3,986 main dish recipes

Classic French court bouillon, an aromatic poaching liquid for fish and seafood. Onion, lemon, cloves, and bay leaf simmer with optional white wine for fragrant, delicate results.

Lettuce-wrapped steamed cod with lemon juice and black pepper, ready in 20 minutes. A clean, low-calorie fish recipe with no oil and no fuss.

Battered fried oysters with a simple egg-milk dip and breadcrumb or cornmeal coating. Pan-fried or deep-fried, then quick-baked for an extra crispy finish.

Quick three-pepper pizza on a pre-cooked crust with green, red, and yellow bell peppers, mozzarella, and Italian seasoning. Ready in 10 minutes flat from oven on.

Chinese red-braised beef (hong shao niu rou) with dark soy, sherry, star anise, and ginger. Slow-simmered chuck cubes glazed in a glossy mahogany sauce.

Quick sauteed salmon steaks pan-finished in butter with soy sauce and garlic powder, plated with lemon. Five ingredients, 15 minutes, weeknight-dinner heroics for under $10 a serving.

Easy glazed smoked ham trims, scores, and bakes a fully-cooked smoked ham with a simple sugar coating for a holiday-worthy main with minimal effort. The classic Sunday-supper or Easter-table centerpiece.

Smoked pulled pork shoulder doused in a tangy apple cider vinegar marinade with chipotle peppers and garlic. Hickory smoke meets slow-burn chili heat, piled on soft rolls with slaw.

Braised pork shoulder chops with sliced pimento-stuffed green olives. Garlic-rubbed and dredged in flour, simmered tender in their own juices. Old-school stovetop comfort.

Lemon thyme fish steaks marinate in soy sauce, white wine, lemon zest, and thyme, then cook in the microwave in 5 minutes flat. Healthy weeknight fish dinner with no oven needed.

Escalloped oysters layered between buttery bread and cracker crumbs, moistened with oyster liquor and cream, baked into a golden seafood casserole. Classic American.

Easy steak au poivre: filet mignon crusted in cracked black peppercorns, pan-seared in butter, finished with a red wine pan sauce. French classic in 15 minutes.

Authentic New Mexican chili with cubed round steak (no ground beef), pure New Mexico chile powder, garlic, and water. No tomato, no beans, no filler.

Grilled summer vegetables: eggplant, zucchini, and red and yellow bell peppers marinated in olive oil, white wine vinegar, garlic, and fresh oregano, then grilled until tender. A Mediterranean side for any BBQ.

Pork scallops in a quick white wine and lemon pan sauce scented with parsley, basil, thyme, and oregano. Thin cutlets that cook in minutes for an Italian-style weeknight dinner in 30 minutes.

Dijon-marinated flank steak crusted with cracked black pepper and grilled hot and fast. Three ingredients, an overnight marinade and 15 minutes on the grill. Steakhouse flavor on a weeknight budget.