17 Quick and Easy Easter Recipes

The key to putting together an unforgettable Easter meal is to select smart recipes that look and taste impressive but actually don't require that much time or effort to make. These quick and easy Easter side dishes, main courses, and desserts celebrate the tastiest spring produce and festive Easter proteins like eggs and lamb. Whether you are hosting a smaller gathering or feeding your usual crowd, choose recipes that simplify prep and day-of cooking. This translates into more time spent with family, which is really what the holidays are all about. Less time cooking also means minimal time cleaning, so you can relax more.

Here, we've rounded up some of our favorite crowd-pleasing quick and easy Easter recipes, starting with the make-ahead Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp that's pictured here. If a seasonal dessert is what you're after, you can't go wrong with this one. For a holiday starter, we think our delightful eggs made of goat cheese are just the thing. They are as beautiful to look at as they are to eat when they've been upgraded with a pastel sprinkle of purple chive blossoms and pink peppercorns. Easter mains that will serve your whole family and cook fast are the way to go—we like grilling a boneless leg of lamb since one will easily serve at least 10 people and cooks to perfect medium-rare in just 16 minutes. Another main we love for this holiday is a whole side of salmon, which roasts in just 10 minutes. You could also whip up a vegetarian pea and egg noodle pasta as the entrée, which is almost just as quick.

For sides, serve something unexpected like a warm lettuce salad with peas or roasted radishes. As for other dessert options, go ahead and put together a seasonal berry and apricot crumble or dip chocolate-covered strawberries in advance. All you have to do is take them out of the fridge at the end of the meal.

Browse our quick and easy Easter recipes and then mix and match them to create the perfect meal for your Easter celebration.

Sweet Peas with Shallots and Gem Lettuce

It only takes 10 minutes of prep and 10 minutes of cooking to whip up this easy, warm spring salad. Sauté crispy little gem lettuce leaves with sweet peas and caramelized shallots. To save even more time, buy pre-shucked peas, pass the shucking along to a willing helper, or go right to the freezer aisle and swap in frozen peas instead.

Green Salad with Pickled-Shallot Vinaigrette

Every Easter meal needs a colorful easy salad like this. We love that it looks fancy but comes together fast.

Grilled Leg of Lamb with Preserved Lemon

Ask your butcher to prepare the boneless leg of lamb so you don't have to. Pounding the lamb to an even thickness and removing the bone drastically reduces the cooking time, from at least 45 minutes to only 16 minutes. The sophisticated flavor of store-bought preserved lemon bursts with spring flavor in the quick-to-put together marinade that just requires a buzz in the food processor. Our pro tip is to marinate the meat overnight for maximum flavor.

Yogurt and Jam Fools

This three-ingredient dessert takes mere minutes to make but it does need to chill for at least an hour. Make it before you prep the rest of the meal, even the night before.

Egg Noodles with Asparagus and Grated Egg Yolks

One pot means less dishes to clean up, which is just one of the reasons why we love this asparagus and egg noodle dish. Boil the asparagus and pasta in one pot, then finish assembly in the same one. Finish this meatless main with a pretty grating of hard-boiled egg yolks for added flavor and color.

Deviled Eggs with Peas and Ham

Blending peas into deviled egg filling is a great way to lighten up this classic appetizer and create an appetizer with an appealing pop of green color. A sprinkle of cooked pancetta on top finishes each bite with a savory crunch.

Roasted Asparagus with Lemony Breadcrumbs

Here's a 20-minute vegetable side that's just so seasonal! The lemony breadcrumbs add crunch to the juicy asparagus.

Salmon with Cucumber-Radish Relish

Roasting a whole side of salmon is such a fast and easy way to feed a large crew. Case in point? This dish serves eight and cooks in the oven in just ten minutes. A crunchy cucumber and radish relish has a slight bite of spring horseradish which goes well with the fish. Try using fresh grated horseradish—just remember to taste as you go as the spiciness varies per root.

Lemony White Bean Hummus

Hummus is always a hit on any appetizer spread and it's so easy to make—it comes together with just a few ingredients and a few pulses in the food processor. This one swaps the usual chickpeas for white beans, adding a generous amount of lemon juice to cut through the rich tahini. It's a perfect complement to any spring vegetable that's served alongside it for dipping.

Rhubarb Compote

Cook tangy rhubarb with a little bit of ginger and sugar for just 15 minutes and the result is a magical compote that works well in desserts and on savory dishes. Spoon it over ice cream or cake, serve it with meat (it's delicious with lamb or beef), or place a small bowl on a cheese platter; we think it pairs nicely with sharper aged cheeses.

Roasted Radishes

Not only is this dish so fast to make, but it also uses the whole radish, greens and all, so there's absolutely no waste. Roasting radishes mellows their bite while still ensuring they retain a crisp texture. Spring farmers' markets are bursting with different varieties of radishes. Make sure the ones you pick have nice greens since they will be used for this recipe, too. Bonus: Good-looking greens are also a sign of freshness.

Chocolate-Covered Strawberries

Making chocolate-covered strawberries at home is so easy and costs a fraction of the price of buying them. And spring is the perfect time to make this dessert treat, as the strawberries are so sweet and juicy. They'll taste absolutely delicious with a coating of chocolate and a sprinkle of pistachios over top for a special touch and crunch.

Leeks Vinaigrette with Hard-Cooked Egg

Not traditionally thought of as a side dish, leeks turn tender and mouth-wateringly delicious when they are steamed. Drizzle a zingy-lemon vinaigrette over top and grate egg for a beautiful finish.

Roasted-Spring-Onion and Goat-Cheese Eggs

So easy to put together and so gorgeous, these goat cheese-shaped eggs with a pastel finish of purple chive blossoms and pink peppercorn are the ultimate easy Easter appetizer. Be sure to factor in time for the cheese to set in the fridge, and if you can't find spring onions, substitute scallions.

Carrot-and-Lentil Salad

Prep the rest of the dish while the lentils cook and this quick and easy Easter side dish will be complete in 20 minutes. Ribbons of fresh, sweet, in-season carrots are always a welcome surprise in the spring. Lentils add protein, meaning that this dish also works as a vegan main course.

Mini Strawberry Rhubarb Galettes

You'll save time on dessert prep with these adorable mini strawberry and rhubarb galettes because the recipe uses store-bought all-butter puff pastry rather than a homemade pie dough. Another bonus: Individual galettes bake much faster than one large one and don't require slicing to serve.