I lived on 15-minute meals for a week – how realistic are they?
By Laura Wingrove From questionable prep times to adding pre-cooked ingredients, so many 15-minute meals clearly take longer than they promise. Could I find ones which delivered on time? Yes I could have spaghetti in pasta sauce every night but what other dishes could I try? Cooking is one of my favourite ways to spend my free time. The only thing is, as so many of us find, free time is pretty scarce most weeks. After a full day’s work – including two hours of commuting – I’ve got sports training, friends and family to see, housework to do and life admin to sort. So when it comes to cooking dinner, I want recipes that can deliver on speed as well as nutrients and flavour – and without breaking the bank. As tempting as they sometimes are, I’m always sceptical of 15-minute meals. Is a quarter of an hour really long enough to cook a substantial and satisfying evening meal? I decided to find out, giving myself just 15 minutes to cook dinner each day for a whole working week. Finding the recipes It seems as though 15-minute meals are everywhere – blog posts, social accounts and even books. But sometimes after closer inspection you realise you’re allocated one minute to chop five types of veg, have missed the marinating you need to do the night before or only have one element of a dish, the recipe conveniently leaving out the much-needed accompaniments. Finding the perfect recipe only to realise it skips the part where you need to pre-roast the vegetables or that it relies heavily on the likes of ‘leftover roast chicken’ was a frustratingly frequent occurrence. Sorting the wheat from the chaff was (ironically) a little time consuming. I didn’t want to rely too much on pre-prepped or pre-cooked products either, as budget was also a priority. Spending less time cooking but more money on ingredients just doesn’t feel like a win. Having eventually nailed down my recipes for the week (planning is always key when it comes to speedy cookery), I realised it was going to all be about the hob, microwave and air fryer. Not actually owning the latter was a minor issue – so I borrowed one. Monday: Air fryer soy and ginger salmon Actual time: 11 minutes 5 seconds Salmon, rice and broccoli are staples in my house, but the salmon usually requires oven cooking. So, when I saw the possibility of making this meal in just 15 minutes, I had to try it. The upshot was that this went straight on my weekly meal rotation. Salmon ready in six minutes? Excuse me!? My life has been changed forever. I used a pouch of rice to further speed things up – it’s a little cheat code I sometimes rely on and, besides a few extra pence here and there, there’s no harm in it. It meant I shaved 3 minutes 55 seconds off the promised 15-minute time. Consider me an air-fryer convert. Tuesday: Tahini tofu udon bowl Actual time: 7 minutes 10 seconds This is my own recipe which I’ve made a few times before. In moments of hanger, I’ve been known to manage it in five minutes flat. I whack the kettle on, then fry around 150g each of tofu and fresh stir-fry veg together in a pan, stirring occasionally. While that’s cooking, I soak one pouch of wok-ready udon noodles in boiling water from the kettle. Then I mix two tablespoons of tahini, one tablespoon of soy sauce, the juice from half a lime, one tablespoon of sesame oil, one teaspoon of rice wine vinegar and one teaspoon of sesame seeds in a small bowl. Once I’ve drained and dished up the noodles, I add the cooked veg and tofu then drizzle over the sauce and toss it all together. Et voilà. It’s not the prettiest of meals, but trust me, it’s delicious. The sauce is a real MVP here – it turns some standard ingredients into a culinary masterpiece. Tahini tofu udon Image source, Laura Wingrove This has become my favourite speedy mid-week meal Wednesday: Spring pea and chicken salad Actual time: 13 minutes 50 seconds I was drawn to this salad because it was both healthy and hearty. The yoghurt dressing gives a creaminess and the use of frozen peas and green beans is great as a quick, convenient way to boost veggie intake. To speed up the chicken cooking process, I chopped the chicken into strips before frying, so that it would cook more quickly. My version might not have looked as pretty as the recipe picture (below), but this week is all about speed, not styling. The dressing came together quickly and I was able to prep and plate the veggies while the chicken was frying. I liked this so much I made it again for lunch the next day. To up the carbs, I added chopped boiled new potatoes, which paired perfectly and didn’t add to the cooking time. Thursday: Stir-fried basil and lime pork with crispy eggs Actual time: 14 minutes 50 seconds A fried oozy egg with rice and pork mince? Sounds like a dish made for me. The minced meat hooked me in – it’s speedy and requires zero prep, going straight from packet to pan. If you’ve read the recipe, you’ll notice this is more of a 20-minute situation. But not with my trusty rice pouches. The fried egg and the seasoning for the pork mince took the dish to the next level. With fewer than 10 ingredients, most of which I already had in the cupboard, this is a definite winner for me. Friday: Tuna bean salad Actual time: 14 minutes 8 seconds Here’s a top tip for recipes with multiple boiling steps: combine them! Instead of cooking the green beans and then boiling the egg, I boiled the eggs first for four minutes, then added the green beans to the same pan for the remaining four minutes. This not only streamlined the cooking process but also saved on washing up. Although this recipe was incredibly speedy and came together in under 15 minutes, for me, it’s a lunch more than a dinner. Yes, there are carbs and protein, but I need a bit more to feel full. So, if I was making this again in the evening, I’d add a pack of microwavable grains. My thoughts on the week Full disclosure: I wasn’t exactly buzzing about the prospect of a week of 15-minute dinners. While I was really up for saving time, I thought I’d be seriously underwhelmed by the meals I could whip up from scratch. Sure, I did miss the depth of flavour that comes with slower cooking (next time I’ll be reaching for the miso or yeast extract to try and add some umami backbone), but was actually pleasantly surprised by the variety of dishes that can be made in such a short amount of time. Turns out there’s a lot more to 15-minute recipes than stir-fries. Also enlightening was just how much could be achieved in a quarter of an hour. Most of my meals were, I have to admit, really filling and satisfying. That said, test week was unseasonably warm and sunny, so I wasn’t craving super hearty food. I’m under no illusion that on a colder, wetter week, when I’m all about comforting dishes like lasagnes and curries, I might struggle to find enough recipes to fit the bill. Despite leaning on a few cheat ingredients which tend to cost more (looking at you, rice pouches), I didn’t spend any more on my food shop than usual this week, which is another win. Will I carry on with 15-minute meals? Short answer: yes. Long answer: I’m going to try and find a balance. First off, when it comes to speedy cookery, often, it takes forward planning – think marinating overnight to boost flavour, having all the ingredients you need ready to go and sifting through (sometimes very ambitiously timed) recipes for inspiration. And that’s just more possible some weeks than others. After this week, though, I’d say I’m a bit of a pro at finding decent 15-minute recipes. My tips? Always check for the words ‘leftover’ or ‘pre-cooked’Look for short, snappy steps in the methodDon’t discount recipes with lentils, beans or grains – pouches and tins are ideal Always check for the words ‘leftover’ or ‘pre-cooked’ Look for short, snappy steps in the method Don’t discount recipes with lentils, beans or grains – pouches and tins are ideal Most importantly, there’s no point making a meal because it’s quick if you’re not going to enjoy it. So much is possible in 15 minutes – it’s just about finding the recipes that are right for you. Originally published May 2025 Want more? Visit BBC Food on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest or watch the latest Food TV programmes on BBC iPlayer.