Healthy Recipes Nutrient-Focused Diets High-Protein Recipes High-Protein Dinner Recipes 20 High-Protein Dinners Perfect for Spring By Dillon Evans Dillon Evans Dillon Evans fell in love with cooking at a very young age. He remembers the novel experiences of microwaving a bowl of oatmeal without his parents' permission and asking to make his mother's morning pot of coffee. These moments became catalysts for his interest in cooking and baking. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on March 14, 2024 Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, is nutrition editor for EatingWell. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Trending Videos Close this video player These dinners are just what you’d want on a beautiful spring evening. Nutritious ingredients like broccoli, carrots and collard greens give these dishes a seasonal flair you’re sure to love. Plus, these meals are packed with at least 15 grams of protein per serving to support healthy digestion and muscle recovery and help you feel satisfied all evening. Recipes like our highly-rated Pea Soup and creamy Spinach & Artichoke Dip Pasta are ones you’ll want to make them all season long. 01 of 20 Pea Soup This simple pea soup recipe makes an elegant start to a spring meal. It's also a great way to use frozen vegetables when the produce section is looking bleak. View Recipe 02 of 20 Chicken & Spinach Skillet Pasta with Lemon & Parmesan This one-pan chicken pasta combines lean chicken breast and sautéed spinach for a one-bowl meal that's garlicky, lemony and best served with a little Parm on top. I call it "Mom's Skillet Pasta," and she called it "Devon's Favorite Pasta." Either way, it's a quick and easy weeknight dinner we created together and scribbled on a little recipe card more than a decade ago, and it remains in my weekly dinner rotation to this day. It's a simple dinner the whole family will love. View Recipe 03 of 20 Spinach & Artichoke Dip Pasta If you've ever wanted to make a meal out of warm spinach and artichoke dip, this creamy pasta is for you. And here's what's almost as good as the flavor of this comforting dish: the fact that this healthy dinner takes just 20 minutes to prepare. View Recipe 04 of 20 Garlic Butter-Roasted Salmon with Potatoes & Asparagus This one-pan salmon and potatoes recipe makes a healthy and satisfying weeknight dinner. Melted garlic butter coats the salmon and vegetables, adding depth of flavor and richness to the dish. View Recipe 05 of 20 Collards & Portobello Grilled Cheese Meaty portobello mushrooms and sautéed collards turn this easy grilled cheese recipe into a healthy meal. If you don't have Dijonnaise on hand, make your own by stirring 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard into 3 tablespoons mayonnaise. View Recipe 06 of 20 Loaded Broccoli & Chicken Casserole Stacy k. Allen, Props: Julia Bayless, Food Stylist: Ana Kelley This delightfully creamy broccoli and chicken casserole is a satisfying dinner that is sure to please a crowd. To keep prep simple, look for bags of pre-cut broccoli florets. If you like a little spice, swap out the Monterey Jack cheese for pepper Jack instead. View Recipe 07 of 20 Vegan Lentil Stew Fred Hardy This comforting vegan lentil stew is incredibly satisfying thanks to hearty lentils and sweet potato. The leeks provide a savory allium note while the tomato paste, miso and cumin add bold flavor. View Recipe 08 of 20 Creamy Garlic Skillet Chicken with Spinach Marty Baldwin Quick-cooking chicken cutlets are coated in a garlic cream sauce, while spinach adds a boost of color and nutrition in this easy, one-skillet recipe. View Recipe 09 of 20 Honey-Garlic Chicken Thighs with Carrots and Broccoli This sweet and savory baked honey-garlic chicken thigh recipe comes with a side of veggies that cook on the same sheet pan as the chicken for the perfect weeknight dinner. View Recipe 10 of 20 One-Pot Garlicky Shrimp & Broccoli Photography: Kelsey Hansen; Food Styling: Greg Luna Shrimp and broccoli cook quickly in this easy, one-pot recipe, making it perfect for busy weeknights. Serve this healthy shrimp recipe over whole grains or rice. View Recipe 11 of 20 Skillet Lemon Chicken & Potatoes with Kale This easy one-pan skillet-roasted lemon chicken is perfect for weeknight dinners. Juicy chicken thighs are cooked in the same pan as baby potatoes and kale for a satisfying meal with the added bonus of minimal cleanup. View Recipe 12 of 20 Agrodolce Zucchini & Chicken Pasta Ali Redmond Replacing some of the pasta with spiralized zucchini allows for a totally twirlable dish with all the pleasure of noodles. The light lemony sauce and savory shredded chicken are comfort food at its finest, and a sweet-and-sour topping provides crunch, chew, herbal brightness and a palate awakener. View Recipe 13 of 20 Mushroom-Ricotta Tartines Photographer: Grant Webster, Food Stylist: Addelyn Evans, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco, Enjoy the art of presentation with a tartine—a sandwich that's a feast for the eyes and taste buds, served open-faced. Here, we slather a thick slice of good crusty whole-wheat bread with a creamy pesto-ricotta spread and top it with golden-brown sautéed mushrooms. Any tender, quick-cooking mushroom would work for this recipe. Oyster mushrooms, chanterelles and shiitake mushrooms would all be delicious. Enjoy it as is or take it to the next level by adding a poached or fried egg on top. View Recipe 14 of 20 Teriyaki Chicken Skillet Casserole with Broccoli Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Lauren McAnelly, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco Whip up this quick and easy teriyaki chicken casserole in just one skillet—it’s the perfect go-to recipe for hectic weeknights that’s sure to satisfy a crowd. It’s ideal for making use of any leftover chicken and rice you have on hand. If you’re short on leftovers, a rotisserie chicken paired with a package of microwaveable brown rice is a good substitute. View Recipe 15 of 20 Easy Tofu Curry Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Rishon Hanners, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless Baking the tofu for this protein-packed tofu curry adds texture and helps the tofu hold its shape once added to the sauce. The curry itself is smooth and creamy, with warmth from the spices and some kick from Madras curry powder and jalapeño. If you want to dial down the spice level, swap out the Madras curry powder for regular curry powder. Tearing the tofu by hand helps the curry sauce cling onto all the craggy bits, but if desired, you could cut the tofu into 1-inch cubes instead. View Recipe 16 of 20 Sheet-Pan Lemon-Pepper Chicken with Broccoli & Tomatoes Ali Redmond This sheet-pan lemon-pepper chicken with broccoli and tomatoes offers a blend of vitamin-rich vegetables, a healthy dose of fiber, and lean protein to fill your plate. Lemon pepper seasons the dish, adding brightness and spice. View Recipe 17 of 20 Shrimp Paella Jennifer Causey Paella is a Spanish seafood and rice dish, prized for the crispy bits of rice that come from letting the rice sizzle in the pan, and the deep yellow color from saffron. We cheat the color with less expensive ground turmeric and speed the process with precooked brown rice. Make sure to spread the rice mixture in an even layer so the bottom can crisp. The shrimp take less than 5 minutes to cook. Rinse well under cold running water until completely thawed, and then pat dry before adding to the pan. Serve with simply steamed asparagus to round out the meal. View Recipe 18 of 20 Creamy One-Pot Orecchiette with Sausage & Peas Photographer / Brie Passano, Food Stylist / Annie Probst This easy one-pot pasta recipe earns the title "creamy" thanks to the addition of sour cream and Parmesan, which combine to create a savory cheese sauce that clings to the orecchiette, peas and sausage. The best part about this recipe is that it only requires one vessel to cook everything—pasta included. By using the exact amount of liquid you need to cook the pasta, the starch that usually gets drained off with your pasta water stays in the pot, adding even more creaminess. If you like spicy but not too spicy, use a mix of sweet and hot Italian sausages. View Recipe 19 of 20 Chile-Lime Veggie Noodles We love the bright flavor that lime and chile-garlic sauce give to this quick and easy veggie-and-noodle stir-fry. Multicolored peppers make this recipe festive, while the addition of eggs makes it a satisfying vegetarian supper. View Recipe 20 of 20 Buttermilk Fried Tofu with Smoky Collard Greens Dipping tofu in buttermilk makes the coating stick for a crispy pan-fried tofu, reminiscent of fried chicken. Spicing up the collards with paprika coats them with smoky flavor while keeping this dish vegetarian. And this quick, easy and healthy dinner comes together in just 25 minutes, so it's great for busy weeknights. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit