2,155 main dish recipes

Pickin' pork marinates bone-in pork shoulder in apple cider vinegar overnight, then slow-roasts wrapped in foil for fall-apart North Carolina-style pulled pork. Just three ingredients.

Baked beef braises cubed roast with onions, flour, garlic powder, and beef broth in one roaster for fork-tender cubes and a thick built-in gravy. Old-school weeknight comfort food.

Mincemeat sandwiches with sweetened cooked mincemeat, cream cheese, and ground nuts piled between slices of bread. Retro holiday tea sandwich that uses up leftover mincemeat from Christmas baking.

Fried country ham with red-eye gravy: the classic Southern breakfast of thick-sliced salt-cured ham fried in its own fat, deglazed with hot coffee. Two ingredients, pure tradition.

Fast pita pizza topped with tomato sauce, mushrooms, peppers, and alfalfa sprouts. A 10-minute vegetarian single-serving pizza using pita bread as an instant crust.

Strawberry pizza layers a buttery sugar cookie crust with sweetened cream cheese and glossy fresh strawberries. A Southern summer dessert that slices like pizza but eats like a fruit tart.

Chili-rubbed sirloin steak: a quick four-ingredient weeknight dinner ready in 15 minutes. Garlic and chili powder pressed into the meat form a bold dry crust under high heat, sliced and served with cool salsa.

Basic rack of lamb: a French-trimmed rack marinated, then roasted hot to a rosy medium-rare and carved into elegant double-bone chops. The foundation technique for an impressive special-occasion main.

An old-fashioned Mexican beef chili: diced beef braised with garlic, cumin and oregano in a smooth purée of dried chiles, served with a border of fried refried beans. Real chiles, real depth.

Shrimp scampi broiled in a bright white wine, lemon, and herb sauce with shallots, basil, and oregano. A light, fast seafood dinner that is ready in about 20 minutes.

Crispy golden fried oysters, dredged in seasoned flour, egg, and crumbs, then deep-fried hot and fast. Plump and briny inside, shatteringly crunchy outside, and made for dunking in tartar sauce.

Chipotle grilled trout rubbed with a smoky paste of chipotle peppers, walnuts, and parsley, then grilled fast. The walnuts thicken the rub into a pesto-like crust. Great with hush puppies and salsa.

Oven-baked coconut shrimp with a triple-dip coating of egg, flour, and shredded coconut. Crispy outside, juicy inside, no deep frying required. Ready in 40 minutes.

Balsamic-glazed salmon with Dijon mustard, pan-seared and coated in a tangy reduced vinegar glaze. A 4-ingredient, 30-minute dinner that's elegant enough for company.

Baked flounder fillets in a white wine and orange juice sauce with curacao, mushrooms, and green onions. A French-inspired fish dinner with citrus brightness in every bite.

Shrimp in garlic sauce baked in a vermouth, olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, and parsley marinade. Prawns marinate for an hour then bake until pink and translucent. A Spanish-style garlic shrimp with bright, herby flavors.