Quick Iftar Meals for Ramadan

Tips to prepare nourishing and flavorful meals to break the fast during the shorter evenings of Ramadan.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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As Ramadan falls earlier in the year, the sun will set earlier in the Northern Hemisphere, leaving less time for Muslims to prepare elaborate iftar meals after work. This article provides tips and recipes to create quick, yet comforting and nostalgic, dishes to break the fast, including adapting familiar recipes, stocking the pantry with versatile ingredients, and prepping components in advance.

Why it matters

Ramadan is a sacred time for Muslims, centered around family, spirituality and the iftar meal to break the daily fast. However, the earlier sunsets during this year's Ramadan present a challenge for working Muslims to prepare traditional elaborate dishes in the short window of time after work. These tips help maintain the spirit of Ramadan customs while accommodating modern schedules.

The details

The article suggests several strategies to create quick yet flavorful iftar meals, including: adapting familiar recipes by incorporating traditional seasonings, stocking the pantry with versatile ingredients like legumes and spice blends, and prepping components in advance on weekends. Examples include adding Afghan borani banjan spices to a simple pasta alla Norma, and mixing and refrigerating spiced ground meat a few days ahead to quickly assemble charred meat pitas.

  • Ramadan could start as early as Tuesday this year.
  • Iftar will begin around 5:30 p.m. for most of the country for nearly three weeks.

The players

Zaynab Issa

The author of the article, providing tips and recipes for quick Ramadan iftar meals.

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What they’re saying

“Adapting meals to suit your lifestyle is always a goal, especially when fasting all day. What is gained in ease may feel like a loss of authenticity for iftar, but using traditional recipes as inspiration not only keeps the ethos of them alive, it ensures that even as modern life limits kitchen time, dishes with roots in the past will be carried through future generations.”

— Zaynab Issa (nytimes.com)

The takeaway

This article provides practical solutions for Muslims who want to maintain the spirit of Ramadan traditions while adapting to the realities of modern life and shorter evenings during this year's holy month. By leveraging familiar recipes, pantry staples, and advance preparation, home cooks can create nourishing and flavorful iftar meals that honor the past while meeting the demands of the present.