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60 Mediterranean Diet Dinner Recipes You Can Make in No Time

mediterreanean diet dinner recipes: mediterranean quinoa bowls with roasted red pepper sauce
Pinch of Yum

When we hear the word “diet,” we think calorie counting, restrictions and way too many dry chicken breasts. But the Mediterranean diet is the total antithesis—it’s full of ingredients that are popular in Greece, Italy, Spain, Israel and other parts of the Middle East, with a focus on whole grains, veggies, beans, low-fat dairy, nuts, fish, lean red meat and olive oil. Best of all, following the diet for three months or more has been scientifically proven to boost your mood. Here are 60 quick (and extremely tasty) Mediterranean diet dinner recipes—like one skillet sun-dried tomato chicken, sesame-ginger salmon and pasta e fagioli—to try for your next meal. (Did we mention they’re perfect for weeknights?)

mediterreanean diet dinner recipes: garlicky spinach and chickpea soup
Caitlin Bensel/The Mediterranean Dish

1. Garlicky Spinach and Chickpea Soup with Lemon and Pecorino Romano

For all its rich flavor, you’ll hardly believe it comes together with pantry staples (like canned chickpeas and store-bought broth).

mediterreanean diet dinner recipes: spicy sweet potato tacos
Katherine Gillen

2. Spicy Sweet Potato Tacos

Oh hello, delicious and nutritious 20-minute dinner. For what it’s worth, you could also wrap the filling in flour tortillas for burritos, or fry it into quesadillas with a little melty cheese.

mediterreanean diet dinner recipes: chickpea caesar salad
Katherine Gillen

3. Chickpea Caesar Salad with a Cheater’s Dressing

This twist on the classic includes roasted chickpeas for a boost of protein, plus a magical dressing that skips the raw egg and anchovies. (The secret is store-bought mayo…use the olive oil kind for more Mediterranean vibes.)

mediterreanean diet dinner recipes: marinated white bean and tomato salad
Chelsea Kyle/For the Table

4. Marinated White Bean and Tomato Salad

This might be our ideal side dish: It’s less than ten ingredients, can be made in advance and doubled for a crowd, plus, it’s vegetarian and gluten free.

mediterreanean diet dinner recipes: crispy chickpeas with scallops
Caitlin Bensel/The Mediterranean Dish

5. Crispy Chickpeas and Scallops with Garlic-Harissa Oil

Scallops are easier to cook than most people assume, and they’re packed with lean protein. Add frizzled chickpeas and spicy harissa oil and you’re in for a treat.

mediterreanean diet dinner recipes: mediterranean quinoa bowls with roasted red pepper sauce
Pinch of Yum

6. Mediterranean Quinoa Bowls with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

It’s low in carbs, high in protein and totally satisfying.

mediterreanean diet dinner recipes: baked chicken and ricotta meatballs
Patrica Niven/Keeping It Simple

7. Baked Chicken and Ricotta Meatballs

If you end up with leftover meatballs, warm them in broth and toss in some greens at the end for a quick soup.

mediterreanean diet dinner recipes: mediterranean couscous salad with tuna
PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL

8. Mediterranean Couscous with Tuna and Pepperoncini

We love when dinner is ready and on the table in just 15 minutes (not to mention without any cooking).

mediterreanean diet dinner recipes: winter one pan chicken and veggies
Sweet Peas and Saffron

9. Winter One-Pan Chicken and Veggies

This colorful dish is easy to prepare and clean up, so it’s perfect for any night of the week.

mediterreanean diet dinner recipes: greek sun-dried tomato chicken skillet
Half Baked Harvest

10. One Skillet Greek Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken and Farro

Chicken with fresh oregano, dill, garlic, lemon and paprika is pan-seared and cooked with farro, sun-dried tomatoes and olives. How’s that for tasty?

mediterreanean diet dinner recipes: lemon salmon with garlic and thyme
Photo/Styling: Katherine Gillen

11. Lemon Salmon with Garlic and Thyme

It’s simple but not short on flavor (and you hardly have to do anything to make it).

mediterreanean diet dinner recipes: chickpea coconut curry recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

12. Chickpea Vegetable Coconut Curry

Pair it with some whole-grain pita bread for dipping.

mediterreanean diet dinner recipes: kale salad with crispy chickpeas
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

13. Kale Salad with Crispy Chickpeas

This one is ideal for when you're in need of a simple, quick side that adds a punch of greens to the meal.

mediterreanean diet dinner recipes: sweet potato noodles
PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL

14. Sweet Potato Noodles with Almond Sauce

Step aside zoodles; swoodles (aka sweet potato noodles) may be our new favorite pasta alternative.

mediterreanean diet dinner recipes: greek wedge salad
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

15. Greek Wedge Salad

The classic dish is wonderfully simple and ready in no time, with a Mediterranean diet twist from olives and feta.

mediterreanean diet dinner recipes: blistered green beans with walnuts
Abra Berens/Chronicle Books

16. Blistered Green Beans with Tomatoes

You eat veggies every day, but you’ve never had them like this before. Cook the green beans as fast as possible to blister the skin and keep their bright green color and crunch.

mediterreanean diet dinner recipes: five ingredient lemon asparagus chicken
Pinch of Yum

17. Five-Ingredient Lemon Chicken Asparagus

It’s practically exploding with flavor, but you’d never guess it takes 20 minutes to make.

mediterreanean diet dinner recipes: baked sesame ginger salmon in parchment
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

18. Baked Sesame-Ginger Salmon in Parchment

Because the fish is baked in parchment parcels, there are no pans to scrub. 

mediterreanean diet dinner recipes: panzanella salad
Tara Donne/Cooking Solo

19. Panzanella Salad

Behold a light yet satisfying Mediterranean side that won’t take all day to make.

mediterreanean diet dinner recipes: shrimp and pasta stew
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

20. Shrimp and Pasta Stew

Making stew doesn't have to mean spending hours in the kitchen. This recipe comes together in just about 30 minutes.

mediterreanean diet dinner recipes: quinoa and vegetable stuffed portobello mushrooms
The Minimalist Baker

21. Quinoa and Vegetable-Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

The chimichurri sauce is ridiculously good, and the entire meal is vegan and gluten free.

mediterreanean diet dinner recipes: cold lemon zoodles
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

22. Cold Lemon Zoodles

Just one of the many amazing things zucchini can do.

mediterreanean diet dinner recipes: cauliflower steaks with lemon herb sauce
Erin McDowell

23. Cauliflower Steaks with Lemon-Herb Sauce

This is an easy delicious side dish, especially for vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free foodies.

mediterreanean diet dinner recipes: kamut and sour cherry mezze
Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Eden Grinshpan

24. Kamut and Sour Cherry Meze

Kamut is an ancient grain with a sweet, nutty flavor and al dente texture, and it adds layers of flavor and texture to this dish.

mediterreanean diet dinner recipes: broccoli rabe with burrata

25. Broccoli Rabe and Burrata with Lemon

Say hello to a new veggie side dish to add to your rotation. (If we’re being honest, we were smitten at “burrata.”)

mediterreanean diet dinner recipes: mediterranean baked sweet potatoes
Minimalist Baker

26. Mediterranean Baked Sweet Potatoes

It’s basically all of our favorite foods—sweet potatoes, chickpeas and tahini—in one dish.

mediterreanean diet dinner recipes: honey lime chicken and veggies in foil
PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL

27. Honey-Lime Chicken and Veggies in Foil

Zero cleanup and tons of protein? We’re in. 

mediterranean diet dinner recipes: grilled caprese skewers
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

28. Grilled Caprese Skewers

It’s melty, it’s the most fun to eat and, best of all, it’s ready in under an hour.

mediterranean diet dinner recipes: guacamole quinoa salad
Power Plates 

29. Guacamole Quinoa Salad

Bring on the black beans. This 30-minute meal is basically a giant bowl of guac masquerading as a salad.

mediterranean diet dinner recipes: tomato poached cod with fresh herbs
Patrica Niven/Keeping It Simple

30. Tomato-Poached Cod with Fresh Herbs

This dish comes together in 25 minutes and is definitely easy enough to make on a weeknight. (Looks totally fancy though, right?)

mediterranean diet dinner recipes: sweet potato enchilada stir fry
Inspiralized

31. Sweet Potato Enchilada Stir Fry

OK, this one’s Mexican by way of the Mediterranean, but it’s still on your diet, we promise. 

mediterranean diet dinner recipes: one pot greek oregano chicken and orzo
Half Baked Harvest

32. One-Pot Greek Oregano Chicken and Orzo with Tomatoes in Garlic Oil

It’s giving “winner, winner, chicken dinner” a whole new meaning.

mediterranean diet dinner recipes: slow cooker pasta e fagioli soup
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

33. Slow Cooker Pasta e Fagioli Soup

News flash: All you have to do is bust out your Crockpot for a mini trip to the Tuscan countryside.

mediterranean diet dinner recipes: corn and tomato salad with feta and lime
Photo: Tyler Mauk/Styling: Anna Mauk

34. Corn and Tomato Salad with Feta and Lime

We paired two of our favorite summery vegetables into one delicious side dish.

mediterranean diet dinner recipes: roasted brussels sprouts quinoa salad
WEEKNIGHT SOCIETY

35. Roasted Brussels Sprouts Quinoa

Dinner just got easier (and more colorful). Psst: The quinoa is made in the microwave. How’s that for convenient?

mediterranean diet dinner recipes: chickpea shawarma salad
The Minimalist Baker

36. Chickpea Shawarma Salad

We’ll take extra garlic-dill dressing, please and thanks.

mediterranean diet dinner recipes: summer millet salad
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

37. Summer Millet Salad

If you’re tired of quinoa as a base, it’s time to try millet. It’s gluten free, cooks quickly and goes with just about everything.

mediterranean diet dinner recipes: shrimp with cauliflower "grits" and arugula
PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL

38. Shrimp with Cauliflower “Grits” and Arugula

When it comes to veggies included in the Mediterranean diet, cauliflower is a standout, naturally. 

mediterranean diet dinner recipes: greek chicken with feta and kalamata olives
Ola Smit/Dinner's In The Bag

39. Greek Chicken with Feta and Kalamata Olives

Sheet pan meals are an easy sell—you just toss everything together and there’s only one dish to clean.

40. Lamb Meatball and Escarole Soup

What’s more feel-good than a steaming pot of soup with itty-bitty meatballs?

mediterranean diet dinner recipes: instant pot harissa bean stew
Ghazalle Badiozamani/Instant Pot Miracle Vegetarian Cookbook

41. Instant Pot Harissa Bean Stew

This harissa bean stew starts with dried beans but takes only about an hour to make, thanks to your pressure cooker.

mediterranean diet dinner recipes: easy three-cup chicken with zucchini
Half Baked Harvest

42. Easy Three-Cup Chicken with Zucchini

With less than ten ingredients, this one’s about to enter your weekly rotation.

mediterranean diet dinner recipes: pan fried cod
PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL

43. Pan-Fried Cod with Orange and Swiss Chard

Cooking seafood doesn’t get any easier than this one-pan wonder.

mediterranean diet dinner recipes: creamy mediterranean chicken
The Recipe Critic

44. Creamy Mediterranean Chicken

There’s only one skillet necessary for this comforting chicken dish.

mediterranean diet dinner recipes: mediterranean cob salad
Averie Cooks 

45. Mediterranean Cobb Salad

It’s the most colorful salad we ever did see, and the most flavorful too. (Thanks again, olives and feta.)

mediterranean diet dinner recipes: crispy za'atar chicken
Meseidy Rivera/Weeknight Gourmet Dinners

46. Crispy Za’atar Chicken and Cauliflower

Serve it with brown rice, warm chickpeas or some roasted sweet potatoes.

mediterranean diet dinner recipes: freekeh vegetable soup
Adeena Sussman/Sababa

47. Freekeh Vegetable Soup

Here’s proof that vegetable soup can be just as hearty and soul-warming as any meat-based one.

mediterranean diet dinner recipes: pasta alla norma
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

48. Pasta alla Norma

While we can’t just hop a flight to Italy, we can channel our inner nonna with a heaping plate of veggie-forward pasta.

mediterranean diet dinner recipes: sheet pan salmon and potatoes
Amy Neunsinger/Magnolia Table, Volume 2

49. Joanna Gaines’s Weeknight Salmon

This takes 40 minutes from start to finish and tastes like an herby-lemony dream. Plus, look at those crispy potatoes.

mediterranean diet dinner recipes: chimichurri chicken meatballs
Michael Kartes/Rustic Joyful Food: Meant to Share

50. Chicken Meatballs with Greek Yogurt & Quinoa

So many delicious elements, yet it’s all ready in under 45 minutes.

mediterranean diet dinner recipes: roasted sweet potatoes with chickpeas and yogurt
Photo/Styling: Katherine Gillen

51. Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Chickpeas and Yogurt

It’s low-fuss and requires minimal prep, and besides, who could say no to a yogurt sauce?

mediterranean diet dinner recipes: greek chicken and rice skillet
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

52. Greek Chicken and Rice Skillet

This Greek chicken and rice skillet is the ultimate trifecta: It’s easy, gorgeous and so delicious.

mediterranean diet dinner recipes: honey tahini salmon
Peter Som

53. Honey Tahini Salmon with Chickpeas and Couscous

Minimal prep, modest cooking time and almost no cleanup after it’s been devoured. We look forward to dinners like these.

mediterranean diet dinner recipes: pasta puttanesca
David Loftus/The Tinned Fish Cookbook

54. Pasta Puttanesca

It’s about time you make tinned fish a pantry staple.

mediterranean diet dinner recipes: skillet chicken fajitas
Carlsbad Cravings

55. Skillet Chicken Fajitas

Just add the tortillas and extra guac.

mediterranean diet dinner recipes: fall roasted vegetable and lentil salad with pine nut cream
Aran Goyoaga

56. Fall Roasted Vegetable and Lentil Salad with Pine Nut Cream

You’ll want to make extra pine nut cream—it’s that good.

mediterranean diet dinner recipes: sheet pan curried butternut squash soup
Katherine Gillen

57. Sheet Pan Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Just roast everything on a sheet pan, puree into a velvety soup and serve.

mediterranean diet dinner recipes: vegan chopped salad
Erin Kunkel/Malibu Farm Sunrise to Sunset

58. Malibu Farm’s Vegan Chop Salad

The more toppings (and colors), the better.

mediterranean diet dinner recipes: salmon with pesto and blistered tomatoes
Elizabeth Van Lierde and Abagail Halstead/Everyday Entertaining

59. Salmon with Pesto and Blistered Tomatoes

Psst: This elegant dish calls for just five ingredients.

mediterranean diet dinner recipes: carrot, fennel and miso soup
Aran Goyoaga

60. Carrot, Fennel and Miso Soup

By roasting the vegetables beforehand, you’ll unlock so much more flavor than just cooking them in broth alone.