Fast, fresh, weeknight-friendly
Best 30-minute fakeaway recipes
The 30-minute fakeaway is the holy grail, restaurant-quality flavour without the delivery wait. Stir-fries, fried rice, katsu, smash burgers, pad thai and most noodle dishes fit the bill. This list is curated for speed: every recipe clocks in at 30 minutes or less from start to plated.
Our top picks
1 hand-picked recipes — ranked by how often they get cooked.
-
Thai
Stir-fried rice noodles with prawns, egg, bean sprouts, peanuts, and lime. The Bangkok street-food classic.
prawnsnoodlesstreet-foodcentrepieceView recipe →
More best 30-minute fakeaway recipes
15 additional recipes across the site.
Whopper Jr-style flame-grilled beef burger
The smaller sibling of the Whopper — flame-grilled 4oz beef patty with tomato, lettuce, mayo, pickles and onion on a toasted sesame bun. All the flavour, half the size.
Cheese Dog-style American hot dog
American-style hot dog with melted American cheese in a toasted soft bun. The indulgent hot dog.
Hot Dog-style classic American hot dog
American-style hot dog in a soft toasted bun. The classic.
Caprese Salad-style tomato mozzarella and basil
Sliced ripe tomatoes with mozzarella di bufala, basil, and balsamic glaze. The 5-minute Capri classic.
Chicken Piccata-style lemon butter caper chicken
Pan-fried chicken cutlets in a glossy lemon butter and caper sauce. The 20-minute weeknight winner.
Penne Arrabbiata-style spicy tomato pasta
Tube pasta tossed in spicy tomato-chilli sauce with garlic and parsley. The fiery Roman weeknight dish.
Spaghetti Carbonara-style Roman pasta
Spaghetti tossed in silky egg and pecorino sauce with crispy pancetta and cracked black pepper. The Roman classic — no cream, ever.
Chicken katsu with tonkatsu sauce
Panko-breaded chicken breast, double-coated for maximum crunch, served over rice with finely shredded cabbage and a glossy tonkatsu sauce. The Japanese comfort food equivalent of fish and chips.
Mini Fillet-style crispy chicken burger
Small crispy chicken fillet in a mini sesame bun with shredded lettuce and mayo. The junior burger that's perfect for kids.
Korean kimchi fried rice with spam and fried egg
Day-old rice tossed with aged kimchi, spam cubes, and gochujang, finished with a runny fried egg. The Korean after-school comfort dish.
Korean ramyeon with cheese, egg, and kimchi
Instant ramyeon upgraded with stock, gochugaru, soft egg, melting cheese, and kimchi. The Korean study-snack classic.
Sausage and Egg McMuffin-style breakfast sandwich
British sausage burger, folded free-range egg, and melted American cheese on a toasted English muffin. The full-monty McDonald's breakfast sandwich.
McChicken-style crispy chicken sandwich
Crispy breaded chicken breast with shredded iceberg lettuce and creamy mayo on a toasted bun.
Quarter-pounder style burger with secret sauce
Beef burgers with a deep sear, melted American cheese, and a tangy burger sauce. Pickles, onions, mustard — the lot.
Chicken Quesadilla-style melted cheese tortilla wedges
Crispy flour tortilla folded over melted cheese and grilled chicken, cut into wedges. The 15-minute lunch win.