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Home » Recipe Index » Main Dishes

February 8, 2022 (Updated October 10, 2023)

28 Dairy Free Dinner Ideas

by Anne Mauney, MPH, RD

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Whether you’re lactose intolerant or you just don’t have any cheese on hand, these dairy free dinner ideas are tasty meals everyone will love!

From soups and stir fries to sheet pan and skillet meals, these dinners are perfect for weeknights and weekends alike.

dairy free dinner ideas

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Dairy Free Dinners

I’ve broken down these dairy free recipes into different categories, so you can find the ones that work best for you and your family. But I highly recommend trying them all. 😉

(And for more tasty recipes, try these dairy free breakfast ideas and dairy free snacks!)

Dairy Free Pasta and Stir Fries

Creamy Peanut Butter Noodles

peanut butter pasta with veggies in a white bowl on a wooden platter

These peanut butter noodles are creamy, a little crunchy (from the peanuts), comforting, and totally delicious. Serve with bbq chicken or tofu (recipe included)!

Sriracha Tofu Stir Fry

crispy tofu stir fry with sriracha sauce

This tofu dish is quick to make and vegetarian, with just the right amount of spice. Plus, pan-searing the tofu makes it deliciously crispy.

Tomato Garlic Pasta with Ground Turkey

tomato garlic pasta with ground turkey in a white bowl with a pink and white checkered towel underneath

This summery pasta dish is super simple but crazy flavorful.

With a homemade tomato garlic sauce, roasted zucchini, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, ground turkey, and penne, this is perfect for your next pasta night!

Healthy Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

ginger beef stir fry with brown rice

This beef and broccoli is a veggie-packed homemade version of your favorite takeout dish – but it’s just as tasty.

With a kick of spicy ginger, this stir fry with mushrooms and broccoli is a delicious weeknight meal.

Peanut Sauce Stir Fry with Shrimp

stir fry with peanut noodles and shrimp

Looking for a quick, comforting meal? This shrimp stir fry with peanut sauce is it!

Serve over brown rice or noodles and top with peanuts for some crunch.

Sheet Pan Meals

Garlic Sheet Pan Chicken and Veggies

garlic herb sheet pan chicken and veggies

This sheet pan chicken dinner is perfect for meal prep! Juicy chicken breasts and roasted veggies come together with a flavorful garlic herb seasoning.

Baked Sesame Tofu with Veggies

baked sesame tofu with veggies

This crispy baked sesame tofu is a quick and easy vegetarian meal that’s easy to mix and match with whatever veggies you have on hand.

Sheet Pan Maple Curry Chicken

sheet pan maple curry chicken on a plate

This maple curry chicken is the most flavorful chicken dinner! Roasted with cubed butternut squash and cauliflower, it’s the perfect combination of sweet and spicy.

Dairy Free Soups & Stews

Instant Pot Vegetable Soup

instant pot vegetable soup with crusty bread

This veggie soup is the coziest meal, and super versatile. Switch it up with practically any veggie you have. Either way, it’ll be delicious!

Turkey Chili (Crockpot, Instant Pot, or Stovetop)

Turkey Chili

Satisfy that chili craving with this healthy turkey chili. It’s chock full of tasty spices, plus the slow cooker does most of the work for you.

(The post also includes how to make this chili in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop if you aren’t feeling the slow cooker!)

Vegan Thai Curry with Sweet Potatoes & Lentils

sweet potato and lentil vegan Thai curry in a bowl

Amazing Thai flavors like coconut milk, Thai basil, and other spices come together for the most comforting veggie curry. We like serving it over brown rice!

Slow Cooker Moroccan Chicken Stew

Moroccan chicken stew with apricots

There’s something awesome about tossing everything into a slow cooker, turning it on, and letting it cook dinner for you, am I right?!

This chicken stew features bold Moroccan flavors for an incredible meal.

Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

chicken tortilla soup topped with tortilla chips, avocado, lime, and cilantro

This tasty soup is always a hit, plus it cooks super quick in the Instant Pot!

Top with avocado, cilantro, hot sauce, tortilla chips, or anything your heart desires. 🙂 Just leave out the sour cream/cheese to make it dairy-free, obviously!

Coconut Curry with Chicken

coconut chicken curry in a wooden bowl

This chicken curry dish is made deliciously creamy with coconut milk. Packed with veggies and flavor, this is a super satisfying meal.

Grilled Dinner Recipes

Watermelon Chicken with Balsamic Glaze

dairy free watermelon grilled chicken

This grilled chicken features a slightly sweet watermelon balsamic glaze. It’s especially delicious paired with brown rice, grilled zucchini, and a crunchy cucumber watermelon salad.

Just leave out the feta to make it dairy free!

Grilled Pork Tenderloin Tacos with Homemade Salsa Verde

grilled pork tenderloin tacos with homemade salsa verde

Another perfect grilling recipe for summer (or anytime): these homemade pork tenderloin tacos!

Serve with salsa verde (recipe included), sliced radishes, corn tortillas, and/or a side salad!

Honey Lime Chicken with Grilled Peach & Corn Salad

dairy free chicken salad with corn and peaches in a large bowl

This salad sums up the essence of summer, with grilled chicken, juicy peaches, and crunchy corn over a bed of greens. And the honey lime dressing puts it on a whole new level.

If you’re making this recipe in the winter, you can use pears instead of peaches and do the cooking on the stovetop!

Orange Juice BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

bbq chicken sandwiches on a wooden platter

Looking for something tangy and ridiculously flavorful? These tender BBQ chicken sandwiches are out of this world. They’re made with orange juice for an extra juicy flavor!

Dairy Free Seafood Recipes

Orange Glazed Salmon with Honey & Ginger

dairy free orange ginger salmon dinner

This is one of our most favorite salmon recipes ever. The orange ginger honey glaze makes an amazing sauce for the salmon.

Enjoy with roasted cauliflower, string beans, brown rice, quinoa, or whatever you have on hand! It’s flexible.

Sriracha Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

dairy free shrimp lettuce wraps

In the mood for something a little spicy? These shrimp lettuce wraps with sriracha dipping sauce come together in a snap!

Sesame Shrimp and Watermelon Salad

dairy free sesame shrimp watermelon salad

This summery salad is refreshing and quick to make, with juicy shrimp and sweet watermelon. Crunchy veggies and a sesame dressing round out the dish.

Other Dairy Free Dinner Ideas

Shredded Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce

chicken lettuce wraps with peanut sauce

These super quick lettuce wraps feature rotisserie chicken and a sweet and savory peanut sauce for weeknight dairy free dinner perfection.

I love lettuce wraps and these are a fave with the delicious peanut sauce in the mix!

Vegan Bolognese with Lentils & Spaghetti Squash (Instant Pot)

vegan and dairy free instant pot spaghetti squash with lentil bolognese

Let your Instant Pot do the work for you with this lentil bolognese and spaghetti squash! It looks and sounds fancy, but it’s surprisingly simple to make.

Ground Turkey Lettuce Wraps with Sesame & Ginger

sesame ginger lettuce wraps with turkey

More lettuce wraps – you’re welcome!

These ground turkey lettuce wraps are super flavorful, gluten free, and dairy free – plus they only take about 15 minutes to make!

Black Bean Vegan Burgers with Pumpkin

These black bean and pumpkin veggie burgers are simple and tasty! Even better: you can make them using staples you probably already have in your pantry.

To keep this recipe dairy free, you can skip the optional chipotle yogurt sauce – or simply use a non-dairy yogurt to make it.

Turkey Meatloaf Muffins with Dijon

turkey dijon mini meatloaf muffins

This unique take on meatloaf is always a hit! These dijon meatloaf muffins are made with ground turkey, and taste great with essentially any side dish.

Plus, meatloaf in muffin form is just fun. 🙂

Instant Pot Chicken Fried “Rice” with Quinoa

dairy free chicken fried quinoa with cashews

You’ll love this chicken fried “rice” with quinoa – it’s just like your favorite takeout dish, but packed with veggies! It’s filling, nutritious, and topped with crunchy cashews.

I hope you enjoy these dairy free dinner ideas! Some of these are our favorite weeknight dinners. I’d love to hear if you end up trying any – let me know in the comments!

For more ideas, here are some of my favorite dairy free soups!

Dairy Free Main Dishes
- anne
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3 comments
  • Roadrunner February 8, 2022 · 7:07PM:
    These all look great, but they will be awesome for those seeking great recipes that are dairy free!
    Reply
  • ana February 9, 2022 · 10:58AM:
    Yum, lots of these look good! I'm particularly feeling the shrimp ones, for some reason. Time to go to the store!
    Reply
  • JesseA February 14, 2022 · 11:24PM:
    Awesome blog! Thanks for sharing this recipe. I have learned a few recipes that are enriched with therapeutical herbs and spices from iahas.com , but this one looks really tasty and healthy. Keep posting great stuff.
    Reply
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anne mauney fannetastic food
Hi, I’m Anne! I'm a Washington D.C. based Registered Dietitian, mother, runner, and lover of travel, adventure, and the great outdoors. I've been blogging since 2009, sharing a mix of lifestyle content, recipes, and fitness tips. Come for the recipes – stay for the fun!
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I’m Anne, a Registered Dietitian and mother. I've been blogging since 2009 and love showing others that eating nutritious foods and staying active can actually be fun rather than overwhelming!

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