11 Flavorful, Healthy Mediterranean Recipes to Make for Dinner (2024)
There's so much to love about Mediterranean cuisine: fresh vegetables, tons of herbs, and ample amounts of protein for satisfaction. These healthy Mediterranean recipes, including chicken, lamb, and beef dishes, prove that eating well doesn't have to be boring.
9 Easy Mediterranean Recipes You Can Make in 30 Minutes or Less
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Greek Chicken Skillet
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One pan, zero problems. This Mediterranean diet dinner recipe can be marinated and frozen up to 3 months in advance. Then, all that's left to do is pour the chicken mixture into a skillet and simmer, adding orzo, Brussels sprouts, and olives to finish.
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Air-Fryer Scallops with Lemon-Herb Sauce
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Seafood is central to many healthy Mediterranean recipes, including this tasty and fast scallop dish. Since it cooks quickly via convection in your air fryer, it can be on the table in a mere 20 minutes. Drizzle with a sauce of parsley, capers, and garlic, and serve with a whole-grain baguette, if desired, to soak up any extra drops.
No best healthy Mediterranean recipe roundup would be complete without falafel. In this craveable main dish salad, we take the seasonings and ingredients found in chickpea bites (chickpeas, parsley, sumac, coriander, and cumin) and toss them all with crunchy pita chips and romaine. Tahini, lemon juice, water, and salt are all it takes to create the luscious, nutty dressing.
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Greek Lamb Wraps
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Lamb isn't just for special occasions. In fact, the protein-packed lean meat is a regular part of the Mediterranean diet along with fresh produce. Our veggie-packed Greek salad wrap sandwich invites you to eat tender, slow-cooked lamb as part of a healthy, fresh Mediterranean dish that's an entire meal in one handheld package.
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Italian Roasted Chicken and Veggie Toss
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Salads need not be raw. For this dish, roasted veggies give a satisfying caramelized quality; it's one of our best healthy Mediterranean recipes for those who prefer to eat lower-carb. A simple dressing of vinegar, Italian seasoning, and oil is all you need to round out the flavors.
This flatbread recipe starts with homemade dough, but don't stress if you don't have time (or a food processor) to make it. You can use purchased pizza dough or flatbread as the base of this easy Mediterranean diet recipe for beginners. Jazz up either base with sun-dried tomato pesto, arugula, and just a hint of meat for a savory element and protein boost. The result: easy, cheesy, and just 352 calories per serving!
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Mediterranean Tuna Salad with Olive Dressing
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If you're in the mood for a Mediterranean fish recipe, this easy tuna salad is the perfect choice for dinner tonight. Think of it like a Greek twist on the classic French niçoise salad. New potatoes and green beans make a vitamin-rich addition, while green olives and olive oil make a punchy dressing.
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Moroccan Chicken Stew
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Healthy Mediterranean recipes rely on smaller amounts of meat than typical American-size portions, but they still pack in a satisfying amount. Case in point: this fiber-filled Moroccan chicken stew. Each serving of the stove-top recipe has just 2½ ounces of meat but 24 grams of appetite-taming protein, thanks to the chickpeas and couscous.
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Greek Quinoa and Avocado Salad
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A little tired of avocado toast but still a fan of all the healthy fats in the popular produce pick? Try this cheap Mediterranean masterpiece that features whole grains, veggies, and feta cheese. For a more entrée-style salad recipe, add just an ounce or two of chicken or seafood.
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Herbed Chicken, Orzo, and Zucchini
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Sticking to a Mediterranean food plan is easy when dinner takes only 20 minutes. That's all you need to sauté dill-seasoned chicken and thinly sliced zucchini. Serve with orzo for a hearty Mediterranean feast.
9 Easy Mediterranean Recipes You Can Make in 30 Minutes or Less
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Herbed Salmon
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With dozens of five-star ratings, this healthy Mediterranean recipe for salmon has one BH&G home cook raving, "This is my go-to salmon recipe. Even my husband, who isn't a fish-lover, likes it!" To make it yourself, use traditional Greek seasonings (dill, lemon, and tarragon, in this case) to dress up a salmon fillet for searing and roasting.
Common spices and herbs used in the Mediterranean include basil, bay leaf, black pepper, cloves, coriander, cumin, dill, fennel, garlic, lavender, marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley, paprika, rosemary, saffron, sage, savory, sumac, tarragon, thyme, and turmeric.
Fresh tomatoes, olives, fish, lemon, feta, mint, za'atar, and more make their way into delectable dishes like stuffed grape leaves, moussaka, shish kebabs, and fattoush salad. Discover traditional Mediterranean food and riffs on the region's classic flavors with this collection of Mediterranean recipes.
Sumac is popular throughout the eastern Mediterranean area; in Turkish cooking it is used to flavor kebabs and flatbreads, while people on the eastern shore use it in salads and hummus. Za'atar is the name for both an herb and a spice mixture which includes that herb. Za'atar is closely related to oregano.
Sumac (pronounced SOO-mak) is the fruit of a shrub (Rhus coriaria) that grows throughout the Middle East and the Mediterranean. These berries vary in colour from brick red to dark purple, depending on where the shrub is grown. Berries are harvested just before they ripen, then left in the sun to dry.
Seafood, seeds, nuts, legumes and some vegetable oils have healthy fats, including the polyunsaturated kind. Fish also are a key part of the Mediterranean diet. Some healthy choices are: Mackerel.
Choose lean poultry in moderate, 3- to 4-ounce portions. Save red meat for occasional consumption or use meat as a condiment, accompanied by lots of vegetables, as in stews, stir-fries, and soups. Eat more fish, aiming for two to three servings a week. Both canned and fresh fish are fine.
Any bread that is made from whole wheat, whole grains, sprouts, and sourdough is recommended while on a Mediterranean diet. You will want to avoid bread made from refined grains, such as white bread if you are following this diet.
Research supports the use of the Mediterranean diet as a healthy eating pattern for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, increasing lifespan, and healthy aging. When used in conjunction with caloric restriction, the diet may also support healthy weight loss.
Leafy green herbs are a must for tasty Mediterranean cooking. You'll use fresh herbs for sauces and salads, and dried herbs to add a powerful punch of flavor – like the oregano in these Greek chicken burgers with lemon pepper yogurt sauce.
Thanks to its geography, there are some staple Mediterranean ingredients that cross borders and feature in most local cooking, including plenty of fresh fruit and veg, such as tomatoes, aubergines and lemons; garlic, onions and fresh, aromatic herbs; as well as extra virgin olive oil, nuts, super-fresh seafood, meat, ...
Mediterranean and Italian seasonings both have many of the same components such as basil, oregano, and thyme. However, the two spice blends are not identical. Italian seasoning often includes marjoram and Mediterranean does not. It is also similar to Tuscan seasoning, which is a bit more peppery than Italian Seasoning.
Introduction: My name is Nathanael Baumbach, I am a fantastic, nice, victorious, brave, healthy, cute, glorious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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