These easy & healthy one skillet recipes are great for busy weeknights! Add some protein, veggies and starch for a delicious skillet dinner.
From stir-fries to creamy chicken skillets, these recipes are flexible, fast and full of flavour, all ideal for families, solo dinners or meal prep.
Why you'll love these recipe
- Minimal cleanup: Everything cooks in one pan, so you can skip the sink full of dishes.
- Quick and balanced: Each recipe includes a good mix of protein, veggies and carbs for a complete meal in under 40 minutes.
One Skillet Meals
If you're trying to make dinner a little easier (and faster), these one-skillet meals might just be your new go-to. Just toss your favourite healthy ingredients into one pan and dinner practically makes itself. Plus, way fewer dishes to deal with after!
This roundup has a bit of everything: easy chicken skillets, steak fajitas, pasta bakes, even some breakfast-for-dinner ideas. For the oven-friendly ones, a cast iron skillet is handy, but otherwise, any frying pan you have will do the trick. Get ready for satisfying meals you’ll actually look forward to making.
How to build your own healthy skillet recipe
- Pick a protein. You can use anything from chicken or steak to eggs or tofu.
- Pair it with a bunch of veggies. Make sure each vegetable is cut to roughly the same size so you can cook them together in one skillet.
- Add a starch like potatoes, pasta or a pre-cooked grain like quinoa or rice. If you're going with grains, I suggest you cook them ahead of time at the beginning of the week. A rice cooker usually comes in handy here!
- Add seasoning. A super easy way to boost flavour is to add any spices or seasonings you have in your pantry. You can try pre-made fajita or taco seasoning (store bought or make your own!), Italian seasoning, minced garlic, chili flakes and more.
Frequently asked questions
A skillet is a flat-bottomed pan with higher sides and often comes with a lid.
Skillets and frying pans are super similar and oftentimes interchangeable. The only real difference between the two is that a skillet is deeper than a traditional frying pan, so it’s a great option for easy one-skillet meals like these.
Most skillets are oven safe up to a certain temperature, but make sure to check the bottom of the pan or the box to see if you can put it in the oven.
In order to keep your cast iron skillet in tip-top shape, you need to clean it properly. Do not put it in the dishwasher and instead use a tiny bit of dish soap and a brush and wash it by hand. Rinse it off then make sure it's completely dry before you put it away. Rust will ruin a cast iron skillet.
Beef Skillet Recipes
These beef skillet recipes are perfect for easy weeknight meals. Choose from options made using ground beef, steak and sausage, with family faves including hamburger helper and meatballs.
Chicken Skillet Recipes
You can't go wrong with these chicken skillet dinners! You can use chicken thighs or chicken breasts for most of them. Just throw in some veggies and a sauce, and you're good to go.
Meatless Skillet Recipes
Whether you're vegetarian, pescatarian, or just want to incorporate more vegetarian options into your diet, these meatless dinner ideas are where it's at.
Meal Prep tools
- Glass meal prep bowls are so great for microwaving and reheating your food safely – especially skillet meals.
- My rice cooker saves me so much time in the meal prep process because I can cook my grains ahead of time.
- These bento box containers are perfect for packing snacks and lunches together!
- Restock your freezer with grass-fed beef and poultry from Butcher Box.
Comments & Reviews
jane says
First one I looked at “then bake in an oven at 350” – the whole reason i’m reading this article is because I am looking for one pan skillet recipes not oven baked dishes as mine is currently broken. Disappointed.
Taylor Stinson says
Hi Jane – these are skillet recipes. One or two of the recipes in this round up may need to be placed in the oven after sauteeing first, but the majority you will be able to cook in the one skillet on the stovetop. I encourage you to look further at the other recipes.
Natasha @ Salt & Lavender says
These look awesome!! Thanks so much for including my recipes. <3