5 Weeknight Dinners for May (What to Cook When You Don't Feel Like Cooking)
May is such a weird month for cooking. The days are longer, life is busier, and the last thing you want to do after a full day is stand over the stove for an hour. But you also don't want to order out again.
These are the five dinners I keep coming back to this time of year. They're simple enough for a Tuesday, good enough to feel proud of, and most of them taste even better the next day—which means lunch is already handled too.
Crispy Baked Ground Beef Tacos with Creamy Avocado Sauce
These tacos are the kind of weeknight dinner that disappears fast. Crispy edges, melty cheese, and a cool creamy avocado sauce that pulls everything together—all from a sheet pan.
For the Tacos
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 8 small flour or corn tortillas
- Cooking spray or olive oil
- 1½–2 cups shredded cheese
For the Avocado Sauce
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 ripe avocado
- Juice of 1 lime
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- Salt, to taste
Cook ground beef in a skillet over medium heat until browned. Drain fat if needed, add seasoning and a splash of water, and stir until saucy. Set aside.
Lay tortillas flat on a baking sheet and lightly spray one side with oil. On one half of each tortilla, layer cheese, then beef, then more cheese. Fold over and press gently.
Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 10–15 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and crispy.
Blend all avocado sauce ingredients until smooth. Serve tacos hot with a generous drizzle—or full dunk—of the sauce. Add lime wedges and hot sauce if you like heat.
Herbed Lemon Ricotta Chicken & Rice Skillet
One pan, one dinner. Fresh and cozy at the same time—a little creamy, a little bright. This is the kind of meal that tastes like something from a small neighborhood bistro, and it's even better the next day.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp compound butter (herbed)
- 5–6 bone-in chicken thighs
- 1 tbsp sea salt
- 1 lemon, zested + sliced
- 1 cup rice
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup ricotta
- 1 tbsp dried herb blend
- Fresh thyme, to garnish
Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt compound butter in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add chicken thighs, season with salt and lemon zest, and sear on both sides until golden.
Remove chicken and add rice directly into the skillet, tossing it in all those browned bits. Pour in water to deglaze, scraping up the bottom. Stir in ricotta and herb blend until creamy.
Nestle the chicken back in and top each thigh with a lemon slice. Bring to a gentle simmer, then transfer to the oven. Bake 20–25 minutes until rice is tender and chicken is cooked through. Finish with fresh thyme.
Mediterranean Beef Bowls
Ricotta Chicken Meatballs with Parmesan Cream Sauce
Crispy BBQ Chicken Tostadas with Pickled Onions
The crunch on these is genuinely satisfying. Slow-cooked BBQ chicken on crispy baked tortillas, layered with refried beans and melted cheese, finished with pickled red onions and a drizzle of hot honey BBQ sauce.
Ingredients
- 2–4 chicken breasts
- 1 cup BBQ sauce + ¼ cup water
- 12 corn tortillas
- Avocado or olive oil spray
- 1 can refried beans
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- Hot honey BBQ sauce (optional)
- Fresh cilantro, chopped
Quick Pickled Onions
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cup vinegar
- ½ cup water
- Pinch of salt + sugar
- Let sit 30+ min before serving
Add chicken, BBQ sauce, and water to a slow cooker. Cook on high for ~3 hours, then shred. Shortcut: use rotisserie chicken warmed with BBQ sauce.
Lightly spray both sides of tortillas with oil. Bake at 350°F for 20–25 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and crisp.
Warm refried beans until smooth. Spread onto each tostada, top with BBQ chicken, and sprinkle with cheese.
Return to oven for ~10 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Drizzle with hot honey BBQ sauce and finish with pickled onions and fresh cilantro.
Make the pickled onions the night before—they only get better as they sit. The BBQ chicken also reheats beautifully, so this is a great Sunday prep-ahead meal for the week.
A Few Things These Recipes Have in Common
None of them require you to be "in the mood" to cook. They all use ingredients you can keep stocked without much planning. And most of them taste better the next day—which means making one of these on Monday can carry you through to Wednesday without any extra effort.
That's the goal in May: less time in the kitchen, more time actually enjoying the season.
Save this post for your next "I have nothing to make for dinner" moment.
