Skip to Content

58 Easy Skillet Dinner Recipes

Now that school is starting back up again, busy parents are looking for skillet recipes — meals that can be thrown together in one skillet and still provide everything a growing body needs to thrive.

A collage of recipes that can be made in a skillet

These Easy Skillet Dinner ideas are fast, uncomplicated meals that will fill up your family on crazy school nights without the drive-thru lane. Get dinner on the table fast.

Why You Will Love Easy Skillet Dinner Ideas

Chicken Skillet Recipes

  • This chicken and veggie stir fry is quick and easy to make. Chicken and vegetables cooking together with a delicious stir fry sauce in just one pan!
  • This brown butter and sage chicken is packed with flavor and so easy to make with minimal ingredients. A quick weeknight dinner everyone will love!
  • Parmesan Crusted Chicken is a tasty Long Horn Steakhouse copycat recipe that’s made with provolone cheese, ranch, and a seasoned breadcrumb mixture! Skip the trip to the restaurant and make this easy recipe right at home!
  • This chicken is marinated in Greek yogurt and balsamic vinegar and roasted with peaches and shallots, then topped with fresh basil for a slightly sweet but super savory summer meal in one pot!
  • This easy cast iron skillet buffalo ranch chicken is a flavorful dish that makes an easy one-pan dinner. Here’s how to make it!
  • Need an easy and flavorful chicken dinner that cooks in just minutes? Then garlic butter chicken is for you! This delicious one-pan meal can be made with fresh chicken or leftover chicken, and you and your family will absolutely love it! Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner!
  • Tender chicken breasts, onions, bell pepper, celery, cauliflower, Cajun sausage, tomatoes, and a kick of seasonings give you an easy, flavorful Chicken Jambalaya dinner. The best part is it’s perfect for a low-carb diet and leaves you smacking your lips because it’s so good!

Easy Skillet Dinners with Chicken in Cream Sauce

  • This Cream of Mushroom Chicken Skillet recipe is so easy that anyone can make it! With only five ingredients and very little time, you can have a super tasty dinner!
  • Chicken Marsala is an easy one-pan meal that everyone will love. Made with mushrooms and a creamy wine sauce, this easy chicken marsala recipe is a breeze to make! Take dinner to the next level with this delicious chicken dish.
  • This Creamy Honey Mustard Chicken with Bacon is packed with delicious flavor and made in one pan! Moist chicken is smothered in a honey mustard sauce and sprinkled with crispy bacon. This dish is easy to make and sure to please!
  • Southern Smothered Chicken and Gravy have tender chicken thighs and drumsticks that have been seasoned and then cooked in gravy with onions! Prep this recipe in just 10 minutes for a flavorful dinner that the whole family will devour!
  • This easy chicken pot pie has all the taste and flavor that comes with a big ole plate of chicken pot pie, but not the calories! It’ll be a family favorite.

Chicken Skillet Recipes with Tomato

Chicken thighs sitting in a cream sauce in a cast iron skillet
Marry Me Chicken
  • Creamy Marry Me Chicken is a crowd-pleasing quick and easy recipe – chicken thighs in a creamy sauce with sun-dried tomatoes and bacon! Even better is cooking it in one pot for easy cleanup and for busy weeknights.
  • Easy chicken cacciatore is a delicious weeknight meal that everyone loves. One pan is all that’s needed, along with some good crusty bread (no sides necessary)!
  • Everyone loves a simple chicken breast dish. And when it comes to sun-dried tomato, parmesan cheese, garlic, and basil leaves, there’s simply no competitor.
  • Skillet Marry-Me chicken will be your new favorite chicken recipe.
  • Sundried tomato chicken has a rich and creamy sauce filled with spinach and sundried tomatoes and Parmesan. It’s the type of meal you’d get in an upscale restaurant, but it’s actually super simple, and it’s ready in just 20 minutes!
  • Make this skillet chicken parmesan recipe is an easy dinner recipe that’s ready in less than 30 minutes. This is a lighter, healthier chicken parmesan recipe.

Potato and Chicken Skillets

  • This cast iron spatchcock chicken is my favorite weeknight chicken staple! The meat is juicy, the skin is crispy and golden, and the lemon garlic pan sauce is perfect.
  • This tasty cast iron roasted chicken and potatoes is an easy one-pan weeknight meal. It features bone-in chicken breasts roasted in a cast iron skillet with baby potatoes and topped with a rich and flavorful pan sauce.

Chicken Skillet Pasta Dinners

  • Chicken Spaghetti is a creamy, flavorful, and filling pasta bake that’s simple to throw together and always a family favorite!
  • Flavorful chicken and tender pasta, topped with a balsamic glaze. Your favorite appetizer in an easy 30-minute meal: Bruschetta Chicken Pasta.

Skillet Recipes with Chicken and Rice

3/4 view of a spoon over a skillet filled with rice, ground chicken, tomatoes, and parsley.
  • The aroma of this Tex Mex Chicken with Cauliflower Rice will have you drooling! Juicy chicken with taco seasoning combined with garlic, onions, peppers, tomatoes, cheese, and cauliflower. This easy meal can be made in under 20 minutes for a quick dinner!
  • This Skillet Orange Chicken Recipe is so easy to make — it comes together in 30 minutes or less! Serve it with rice and steamed vegetables or salad, and you have an easy weeknight meal.
  • This one-pan creamy Tuscan chicken orzo is an easy and filling weeknight dinner that comes together in about 30 minutes! With pan-seared chicken breasts, orzo pasta, sundried tomatoes, spinach, and fresh basil in a creamy sauce, it’ll be your new favorite Italian-inspired meal!
  • Turmeric Chicken in a skillet with wild rice will become your go-to weeknight meal. It’s crave-worthy comfort food at its best.

Skillet Dinner Ideas with Sausage

Top down photo of sausage and fried potatoes sprinkled with parmesan cheese with a soft cook egg pouring over it.
  • Our easy Sausage and Potatoes Skillet is one of my favorite recipes of all time. It’s the ultimate comfort food.
  • This newly improved One-Pot Cheesy Kielbasa, Broccoli, and Rice makes a deliciously easy weeknight meal made in just one pan. It’s fast and easy to make, is great for the freezer, and is packed full of flavor and broccoli, making it not only one of my kid’s favorite meals but one of mine to serve to them!
  • An easy, one-pan dinner just in time for fall! With sweet potatoes, sausage links, and apples, this chicken sausage apple skillet is perfect for Fall!
  • This wholesome one-pot Chorizo and Rice skillet packs MEGA flavor! It requires less than 15 minutes hands-on, is ready in under an hour, and makes tasty leftovers!
  • Not sure what to make for dinner tonight? This hearty One Pot Cheesy Sausage and Pasta meal is sure to please everyone. It’s creamy, cheesy & savory – plus, it’s ready in just 35 minutes!

Beef Skillet Recipes

enchilada skillet pasta with a spoon pulling the melted cheese
Enchilada Skillet Pasta
  • This Enchilada Skillet Pasta is like eating your favorite beef enchiladas but in pasta! Loaded with flavor and cheese, making it a delicious, easy, comfort food at its finest!
  • The perfect pot roast doesn’t have to come from a slow cooker! This oven-braised New-England-style chuck roast with vegetables is a fork-tender, juicy, and absolutely delicious recipe that’s perfect for a family dinner.
  • This one pot dish is a homemade version of the classic Hamburger Helper cheeseburger pasta. It is flavorful and cheesy and perfect for a quick and easy weeknight meal the whole family will love!
  • Take the hassle out of making enchiladas by preparing this simple ground beef enchilada skillet. This one-pan meal takes just 30-minutes to prepare and is gluten-free.
  • An easy meal made in one pan! It’s hearty and filled with the delicious flavors of chili and rice: Texas Beef Skillet.
  • This one pot wonder only takes 10 minutes to make. Make this easy weeknight family favorite with ground beef, broccoli, and Asian flavors mixed in a skillet.
  • Supper never fails to satisfy and impress when you serve this Chili Mac Skillet. This cheesy, meaty meal combines ground beef, macaroni, and cheddar cheese in a thick tomato sauce enriched with beef broth.
  • When it comes to comfort food, you really can’t beat skillet shepherd’s pie with sweet potato. Ground beef in a rich gravy sauce is covered with buttery mashed sweet potato and finished with a layer of grated cheese. You’ll make this classic recipe on repeat.
  • Steak Stir Fry that’s better than takeout! Thinly sliced beef marinated and cooked with classic stir-fry vegetables. Serve it over noodles or rice for a delicious dinner the whole family will love.

Easy Skillet Dinner Ideas with Turkey

A skillet filled with ramen, turkey and vegetables.
Turkey Ramen Recipe

Skillet Dinners with Seafood

Shrimp sitting in a cream sauce in a skillet
Creamy Garlic Shrimp Recipe
  • This blackened cod is such an easy weeknight recipe. You will think you’ve ordered this flavorful dish at a restaurant; it’s that good.
  • This Creamy Garlic Shrimp recipe is the most delicious dinner, and it’s ready to eat in less than 15 minutes. Pan-seared shrimp with a decadent, garlicky sauce works as a weeknight dinner served with potatoes and veggies or a fancy entree for a dinner party.

Pork Skillet Recipes

A white plate filled with a breaded Pork chop topped with a dollop of cranberry sauce and fresh thyme. Baked squash and quinoa sit next to the pork chop. The plate sits on a green napkin over a woven placemat.
Pan-Fried Pork Chops
  • Pineapple pork chops are a quick and easy one-pan meal, flavored with garlic, brown sugar, and maple syrup and loaded with juicy pineapple tidbits. Rubbed with garlic, onion, and smoked paprika and then cooked in pineapple juice, these tender pork chops are exquisite.
  • Pan-Fried Pork Chops – This is a family go-to recipe that is on the table in less than 30 minutes. The optional cranberry sauce elevates it to holiday status!
  • Pork Chops with Apples and Butternut Squash brings all the delicious flavors of fall right to your dinner table. Cooked in just one skillet, this easy Pork Chop Recipe requires simple ingredients like sweet apples, butternut squash, fresh rosemary, apple cider, and juicy bone-in pork chops.
  • Skillet Pork Chops are pan-seared to perfection and then drenched in a sweet and savory sauce! Enjoy this comfort food at home with this easy recipe!
  • This Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Apples & Onions is a delicious dinner that comes together in one pan! You sear the pork on the stove first, locking in its juices. Finish it off in the oven together with apples and onions. Together, they make the best flavor combo!
  • Need a quick and easy meal, then look no further than this golden, crispy yet juicy Southern Fried Pork Chops with a Buttermilk Gravy. Served with classics like green beans, this is the ultimate comfort food!

Easy Skillet Dinners that are Vegan

Top down view of a skillet filled with sauteed vegetables and black beens.
Burrito Casserole
  • This easy Vegan Burrito Casserole is perfect for a weeknight dinner. You can use it as a burrito filling or eat it from a bowl with tortilla chips. Top with some avocado and your favorite hot sauce!
  • Mushrooms sauteéd in olive oil with onion, garlic, tart, chewy sun-dried tomatoes, and a bit of green for color. This dish has a wow factor that’ll make you SO happy you’re eating plant-based. Serve over cauliflower polenta, rice, mashed potatoes, or even toss with pasta for a quick, delightful meatless meal.
  • This mushroom aglio olio is a quick, easy, and budget-friendly dinner. With just six ingredients, it’s on the table in twenty minutes.
  • Prepare this healthy & delicious skillet recipe for easy vegan sautéed vegetables.
  • Savory pan-seared tofu with veggies, chickpeas, and citrusy slices of bright, fresh orange make this a super nutritious & delicious all-vegan skillet dinner! GF & oil-free

Low-Carb Skillet Recipes

Easy Skillet Dinner Pasta without Meat

  • This crispy pan fried gnocchi is a simple and quick recipe to make only 20 minutes for an easy weeknight meal. Crispy gnocchi coated in a light sauce made with garlic, herbs, butter, and parmesan.
A collage of skillet recipes that can be made easily

Michaela Kenkel

Thursday 1st of September 2022

I have saved 10 of these!! thank you so much for all of the inspiration!

Julie Menghini

Monday 5th of September 2022

I've made so many of these delicious recipes too! Thank you!

Erin

Wednesday 31st of August 2022

These are just the BEST ideas for right now! With school back in session, you're making my life easier here and we're going to be cooking our way through all of these!

Julie Menghini

Monday 5th of September 2022

I've made a ton of these recipes too! Thanks, Erin!

Kathi

Monday 29th of August 2022

OMG, camping out on this post -- SO>MANY>GREAT>DINNER ideas!! Love skillet recipes, thanks for this great list!

Julie Menghini

Tuesday 30th of August 2022

Thank you!

Debi

Monday 29th of August 2022

An easy dinner is just what I need right now. Thanks for all of these recipes!

Julie Menghini

Monday 29th of August 2022

Thanks, Debi!

Ann

Monday 29th of August 2022

I love the creamy chicken the best so far and I can't wait to try all the rest!

Julie Menghini

Monday 29th of August 2022

Thank you, Ann! It's a winner!

As Seen On