24 Easy Skillet Dinners for When I'm Too Tired to Cook

These one-pan wonders have got your back.

A trusty skillet is an undeniable kitchen workhorse. You can fry, sauté, braise, and stew all in one pan—you can even bake in it, too! Given this versatility, it's no wonder you can make tons of quick and easy dinners all in one skillet, making cleanup a snap.

Here are some of my favorite skillet recipes for busy weeknights, including creamy, cheesy one-pot pastas, lots of chicken dishes with veggies, and hearty ground beef dinners.

Cheesy Hamburger Skillet

Get Recipe: My Cheesy Hamburger Skillet Is Super Nostalgic

"This recipe comes from years of experience with one-pot minimal-ingredient pastas. The base is ground beef and pasta, but it only needs a handful of other ingredients to come together: canned tomatoes, broth, cheese, and a little cream." —Meghan Splawn, Recipe Developer

Creamy Skillet Shrimp with Corn, Pancetta, and Tomatoes

*Simply Recipes / Photo by Fred Hardy II / Food Styling by Ana Kelly / Prop Styling by Shell Royster*

Get Recipe: Creamy Skillet Shrimp with Corn, Pancetta, and Tomatoes

"You’ll be thrilled at both the short ingredient list (just 5 ingredients!) and the ease of preparation (one skillet!) in this recipe featuring peak summer corn and tomatoes and some fresh shrimp." —Sara Bir, Former Senior Editor

Coconut Lime Chicken

Get Recipe: Coconut Lime Chicken

"While coconut cream tends to be mild in flavor, I decided to lean into the lightly tropical notes with garlic, ginger, and lime. Everything cooks in one pan, from the chicken to the sauce to the crisp-tender green beans, and it’s ready in 30 minutes flat. Winner, winner, chicken dinner!" —Laurel Randolph, Associate Editorial Director

Cheesy Baked Taco Skillet

Get Recipe: The Easy Skillet Dinner I Make Nearly Once a Week

"My daughter is a big fan of ground beef, but ground turkey, pork, or chicken would all work well in this recipe. Veggie-based proteins would likely also work." —Sara Haas, Recipe Developer

Skillet Pizza Chicken

Get Recipe: Skillet Pizza Chicken

"To please the whole family, I developed this 20-minute skillet pizza chicken, which checks everyone’s boxes and is gone in mere minutes. Serve with freshly cooked pasta and/or a big salad and let everyone add their toppings of choice." —Sara Haas, Recipe Developer

Skillet Cacio e Pepe Tortellini With Wilted Greens

Get Recipe: This 20-Minute Dinner Saves Me on Busy Weeknights

"Here, fresh or frozen tortellini cooks right in the skillet while the water it cooks in simmers into a starchy, glossy sauce. Tender wilted greens not only add color, but bulk up the pasta to turn it into a true one-pan dinner. This is a comforting, feel-good meal that’s fit for the busiest of weeknights." —Sheela Prakash, Recipe Developer

Butternut Squash and Black Bean Skillet Dinner

Get Recipe: Butternut Squash and Black Bean Skillet Dinner

"Roasting the squash in the oven and then adding it to the skillet gives it those roasty, toasty virtues I love. Quinoa, an earthy, tiny red, black, or white seed, is packed with protein and serves as the palette for the squash, beans, tomatoes, and spinach." —Sally Vargas, Recipe Developer

Sloppy Joe Skillet Dinner

Get Recipe: The Nostalgic One-Pan Supper My Whole Family Loves

"My family enjoys this skillet dinner topped with the same things we like on our sloppy Joe sandwiches: sliced pickles for the kiddos, plus sliced onions and pickled jalapeños for the grownups. You can also add a little fresh chopped parsley if you have it on hand. For crunch, try sprinkling on some fried onions." —Coco Morante, Recipe Developer

Dolma and Ground Beef Skillet

Get Recipe: The 3-Ingredient Dinner I Can’t Stop Making

"This dinner tastes like it took hours to make thanks to the rich flavor of the ground beef combined with the tang of the dolmas, but from start to finish you’ll need less than 30 minutes to get this hearty main on the table." —Megan Scott, Senior Editor

Creamy Gnocchi With Bacon and Peas

Get Recipe: This 5-Ingredient Is the Most Comforting Weeknight Dinner

"Seared in a hot skillet and coated in the easiest cream sauce, these humble potato dumplings will please even the pickiest of eaters!" —Sara Bir, Former Senior Editor

Easy Chicken Caprese

Get Recipe: Easy Chicken Caprese

"A classic caprese salad with ripe tomatoes, fresh basil, mozzarella, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar comes together with juicy seared chicken breasts in this warm skillet dinner. A perfect bite: chicken, tomato, and cheese dipped in the sweet, acidic, and creamy balsamic sauce." —Sharon Lehman, Recipe Developer

Cast Iron Skillet Pizza

Get Recipe: Cast Iron Skillet Pizza

"Baking pizza in a cast iron skillet ensures the crust is ultra crispy and browned but still nice and pillowy when you bite into it. It’s a thick-crusted cheese pizza that’s perfect as-is but can also handle tasty toppings like pepperoni and mushrooms (my favorites)." —Sheela Prakash, Recipe Developer

Italian Skillet Chicken with Spinach, Tomatoes, and Onions

Get Recipe: Italian Skillet Chicken with Spinach, Tomatoes, and Onions

"This Italian Skillet Chicken dinner is a family favorite. Oregano, basil, and garlic season the chicken while grape tomatoes, onion, and olive oil break down to make a rich and fragrant pan sauce. Pull the whole thing together with a couple of handfuls of spinach, and dinner is on the table in less than 30 minutes." —Summer Miller, Recipe Developer

Skillet Shrimp Fajitas

Get Recipe: Skillet Shrimp Fajitas

"This recipe works great in either a skillet or over a hot grill. The shrimp and veggies cook fast and easy either way. I prefer a cast iron skillet, which sears the shrimp nicely." —Nick Evans, Recipe Developer

Sicilian Skillet Chicken With Lemon, Olives, and Capers

Get Recipe: Sicilian Skillet Chicken With Lemon, Olives, and Capers

"This tender, tasty one-skillet chicken dish borrows the best from the Sicilian kitchen. Olives, capers, lemon, and white wine marry in a lip-smacking braising liquid that works magic with golden, meaty chicken thighs. Simple, rustic, and a real keeper." —Katie Morford, Recipe Developer

Easy Chicken Skillet Enchiladas

Get Recipe: Easy Chicken Skillet Enchiladas

"Make those enchiladas a skillet recipe that uses up leftover chicken, only dirties a single pan, and is ready in about 30 minutes, and you have a weeknight meal with Friday night appeal!" —Summer Miller, Recipe Developer

Chicken Sausage and Pasta Skillet

Get Recipe: Chicken Sausage and Pasta Skillet

"This pasta with chicken sausage dish is my go-to dinner when I need an easy dinner. All I need is a bit of oil and 5 basic ingredients: chicken sausage, pasta, marinara sauce, spinach, and cheese. That’s it." —Lisa Lin, Recipe Developer

15-Minute One-Pan Ravioli

Get Recipe: The 15-Minute Dinner I’ve Made Hundreds of Times

"I love a one-pot or one-pan meal, and if I can make it quickly, even better. This recipe is the perfect example of minimalism, using just five ingredients, one pan, 15 minutes start to finish. The combination of cheesy ravioli, tender spinach, and meaty sausage keeps me coming back for more." —Theodora Kaloudis, Recipe Developer

Skillet Chicken Divan

Get Recipe: Skillet Chicken Divan

"This skillet version has all of the creaminess and flavor you want from chicken divan but with a deliciously creamy sauce and perfectly cooked chicken and broccoli. The cook time is shrunk down to 25 minutes, and there’s no need to turn on the oven except for a super quick broil at the end to crisp the topping." —Laurel Randolph, Associate Editorial Director

Skillet Pork Chops with Cabbage

Get Recipe: Skillet Pork Chops with Cabbage

"The long, slow cooking made the cabbage and apples extra sweet, and the pork juices gave it a savory, meaty depth. It was like I was right back in Germany." —Sheryl Julian Recipe Developer

Skillet Chicken and Rice

Get Recipe: Skillet Chicken and Rice

"I think this is a pretty all-in-one meal, especially if you add the peas to the skillet! You could serve this with a starter salad or soup, though, to round out the meal." —Nick Evans, Recipe Developer

Ground Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

*Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower*

Get Recipe: Ground Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

"If you love the flavors of beef and broccoli, whip up this quick, easy, and affordable version. Ready in only 30 minutes—just enough time to cook up some rice at the same time—it’s an ideal family meal." —Laurel Randolph, Associate Editorial Director

Apple Cider Chicken Thighs with Sweet Potatoes

Get Recipe: Apple Cider Chicken Thighs with Sweet Potatoes

"These chicken thighs are a perfect all-in-one skillet dish, full of fall’s best flavors. Adults will love it even if they don’t love chicken thighs (my wife attests to this), and kids should eat it, too." —Nick Evans, Recipe Developer

Unstuffed Peppers

Get Recipe: Unstuffed Peppers

"While they’re cute to look at, stuffed peppers can be a bit of a hassle for your average hectic weeknight. That’s where unstuffed peppers come in. This recipe has all the flavors of classic stuffed peppers—ground beef, rice, tomato, and cheese—without the need to hollow out and pre-cook the whole peppers, stuff each cavity, and bake." —Laurel Randolph, Associate Editorial Director

from Simply Recipes | Recipes and cooking advice for home cooks https://ift.tt/loKiIQc

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