In today's fast-paced world, finding time to cook healthy and delicious meals can be a challenge. One-pan cooking not only makes meal prep a breeze but also keeps cleanup simple, giving you more time in the evening for things you enjoy. If you’ve yet to discover the joy that is sheet pan dinners, let this be your guide. These one-pan meals are my ultimate go-to for busy weeknights and meal prep.
Why One-Sheet Pan Meals?
Sheet pan dinners are an easy meal idea where everything - protein and veggies - is roasted all together on a single baking sheet. It’s an oven-baked one-pot meal. As the author of the New York Times Best Selling Skinnytaste One and Done cookbook, it’s no surprise I’ve tested my fair share of sheet pan dinners! I love how versatile they are-you can make everything from Thanksgiving dinner to weekly meal prep on a single pan.
Here's why you'll love these easy one-pan dinners:
- Minimal Cleanup: Enjoy a delicious home-cooked meal with only one pan to wash.
- Nutritious: Pack your meals with a variety of vegetables, proteins, and healthy fats.
- Customizable: Adapt the recipes to your liking by swapping out ingredients.
- Time-Saving: Most sheet pan dinners are ready in under 30 minutes.
- Flexible & forgiving: Swap veggies, proteins, sauces.
- Great leftovers:
Essential Equipment
The best baking pan for sheet pan dinners is an 18×13-inch rimmed baking sheet. This size makes it easy to spread the ingredients out evenly, without crowding the pan. Jelly roll pans are on the smaller side (measuring about 15×10 inches). They’ll work in a pinch, though you won’t be able to fit as many ingredients in your pan. If you ask me, it’s worthwhile investing in a sturdy, aluminum baking pan that’s large enough, that still fits in your oven.
Here's what you'll need to get started:
Read also: Healthy food access with Highmark Wholecare explained.
- Sheet pans. I keep a variety of aluminum sheet pans in my kitchen.
- Parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- A high-quality, sharp knife.
- Multiple cutting boards. I use wood for plant-based ingredients and glass for meats because some research shows that plastic cutting boards can be a source of microplastics in food.
Tips for Perfect One-Sheet Pan Meals
- Line the pan: For the easiest clean-up, cover your baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper before cooking. When you use foil, make sure to lightly spray it with cooking spray or brush it with olive oil. No scrubbing!
- Prep your ingredients ahead: Meats can be marinaded up to a day ahead, and you can chop your veggies in advance, too.
- Timing is everything: Make sure that you plan to roast sturdier veggies, like carrots and potatoes, ahead of ingredients with shorter cooking times. A good rule of thumb is to choose meat and veggies with similar cooking times. Most protein and vegetables take between 20-30 minutes in a 400ºF oven. Bone-in chicken and harder root vegetables will take longer to cook, while seafood and softer veggies cook the quickest. You can always add ingredients to the pan at different stages to ensure that they cook evenly.
- Oil your ingredients well.
- Season your ingredients: Along with oil, another key to delicious sheet pan dinners is seasoning. Make sure that your protein and vegetables are well-seasoned when they go into the oven, either by marinating or using a seasoning blend.
- Use a rack when needed: Most sheet pan dinners can cook directly on the baking sheet, no questions asked. However, if you’re baked breaded chicken alongside your veggies, for example, make sure to place it on a wire rack.
- Grab prepped vegetables: To really speed things up, look for prepped sliced vegetables in the produce department or salad bar. Chopping can take a long time, and grabbing ready-to-go veggies saves tons of time.
- Easy sides: Instead of dirtying up the kitchen making side dishes, reach for easy sides like microwave/frozen rice, canned beans, precooked quinoa, or bagged salads to keep things simple.
A Simple Formula for Sheet Pan Meals
Most sheet pan dinners come down to two components: protein and vegetables. I like to strike a good balance between the two.
- Protein: Choose your favorite protein source, such as chicken, turkey, sausage, salmon, shrimp, tofu, or steak.
- Vegetables: Fill the rest of the pan with veggies that are good for roasting.
Delicious One-Sheet Pan Meal Recipes
Chicken-Based Dishes
One Skillet Crispy Chicken Thighs & Creamy Lemon Garlic Orzo: A meal that honestly has no right being this good while being so easy. The Broccolini’s went crazy over it and I get tagged almost daily by people making it.
Sheet Pan Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs with Parsnips and Kale: This easy dinner comes together in 45 minutes with just 6 healthy ingredients. The honey mustard sauce is so good on the potatoes!
Sheet Pan Chicken and Gnocchi with Broccoli Rabe: Gnocchi on a sheet pan? You won’t believe how delicious it is. In fact, you might never go back to boiling it.
Mediterranean Chicken Thighs: Crispy chicken thighs bake over a bed of Greek-inspired veggies and finished with tangy kalamata olives and salty feta is one of my favorite sheet pan meals.
Read also: Healthy Eating on the Run
Sheet Pan Cornish Hens with Summer Vegetables: AKA roast chicken in a hurry! This is done in a little over an hour and no one has to fight over who gets the drumstick. Add potatoes and your favorite vegetables.
Balsamic Chicken with Roasted Potatoes, Red Onion, Tomatoes, and Herbs: This delicious sheet pan meal packs a ton of flavor onto one easy sheet pan! Make it with chicken breast or thighs, whichever you prefer.
Sheet Pan Cashew Chicken: This quick and easy cashew chicken stir fry is ready in just about the same time it would take to order delivery, but it’s so much tastier. Bell peppers and broccoli give it so much flavor. Not in the mood for chicken? This recipe is also great with shrimp!
Roasted Chicken with Allspice and Citrus: All of the sweet citrus in this flavorful recipe will remind you of summer, even in the middle of winter.
BBQ Chicken Nachos: Sheet pan nachos are always a crowd favorite! This recipe makes enough to feed the whole family with minimal effort. Gluten Free.
Read also: Mobile Dining Revolution
Sheet Pan Chicken Shawarma: Craving something different with your chicken? Check out this homemade chicken shawarma recipe. It looks incredible.
Roasted Chicken Pita Wraps with Crispy Chickpeas: I LOVE the look and sound of this high protein recipe made with simple ingredients! Pop open a bottle of chilled white wine to go along with it and have a date night on a Tuesday!
Sheet Pan BBQ Chicken With Mango Salad: Barbecue chicken is a summertime classic, but now you can enjoy it year-round thanks to this easy sheet pan recipe. Instead of a vegetable, like corn or green beans, I like serving this chicken with spicy mango salad to keep the summertime theme going.
Sheet Pan Bruschetta Chicken: Packed with flavor and protein, it only takes 30 minutes and the cleanup is minimal.
Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas: I like to serve these over brown rice or in a tortilla with alllll the toppings. Easiest way to make fajitas and just so delicious.
Sheet Pan Rosemary Chicken Meatballs With Creamy Tomato Orzo: Creamy, cozy, flavor packed and all in one skillet.
Sheet Pan Thai Cashew Chicken and Vegetables: This is a spin on Thai Cashew Chicken that is all made on a single sheet pan with a sauce you will be licking off the plate. This was one of our family's favorite meals last year and packed with so much delicious flavor.
Sheet Pan Asian Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry: is easiest way to make a stir fry without having to stand by the stove. It has a rich homemade stir fry sauce, tons of fresh veggies, and tender chicken breast. Make it sweet or spicy and serve it with steamed rice or quinoa for a quick dinner.
Sheet Pan Chicken Parmesan: is a healthier twist on a classic Italian meal that your whole family will love. This sheet pan chicken parm recipe is easy to make and even includes your veggies.
Roasted Chicken, Potatoes, and Broccoli: is a classic meal made so much easier since it is all cooked together on a single sheet pan. Cooked in a combination of butter, garlic, and Italian seasoning, this chicken comes out perfectly tender, and the potatoes are super crispy. We like it with broccoli but you can swap in any vegetable you like.
Sheet Pan Herb Chicken and Sweet Potatoes: is always a family favorite with perfectly seasoned chicken breast cooked with sweet potatoes, broccoli, and onion for an effortless meal that everyone loves.
Lemon-Parmesan Gnocchi with Mushrooms: This is a great vegetarian option for hectic weeknights! Make it with asparagus or green beans. Vegetarian.
Turkey-Based Dishes
- Southwest Turkey Skillet: This recipe is packed with a variety of nutrients, antioxidants, and proteins.
- One Pan Lasagna Skillet: PERFECT weeknight dinner that takes all the classic lasagna flavors and combines them into a simple, 30 minute, one pan meal!
- One Pan Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet: Delicious, protein packed and makes great leftovers.
- One Pot Creamy Turkey Rigatoni: Sooo damn good and you probably have most of these ingredients at home already.
- Turkey Fall Skillet: The best combo of all those cozy fall flavors you want while making you feel nourished and satisfied afterward.
- One Pan Turkey Sausage & Vegetables: I love that I usually have all the ingredients for this One Pan Turkey Sausage & Vegetables in my kitchen. This easy recipe from Chocolate Slopes is a delicious way to eat more veggies and takes only 5 minutes to prep + 20 minutes to bake.
Sausage-Based Dishes
- One Pan Sausage & Veggie Orzo: Savory, quick and PACKED with veggies. You can’t go wrong here.
- Sheet Pan Gnocchi With Bell Peppers & Sausage Meatballs: A sheet pan full of colorful veggies, tender gnocchi, and protein-packed chicken sausage meatballs, this one is bound to become a weekly fav.
- Roast Sausages with Apples and Parsnips: Roasting sausages is one of my favorite ways to cook them.
- Sheet Pan Spanish Style Potatoes with Chorizo: This easy sheet pan dinner recipe features tender potatoes, smokey chorizo, and broccoli seasoned with a tasty blend of paprika, oregano, and parsley.
- Roasted Sausage and Mini Bell Peppers: This is an easy, low carb take on classic sausage and peppers. Eat it plain or pop it onto sandwich roll if counting carbs isn’t your jam. You can also make low carb bowls but serving it over cauliflower rice.
- One Pan Chicken Sausages, Sweet Potatoes, and Green Beans: is truly a build-your-own meal. Just grab your favorite chicken sausages, any type of potato, and a quick cooking vegetable, and dinner can be ready in under 30 minutes.
- One Pan Mustard Roasted Sausages, Potatoes, and Brussels Sprouts: is another take on a sheet pan dinner with chicken sausages that's covered in the most delicious mustard sauce. You won't believe how crispy the potatoes and Brussels sprouts turn out.
Beef-Based Dishes
- Cheesesteak Skillet: You can eat this as a low carb skillet or toss it into a hoagie roll for a cheesesteak sandwich.
- Beef Fried Rice: This is the meal I make after a long day of work and don’t feel like chopping or doing a bunch of dishes.
- One Pot Hamburger Helper Orzo: This comforting recipe is a grown-up version of the boxed Hamburger Helper we all used to love.
- One Pan Salisbury Steaks for Two: Here’s another classic recipe, pared down and sped up. I love this quick dinner idea!
- Sheet Pan Tacos: Tacos are always a good idea, but this recipe makes them fuss free to make and eat! Use ground beef or your favorite protein, or use refried beans for a vegetarian dinner.
- Sheet Pan Steak Fajitas: with tender steak, peppers, onions, and the best easy homemade fajita seasoning. Serve it with warm tortillas, guacamole, and salsa for a homemade meal that is better than takeout.
- Sheet Pan Rosemary Steak and Sweet Potatoes: is one of my favorite, easy fancy dinners. Perfectly cooked flank steak, tender potatoes, and crisp asparagus all cooked in a delicious rosemary sauce and ready in just 30 minutes.
Seafood Dishes
- Green Goddess Sheet Pan Salmon & Potatoes: Perfect weeknight meal to add to your rotation.
- Sheet Pan Panko Salmon & Crispy Broccoli: One of my favorite ways to make salmon and only 20 minutes…go crazy.
- Garlic Dill Sheet Pan Salmon: The healthiest, quick dinner that is packed with flavor.
- Sheet Pan Maple Pecan Salmon: This Sheet Pan Maple Pecan Salmon is the perfect dinner for when you’re feeling something on the lighter side, but still want all of those cozy fall flavors.
- One Pan Orange Salmon with Sweet Potatoes + Broccoli: Soy sauce, sriracha, and orange marmalade make an awesome glaze for this salmon.
- Ginger Soy Roast Salmon and Asparagus: Another great glaze, this one has garlic, ginger, green onions, and sweetened with honey.
- Baked Fish and Vegetables: Cooking fish is so easy when you do it on a sheet pan! Be sure to include a spice rub for tons of great flavor.
- Roasted Salmon with Olives and Tomatoes: Salmon and olives are a match made in heaven. Give this recipe a try - you won’t be disappointed! This is a romantic recipe for an easy date night that won’t break the bank. Plus it’s ready in minutes!
- Sheet Pan Root Vegetable and Sage Pesto Salmon: This is another delicious recipe that packs a ton of flavor into each and every bite!
- Sheet Pan Salmon and Vegetables: The lemon-parmesan crust on this salmon is so good!
- Butter Garlic Sheet Pan Shrimp: If you have a bag of frozen shrimp in the freezer, then you should totally drown them in buttery, garlicky goodness for this sheet pan supper. Low Carb.
- Sheet Pan Shrimp Scampi for One: Senior Editor Eric Kim was inspired to make this solo shrimp scampi supper after a trip to Hawaii. Now we can enjoy it, too (without stepping on an airplane).
- One Pan Blackened Cod, Sweet Potatoes, and Zucchini: is a healthy sheet pan dinner made with quick and easy homemade blackening seasoning made from items you already have in your spice cabinet.
- Sheet Pan Italian Salmon and Green Beans: It requires only 4 ingredients + 20 minutes to make. Seriously, what’s not to love?!!!
- Sheet Pan Asian Salmon with Veggies: can be on your plate in 20 minutes.
- Glazed Baked Cod & Asparagus: This is topped with a Coconut Peanut Sauce that sounds divine!
- Honey Soy Roasted Shrimp & Asparagus: could almost convert me to the dark side. If you love shrimp, like Mr. Spicy and most people I know, I have a feeling you’ll want to add this to your weeknight dinner repertoire.
- Chili Lime Shrimp: These Chili Lime Shrimp are fabulous on top of a big salad, stuffed into a taco or fajita, or simply served with a side of brown rice.
- Nuta-Caramelized Chicken & Squash: Consisting of white miso, yellow mustard powder, sugar, and rice vinegar, nuta is a typical Japanese dressing for blanched greens and seafood that tastes like really good honey mustard. Here nuta works double-duty: caramelized on chicken thighs and squash, and as a piquant dressing for peppery arugula.
- Sheet Pan Broccoli & Chorizo Salad With Tortilla Chip Gremolata: Salad? On a sheet-pan? Recipe developer EmilyC thinks yes, making three great cases for it.
Vegetarian Dishes
Cauliflower Gnocchi Skillet: Insanely quick to make and delicious while simultaneously being gluten and dairy free! All around a win.
One Pot Egg Roll Bowls: This is the best for when you are craving takeout food, but don’t want to feel like trash after eating it.
Summer Sausage Skillet with Creamy Pesto Sauce: Savory sausage with tons of summer veggies all in one skillet and topped with a delicious creamy pesto sauce. Serve over rice or pasta or enjoy as is!
Fall Veggie Sheet Pan Dinner With Maple Mustard Sauce: This one is the ultimate comfort sheet pan meal. The combination of these mixed with the sauce…drooling.
All-In-One Sheet-Pan Brown Rice With Sweet Potato And Broccoli Rabe: This recipe highlights a reliable, forgiving method for cooking grains on a sheet pan in the oven, and results in a flavorful, do-it-all grain salad you’ll turn to again and again.
Our Best Brussels Sprouts With Bacon: Our best version of the best food partnership (okay at the very least tied with peanut butter and eggs). Top a bowl of these Brussels sprouts and crisp bacon bits with a soft, oozy egg, for a square (round?) meal.
Baking Sheet Macaroni and Cheese: Food52 co-founder Amanda Hesser wanted a mac and cheese that didn’t skimp on the crunch-so she made this recipe. Combining techniques from baked pasta, gratin, and kugel, Amanda’s mac is texturally complex and decidedly delicious.
Sheet-Pan Apple Crisp: A traditional apple crisp is heavy on the apples, lighter on the streusel. Not with this sheet-pan riff from Food Editor Emma Laperruque. “Instead of using a deep-dish casserole pan, a sheet pan creates a shallow crisp that’s equal parts jammy apples and oaty streusel,” Emma writes.
Sheet Pan Fried Rice: If you need enough veggie fried rice to feed a crowd, then this is the recipe for you. Everyone will love how crispy this rice turns out! Vegetarian.
Sweet Potato Hash with Eggs: Have breakfast for dinner with this loaded sheet pan hash with eggs that cook right on top. Vegetarian. Leave of the eggs for a tasty vegan dish. Vegan.
Tandoori Tofu: This high protein dinner full of tofu and fresh vegetables is made with just 7 ingredients! Arrange ingredients on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake until cooked through.
Smoked Salmon & Dill Sheet Pan Frittata: is a genius idea!
Sheet Pan Asian Tofu and Vegetable Stir Fry: is a delicious, healthy vegetarian sheet pan meal packed with vegetables, extra-firm tofu, and a tasty sauce that helps the vegetables caramelize and crisp up.
Easy Sheet Pan Cauliflower Gnocchi: with crispy kale, onions, rosemary, and pine nuts.
Loaded Sheet Pan Nachos: Liz makes them with Flatouts, but you can easily swap it with corn tortillas for a gluten-free version.
Southwest Breakfast Sheet Pan Bake: Doesn’t this Southwest Breakfast Sheet Pan Bake from Kiss in the Kitchen look fabulous?!!!