Let me guess: you want a wholesome, homemade dinner on the table, but you absolutely cannot face a sink full of dirty dishes.
As a recipe developer juggling family life, I completely get it. That's exactly why I've curated this collection of our most reliable, highly-rated one-pan dinner recipes.
After testing hundreds of weeknight meals, I’ve learned you don't need five pots to build incredible flavor. Whether it’s perfectly roasted chicken or a one-pot pasta that practically cooks itself, these meals let the oven or stovetop do the heavy lifting.
Every recipe here has been rigorously tested to guarantee you get a cozy, delicious dinner with a fraction of the cleanup.
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How to Make the Best One-Pan Dinners
Before we get to the recipes, there are a few simple tricks I use to make sure every one-pan meal comes out perfectly cooked and packed with flavor, rather than turning into a soggy mess.
- Prep for an effortless clean-up. To make sure your post-dinner clean-up takes less than a minute, always line your sheet pans or baking trays with parchment paper or heavy-duty aluminum foil. If you are using a Dutch oven or cast-iron skillet, make sure it is properly preheated with a little oil.
- Stagger your cooking times. This is the secret to avoiding mushy veggies or overcooked meat. I suggest adding ingredients to the pan in stages. Faster-cooking vegetables like zucchini or cherry tomatoes should be added later than large cuts of meat or denser root vegetables (like carrots and potatoes), which require more time.
- Don't overcrowd the pan. If you pack your ingredients too tightly, they will steam instead of roast. You want the hot air to circulate around the food so it gets those delicious, caramelized crispy edges. If you have a lot of ingredients, it is always better to divide them between two sheet pans.
20 Easy One-Pan Dinner Recipes
How to serve these meals
These dishes are created to be an entire meal in one dish, the beauty being that you can serve it without any accompaniment. However, if you do want to add something to stretch the meal, here are some easy ideas.
- Carbs for soaking up sauces. Crusty bread is always a great option, particularly for mopping up any sauces or pan juices. If you want to add some potato sides try my Kitchen Aid Mash, Smashed Potatoes or Crispy Sweet Potatoes. White or brown rice is a good option too, or try my Cilantro Lime Rice.
- Fresh Greens and Veggies. If you’d like to keep things on the lighter side, an easy dressed green salad would also work well. Try my Spinach & Arugula Salad, or Easy Kale & Cannellini Bean Salad. For a cooked veggie side try my Charred Broccolini with Lemon & Chili or Roasted Asparagus & Carrots.
Expert Tips & Tricks
- Prep for easy clean-up. To make clean up even easier, line your sheet pan or baking tray with parchment paper or foil.
- Cut for consistency. When roasting veggies, try to make sure they're all cut roughly the same size so they cook evenly. You can make things even easier by using pre-chopped vegetables.
- Shop your fridge. With most of these recipes, particularly the traybakes, you can easily adapt the ingredients depending on what you have in your fridge and pantry, for example, swapping regular potatoes for sweet potatoes or butternut squash.
- Dry your ingredients. Especially when washing vegetables or using patted-dry chicken, make sure there is no excess water on your ingredients before they hit the pan. Water creates steam, which is the enemy of a good roast!
- Keep the flavor: When searing any of the meat or fish in these recipes, ensure you leave all the browned bits and juices in the pan, as this will add incredible flavor to the sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a one pan dinner?
A one-pan dinner is a meal that is cooked entirely in one pan, skillet, Dutch oven, sheet pan or baking dish. It can contain a variety of ingredients but usually includes a protein (meat or plant-based), a mixture of vegetables and sometimes a starchy carb like rice, pasta or potatoes.
Why are one-pan meals so popular?
One-pan meals are often quick to prepare and assemble, making them an ideal dinner option for busy weeknights. These one-pot dinners also require less clean-up since you only use a single pan.
Can I make one pan dinners ahead of time?
Yes, many one-pan dinners can be made ahead of time. In some cases, like the chili or dahl featured above, they will taste even better the next day when allowed to sit as the flavors of the spices will intensify. In other instances, like a sheet pan meal, you can prep all the vegetables and marinate the meat in advance, then assemble the dish just before you are ready to bake in the oven.
What types of pans work best of one-pan meals?
I recommend using the pan that is best suited to the specific recipe. I rely on a combination of sturdy heavy-duty sheet pans, oven-proof skillets, roasting dishes, and Dutch ovens depending on what I am cooking.
How do I prevent ingredients from overcooking?
I suggest adding ingredients to the pan in stages, according to their cooking times. Faster-cooking vegetables like zucchini or tomatoes may need to be added later than say large cuts of meat, or vegetables like carrots and potatoes which require more cooking time.
What are the best proteins for one-pan dinners?
You can use a wide variety of different proteins in one-pan dishes. Try any meat or seafood-based protein, like chicken, pork, beef, lamb, regular sausages, chorizo, shrimp or salmon. Or for plant based protein try tofu, any variety of bean, chickpeas, lentils or other pulses.
How do I stop my sheet pan meals from getting watery or soggy?
The biggest culprit for a watery sheet pan meal is overcrowding the pan. When ingredients are piled on top of each other, they release moisture and steam rather than roast. Make sure everything sits in a single, even layer. Additionally, always pat your proteins (especially chicken and fish) dry with a paper towel before seasoning them.
Are one-pan meals good for meal prep?
Absolutely! Most one-pan meals are fantastic for meal prep. Hearty dishes like chili, curries, and roasted root vegetables store beautifully in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. They also reheat incredibly well in the microwave or oven, making them perfect for grab-and-go work lunches.
Should I cover my one-pan dinner in the oven?
It depends on the recipe! If you want your ingredients to get crispy and browned (like roasted chicken thighs and broccoli), leave the pan uncovered. If you are cooking something that needs to retain moisture or cook slowly (like a rice bake or tough cuts of meat), you will want to cover the pan tightly with foil to trap the steam, and perhaps remove the foil for the last 10 minutes to brown the top.
Which recipe will you try first?
So, which one-pan dinner is making it onto your meal plan first? I always love hearing which recipe wins the weeknight, so drop a comment below and let me know how it turned out.
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