Easy Skillet Meals for Dinner (One-Skillet Recipes)
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Skillet meals are a fantastic solution for making a quick and easy breakfast, dinner or dessert! Today, we’re sharing some of our favorite recipes for sensational, scrumptious skillet food! (Now we dare you to say that phrase 5 times quickly without slipping! ) These recipes are perfect for the whole family to enjoy – great for busy weeknights and any night of the week!
We have SO many one pan recipes here on TSRI! There are probably enough that you could make one or two of them every day for a month!
Although, some of those are oven meals. They’re definitely delicious and easy to make, but not our focus right now.
If you’re looking for an easy weeknight dinner, skillet meals are a great way to whip up a yummy main dish! And the best part? Some of these are comfort food classics!
I love that they do a great job of making a complete meal, which means that I rarely have to stress out about what to make for dinner tonight.
You’ll find that some of these one-skillet recipes use brown rice, white rice, or various pasta shape options – all are great, filling, and will make your taste buds happy!
And yes, skillet meals making for a super simple clean up, too!
Table of Contents
Skillet Meals
This is our collection of one skillet meals that you make in a skillet or sauté pan on the stove top.
These recipes will come in handy when you want ideas for what to make for dinner, or for a quick and easy breakfast.
When you find stove top meals you want to make, click on the linked title of the recipe.
From there, you will be taken to the recipe post where you can view, print or bookmark the recipe, or save it to your favorite Pinterest board.
Difference Between a Skillet and Sauté Pan
The biggest difference between a sauté pan and a skillet is the shape of the sides.
A skillet has sides that curve outward, making it easier to toss and flip the food.
Sauté pans have straight sides, so they’re great for frying, but you usually need a spatula or tongs to flip the food over.
If you don’t own a good cast iron or clad aluminum skillet, it’s an investment that’s well worth making.
Good quality cookware can last for decades if you take good care of it!
But maybe you don’t own a skillet yet. Are you wondering if you can make one skillet meals in a sauté pan? The answer is yes, you absolutely can!
Skillet Food for Breakfast or Brinner
We love to make breakfast entrees for dinner. Most skillet breakfasts are packed with plenty of protein, so they tend to be heartier than a typical breakfast.
Sausage Gravy and Drop Biscuits
A busy weeknight is the perfect time to break out this easy comfort food meal. Because everything cooks in one pan, you won’t have a pile of dishes to clean!
One Skillet Meals for Dinner
This Italian sausage and potatoes skillet is ready in 30 minutes and will please even the pickiest of eaters. Make a double batch and save some for lunches!
Smoky and a little bit spicy, this simple dinner has the south-of-the-border flavors of Mexican rice and ground beef tacos, but without the messy shell. Even better, cleanup is a breeze!!
Your favorite comfort food is easier than ever to make because there’s no pie shell to deal with!
Tender, juicy chicken and healthy veggies are simmered in a skillet with creamy gravy. SO scrumptious!
Crispy, cheesy chicken is smothered in red sauce and served over a pile of your favorite noodles.
This chicken parm pasta recipe will definitely have your family begging for seconds! This pasta dish is perfect!
If you enjoy making copycat versions of your favorite restaurant recipes, you’ll flip for this easy stovetop meal! It’s a favorite Olive Garden entrée of mine that is no longer on the menu.
This is a perfect example of how many tasty recipes you can make in a skillet!
Looking for an easy Italian dinner that comes together in a snap? This skillet dinner with sausage and ravioli is the one for you!
It has zesty hot Italian sausage, smoky fire roasted tomatoes, tender cheese filled pasta, multiple layers of ooey gooey cheese, and fresh peppery basil sprinkled over top.
This one skillet meal is the ultimate in comfort food! Plus, when you combine tender bits of broccoli with a heavenly creamy mac and cheese, kids find it irresistible! Kiddos eating veggies for the win!!
Ziti is a classic Italian dish, but making an authentic version in the oven takes a long time! Busy families deserve quick and delicious skillet meals – like this one!!
Jambalaya Pasta with chicken, Andouille sausage, and shrimp has all the Cajun flavor your palate can handle! This twist on the classic Louisiana dish will knock your socks off.
Spicy Mexican Corn Skillet with Sausage
Hot sausage, red bell peppers and jalapeno add some fantastic flavor to sweet roasted corn in this 30-minute skillet dinner.
Finish this dish off with some fresh tomatoes and spices and you have a home run!
I love making this in my trusty cast-iron skillet!
Lasagna in 30 minutes and with just ONE pan to wash!! Nope, this isn’t a typo! Now you can enjoy all those classic Italian flavors without spending hours in the kitchen.
This is such a class dish with the perfect savory ingredients. Amazing recipes like this are so simple and easy to make!
Pineapple Chicken Skillet with Broccoli is loaded with your favorite summer flavors and ready in just 30 minutes!
The mixture of pineapple chunks and juice with Hawaiian flavors will make your taste buds sing.
Easy Skillet Meals FAQ
Absolutely. You can use a skillet or a cast-iron skillet to make your next family favorite. If you have a trusty skillet, use it!
You can if you want, but it’s totally optional. A nice, light green salad is always a timeless recipe and a great choice, but it’s up to you. I pretty much like to focus on a main meal, and then if I have time for a side, I’ll figure one out on the fly.
They’re kind of like one-pot meals. Most of these easy recipes have you cooking everything in the skillet, which is the perfect basis for a simple recipe.
What I think is great about making these delicious meals is that they’re easy dinner recipes that create the perfect delicious dinner. This also means that there is less clean-up needed for these easy one-skillet meals – and I’m all for that!
A lot of people make cast-iron skillet recipes because cooking in a seasoned cast iron skillet takes just a little time and gives the dishes a tasty twist. No matter how you decide to whip up the meals for dinner time, any of these easy skillet meals are the perfect choice!
There you have it – Our entire collection of sensational one skillet meals!!
We’re always cooking up new food creations, so if there’s something specific you’d like a recipe for, leave us a comment below!
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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First published May 2022, updated and republished March 2025
Disclosure: Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link your price will remain the same and The Slow Roasted Italian will automatically receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting us – it allows us to keep creating new recipes.
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We’re Donna and Chad, the dream team behind The Slow Roasted Italian. Our focus is on taking complicated OUT of the kitchen. Life is busy enough, making meals should be fast and easy, to help make your life as simple as possible. Read More >>
