5 Easy & Flavorful Dinner Ideas for Busy Moms
Steal my dinner meals for this week, they’re quick, easy, and delicious. I am Mexican so most of my dinner ideas have a Mexican base or background. Make any of these meals extra yummy by adding a salsa of your choice at your spice level.
These recipes are all family-friendly, loaded with flavor, and easy to customize to your liking or family preferences. Bonus: most of them use ingredients you probably already have on hand!
**Some images adjusted or created with AI
Mexican-Style Chicken Bowls
Think of this as a healthier, homemade version of your favorite take out bowl. Layer white rice, lettuce, tomatoes, and top it with your style chicken. Add dollops of sour cream, fresh salsa, and avocado to finish. My favorite part about these is they are easily customized to fit your family’s individual preferences. No need to make those extra meals for the picky eater, just add what they like to the bowl.
Pre-cut & seasoned fajitas
Take a shortcut by grabbing pre-cut and already seasoned fajitas from the store or season your own (mix peppers, onions, fave marinade, and your choice of chicken or steak). Sauté everything in a hot skillet and serve with a side of rice and beans or like I did a side of beans, queso fresco, and side salad. Optional: bread or tortillas. With this recipe dinner is ready in under 30 minutes.
Thinly Sliced beef steak & Potatoes
This one is my main go-to dinner, and one of the first meals I learned to cook at my mom’s house. You can do the meat and potatoes separately or combined them and add a salsa for a heartier and delicious dish. For this one you’ll slice potatoes into rounds or cubes and roast them until golden. Serve with thinly sliced beef that’s quickly seared in a skilled. Optional: if you decide to combine the meat and potatoes in the skillet, this meal pairs well with steamed broccoli for that extra simple, balanced and healthy taste to bring the dish to life.
Chicken Tinga & Frijoles Tostadas
Tostadas are a classic Mexican favorite, we’ve even had tostada parties where all our guests bring a dish you would put on a tostada and the host provides the tostada. Chicken tinga (shredded chicken simmered in a chipotle-tomato sauce) is such a delicious way to eat tostadas. Start by spreading a layer of refried frijoles on each crispy tostada shell. Add a generous spoonful of smoky, saucy chicken tinga. Top it off with lettuce, diced or sliced tomatoes, avocado, and crumbled queso fresco. Finish with a drizzle of sour cream and your favorite salsa for a burst of flavor.
Chorizo Fries
This one is nostalgic to me, it used to be what I would get in college for lunch from a local food truck that would come to our campus. Once I got married and made it for my husband he was hooked, so I make it every once in a while when I need something quick and simple. Start with your crispy fries, top with cooked chorizo pieces, sliced jalapeños, and a drizzle or dollop of sour cream. It’s like nachos but with fries—perfect for a fun dinner or even a weekend treat. Optional: add bacon bits and cilantro or green onions for a flavorful kick.
