28 Of The Best Easy Friday Night Dinner Recipes

There’s nothing better after a long and difficult week than sitting down with friends and family and sharing a delicious dinner together.

When the week has come to an end and you want to unwind, there can sometimes be nothing better than indulging in a delicious meal that is full of flavor and decadence.

28 Of The Best Easy Friday Night Dinner Recipes

If you love to make a tradition of your Friday Night Dinners, but you have exhausted all of your previous favorite dishes, then you should definitely read on down below, because we have scoured the internet to find 28 of our favorite ever recipes that are totally perfect for your next Friday Night Dinner.

Prepare to have a new favorite, because some of these recipes are simply destined to blow your mind and fill your mouth with decadent flavor. 

You’ll be craving some of these meals all week as you count down the days until Friday, so let’s dive right in with our first recipe!

1. Veggie Black Bean Enchiladas

If you’re on a vegetarian diet, but you still want to treat yourself at the end of the week, then you will adore this recipe.

The flavor of the black beans (see also ‘16 Easy Navy Bean Recipes‘), the assorted vegetables, and the handmade red sauce helps to make this dish a delightful and easy meal to share out.

2. Blackened Mahi Mahi

The flesh of the Mahi Mahi fish (see also our favorite Rockfish recipes) is incredibly unique, and if you have never tried it before, then you are totally in for a culinary treat.

The second you put the fish into your mouth, the flesh seems to melt away, but it still has a great firmness to it, making it satisfying to eat.

Blackening the fish towards the top gives the dish a unique texture of crispness that contrasts the slight softness of the flesh.

The end result has a buttery sweetness that will delight your taste buds for days!

3. Baked Falafel Burgers

Falafel can often be a difficult ingredient to work with.

So many times you add it to a dish only for it to be totally dry and tasteless, but this incredible recipe will show you exactly how to create falafel burgers that taste simply incredible every single time you make them and have a great moistness to them. 

4. Poutine

Why not try out this Canadian staple for your next Friday Night Dinner meal (see also ‘33 Delicious Saturday Night Dinner Ideas‘)? If you’ve never tried poutine before, it is well worth starting out here.

It’s a very simple dish, but that simplicity is very deceptive.

Within every bite of this poutine recipe is a complex web of exciting flavors that will deeply satisfy you and will cap off your week beautifully.

Best of all, this recipe will show you how to create poutine that is surprisingly low in calories! 

5. Coca Cola Chicken

Trust us, we haven’t gone totally mad. It turns out that cooking some delicious chicken in Coca-Cola can actually yield some very interesting results that are sure to delight your taste buds. 

The sweetness of the Coca-Cola marinade very easily soaks into the chicken itself, which makes every single bite extremely satisfying and enriching.

It also gives the chicken a slight stickiness, so you can make some excellent sticky hot wings to share out! 

6. Sloppy Joe Pizza

Get the delightful flavor of some Sloppy Joe burgers in pizza form by following this totally fantastic recipe!

You only need a few ingredients to make this decadent treat work, but it is totally worth it when you taste it for yourself! 

7. Chicken Quesadillas

We couldn’t have just one or two of these delightful little parcels of tasty joy. We had to go back for multiple extra servings because they tasted that good.

The way that the tortillas go slightly crunchy helps to give the dish a sense of contrast, as the chicken and other ingredients inside are totally soft and moist. You can never have enough of these!

8. Instant Pot Beef Stew

If you want to enjoy a relaxing Friday evening, then you can always get to work on creating this delectable recipe in no time, and then allow it to cook up in your pot for only an hour, leaving you with deeply warming and satisfying food that will delight your taste buds right away. 

This is one of the easiest recipes on this list, so you can’t possibly pass up the opportunity to try it out yourself! 

9. Wisconsin Butter Burgers

You may not have ever tried it before, but putting a small slab of butter on top of your patty and then placing the bun down can create a taste experience unlike anything else.

The creaminess of the butter, as it spreads across the other contents of the burger, is so heavenly. 

10. Chicken Pasta Caesar Salad

Want something that is incredibly decadent and full of flavor, but is also very healthy and still easy to make?

Then you are going to adore this pasta salad recipe that makes use of a massive number of ingredients and fills your mouth with flavor with absolutely every bite.

11. Walking Taco Casserole

If you like tacos, but you also want a meal that is a little easier to make, then you will definitely want to give this walking taco casserole recipe a try.

It’s filling and satisfying just like a good taco should be, but it is also easy to make and serve out, making it perfect for lazy Fridays!

12. English Muffin Pizzas

By using this recipe, you can create some mini pizzas that are totally full of character and taste simply incredible.

The use of English muffins in this recipe is totally unique, and we couldn’t believe that we had never thought it up ourselves! 

13. Creamy Dijon Mustard Chicken

Using just one skillet, you can create this amazing dish that only uses a very small selection of ingredients, but manages to create a medley of flavor that explodes in your mouth as soon as you indulge in it! 

Best of all, you can easily cook this right on the dinner table, making it a very collaborative meal!

14. Cracker Barrel Meatloaf Recipe

Want to enjoy some of Cracker Barrel’s classic meatloaf, but can’t afford to head there this Friday night?

Then why not try your hand at making it yourself?

This awesome recipe will show you how to create a meatloaf that is almost identical, in terms of its appearance, and its satisfying flavor.

15. Beef And Noodles

Beef and noodles are such a simple combination, but it is one that continues to blow our minds every single time we come across it.

Easily one of the best ways we have ever experienced beef and noodles is via this awesome recipe.

The rich sauce that is draped across the dish helps to make it a meal that you won’t soon forget!

16. Chicken Teriyaki

Experience one of the most popular flavors from Japan, courtesy of this awesome recipe that will instantly satisfy your taste buds, and will get your weekend off to an exciting and vibrant start.

This dish is accompanied by a medley of fresh vegetables that will give you all of the nutrients you need to close off your week the right way and get the weekend going right! 

17. Chinese Chicken Chow Mein

Chow Mein is one of China’s foremost staple dishes, and many people crave its delightful flavors every time Friday rolls around.

Chow Mein is one of the most commonly ordered dishes from Chinese takeout restaurants, but with this recipe, you can make it all yourself easily! 

This recipe tastes so perfect that you’ll likely feel like you never need to order from a Chinese restaurant ever again!

18. Calzone With Chunky Marinara

The chunky marinara that practically explodes out of this calzone as soon as you cut into it is definitely the highlight of this recipe.

We love the way it oozes with flavor, and that oozing flavor is further complemented by the perfect inclusion of plenty of mozzarella cheese, and a larger helping of ground beef (see also ‘13 Recipes For Delicious Ground Bison Dishes‘).

You have to try out this calzone recipe for yourself, you’ll be surprised at how perfect it tastes in the end. 

19. Barbecue Chicken Tostadas

This recipe will take you no time at all to make, and within mere minutes you will be creating a meal that can be enjoyed by the whole family.

The sharp notes of the barbecue sauce naturally contrast with the cheese that is piled atop each tortilla. This is a meal that you will be craving again and again after you first try it.

20. Italian Skillet Chicken

Once again, all you need for this awesome recipe is a skillet, some chicken, a medley of extra ingredients, and some elbow grease, and very soon you will have a meal that everyone can enjoy together.

The exciting Italian flavors very quickly spread out across your tongue as you bite into this meal.

21. Sheet Pan Nachos

That’s right, with just a basic sheet pan (see also ‘27 Sheet Pan Dinners (Easy)‘), you can very easily create a massive platter of nachos that can be enjoyed by any number of people, and easily shared out.

We were thoroughly impressed with how perfectly this sheet pan nacho dish managed to cook, leaving no nachos burnt! 

22. Grilled Chicken Salad

You can easily enjoy some decadence on a Friday evening while still sticking to a diet, thanks to this recipe for grilled chicken salad that is full of delightful flavor but contains very little in terms of fattening or unhealthy ingredients.

It’s almost like magic just how amazing this salad tastes.

We found that this was also a perfect recipe to follow in order to create a simple and nutritious lunch that kept us fueled all day.

23. Oven Baked Chicken Parmesan

Chicken parmesan doesn’t have to be a guilty-pleasure meal, in fact, this recipe can show you how to make it in a way that is totally healthy and full of all of the goodness you need, while still being full of indulgence and deliciousness!

24. Chicken Fajitas

Chicken Fajitas is one of the best meals to indulge in on a Friday evening, thanks to how easy it is to share, and how social it is.

Gather everyone around the table and encourage them to fill their tortillas with awesome and freshly cooked flavor, courtesy of this fantastic recipe.

25. Ta-Cones

Put a fun spin on ordinary Friday night tacos (see also ‘25 Types of Tacos You Need to Try‘) with this fun recipe that can help you to create ta-cones!

They have the shape of ice cream, but they are packed with a Mexican flavor that will fill your mouth with a party. Perfect for an end-of-week treat that you will love.

26. Italian Stromboli

Ever tasted Stromboli? If not, then you are totally missing out. If your family loves pizza, then they will totally get a kick out of stromboli!

Stromboli is packed to the brim with meaty flavors, soft and delightful dough, and smooth and decadent cheese that spreads across the palate.

Serve them up with a tomato dipping sauce, and you will have a sharing platter that will go down as a favorite with your family and friends! 

27. Baked Chicken Chimichangas

With this recipe, you can enjoy chicken chimichangas that are totally guilt-free, and packed full of balanced and nuanced flavors that pair perfectly with a fresh bottle of Corona! Simply delicious!

28. Cheeseburger Soup

It may sound totally mad, but as it turns out the iconic flavors of your average cheeseburger can combine together to create a heartwarming soup that is perfect for those nights when you just don’t want to spend hours cooking. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What Should I Fix For Dinner When Nothing Sounds Good?

If you are finding yourself totally lost for inspiration when it comes to dinner, don’t worry, because there are plenty of awesome foods you can make using only a few ingredients that you likely already have in your pantry.

Some of the best easy dinners that you can fix up are pesto pasta, grilled cheese sandwiches, skillet meals, and even eggs on toast.

Some of the best recipes in the world are those that you can make with just a few ingredients.

What Goes With Mac And Cheese?

If you’ve made yourself some fresh mac and cheese, and you are now wondering what to pair with it, we recommend side dishes like cornbread, coleslaw, brussels sprouts, and even applesauce!

Apple sauce and mac and cheese go together surprisingly well. 

How Can I Feed A Big Family For Cheap? 

If you want to feed a large family on a budget, you should make sure to set out a suitable budget ahead of time and plan out exactly what is needed to ensure that the family is fed sufficiently, with all vital nutrients, and determine how much it will cost. 

Planning your meals well ahead of time allows you to ensure that you are always staying strictly on budget, so you never find yourself spending more than you need, and in fact, it can help you to save a lot of money in the long run!

What Goes Well With Tacos?

If you have cooked up a fresh batch of tacos, then you can always serve them up with a salad.

The crunchiness of a salad combines perfectly with an average taco, and, in fact, it can even be piled atop a set of tacos, to add a little bit of extra texture and taste.

28 Of The Best Easy Friday Night Dinner Recipes

28 Of The Best Easy Friday Night Dinner Recipes

Recipe by Jenna

Choosing the perfect meal to celebrate the end of the week should be easy, but sometimes it can be very tough. Here are some of your favorites to try!

Course: Dinner
5 from 1 vote
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