5-Ingredient Dinners for Easy Weeknights
Serious Eats offers recipes with few ingredients, like Chicken Paprikash, where technique is key to creating rich flavor.
Serious Eats has compiled a set of dinners requiring five ingredients or fewer. The recipes are designed for busy weeks but focus on maximizing flavor through considered technique rather than a long list of components.
Cooking with a short ingredient list forces a focus on how each element functions. In dishes like Spanish gambas al ajillo, garlic is used in multiple forms to highlight different qualities. A long simmer concentrates the pepperiness in chicken paprikash. Toasting black pepper provides genuine heat in cacio e pepe.
Easy 4-Ingredient Weeknight Chicken Paprikash
This dish relies on chicken, onion, and paprika. Using high-quality sweet Hungarian paprika is crucial. The recipe calls for a full quarter cup of paprika, which is more than many traditional versions.
Gambas al Ajillo (Spanish-Style Garlic Shrimp)
This simple dish cooks shrimp and garlic in hot olive oil, finishing with brandy or sherry vinegar and parsley. The recipe upgrades the base by infusing the oil with shrimp shells and garlic. Using smashed, minced, and sliced garlic draws out distinct sweet, spicy, and savory notes.
5-Ingredient Black Bean Soup
Two tricks create a creamy texture. Using the entire can of black beans, including the starchy liquid, adds body. Partially mashing the beans releases more starch. A final can of drained beans provides whole-bean texture.
Broccoli and Chickpea Salad
Charring the broccoli adds savory depth. Chickpeas provide creaminess and crispness. Half the avocados are mashed into a dressing, while the other half are chopped for body. Pickled jalapeños add brightness and heat.
3-Ingredient Stovetop Mac and Cheese
This version is as fast as boxed macaroni but uses real melting cheeses like cheddar, Fontina, Gruyère, or Jack. It delivers instant creaminess with complex cheese flavor.
**Maple Mayo Broiled Salmon**
A sauce of maple syrup, Dijon mustard, mayo, paprika, and pepper seasons and protects salmon fillets. The fatty paste coats the surface, allowing for broiling without drying out the center.
**Soy and Sesame Chicken Thighs With Pan Gravy**
A marinade of dark soy sauce and sesame oil creates an umami-rich, nutty flavor. The schmaltzy drippings are turned into a pan sauce, thickened with a cornstarch slurry into a glossy gravy for rice.
**Cacio e Pepe (Spaghetti With Black Pepper and Pecorino Romano)**
The key is a smooth, emulsified sauce. Grinding the Pecorino Romano very finely helps. Making the sauce in a separate pan from the pasta water helps control heat and prevent breaking. Highly concentrated pasta water provides stabilizing starch.
**Spicy Chicken Quesadillas**
Kenji recommends adding something punchy for contrast, like minced pickled jalapeño. Coating shredded chicken in cheese creates a cohesive filling. Using plenty of oil to pan-fry the tortillas yields a crisp exterior.
