30 Easy September Dinner Recipes to Make Every Night This Month

Summer isn't over—yet

easy september dinners: two plates of cheesy kimchi linguine with gochujang butter, topped with scallions, crispy seaweed and fried eggs
Louise Haggar/A Splash of Soy

Not to be a bummer, but once September starts, you likely consider summer to be (unofficially) officially over. Your tan begins to fade, school lunch is top of mind and you take a long trip back to reality. I can’t promise to ease your pain, but I can make life a little easier by figuring out what you should cook as you transition into fall.

Here, you'll find 30 easy dinner recipes to tackle every night in September, including a few options that will help you look forward to cooler days ahead. They range from end-of-summer staples, like pan-seared scallops with citrusy corn succotash, to early fall gems, like honey mustard sheet pan chicken with Brussels sprouts.

42 Healthy Fall Recipes Under 500 Calories (That Still Taste Delish)


September 1: Classic Biftekia and Chips

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
  • Why I Love It: high protein, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
  • Serves: 4
  • Pairs Well With: Greek Wedge Salad

It's Labor Day, so burgers are a given. But this Greek classic will spice up your typical frozen patties for the occasion. Not only is the meat seasoned with dried herbs, but it also cooks alongside potatoes and gets doused in lemon-oregano dressing for good measure. 

September 2: Pili Pili Eggs

  • Time Commitment: 25 minutes
  • Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, <30 minutes
  • Serves: 2 to 4
  • Pairs Well With: Salted Honey Focaccia

This spicy, protein-packed dish will help you make the most of summer's last cherry tomatoes. This September dinner recipe only requires seven simple ingredients and 25 minutes, plus it cooks in a single skillet, so you'll be left with minimal cleanup. Thank me later.

September 3: Jackfruit Tacos with Grilled Pineapple

  • Time Commitment: 55 minutes
  • Why I Love It: vegetarian, beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy
  • Serves: 4
  • Pairs Well With: Mango Guacamole

The go-to vegan alternative for pulled pork will knock your socks off (especially when it's topped with smoky grilled pineapple, sautéed bell pepper and queso fresco). Don't forget the homemade guacamole for these meatless tacos.

September 4: Crispy Za’atar Chicken and Cauliflower

  • Time Commitment: 55 minutes
  • Why I Love It: high protein, special occasion-worthy, <10 ingredients
  • Serves: 4
  • Pairs Well With: Rainbow Vegetable Skewers

Crispy-skinned chicken? Check. Tender roasted cauliflower? Check. All in less than an hour? You bet. Once you've tackled the nine-ingredient main, you can plate it with rice, dressed arugula or toasted pita.

September 5: Oven-Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Crispy Chickpeas and Yogurt Sauce

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour
  • Why I Love It: vegetarian, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly
  • Serves: 2 to 3
  • Pairs Well With: Greek Chicken & Rice Skillet

This fall-inspired sheet pan recipe is simple, flavorful and nutritious—the ultimate trifecta. "Note that I call for unlined baking sheets," former PureWow senior food editor Katherine Gillen writes. "While you can certainly line them with parchment paper or aluminum foil for easy cleanup, you’ll have an easier time getting those taters nicely caramelized if you don’t line the tray." Don’t skimp on the citrusy, three-ingredient yogurt sauce that tastes divine on just about anything.

September 6: Cheesy Kimchi Linguine with Gochujang Butter

A handful of robust pantry staples brings this pasta to life in 15 minutes flat. The sour kimchi anchors all the dish's components, so spring for the freshest, tastiest jar you can find at your local Asian market. “Key to balancing the dish are the garnishes," recipe creator Lara Lee adds. "Flakes of crispy seaweed and scallions are sprinkled on top, layered with a squeeze of lime and a crispy fried egg, whose all-important runny yolk is broken into and tossed together with grated Parmesan for a bowl of sheer decadence."

September 7: Pan-Seared Scallops with Citrusy Corn Succotash

  • Time Commitment: 40 minutes
  • Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
  • Serves: 4
  • Pairs Well With: German Potato Salad

Send corn season off right with this stunning September dinner recipe. This gorgeous plate requires less than ten ingredients (including salt) and takes about 40 minutes from start to finish. Plus, scallops are a surefire way to wow your dinner guests without much effort on your part.

September 8: Slow Roasted Shawarma-Spiced Salmon

  • Time Commitment: 45 minutes
  • Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, high protein, make ahead
  • Serves: 8
  • Pairs Well With: Chilled Cucumber Salad

Making the warming spice mix is half the work (and you can do it in advance)—the oven takes care of the rest. Serve the fish with something fresh and crunchy, like sliced cucumbers, and something creamy, like Greek yogurt or tahini, to cut through its fattiness.

September 9: General Tso’s Cauliflower

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
  • Why I Love It: vegetarian, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
  • Serves: 4
  • Pairs Well With: Seasoned Steamed Eggplant

This version of your favorite takeout dish is sweet and gently spicy like the original, but it'll please meat-eaters and vegetarians alike. The sticky sauce would also taste great on chicken, fish, pork or crispy tofu, BTW.

September 10: Slow Cooker Chicken Piccata

  • Time Commitment: 5 hours and 20 minutes
  • Why I Love It: slow cooker recipe, high protein, beginner-friendly
  • Serves: 4
  • Pairs Well With: Family-Style Chicken Caesar Salad

Don't you love it when the slow cooker prepares dinner for you? Same, friend. I tend to think of Crockpot meals as super heavy, but this one is light and zesty, thanks to garlic, capers and lots of fresh lemon. (Don't use the bottled stuff—you'll be glad you went the extra mile.)

September 11: 30-Minute One-Pot Cheater’s Bouillabaisse

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy beginner-friendly
  • Serves: 6
  • Pairs Well With: Bacon Cheddar Biscuits

A few crafty shortcuts shave about 90 minutes off the cook time for this timeless Provençal seafood delight. I'd serve it alfresco (while the weather still allows) with a crusty baguette (or rice!), salted butter and a bottle of white wine...but you do you.

September 12: Pork Scallopini with Lemon, Capers and Radicchio

This pork delight looks fancy, but it comes together in 20 minutes and uses only five ingredients. In other words, it's your new weeknight favorite. Your finicky kid who doesn't eat anything but chicken cutlets just might approve (you know, if you make the radicchio and capers optional).

September 13: Goat Cheese, Peach and Basil Panini

  • Time Commitment: 15 minutes
  • Why I Love It: <30 minutes, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
  • Serves: 2
  • Pairs Well With: Easy Homemade Potato Chips

Summer ain't over 'til the fat peach sings, and it's best put to use in this toasty, tangy sandwich that's substantial enough to serve as a September dinner recipe. Plate it alongside dressed arugula, grilled vegetables, fresh kohlrabi slaw or cold soup.

September 14: Tabasco- and Gochujang-Cured Salmon Poke Bowl

  • Time Commitment: 15 minutes
  • Why I Love It: <30 minutes, high protein, low sugar
  • Serves: 2
  • Pairs Well With: Roasted Edamame

It's always no-cook season in my book. As long as the rice is already prepared, the only “cooking” you’ll need to do is pour some boiling water over the spinach to wilt it. The rest is just a matter of marinating and assembling.

September 15: Baked Caprese Chicken Skillet

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why I Love It: high protein, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
  • Serves: 6
  • Pairs Well With: Garlic Bread

If it were up to me, everything I cook would be topped with melty mozzarella. For now, I'll settle for this pesto-kissed chicken dish, crowned with the season's final tomatoes and fresh basil. Go ham with the herbal garnish for extra razzle-dazzle.

September 16: Sweet Potato Rösti with Fried Eggs and Greens

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why I Love It: vegetarian, special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly
  • Serves: 4
  • Pairs Well With: Maple Candied Bacon

Not familiar with rösti? It's kind of like a potato pancake or a latke, and it’s excellent for breakfast, brunch or, in this case, dinner. The egg offers protein, but you can top it with crumbled bacon or cheese for a touch more.

September 17: Cacio e Pepe

  • Time Commitment: 20 minutes
  • Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly
  • Serves: 4
  • Pairs Well With: Italian Pinwheels

On some busy nights, simplicity is king. Here, it comes in the form of a 20-minute pasta dinner that only calls for five pantry staples. "This recipe is basically impossible to mess up, so don’t sweat it," PureWow food editor Taryn Pire explains, after testing the recipe. "You'll fall for the salty, silky, cheesy sauce at first bite."

September 18: Stir Fried Beef Bowls with Rice Noodles

You're only 30 minutes away from zingy flank steak, chewy rice vermicelli, crisp snap peas, crunchy peanuts and all the fresh herbs. It's a no-brainer if you have gluten-free eaters coming to dinner (as long as you sub tamari for soy sauce).

September 19: Honey Mustard Sheet Pan Chicken with Brussels Sprouts

  • Time Commitment: 50 minutes
  • Why I Love It: high protein, sheet pan recipe, special occasion-worthy
  • Serves: 4
  • Pairs Well With: Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

Does it get more autumnal than this sheet pan masterpiece? I think not. You'll love the way the Brussels sprouts soak up all the pan juices in this September dinner recipe. Serve the chicken over white rice or with hunks of bread for dipping.

September 20: Chickpea Caesar Salad with a Cheater’s Dressing

  • Time Commitment: 45 minutes
  • Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, vegetarian, make ahead
  • Serves: 4
  • Pairs Well With: Crispy Grilled Chicken

Caesar salad is timeless, but that doesn't mean it can't be improved upon. "This one features roasted chickpeas for a boost of protein that happens to be cheaper than chicken," Gillen explains, "plus a magical cheater's Caesar dressing that skips the raw egg and anchovies."

September 21: Miso-Honey Broiled Chicken

  • Time Commitment: 35 minutes (plus marinating time)
  • Why I Love It: high protein, make ahead, <10 ingredients
  • Serves: 4
  • Pairs Well With: Ginger Jasmine Rice

Who knew you could get so much flavor out of six ingredients and one sheet pan? Leave it to umami-rich miso, sweet caramelized honey and rich butter to turn skin-on chicken thighs into something truly revelatory.

September 22: Salmon Bowl with Farro, Black Beans and Tahini Dressing

  • Time Commitment: 40 minutes
  • Why I Love It: high protein, beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy
  • Serves: 1
  • Pairs Well With: Grown-Up Baked Potatoes

I can practically feel the omega-3s (and protein) coursing through my veins after one of these hearty bowls. You'll want to make a triple batch of the lemon-tahini dressing, which gets its vibrant color from turmeric, for future meals of all kinds.

September 23: Mustardy Pork Tenderloin with Grapes and Red Onions

Don't let its elegant appearance fool you. This soul-warming fall dish only takes 35 minutes to prepare. Even better, the recipe calls for just eight ingredients and it's impressive enough to serve at your first dinner party of the season.

September 24: Bacon Mac and Cheese

This savory delight blows boxed mac and cheese way out of the water. I like to think of this September dinner recipe as a fancy BLT sans bread, since it includes crispy chopped bacon, canned fire-roasted tomatoes and wilted arugula.

September 25: Kale Salad with Crispy Chickpeas

Any salad topped with that much shaved Parmesan is one after my own heart. Prep the smoky chickpeas in advance (and make a double or triple batch for snacking), so you can assemble a salad at the drop of a hat whenever a craving strikes.

September 26: Chicken Thighs with Pancetta and Green Olives

  • Time Commitment: 50 minutes
  • Why I Love It: high protein, one pan, special occasion-worthy
  • Serves: 4
  • Pairs Well With: Summer Millet Salad

The trick to impossibly crisp chicken thighs is to start them in a cold pan, then cook them low and slow to render out all the fat in the skin. This Insta-eligible recipe is worth every ounce of your patience, I promise.

September 27: Spicy Bucatini Amatriciana

  • Time Commitment: 40 minutes
  • Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, <500 calories
  • Serves: 6
  • Pairs Well With: Bruschetta Chicken

While you may not be able to hop a flight to Italy, you can totally pretend you're there by way of a plate's worth of this tongue-tingling pasta, complete with guanciale and Calabrian chile paste. Pair the dish with a big green salad or garlic bread (or both).

September 28: White Turkey Chili with Avocado

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour
  • Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, high protein, make ahead
  • Serves: 8
  • Pairs Well With: Easy Pretzel Buns

It’s just as spicy and satisfying as the chili you know and love, only lightened up a touch with turkey instead of traditional ground beef. Finish your bowl with sour cream, white cheddar cheese and diced avocado.

September 29: Wild Mushroom, Potato and Onion Tart

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour
  • Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, vegetarian, beginner-friendly
  • Serves: 4
  • Pairs Well With: Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Store-bought puff pastry does it again. Keep a package in your fridge at all times so you can make this party-ready tart—which is brimming with caramelized onions, fresh herbs and gooey Gruyère—in a flash.

September 30: Cheater’s Sicilian-Style Pizza with Jalapeños and Honey

Congrats—you made it through the month. Why not celebrate with pizza? This pie starts with premade focaccia, but you can use store-bought pizza dough in its place if you'd prefer. I'll take extra honey on my slice, please.


taryn pire 3

Food Editor

  • Spearheads PureWow's food vertical
  • Manages PureWow's recipe vertical and newsletter
  • Studied English and writing at Ithaca College