20+ 3-Step High-Protein Winter Dinner Recipes

If you’ve noticed your appetite increasing as the winter weather settles in, you’re not alone. It turns out that many people feel hungrier during the winter, most likely because our bodies use more energy to keep us warm. Fortunately, adding extra protein to your meals can help keep you satisfied.

That’s where these recipes come in handy—not only are they easy to make, but each contains at least 15 grams per serving. Whether you’re in the mood for a mouthwatering one-pot meal like our Cheesy One-Pot Chicken-Broccoli Orzo or a comforting bowl of Chicken Fajita Soup, these recipes are a breeze to whip up in just three simple steps (or less!).

Anti-Inflammatory Sweet Potato-Black Bean Stuffed Peppers

Heami Lee, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christine Keeley

These delicious stuffed peppers are an easy protein-packed meal, thanks to the combination of black beans and cheese.

Cheesy One-Pot Chicken-Broccoli Orzo

Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell

This cheesy dish brings crowd-pleasing flavors together in one pan for easy cleanup. It’s perfect for busy nights when you want something satisfying, comforting and delicious. Sharp Cheddar cheese adds savory flavor, but another easy-melting cheese like Gruyère or Swiss would work well too.

Cauliflower Spanakopita Melt

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Lindsey Lower

This dish blends the flavors of the Greek spinach pie, spanakopita, into the hand-held comfort and convenience of a grilled cheese sandwich. Chopped roasted cauliflower brings a healthy, veggie-packed twist. We cook these sandwiches in a skillet, but if you have a sandwich press, you can use that to crisp them up instead.

Chicken & White Bean Skillet

Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell

This skillet dinner is so easy, creamy and cheesy you’ll want to eat it on repeat! With minimal prep and easy-to-find ingredients, like chicken, veggies and white beans, it’s the perfect weeknight meal that’s sure to satisfy.

Chicken Fajita Soup

Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Priscilla Montiel

The vibrant, smoky flavors of traditional fajitas are just as delicious when turned into a comforting soup. To kick up the heat, add a chopped jalapeño to the veggie mixture. You can swap out the rotisserie chicken for another protein or make it vegetarian by using no-chicken broth and subbing tofu.

Broccoli Melts

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless

Crisp-tender broccoli is combined with a layer of melted cheese inside two crispy pieces of bread for a sandwich that’s rich and creamy. These 20-minute melts are the ultimate comfort food—satisfying and packed with that cheesy goodness everyone loves.

Ham & Spinach Quiche

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hauser

This tasty quiche skips the crust, making it incredibly easy to pull together even on short notice. Swap out the Cheddar cheese for Gruyère or use chard or kale in place of the spinach for a slightly different spin.

Teriyaki Chicken Skillet Casserole with Broccoli

Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Lauren McAnelly, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco

Whip up this quick and easy casserole in just one skillet—it’s the perfect go-to recipe for hectic weeknights that’s sure to satisfy a crowd. Packed with veggies and flavorful teriyaki sauce, it’s a delicious way to use up leftover chicken and rice.

Slow-Cooker Loaded Broccoli & Chicken Soup

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster

This comforting soup is loaded with broccoli and chicken in a creamy, cheesy base and finished off with the classic toppings of bacon and scallions. Frozen onions and rice keep their integrity and add texture to the soup, but chopped fresh onions and cooked brown rice (not frozen) can be used in their place.

Cabbage Grilled Cheese

Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall

This warming sandwich features melty cheese, tender cabbage and crispy sweet-tart apple slices. A light layer of mayonnaise on the outside of the bread is a great way to toast a grilled cheese to a golden brown.

Easy Chicken Tenders with Lemon & Garlic

Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

The secret to this easy recipe lies in the tangy lemon-and-garlic drizzle that picks up the savory flavors left in the pan. Pan-searing chicken tenders locks in moisture while crisping up the outside. Feel free to experiment with other citrus flavors like oranges, mandarins or limes by swapping out the lemon zest and juice.

Slow-Cooker Spinach & Artichoke Chicken Soup

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster

If you love spinach and artichokes, this is the perfect soup for you. The creamy base is packed with veggies and shredded chicken, which soaks up the broth while adding a boost of protein.

Pistachio-Crusted Halibut

Ali Redmond

A layer of pistachios combined with panko breadcrumbs on top of the halibut fillets provides a delicious crunch and a pop of vitamin B6, a nutrient important for blood sugar regulation. We like the firm texture and mild flavor of halibut, but cod, haddock or tilapia can be used in its place.

Chicken & Cabbage Soup with Pesto

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

This one-pot soup is topped with flavor-boosting store-bought pesto. Big, fiber-rich butter beans add a creamy bite, but you can easily swap them out for cannellini beans or navy beans if you prefer. This soup works well with leftover chicken—simply shred or chop cooked chicken and add it to the soup to reheat once the cabbage is tender.

Lemongrass-&-Coconut Poached Salmon

Photographer: Rachel Marek, Prop stylist: Holly Dreesman, Food stylist: Gabriel Greco

Poaching salmon in coconut broth infused with aromatic lemongrass and ginger, then serving it over dark leafy greens makes for a cozy and flavorful meal. Serve with a whole grain like brown rice, or over rice noodles for more satisfaction.

Creamy Lemon & Dill Skillet Chicken

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

This creamy skillet chicken is a true crowd-pleaser and makes for a perfect weeknight dinner. The cutlets cook quickly, taking this recipe from skillet to table in only 20 minutes. The drippings and fond from the pan are at the heart of the tangy, vibrant pan sauce that you serve with the chicken.

Sheet-Pan Harissa Chicken & Vegetables

This one-pan dinner gets a hit of flavorful heat from harissa, the popular North African chile-and-garlic paste. We use harissa paste from a tube for this recipe. It’s got a concentrated chile flavor that makes an excellent spice rub for chicken and adds a subtle punch of heat to a refreshing herbed yogurt sauce.

Cumin Chicken & Chickpea Stew

This quick, protein-rich chicken stew recipe draws flavor inspiration from shawarma with spices like cumin, paprika and pepper. Make a double batch and freeze it for a quick healthy dinner. Serve the stew with couscous and steamed broccoli.

Skillet Sour Cream & Onion Chicken

Rachel Marek

This one-skillet dinner combines quick-cooking chicken cutlets with a creamy sauce of sliced onion and sour cream flavored with sherry. Fresh basil brightens up the dish.

One-Pot Lentil & Vegetable Soup with Parmesan

Antonis Achilleos

This lentil-vegetable soup is packed with kale and tomatoes for a filling, flavorful main dish. If you have it, the Parmesan cheese rind adds nuttiness and gives the broth some body. If you avoid cheese made with rennet, look for vegetarian Parmesan cheese, which is made without it.

Sheet-Pan Maple-Mustard Pork Chops & Carrots

You need just one pan for this satisfying weeknight dinner. A sweet and savory maple-mustard glaze livens up baked pork chops, while the carrots are jazzed up with flavor-boosting and anti-inflammatory garlic, ginger and turmeric. Rainbow carrots add colorful pizazz, but regular orange carrots are a just-as-tasty substitute. Pork dries out easily–using an instant-read thermometer ensures meat is cooked safely, but still moist.

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