The heart of the meal
Main dish recipes
The dish you look forward to all day: a chicken browning in the oven, creamy pasta, a curry that fills the kitchen with its aroma. Everyday recipes and holiday centerpieces, explained step by step.
- 219 recipes
- 50 recipes in 30 min or less
- 153 easy recipes
Community favorites
The ones people cook again and again on CookinBreak.
The signature recipe
Roast Chicken and Oven-Roasted Potatoes
The most-cooked dish on CookinBreak: a whole chicken roasting on a bed of potatoes and onions that turn meltingly tender in its juices. One dish, one oven, and the whole family at the table.
See the recipeReady in 30 minutes
For weeknights when you get home late and you're hungry right now.
Tips that make the difference
What separates a recipe that works from one that falls flat.
A really hot pan
Sear meat in a very hot skillet without crowding it: it browns instead of steaming in its own juices.
Let the meat rest
Let a roast or a chicken rest for 10 minutes under foil before carving: the juices stay in the meat.
Taste at the end
Salt concentrates as a sauce reduces: adjust the seasoning at the end, not at the start.
Cook a double batch
Stews, curries, bolognese sauce and lasagna all freeze very well: an extra portion for busy nights.
Pasta, risotto and gnocchi
Carbonara, bolognese, lasagna, creamy risotto: Italy's sure bets.
How much per person?
The usual amounts for a main dish, per adult. Plan a little less for a child, a little more for a big appetite.
| Ingredient | Per person | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Boneless meat (cutlet, steak, tenderloin) | 120 to 150 g (about 4 to 5 oz) | Weighed raw |
| Bone-in poultry (whole chicken, legs) | 250 to 300 g (about 9 to 10 oz) | A 1.5 kg (about 3 lb) chicken feeds 4 to 5 people |
| Fish fillets or steaks | 120 to 150 g (about 4 to 5 oz) | Double that for a whole fish |
| Dried pasta | 80 to 100 g (about 3 oz) | 120 g (about 4 oz) of fresh pasta |
| Rice | 60 to 80 g (about ⅓ cup) | Measured raw: it triples in volume as it cooks |
| Potatoes | 200 to 250 g (about ½ lb) | Weighed peeled |
| Vegetables as a side | 150 to 200 g (about 5 to 7 oz) | Up to 300 g (about 10 oz) for a vegetarian main |
| Dried legumes (lentils, chickpeas) | 60 to 80 g (about ⅓ cup) | Measured dry: they double as they cook |
All about chicken
Roasted, on skewers, in a curry or in a burger: the meat the whole table loves.
Fish and seafood
Salmon, cod, shrimp: light, fragrant dishes, often ready in under an hour.
No meat, all the flavor
Gratins, tarts, lentil curries: vegetarian dishes that really fill you up.
A trip around the world
Tagine, tikka masala, paella, ramen, chili: travel without leaving the kitchen.
No idea what to make tonight?
Tell Breaky AI what's left in your fridge, how much time you have and how many people you're feeding: it suggests a dish and walks you through it step by step.
“I have chicken, zucchini and 30 minutes. What can I make?”
All our main dishes recipes
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Your questions
What main dish can I make quickly on a weeknight?
Salmon pasta, a vegetable omelet, fried rice, wraps or quesadillas: many recipes on this page are ready in 30 minutes or less. The “30 min or less” filter in the list brings them all together.
How do I put together a balanced main dish?
A simple rule of thumb: half the plate vegetables, a quarter starches (pasta, rice, potatoes, bread) and a quarter protein (meat, fish, eggs or legumes).
Can I make a main dish ahead of time?
Yes: slow-simmered dishes (cassoulet, chili, curry, tagine) are even better reheated. Let them cool, cover and keep them in the fridge for 2 to 3 days, or freeze them in portions.
Do your dishes come in air fryer, Cookeo or Monsieur Cuisine versions?
Many of our most-cooked dishes have a version adapted to these appliances (roast chicken, lasagna, risotto, tikka masala…): search for the appliance name or check the recipe page.