Wondering what to make for lunch? We’ve got you covered with these great Quick Lunch Ideas !
This collection of fifty super fast Lunch Ideas has a huge variety for you to try. From standards like soups and wraps, to easy pastas and salads, Tacos, bowls and so much more!
Whatever flavors you’re craving, you’ll find something to satisfy your midday appetite on this list.
Cook your way through all, you’re sure to find some new favorite lunch. Have fun…
1. Korean Beef Tacos (Bulgogi Tacos)
Korean Beef Tacos, aka Bulgogi Tacos… Thinly sliced, juicy tender steak marinated then flash cooked and wrapped in tortillas with Asian coleslaw and sriracha aioli. They’re a Flavor Bomb!
2. Gigi Hadid Pasta (Spicy Pasta Alla Vodka)
What is Gigi Hadid Pasta? Simple… Pasta made by Gigi Hadid, which broke the internet when it went viral on instagram and tiktok. If you look closely, it’s the same delicious creamy and cheesy pasta alla vodka, with a slight makeover – it gets pleasantly spiked with heat from red chili flakes.
3. Mediterranean Pasta
This Mediterranean Pasta is your new best friend. It’s super quick, like 20 minutes quick, and has great flavors the whole family will love. With just a few simple ingredients, this easy dinner will be on the table in no time. And it’s also versatile.
Check out our collection of favorite Pasta Salad Recipes!
4. Balela Salad (Middle Eastern Bean Salad)
Let me present you Balela deliciousness!! So colorful, so easy, so refreshing… This hearty colorful salad comes from many Middle Eastern countries and is bursting with flavors and textures.
5. Easy Chicken Souvlaki
All the lunches on this list are quick and easy, but this easy chicken souvlaki has easy in its name – so you know it’s true! It’s grilled to perfection and it’s marinated in a marinade with lemon, garlic and oregano.
6. Shrimp Remoulade Lettuce Cups
Shrimp Remoulade is a New Orleans classic. You can use them in your salad bowl or make lettuce cups. Great quick lunch or keto friendly meal option!
7. Tortellini Pasta Salad with Prosciutto
This gorgeous Tortellini Pasta Salad is one dish that looks as great as it tastes. It’s so quick and easy, yet such a crowd pleaser. Make a big batch and you’ll have lunches for days!
8. Spicy Noodles
These Spicy Noodles are a super quick, like 15 minute quick, weeknight dinner that is bursting with spicy and umami flavors.
9. Vietnamese Chicken Salad
Another spectacular salad on our list is this chopped Vietnamese chicken salad. This is not your usual chicken salad. It’s almost like a shredded slaw, but with amazingly tasty dressing and the goodness of chicken. In every bite there is a perfect combination of sweet, savory and tangy with the slightest hint of spice, thanks to their beloved Nuoc Cham dressing.
10. Hawaiian Pineapple Fried Rice
Add some island flair to your fried rice. This quick and easy one pot lunch is loaded with flavors and whips up in 20 minutes or less!
11. Ground Beef Tacos
Ground beef and tacos are a classic combination, and these ground beef tacos show why they’re so beloved! They’re made with a seasoned ground beef filling, and they’re covered with shredded cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, and avocados.
12. Classic Reuben Sandwich
Ah, the classic Reuben… Make this irresistible deli delight in your very own home. It’s fast, easy and oh so satisfying!
13. TikTok Salmon Rice Bowl
This Salmon Rice Bowl is a great way to use leftovers, and it only takes moments to prepare.
If you have some leftover salmon and rice in the fridge, this is the best and easiest way to repurpose it for a quick and healthy lunch.
14. Korean Ground Beef Bowl
This Korean Ground Beef Bowl has just the right combination of sweet, salty, umami and just a touch of spicy. Try it when you crave some Asian flavors, or just need something super quick!
15. Greek Steak Salad Bowl
Packed with colorful, crunchy veggies, protein, whole grain, and yummy feta cheese, this Greek Steak Salad Bowl is sure to leave you satisfied!
Check out our collection of favorite Salad Recipes!
16. Rainbow Pasta Salad
Quick, easy, and very colorful. It’s loaded with healthy veggies and works great as leftovers, so you can make a huge batch and have lunches for the whole week!
17. Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce
Inspired by P.F. Chang, this quick and tasty dish is a sure crowd pleaser! It’s perfect if you want a low carb lunch, or just some great Asian flavors!
18. Sesame Chicken Bowls
These Sesame Chicken Bowls are the easy answer to your Chinese food cravings. In less than half an hour, you can have your own, customizable dish that’s so much better than takeout.
They’re a breeze to make, and are a great healthy meal prep option to prepare in bulk. You’ll just love these leftovers for lunch.
19. Tacos Gobernador
Tacos Gobernador, aka Governor’s Tacos!! Have you ever bite into these crazy tasty shrimp tacos? They are irresistibly delicious!
20. Shrimp Foil Packets with Summer Veggies
These Shrimp Foil Packets are a delicious healthy lunch ideal with all your favorite summer veggies. Ready in just 12 minutes on your grill, campfire or even in the oven, this is great meal prep for all your future camp outs, Sunday cookouts, or simply great weeknight dinners.
21. Salmon Patties
These salmon patties are tasty, nutritious and budget friendly. And just look at them. Who said pantry staple meals can’t be fancy?
22. Arroz Chaufa (Peruvian Fried Rice)
Give your fried rice a South American makeover with this Arroz Chaufa recipe! With rice, protein and veggies, it can be a complete quick and easy lunch ideas. The perfect way to use leftover rice, you can have this on the table in about 25 minutes!
23. Chicken Stir Fry
This easy Chicken Stir Fry recipe is a your quick lunch recipe with tons of great flavor and plenty of veggie power!
24. Pasta e Piselli
A simple Neapolitan dish of Pasta and Peas, it’s a light one pot meal that you can have on the table in about 25 minutes.
25. Ground Beef Bulgogi
15 minute lunch idea that is easy, delicious and family friendly? Yup. You have come to the right recipe. Ground Beef Bulgogi is a simple and delightful twist on traditional Korean Bulgogi.
26. Jennifer Aniston Salad
These fresh spring rolls are totally phenomenal! They’re homemade, healthy, easy to make, and packed with fresh vegetables. They’re filled with fresh basil, soft butter lettuce, crunchy carrots, cucumber, red peppers, and crisp red cabbage.
Check out our collection of favorite Taco Recipes!
27. Moo Goo Gai Pan
Moo Goo Gai Pan is a restaurant favorite, where thinly sliced chicken stir frys with mushrooms and other veggies in a simple, yet flavorful sauce.
The next time those Chinese cravings hit, skip the takeout and try this easy 30 minute dish in your own kitchen!
28. Greek Chicken Gyros
These Greek chicken gyros are awesome, and if you like Greek, you’ll love these Greek chicken gyros! They’re an easy, make-ahead recipe, that lets you marinate the chicken ahead of time, so the gyros can easily be made when you want them.
29. Baked Salmon with Mango Salsa
Are you tired of eating your salmon with just salt and lemon? This vibrant and tropical recipe will take your favorite fish to a whole new level of deliciousness!
30. Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
These quick Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas are the perfect for lunches, full of flavor and easy on the cleanup! Well seasoned chicken and veggies all cook on a single baking sheet, and the end result is so succulent and delicious that you’ll want to make this recipe again and again.
This is a great meal prep ideas for easy lunches all through the week.
31. Pasta Primavera with Shrimp
This pasta primavera recipe makes a dish that’s packed with vegetables and shrimp. Its healthy and easy! While it might sound like a summer dish, you can make it all year round, and you’ll want to thanks to its satisfying flavor and versatile ingredients.
32. Ground Beef Stir Fry
Does lunch in 20 minutes sound good? Then this Ground Beef Stir Fry recipe is a jackpot for you!
Packed with hearty ground beef, an assortment of colorful veggies, and a stir fry sauce that’s an umami lover’s dream, this may be the easiest dinner you’ve ever cooked.
33. Korean Ground Chicken Bowl
These Korean Ground Chicken Bowls are a hit! They’re loaded with umami flavor, a bit of spiciness, and plenty of great textures. Just 25 minutes is all you need to put together this rainbow colored bowl. Give it a try, it’s one of the tastiest ground chicken recipes you’ll ever come across!
34. Beef and Broccoli
Make it the best stir fry night ever with our Beef and Broccoli Recipe. It’s an under 30 minute meal that’s bursting with flavor. Perfect for any busy weeknight dinner.
This quick beef stir fry only takes simple ingredients, but you’ll end up with flavors that top any takeout place. A classic lunch special!!
Get the Recipe
35. Chicken Burrito Bowl
Skip the Chipotle, our Chicken Burrito Bowl recipe is going to satisfy all your cravings!
Just combine perfectly marinated chicken with rice and the fixings of your choice, and you have a hearty and nutritious one-bowl meal.
This burrito bowl is super customizable, so you can easily make it your own. And it’s ideal for meal prep, so you can chow down all week long!
36. Egg Roll in a Bowl
This Egg Roll in a Bowl checks all the boxes. It’s an easy one skillet lunch that whips up in no time. It’s a healthy, lightened up, low carb version of your favorite Chinese appetizer. And it tastes absolutely amazing!
This lightning fast stir fry dish features tender ground meat, veggies, and a delightfully delicious sauce. The next time you crave Asian flavors on a hectic weeknight, skip the takeout, and throw together this 20 minute lunch in a flash.
Check out our collection of favorite Stir Fry Recipes!
37. Hibachi Chicken (Benihana Copycat)
This restaurant style Hibachi Chicken meal includes sautéed veggies and fried rice, along with tangy Yum Yum sauce, for a complete, satisfying and filling lunch.
38. Taco Pasta
Taco Pasta!! Now that’s a taco lover’s sweet dream. All your favorite taco flavors get cheesy and creamy, mixed in with any type of your preferred pasta, and Taco Pasta happens. How cool!!
Believe me, this dish is hands down irresistible. It has bold homemade taco seasoning that’s needed for the zest in the creamy, cheesy pasta sauce. Make this Tex-Mex style pasta tonight for that major comfort food fix.
39. Chicken Tacos (Mexican Street Style)
These easy authentic Mexican Street Style Chicken Tacos are packed with flavor from a great marinade, and can be your easy weekday lunch, meal prep, or feed a crowd!
40. Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
These Teriyaki Chicken Skewers are the ultimate Umami BOMB, thanks to the easy homemade marinade, of course. If you’re looking for a super easy, super quick and super economical lunch, these Asian chicken skewers are your answer.
41. Chicken Shawarma
This easy Chicken Shawarma recipe is a boldly flavorful Middle Eastern dish that you can grill, bake or cook on stovetop.
42. Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers
These easy Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers are a hit! Brimming with Mediterranean flavors, even your picky eaters won’t mind their veggies.
With hearty wild rice, sweet cherry tomatoes, briny olives, nutty pine nuts, and plenty of great seasonings, they’re a meal that you’ll want to make again and again.
43. Spicy Sausage Pasta
These easy Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers are a hit! Brimming with Mediterranean flavors, even your picky eaters won’t mind their veggies.
With hearty wild rice, sweet cherry tomatoes, briny olives, nutty pine nuts, and plenty of great seasonings, they’re a meal that you’ll want to make again and again.
44. General Tso’s Chicken
General Tso’s Chicken is a Chinese restaurant favorite. Skip the takeout, homemade is so much better!
This easy recipe is lightened up, no deep frying required, but still has those same amazing flavors you love.
The next time those Chinese cravings hit, give our version a try. It’ll be one of your new family favorites!
45. Greek Steak Gyros
These Steak Gyros are our new favorite handheld meal. Tender strips of beautifully marinated steak are stuffed inside pitas with all of your favorite gyro fixings.
They are a super easy meal that you can quickly whip up for an easy lunch.
46. Moo Shu Chicken
Moo Shu Chicken… All ready to get wrapped up or served on a bed of rice. This is one colorful Chinese stir fry loaded with bold sweet, savory and umami flavors. Make this Asian restaurant classic right in your kitchen in about 20 minutes.
47. Meal Prep Chicken (Orange Chicken)
How about juicy and tender chicken bites, cooked in a delicious sticky orange garlic teriyaki sauce? From this simple meal prep chicken, you can have your lunches so many ways.
Pair this orange chicken with rice or noodles, along with different veggies, and you are set for a whole week.
48. Shish Kabobs
These juicy steak kabobs are the perfect recipe if you’re looking for some food on a stick. They’re layered with onions and peppers, and they’re seasoned to perfection.
49. Thai Cashew Chicken
Give your stir fry a new twist with this Thai Cashew Chicken. It’s an easy dish that’s bursting with layers of flavor and texture.
50. Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Sweet and Sour Meatballs – Meatballs glazed with perfect sweet and sour sauce with plenty of colorful, crunchy veggies and yummy pineapple.
There you have it, fifty delicious quick lunch ideas! Pin or bookmark this collection of great dishes so you always know where to find it.
The 50 BEST Quick and Easy Lunches
Want a midday meal in a flash? This collection of fifty Quick Lunch Ideas has you covered plenty of salads, sandwiches, wraps and more! For easy meal prep, try this Mediterranean inspired pasta:
Ingredients
- 8oz pasta
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1/4-1/2 tsp red chili flakes
- 10oz cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3/4 cup kalamata olives, halved
- 8oz marinated quartered artichoke hearts
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- Feta cheese, crumbled, for garnish
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot, boil pasta according to directions on package. Drain.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- Add garlic and red chili flakes. Stir and cook for one to two minutes.
- Add cherry tomatoes and cook one to two minutes.
- Stir in pasta, oregano, parsley, olives and artichoke hearts.
- Garnish with feta cheese and serve.
Notes
- Let me know which recipes you try, I love hearing from you!
Check out these other great recipes collections!
Lettuce Wrap Recipes
Pizza Recipes
Ramen Recipes
Flatbread Recipes
Potato Salad Recipes
Noodle Recipes
Hamburger Recipes
Ice Cream Recipes
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
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