  • Feel free to turn this into a kung pao chicken recipe instead! To do this, simply replace the tofu with 2-inch cubes of chicken and cook them in the second step until fully cooked through. Then, use your chicken just as you would the tofu in the remainder of the recipe.
close-up image of kung pao tofu on a plate over rice

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

  • Make it Gluten-Free: To ensure this recipe is completely gluten-free, use tamari instead of soy sauce. Tamari is the gluten-free equivalent to soy sauce and tastes exactly the same!
  • Make it Nut-Free: For a nut-free version, simple leave out the cashews or peanuts in this recipe. But if you’d still like that nutty flavor, you can add in a couple tablespoons of sesame seeds instead.
One-Pan Kung Pao Tofu
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One-Pan Kung Pao Tofu

4 from 6 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: MainDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

10

minutes
Total time

15

minutes

This kung pao tofu will quickly become one of your favorite dinner recipes! One pan and 15 minutes is all you need for this intensely flavorful meal. This kung pao tofu is also entirely vegan, plant-based, and gluten-free!

Ingredients

  • For the tofu:

  • 14 ounces extra firm tofu, cut into cubes

  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch

  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil or avocado oil

  • For the veggies:

  • 3 garlic cloves, minced

  • 2-inch piece ginger, grated

  • 3 scallions, sliced (white and green parts separated)

  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped

  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped

  • 1 cup raw unsalted cashews or peanuts

  • For the sauce:

  • 1/4 cup vegetable broth

  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce, use Tamari for gluten-free

  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, or white wine vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar

  • 2 teaspoons corn starch

  • 1 teaspoon sriracha

  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Directions

  • Place cubed tofu in a bowl with cornstarch and toss to evenly coat.
    • Kung-Pao-Tofu-Step-1
  • Heat sesame oil in a large pan over medium-high heat, then fry tofu in a single layer for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove cooked tofu and set aside.
    • Kung-Pao-Tofu-Step-2
  • Add garlic, ginger, and white parts of scallions to pan and cook for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant.
    • Kung-Pao-Tofu-Step-3
  • Add in red and green bell peppers, sauté for 2-3 minutes then place tofu back into pan along with green parts of scallions and cashews or peanuts.
    • Kung-Pao-Tofu-Step-4
  • Whisk together all sauce ingredients in a bowl, then pour into pan and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer until sauce has thickened then serve over rice.
    • Kung-Pao-Tofu-Step-5

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30 Minutes or Less

Bang Bang Shrimp Bowls

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close-up overhead image of bang bang shrimp bowl with cucumber, edamame, pickled red onion, and white rice

For a quick, easy, and delicious dinner – make these perfect bang bang shrimp bowls! Crispy cooked shrimp is tossed in a spicy, tangy bang bang sauce, then spooned over rice and a variety of veggies. Whip together this restaurant-quality meal in under 15 minutes, I promise you won’t regret it!

bang bang shrimp bowl with shrimp, cucumber, edamame, and pickled red onion

What You’ll Need To Make This Recipe

Shrimp – Do yourself a favor and purchase peeled and deveined shrimp for this recipe. Then, if the tails haven’t already been removed, go ahead and remove them before cooking the shrimp. If left one, the shrimp tails are a nightmare to remove once covered in bang bang sauce. So, make life a little easier and strip those shrimp before cooking!

Harissa Paste – Harissa is chili paste commonly used in Middle Eastern cooking. It’s delightfully spicy and loaded with delicious flavor. You should be able to find harissa paste at your local grocery store in either the spice aisle or ethnic food aisle. Though if you can’t find harissa paste available for purchase, there are a few homemade recipes floating around on the internet, such as this one.

Soy Sauce or Coconut Aminos – A touch of soy sauce adds a bit of tang to our bang bang shrimp sauce. It’s the perfect addition to help round out the savory flavors! Though if you’re paleo or currently on Whole30, feel free to use coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce in this recipe. It’ll provide that same irresistible briny flavor!

Cooked Rice – Use whatever kind of rice you’d like! White rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice… you get the idea. The use of cauliflower rice makes for a great low-carb, paleo, and Whole30 option!

Top Tips

  • Get the avocado oil in your skillet hot before adding in the shrimp. We want a nice, golden brown and crispy crust on our shrimp, and can only achieve this by cooking them in very hot oil. And thanks to the use of high heat, the shrimp will only take a few minutes per side to cook!
  • You can make this bang bang shrimp recipe in the air fryer if you’d like! To do this, simply add your shrimp to an air fryer basket, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt, then cook at 400° Fahrenheit for 5 minutes. Once shrimp is fully cooked, toss in the bang bang sauce and continue with the recipe as normal.
  • Ditch the bowls and serve this easy seafood dish however you’d like! Poke each shrimp with a toothpick to serve as a delicious appetizer. Or, place in lettuce wraps for super healthy bang bang shrimp tacos!

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Paleo/Whole30 – For a paleo or Whole30 meal, be sure to use compliant mayo, coconut aminos instead of soy sauce, and cauliflower rice in place of white or brown rice.

Make it Gluten-Free – The only ingredient in this dish which contains trace amounts of gluten is the soy sauce. Therefore, use tamari in place of the soy sauce to make this recipe gluten-free, I promise you won’t be able to taste the difference!

Make it Vegan – Fry up some cubed tofu in a bit of avocado oil (similar to how you would the shrimp) then use a vegan mayo for your sauce. Once the tofu’s crispy, add it to your sauce and serve it over bowls of rice and veggies!

Bang Bang Shrimp Bowls
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Bang Bang Shrimp Bowls

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by Samantha Course: Main, AppetizersDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

10

minutes
Total time

15

minutes

For a quick, easy, and delicious dinner – make these perfect bang bang shrimp bowls! Crispy cooked shrimp is tossed in a spicy, tangy bang bang sauce, then spooned over rice and a variety of veggies. Whip together this restaurant-quality meal in under 15 minutes, I promise you won’t regret it!

Ingredients

  • For the shrimp:

  • 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp, tails removed

  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil, or any neutral vegetable oil

  • pinch of salt

  • For the bang bang sauce:

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise

  • 1 tablespoon harissa paste

  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce or coconut aminos

  • 1 teaspoon lime juice

  • For the bowls:

  • Cooked white or brown rice

  • Scallions, chopped

  • Pickled veggies

  • Sesame seeds

  • Cucumber, thinly sliced

  • Edamame

Directions

  • Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pat shrimp dry with a paper towel, season with a pinch of salt, then place in skillet and cook about 3-4 minutes per side or until opaque and slightly crispy.
  • Mix together all bang bang sauce ingredients in a large bowl. Add cooked shrimp to bowl and toss to coat in sauce.
  • Place bang bang shrimp over bowls of rice, and finish off with whatever other toppings you’d like.

Recipe Video

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30 Minutes or Less

Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Skillet Salmon Recipe

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sun dried tomato salmon recipe in a skillet with while wine and fresh parsley on the side

Perfectly seared salmon in a creamy sun dried tomato sauce, ready in under 30 minutes! This simple weeknight meal requires just one skillet and comes together in a flash. The perfect recipe when you’re craving seared salmon, with lots of delicious flavor!

creamy sun dried tomato skillet salmon recipe in a skillet with fresh parsley and lemon slices on top

Main Ingredients

Salmon Fillets – I used and recommend Atlantic salmon for this recipe. Atlantic salmon is buttery, flaky, and totally delicious. It’s pretty common, and shouldn’t be hard to find at your local grocery store or seafood counter. Sockeye is another very common type salmon, and will work in this recipe, but won’t cook up nearly as tender as Atlantic salmon. Sockeye salmon is quite lean, with a meatier consistency and a stronger fish flavor. Though feel free to use your favorite type of salmon in this dish!

Sun Dried Tomato Oil – Sun dried tomato oil is simply the oil found in a jar of sun dried tomatoes. Some sun dried tomatoes are sold dry and in bags, but for this recipe, you’ll want to get the jarred kind! That luscious oil the tomatoes are packed in is loaded with incredible flavor. However, if you can’t find sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, you can simply replace the sun dried tomato oil with a more mild olive or avocado oil.

White Wine – Any dry white wine will work in this salmon recipe! I used an extra dry Pinot Grigio and had perfect results. Though any white wine with either “dry” and/or “crisp” in the description will taste great. My favorite part of cooking with wine, is getting to pair a glass of it with my finished dish – yum!

Unsweetened Creamer – I used my dairy-free coffee creamer to make the sauce extra thick and velvety smooth. Though any cream/creamer will work here, just as long as it’s unflavored and unsweetened. If you’re not dairy-free, feel free to use heavy cream or whole milk instead.

Top Tips

  • Serve up this simple one-pan salmon recipe any way you’d like! I enjoyed mine over some brown rice and OMG it was delicious. I even used the ready-to-eat microwaveable brown rice to make this easy dinner recipe even easier to make!
  • If you have a cast-iron skillet, use it! Cast-iron does an incredible job at circulating heat and will create an irresistible golden crust on your salmon fillets. Though if you don’t have a cast-iron skillet, my recommendations are (in order) a stainless steel, ceramic, or non-stick skillet instead.
  • Love the idea of a creamy sun dried tomato sauce, but don’t love salmon? Simply turn this salmon recipe into a one-pan chicken recipe! To do this, replace the salmon fillets with four thinly sliced chicken breasts. Cook them just as you would the salmon, only increasing the cook time to ensure the chicken is completely cooked through.

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Dairy Free – Either use my dairy-free coffee creamer like I did, or 1/2 a cup of full-fat coconut milk in place of the creamer!

Make it Non-Alcoholic – For a wine-free version, simply sub the white wine for 1/2 cup of chicken or vegetable broth, plus 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. The broth will add flavor, while the lemon juice brightens things up!

Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Skillet Salmon Recipe
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Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Skillet Salmon Recipe

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by Samantha Course: MainCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Intermediate
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes
Total time

20

minutes

Perfectly seared salmon in a creamy sun dried tomato sauce, ready in under 30 minutes! This simple weeknight meal requires just one skillet and comes together in a flash. The perfect recipe when you’re craving seared salmon, with lots of delicious flavor!

Ingredients

  • 4 salmon fillets, about 8 ounces each

  • salt and pepper, to taste

  • 2 tablespoons sun dried tomato oil, see Notes

  • 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, sliced

  • 1 shallot, chopped

  • 6 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1/2 cup dry white wine

  • 1/2 cup unsweetened creamer I used my homemade non-dairy coffee creamer

  • 2 cups baby spinach

  • fresh parsley or basil, for serving

Directions

  • Pat salmon fillets dry with a paper towel then evenly season with salt and pepper.
    • sun dried tomato skillet salmon recipe step 1
  • Heat sun dried tomato oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, place salmon fillets in skillet with the skin-side facing up. Cook salmon for about 5 minutes, then flip and cook for 2-3 minutes or until cooked to your liking. Remove salmon from skillet and set aside.
    • sun dried tomato skillet salmon recipe step 2
  • Reduce heat to medium and add shallots, cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add in sun dried tomatoes and garlic, cook for another 2-3 minutes.
    • sun dried tomato skillet salmon recipe step 3
  • Pour in white wine and simmer for 3 minutes or until the liquid has slightly reduce. Pour in creamer and baby spinach, cook until spinach has wilted.
    • sun dried tomato skillet salmon recipe step 4
  • Nestle salmon fillets back into skillet, spoon sauce over each fillet and simmer until warm – about 2 minutes.
    • sun dried tomato skillet salmon recipe step 5

Notes

  • Sun Dried Tomato Oil: Sun dried tomato oil is simply the oil from a jar of sun dried tomatoes. If your sun dried tomatoes didn’t come packed in oil, use olive oil or avocado oil instead.

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30 Minutes or Less

Blackened Chicken (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

By
overhead image of blackened chicken on a plate with spices around the plate

This blackened chicken is incredibly tender and juicy! With a handful of delicious spices, and just one pan, you’ll have an intensely flavorful protein. Enjoy this blackened chicken over a salad, with your favorite veggies, or whatever your heart desires for a quick and healthy meal!

blackened chicken on a plate with lemon wedges on the side and blackened seasoning on the side

What You Need To Make Blackened Chicken

Smoked Paprika – The main spice in our blackened seasoning is the incredible smoked paprika! Unlike regular paprika, smoked paprika has this irresistible smoky flavor that simply can’t be beat. If you don’t already have this delicious spice in your spice cabinet, then I highly recommend you buy some.

Cayenne Pepper – The amount of cayenne pepper you use in this blackened chicken recipe is entirely up to you and your spice preferences. I personally love a bit of spice, so I use almost 1/4 teaspoon in my seasoning. However, if you’re averse to spice, you can simply leave the cayenne pepper out altogether.

Chicken Breasts – Boneless and skinless chicken breasts are the way to go! Without the skin, the spices can better penetrate into the meat. This makes your chicken that much more delicious. And as far as boneless goes, it’s easier to eat – a no brainer if you ask me!

Adjust This Recipe To Your Diet

  • Make it Less Spicy: If you don’t like spice, simply omit the cayenne pepper in this blackened chicken recipe.
  • Make it Vegan: Turn this into a blackened tofu recipe by taking a block of tofu, pressing as much water out of it as possible, then slicing it down the center to create two tofu “steaks.” Then, season the tofu exactly how you would the chicken and cook for 3-5 minutes per side!

Tips For Making Blackened Chicken

  • Cook over medium-high heat, nothing lower! The key to blackened chicken is placing the seasoned breasts into a very hot pan. Then, do not touch the chicken until it’s ready to be flipped. This way, the crust will cook up super crispy and delicious!
  • Don’t forget to let your chicken rest after cooking. Once out of the pan, your chicken is holding on to a ton of its flavorful juices. Therefore, if you slice into it too soon, you risk having all that flavor pour out. So do yourself a favor and leave the chicken alone for at least 5 minutes!
  • Serve this chicken however you’d like! I enjoyed mine over a salad loaded with my favorite fresh vegetables. However, for a heartier meal, I recommend pairing this blackened chicken with a side of rice and/or roasted potatoes – yum!
Blackened Chicken (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
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Blackened Chicken (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: MainDifficulty: Easy
Servings

2

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

10

minutes
Total time

15

minutes

This blackened chicken is incredibly tender and juicy! With a handful of delicious spices, and just one skillet, you’ll have an intensely flavorful protein. Enjoy this blackened chicken over a salad, with your favorite veggies, or whatever your heart desires for a quick and healthy meal!

Ingredients

  • 3 teaspoons smoked paprika

  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

  • pinch of cayenne pepper, optional

  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

  • spray cooking oil

  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil

Directions

  • Mix together the smoked paprika, onion powder, salt, garlic powder, dried thyme, dried oregano, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.
  • Coat both chicken breasts with either spray cooking oil or a drizzle of avocado oil, then sprinkle evenly with blackened seasoning.
  • Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then transfer chicken to skillet and cook for 5 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Remove chicken from heat, transfer to a plate, and cover with foil then let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • This blackened chicken recipe can be easily doubles or even tripled! Making it the perfect and healthy meal to throw together for friends or family.

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