Five simple dinners for two, from a 20-minute shrimp skillet to roasted sweet potatoes, with the catch for each.

Dinner for two should not mean a huge pot of leftovers or a pricey night out. A good recipe for two uses simple ingredients and finishes in under an hour. It also leaves room for a glass of wine and a real conversation.

This guide picks five recipes from popular food blogs. Each one gets a short intro, the key amounts, and a “Watch out” line with the catch. We kept the numbers from the original recipes, so click through for the full steps.

Want more ideas? Read our guides to easy dinner ideas for the whole family, date night ideas for busy parents, and easy meal prep.

In this article

Quick Answer: What Are the Easiest Dinners to Make for Two?

The easiest dinners for two use one pan or no cooking at all. Honey garlic shrimp cooks in about five minutes after a short marinade. Lemon pesto penne comes together in one pot. Apple walnut cranberry salad needs no stove, only 15 minutes of chopping.

Two other recipes take a little more time but reward you. Mediterranean baked sweet potatoes roast in about 25 minutes. Vietnamese rice paper rolls need rolling practice, and you can make them up to 6 hours ahead.

Some of these recipes serve four or more. Halve them for two, or save the extra for lunch. Check the Watch out line under each recipe for the catch before you shop.

1. Mediterranean Baked Sweet Potatoes

This is a hearty vegan dinner you can make with a sheet pan. Sweet potatoes get stuffed with roasted chickpeas, a garlic herb sauce, and a fresh tomato salad.

The Minimalist Baker recipe roasts four halved medium sweet potatoes at 400°F for about 25 minutes. A can of chickpeas tossed with cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and paprika roasts on the same pan. The sauce whisks 1/4 cup hummus with lemon juice, dill, and 3 minced garlic cloves. Smash the potato flesh, then top with chickpeas, sauce, and a salad of tomato, parsley, and red onion.

Yield: 4 servings, so use two potatoes and half the chickpeas for two.

Watch out: large potatoes may not finish at the same time as the chickpeas. Bake them on a separate pan if so. Whole potatoes need roughly 45 to 60 minutes. Some readers found the chickpeas dry, and one found tahini bitter. The dish is best fresh, and the sauce can be made ahead.

2. Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls

Rice paper rolls are a fun hands-on dinner for two. You build them together at the table, and they need no cooking beyond soaking noodles.

The RecipeTin Eats recipe fills each roll with vermicelli noodles, bean sprouts, soft lettuce, mint, and halved cooked prawns. Soak two stacked rice paper sheets in warm water for about 2 seconds, then roll firmly. A peanut dipping sauce mixes 1 tablespoon peanut butter, 2 tablespoons hoisin, 1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar or lime juice, and 1/3 cup milk, microwaved for 30 seconds.

Make ahead: wrap each roll tightly in cling wrap and chill for up to 6 hours, at most 8.

Watch out: use soft lettuce, since crunchy iceberg tears the paper. Two sheets are easier to roll but can feel chewy, and one reader found them doughy. The recipe uses cooked prawns and does not explain how to cook raw ones. For a peanut-free dinner, use sweet chilli sauce.

3. Apple Walnut Cranberry Salad

This salad is a light dinner starter, or a full meal with added chicken. It balances crisp apples, sweet cranberries, salty cheese, and crunchy walnuts.

The Flavor Mosaic recipe tosses a 10-ounce bag of mixed greens with 2 sliced green apples, 1/3 cup dried cranberries, 1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola, and 1/2 cup walnut pieces. The dressing whisks 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, a little Dijon, and 2 tablespoons sugar. Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet for 3 to 5 minutes for more flavor.

Time: about 15 minutes from start to finish.

Watch out: toss the apples with a little lemon juice to stop browning, and serve right after dressing. Leftovers keep up to 3 days in the fridge, but do not freeze them. The recipe card lists no salt amount and calls sugar both an ingredient and optional, so taste the dressing before you pour. The recipe makes 4 servings.

4. Honey Garlic Shrimp Recipe For Two

This is the fastest dinner on the list, and the only one written for two. Shrimp marinate for as little as 15 minutes and cook in about two minutes.

The Zona Cooks recipe whisks 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, and 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger. Toss 1/2 pound raw peeled shrimp with half of it and chill for 15 minutes up to 8 to 12 hours. Cook the shrimp in a hot skillet for about 1 minute per side, then pour in the saved marinade and cook another minute. Serve over rice with broccoli.

Time: 20 minutes total, plus marinating.

Watch out: the page lists 1,791 mg sodium and 35 g sugar per serving, so it is a treat, not a daily meal. Use low-sodium soy sauce to cut the salt. Jumbo shrimp need a little longer. Leftovers keep up to 4 to 5 days in the fridge, per the author.

5. 20-Minute Lemon Pesto Penne

This pasta is bright, fresh, and easy. Broccoli cooks in the same pot as the penne, so cleanup is short.

The Pinch of Yum recipe cooks 8 ounces of whole wheat penne and adds 2 cups of baby broccoli for the last 1 to 2 minutes. Return the drained pasta to the pan, then stir in 1 cup oven roasted tomatoes, 1/4 cup pesto, half of 1/4 cup feta, and the juice of half a lemon. Finish with basil ribbons and the rest of the feta.

Yield: 4 servings, so halve it for two or save lunch.

Watch out: the title says 20 minutes, but the page lists 45 minutes total, so plan for more. Readers swapped in sun-dried or fresh tomatoes. A staff member said Parmesan can replace feta. The recipe does not name a pesto type, so check the label if you need nut-free.

Conclusion

Dinner for two does not need a long ingredient list. Pick a quick shrimp skillet on busy nights, and keep the rice paper rolls for a slower weekend. Salads and one-pot pasta fill the gap in between.

Halve the larger recipes, or plan the extra servings as lunch. Then try a new recipe each week and note what you would change. For more ideas, read our guide to easy dinner ideas for the whole family.

FAQ

Can I halve recipes that serve four?

Yes. Halve the ingredients, and check doneness a few minutes early. Sweet potatoes and pasta scale down easily.

Which dinner is fastest for two?

The honey garlic shrimp. It takes about 20 minutes total, plus a marinade of at least 15 minutes.

Can I make dinner for two ahead of time?

Some of it. Rice paper rolls keep up to 6 hours wrapped in the fridge, and the sweet potato sauce can be made ahead. The apple salad is best served right after dressing.

How long do the leftovers keep?

It varies. The apple walnut salad keeps up to 3 days, and the honey garlic shrimp up to 4 to 5 days, per the authors. Keep both in airtight containers in the fridge.

Are these recipes healthy?

Several are light, such as the salad and rice paper rolls. The honey garlic shrimp is high in sodium and sugar per its page, so treat it as an occasional dinner.