Our Top 20 New Easy Recipes of 2021

Teriyaki Ground Beef Skillet in a bowl served with rice
Photo: lutzflcat

Whether burned out from cooking or pressed for time, home cooks turned to easy recipes over and over in 2021. For the Allrecipes community, this often meant reaching for a skillet, a sheet pan, the air fryer, or the Instant Pot to get a dish on the table fast and clean up even faster. We've rounded up the new easy recipes that received the most page views in 2021 to bring you a list you'll want to cook from well into the new year. Keep scrolling for simple ideas for pork chops, stir-fry, chicken thighs, pasta, dump cake, dips, and more.

01 of 21

Crispy Breaded Pork Chops

"With a salty, flavorful crust and juicy, tender meat in the center, these crispy breaded pork chops remind me of my grandmother's," Allrecipes Culinary Producer NicoleMcmom says. "So simple, yet so delicious! The perfect comfort meal when served with mashed potatoes and green beans."

02 of 21

Easy, Flavorful Chicken Pot Pie

close up image of Easy Flavorful Chicken Pot Pie with a serving spoon in it
Chef Mo

Combining rotisserie chicken with frozen mixed vegetables, condensed cream of chicken soup, mayonnaise, and herbs results in a chicken pot pie that's "so easy, so flavorful, 5 stars all day long," as Allrecipes Allstar Chef Mo says.

03 of 21

Quick and Easy Honey-Garlic Pork Chops

Quick and Easy Honey-Garlic Pork Chops with a side of asparagus on a white plate
France C

"This is one of those recipes where you end up being shocked by the end result. I'm not normally a big fan of sweet sauces on meat, but decided to try this anyway because I love trying new recipes -- plus this was quick and easy. Wow! The chops were delicious and I would serve these to company," says Allrecipes Allstar France C. "Add a bit of salt and pepper to the sauce to really make the flavors pop. The chops turned out super juicy and tender, but be sure not to overcook them. I did about 3 minutes per side for 1" thick loin chops. This one's a keeper!"

04 of 21

Quick Sloppy Joe Stew

The sloppy Joe takes the form of stew for a meal that's as comforting and filling as the sandwich, thanks to starchy potatoes and corn.

05 of 21

5-Minute Olive Tapenade

Toss green olives, Kalamata olives, capers, olive oil, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, salt, oregano, and pepper into a food processor for an easy but elegant appetizer.

06 of 21

The Perfect Deviled Eggs

deviled eggs topped with paprika and minced chives on a deviled egg tray
Allrecipes

To make these deviled eggs even easier, Allrecipes Culinary Producer NicoleMcmom cooks them in a pressure cooker. "I had never used my Instant Pot to make hard boiled eggs and I will never do it the old way again! This recipe was easy and delicious," home cook Terri Sutton says. "Big hit at our first family get together since the pandemic!"

07 of 21

Southern Stir-Fry

With black-eyed peas, corn, and rice, our vegetarian Southern Stir-Fry will fill up your family on meatless Monday and comes together in just 20 minutes.

08 of 21

Air Fryer Spinach and Mushroom Frittata

"A quick and easy breakfast for one serving. This gives you time to do other things while the frittata is air frying," Allrecipes Allstar Yoly says.

09 of 21

Cocoa Powder Chocolate Mousse

Whether you whip up our Cocoa Powder Chocolate Mousse for a sweet treat on a whim or bookmark it for a holiday, you'll delight in the fact that it just takes 10 minutes.

10 of 21

Quick and Easy Curry Chicken Salad for Lunches

salad bowl with apples, chicken
Stirs and Stripes

Give classic chicken salad a kick by mixing curry powder into the dressing. "Absolutely wonderful," home cook Sherri Blitstein says. "I think it's all I ate for three days! Letting the flavors meld for several hours or overnight is the way to go."

11 of 21

Restaurant-Style White Queso Dip

"Rich, creamy, with bits of spice and tang from jalapeno peppers--this dip is just like the good stuff you get in restaurants but you'll get three to four times the amount for the same price. Serve with crispy light tortilla chips, or over nachos, a burrito, or heck, even a shoe it's so good!" -- Allrecipes Culinary Producer NicoleMcmom

12 of 21

Mustard-Crusted Crispy Chicken Thighs

Combined with breadcrumbs, Dijon mustard and Parmesan pack a punch of flavor. Cook the chicken thighs skin-side down the entire time for the crispiest coating, says recipe contributor Mandbsfablives.

13 of 21

Peach Cobbler Dump Cake

How often does a recipe insist that you don't stir it? You won't find many desserts easier than a dump cake. Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to really emulate peach cobbler.

  • Make Your Weeknight a Little Sweeter With Our 10 Best Dump Cake Recipes
14 of 21

Tortellini alla Fini

Tortellini alla Fini on a white plate
Chef Mo

Alfredo sauce made from scratch covers tortellini with ham and peas for a restaurant-worthy dish that you can have on the table in just 30 minutes.

15 of 21

Balsamic-Thyme Roasted Mushrooms

"This easy side dish comes out super flavorful and juicy with a hint of sweetness from the balsamic. A perfect complement to a grilled steak, mashed potatoes, and a nice glass of Cabernet," says Allrecipes Allstar France C.

16 of 21

Teriyaki Ground Beef Skillet

Our Teriyaki Ground Beef Skillet checks all the boxes: it's an easy, 25-minute, kid-friendly, one-pan meal. Allrecipes Allstar lutzflcat recommends using garlic and ginger paste and frozen chopped onion to make it an even quicker recipe.

17 of 21

Fresh Restaurant-Style Salsa

You won't want to buy the jarred stuff again when you can make this Fresh Restaurant-Style Salsa in just 10 minutes. Yielding six cups, it's perfect for parties or snacking on all week.

18 of 21

Panko-Parmesan Roasted Broccoli

Grated Parmesan and panko bread crumbs bake into crunchy bits of flavor, changing roasted broccoli for the better. Anyone who's iffy of broccoli will agree.

19 of 21

Simple Seafood Sheet Pan Meal

salmon with broccoli and feta and lemons on a sheet pan
Allrecipes Magazine

This easy sheet pan dinner will save your weeknights as often as you let it. In the recipe notes, home cook Juliana Hale offers two variations on the dish: Lime-Fiesta Shrimp and Orange-Italian Halibut.

20 of 21

Air Fryer Catfish Nuggets

You just need 22 minutes and three ingredients (catfish, seasoned fish fry coating, and cooking spray) to make this lightened-up version of fried catfish, courtesy of the air fryer.

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