93 Quick Lunch Ideas To Turn Your Work Day Around
No more boring PB&Js for you!
Lunch is a sacred time—a little pocket of sunshine in the middle of a busy work day—and it is about time we start treating it as such. While there is nothing wrong with heading out to the local takeout spots, sometimes it's nice to avoid the lines and make the most of the little time reserved for you. If you think the only alternative is packing leftovers or a sad sandwich, think again. We’re here to tell you that you CAN pack a lunch for work without killing yourself to cook it the night before (or even in the morning). From bowls to wraps, salads to soups, we’ve got something in here for everyone. These 90 work lunches are so quick, easy, and tasty, you might never order lunch in again!
One of our favorite surefire favorite ways to achieve this is to take recipes we know and love and jazz them up in a way no average salad or burrito place ever would. When you make your lunch at home, you can put whatever ingredients you want in them, without having to speak to anyone or incur an up-charge. Take all the bowls on this list, like our pork dumpling bowls, our steak grain bowls (with chewy farro and chimichurri), our halal cart-style cauliflower bowls, our chipotle shrimp taco bowls, or our hummus bowls with spiced lamb—they're easy to make, and even simpler to customize. Use the dressing from, say, our Big Mac salad in our chicken Caesar pasta salad or the meat from our Thai-inspired basil beef bowls in our hot honey chicken bowls. You might just discover a new lunch favorite.
Speaking of Big Macs, are you struggling with a chronic takeout habit? We’ve got you too. Try one of our copycat recipes, like our copycat Taco Bell grilled cheese burritos, our copycat Chipotle chicken burrito bowls, our Panera green goddess Cobb salad, our copycat PF Chang’s chicken lettuce wraps, or our CPK Italian chopped salad. The best part? You can add or sub in your favorite ingredients without ever having to speak to a cashier.
Want more easy meal inspiration? Check out our favorite breakfast meal prep ideas, our top easy weeknight dinners, and our favorite no-bake desserts too.
Sheet-Pan Crispy Ramen
Sheet-pan crispy ramen takes your favorite noodle dish and gives it a textural twist. Chicken thighs are coated in a stir-fry sauce and charred alongside broccoli, snow peas, and scallions, then broiled alongside ramen noodles to crisp everything up and create a golden, caramelized masterpiece.
Get the Sheet-Pan Crispy Ramen recipe.
Chipotle Shrimp Taco Bowls
Taco bowls are essentially a dream for meal prepping. This recipe formula works for countless variations, but I especially love this chipotle shrimp version. Not only is it delicious, but every component comes together quickly. After an easy adobo and honey marinade, it only takes the shrimp a fast 4-ish minutes to cook.
Get the Chipotle Shrimp Taco Bowls recipe.
Pork Dumpling Bowls
Craving dumplings, but not the effort it takes to make them? These deconstructed bowls are my favorite hack that delivers on the same salty-savory, soy sauce-soaked pork, shrimp, and cabbage filling, but combined with easy wheat noodles that mimic the same chewy flavor you love in a dumpling—no wrapping required.
Get the Pork Dumpling Bowls recipe.
Copycat Taco Bell Grilled Cheese Burritos
What do you get when you mix a burrito and a grilled cheese sandwich? Joy. Pure joy. Stuffed with Spanish rice, crunchy tortilla chips, seasoned beef, sour cream, nacho cheese, wrapped in a warm flour tortilla, and fried in more cheese, this burrito is missing nothing.
Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese
Let us introduce Buffalo chicken’s new best friend: grilled cheese. This combination is not only ridiculously good, but it’s so easy to make, you’ll wonder why you haven’t been turning your favorite dip into sandwich form all this time.
Get the Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese recipe.
Chicken Shawarma Sheet-Pan Dinner
In this chicken shawarma sheet-pan dinner strips of chicken thigh are marinated in Greek yogurt, cumin, coriander, and paprika, roasted on a sheet pan with red onion, then topped with a bright cucumber-tomato salad and plenty of herby tahini yogurt dressing.
Tofu Nuggets
Soggy baked tofu nuggets are a thing of the past with this one-ingredient upgrade. These bite-sized beauties get irresistibly crispy in the oven, making them the perfect vehicle for a dunk in ranch dressing or curry ketchup.
Get the Tofu Nuggets recipe.
Creamy Peanut-Lime Chicken With Noodles
Who can resist rice noodles bathed in an abundance of sweet and creamy peanut sauce? In this recipe, the prep actually takes longer than the cooking, so feel free to make some elements ahead. With all them behind you, the dish comes together in a snap.
Sweet Potato Couscous Sunshine Bowls
Inspired by a Moroccan sweet potato salad, this sweet potato sunshine bowl is living up to its cheery name with the addition of citrus-flavored couscous, orange zest, dried dates, apricots, and white beans.
French Dip Stuffed Biscuits
Who knew simple, store-bought ingredients like a can of biscuits, deli sliced roast beef, and a packet of au jus gravy mix could be transformed into something so delicious? Well, we did. These bites are perfect for a quick lunch, easy weeknight meal, or anything you need something hearty and comforting with a fun twist.
Get the French Dip Stuffed Biscuits recipe.
Beef & Broccoli Ramen
Ramen noodles are king in the quick meal hack department, and this take on classic beef and broccoli might be our favorite. Thinly sliced steak and tender broccoli join those unmistakable noodles in a savory ginger soy sauce for an all-in-one meal that’s sure to become a lunchtime classic.
Get the Beef & Broccoli Ramen recipe.
Tofu Burritos
We’ve packed these burritos full of smoky, saucy tofu crumbles that could charm even the most die-hard carnivore, fluffy cilantro-lime rice, and flavorful pinto beans, along with some classic burrito accoutrements like shredded lettuce, sour cream, salsa, and cheese.
Get the Tofu Burritos recipe.
Taco Salad
When it comes to healthy salads, none are more hearty than a taco salad. Load it up with veggies, cheese, and ground beef for the perfect satisfying summer meal. We love this classic version, but if you want to get fancy, feel free to swap in and out your fave toppings.
Get the Taco Salad recipe.
Thai-Inspired Basil Beef Bowls
Our take on the super-simple Thai dish pad krapow is the perfect protein-packed meal prep that’ll keep you excited to eat all week. Accompany it with a runny fried egg for even more protein!
Summer Roll Bowls
Love a Vietnamese summer roll but don’t want to fuss with the wrapper? Meet your new favorite easy meal. In it, rice noodles, shrimp, avocado, thinly sliced veggies, and a plethora of greens are tossed together in a tangy nước chấm dressing for a refreshing dinner twist.
Get the Summer Roll Bowls recipe.
Chicken Fried Rice
This dish started as way to use leftover rice that has dried out some and may not be great on its own, but is still perfectly edible. The addition of oil and soy sauce and veggies and meat spruce up the rice for a delicious meal.
Get the Chicken Fried Rice recipe.
Tuscan Chicken Wraps
We just can’t get enough Tuscan chicken. This time, it’s in wrap form and is quite possibly the easiest and most flavorful lunch you can make. It’s got chopped rotisserie chicken, creamy mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, and plenty of fresh spinach.
Get the Tuscan Chicken Wraps recipe.
Cheesy Baked Burrito Rice
Seared chorizo sausage, hearty pinto beans, salsa, and rice are baked until the rice is tender, then topped with a mountain of cheese, broiled to melty perfection, and sprinkled with your favorite burrito accessories.
Get the Cheesy Baked Burrito Rice recipe.
Gnocchi Antipasto Salad
Featuring crispy potato gnocchi, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, fresh mozzarella, and salami, this salad is a medley of everything you love about antipasto, made extra-hearty for lunchtime.
Get the Gnocchi Antipasto Salad recipe.
Sushi Sandwich (Onigirazu)
Inspired by the popular Japanese onigirazu, this is like a cross between sushi and a sandwich. We filled ours with spicy salmon, seasoned sushi rice, cucumber, pickled cabbage, carrot, and avocado—then wrapped it in nori to make it extra portable.
Get the Sushi Sandwich (Onigirazu) recipe.
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