The Best Examples of One-Pan Dinners for Quick Weeknight Meals

Real-life examples of one-pan dinners for quick weeknight meals

Let’s skip theory and go straight to the food. Here are real examples of one-pan dinners for quick weeknight meals that busy people actually cook, with simple steps and flexible ingredients.

Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas: Fast, colorful, and family-friendly

A classic example of a one-pan dinner for quick weeknight meals is sheet pan chicken fajitas. You toss sliced chicken breast, bell peppers, and onions with oil and fajita seasoning, spread everything on a rimmed baking sheet, and roast at 400°F until the chicken is cooked through and the veggies are tender.

While that bakes, you warm tortillas and set out toppings like salsa, shredded cheese, and avocado. Dinner is done in about 25 minutes, and you’ve only dirtied one pan plus a cutting board. This is one of the best examples of a one-pan dinner that:

• Uses basic pantry spices (chili powder, cumin, garlic powder)
• Works with chicken thighs or even shrimp
• Doubles easily for meal prep lunches

For a lighter plate, skip the tortillas and serve everything over shredded lettuce or cauliflower rice. The USDA’s MyPlate guidance is a helpful reference if you want to balance your plate with veggies, lean protein, and whole grains.

One-Pan Salmon with Roasted Veggies and Potatoes

If you want something lighter but still comforting, one of the best examples of one-pan dinners for quick weeknight meals is a salmon and veggie tray bake. You spread baby potatoes (halved) on a sheet pan with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast them for about 10–15 minutes at 425°F. Then you add salmon fillets and quick-cooking veggies like green beans, asparagus, or broccoli florets to the same pan.

Brush the salmon with a mix of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and a little Dijon mustard. Roast another 10–12 minutes until the salmon flakes easily with a fork and the veggies are tender. Everything cooks on the same pan, and you get protein, vegetables, and carbs in one shot.

For a 2024-style twist, use a miso-maple glaze or a gochujang-honey glaze, which are trending flavor combos in home cooking and restaurant menus. Both pair beautifully with roasted salmon and give you a big flavor payoff with almost no extra work.

Skillet Lasagna: All the comfort, none of the fuss

If you crave comfort food, a skillet lasagna is a great example of a one-pan dinner that tastes like it took all day but doesn’t. You brown ground beef or Italian sausage in a large oven-safe skillet, add garlic and onion, then stir in a jar of marinara sauce and a bit of water or broth.

Break lasagna noodles into pieces and tuck them into the sauce, making sure they’re mostly submerged. Cover and simmer until the noodles are tender, then dollop on ricotta, sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan, and broil for a few minutes until bubbly.

It’s a strong example of one-pan dinners for quick weeknight meals because:

• You skip boiling noodles separately
• Everything cooks in one skillet from start to finish
• Leftovers reheat beautifully for lunches

To lighten it up, you can swap in ground turkey and add chopped spinach or zucchini to the sauce. For general guidance on balancing red meat intake, resources like the American Heart Association share helpful tips on choosing leaner proteins.

One-Pan Sausage, Brussels Sprouts, and Sweet Potatoes

If you like the idea of “dump it on a pan and walk away,” roasted sausage with veggies is one of the easiest examples of one-pan dinners for quick weeknight meals. Slice smoked sausage or chicken sausage into coins and toss them on a sheet pan with halved Brussels sprouts and cubed sweet potatoes.

Drizzle everything with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika, and roast at 400°F until the veggies are caramelized and the sausage is browned at the edges. This style of one-pan dinner is forgiving: you can swap in carrots, red onions, or regular potatoes based on what you have.

For a 2024 trend update, many home cooks are leaning into “high-protein, high-fiber” meals. This sheet pan combo fits that direction nicely, especially if you choose a chicken or turkey sausage and load up on veggies. The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has a helpful Healthy Eating Plate model that aligns well with this kind of balanced dinner.

One-Pot Creamy Tuscan Chicken with Spinach and Tomatoes

If you prefer the stove to the oven, a creamy Tuscan chicken is a cozy example of a one-pan dinner for quick weeknight meals. You sear boneless, skinless chicken thighs in a large skillet until browned, then set them aside. In the same pan, sauté garlic and onion, then add a splash of chicken broth to scrape up the browned bits.

Stir in a bit of cream or half-and-half, some grated Parmesan, sun-dried tomatoes, and a generous handful of baby spinach. Return the chicken to the pan and simmer until cooked through and the sauce thickens. Serve it over pasta, rice, or even crusty bread.

This is one of the best examples of a one-pan dinner when you want something restaurant-level without a sink full of dishes. You can lighten it by using evaporated milk or a blend of milk and Greek yogurt instead of heavy cream, and by loading up the spinach.

One-Pan Baked Gnocchi with Tomatoes and Mozzarella

Shelf-stable or refrigerated gnocchi has become a weeknight hero in 2024 because it cooks fast and soaks up flavor. A baked gnocchi dish is a fun example of one-pan dinners for quick weeknight meals that feels a little special.

In a baking dish, combine store-bought gnocchi, cherry tomatoes, a jar of marinara or tomato basil sauce, a splash of water, and a drizzle of olive oil. Toss in some sliced bell peppers or zucchini if you like. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 400°F until the gnocchi is tender. Uncover, top with mozzarella and Parmesan, and bake a few more minutes until melty.

You’ve just made a pasta-bake-style dinner without boiling water or dirtying a colander. Add a side salad if you want more greens, or stir baby spinach straight into the pan when it comes out of the oven.

One-Pan Teriyaki Chicken and Veggie Rice Bake

For a full meal with built-in starch, a rice bake is a powerful example of a one-pan dinner that saves both time and cleanup. In a large baking dish, combine uncooked rice, chicken broth, a bit of soy sauce, garlic, and ginger. Nestle boneless chicken thighs on top, then scatter in veggies like frozen peas, carrots, and chopped broccoli.

Cover tightly with foil and bake until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through. Brush the chicken with bottled or homemade teriyaki sauce for the last few minutes of cooking. Everything steams together, and you lift the foil to a complete, steamy, fragrant dinner.

This style of one-pan dinner is especially good for meal prep. Make a larger batch, then portion into containers for lunches. When you’re thinking about food safety for make-ahead meals, the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service has clear guidance on safe cooling and reheating.

One-Skillet Shrimp, Orzo, and Lemon

Seafood cooks fast, which makes it perfect for quick one-pan meals. A lemony shrimp and orzo skillet is a bright example of one-pan dinners for quick weeknight meals that feels fresh even in warm weather.

You start by toasting dry orzo in a bit of olive oil in a large skillet, then add garlic and a splash of white wine or broth. Pour in more broth and bring to a simmer. Once the orzo is nearly tender, add raw shrimp, cherry tomatoes, and a handful of spinach or arugula. Cover and cook just until the shrimp turn pink and opaque.

Finish with lemon zest, lemon juice, and fresh herbs if you have them. This one-pan dinner cooks in under 30 minutes and tastes like something you’d order at a restaurant near the coast.

How to build your own examples of one-pan dinners for quick weeknight meals

Once you’ve tried a few of the best examples above, you can start making your own combinations without a recipe. The basic formula for most examples of one-pan dinners for quick weeknight meals looks like this:

• Choose a protein: chicken thighs, chicken breasts, salmon, shrimp, sausage, tofu, chickpeas, or firm white fish.
• Add vegetables: pick at least two colors for flavor and nutrition—broccoli, carrots, bell peppers, zucchini, green beans, Brussels sprouts, or cherry tomatoes.
• Include a carb if you want a full meal on one pan: potatoes, sweet potatoes, gnocchi, rice (in a covered bake), orzo, or another small pasta.
• Layer on flavor: olive oil, salt, and pepper plus one “flavor theme” like fajita seasoning, Italian herbs, teriyaki, curry paste, or a lemon-garlic blend.

The idea is to match cooking times. Dense veggies and raw potatoes need more time than shrimp or fish, so you either:

• Start the slower items first and add the faster items later (like the salmon and potatoes example), or
• Cut the slow items smaller so they cook faster.

If you’re trying to keep dinners more nutritious overall, organizations like Mayo Clinic and NIH’s nutrition resources offer simple guidance on portion sizes, sodium, and healthy fats that you can apply to any of these one-pan meals.

Time-saving tips inspired by the best examples of one-pan dinners

Looking at these real examples of one-pan dinners for quick weeknight meals, a few patterns pop up that you can borrow to save time and energy.

Prep once, cook multiple nights

When you have 20–30 spare minutes on Sunday, you can:

• Slice a big batch of onions and bell peppers for fajitas or sausage bakes
• Chop a tray of root veggies (carrots, sweet potatoes, potatoes) for roasting
• Portion chicken or sausage into freezer bags with marinade

Then, on a Wednesday, you just spread things on a pan, season, and bake. You’re not starting from zero after a long day.

Use shortcuts without guilt

Many of the best examples of one-pan dinners for quick weeknight meals quietly rely on shortcuts:

• Bagged salad mixes as a side
• Pre-cut veggies like broccoli florets or sliced mushrooms
• Jarred marinara or simmer sauce
• Shelf-stable gnocchi or quick-cooking orzo

These shortcuts don’t make your dinner less “homemade.” They make it possible.

Think in themes

If you’re stuck, think of a flavor theme first, then build your pan around it. For example:

• Mexican-inspired: chicken, bell peppers, onions, fajita seasoning, tortillas on the side
• Mediterranean: chicken or salmon, cherry tomatoes, red onion, olives, lemon, oregano
• Asian-inspired: chicken thighs, broccoli, carrots, soy-ginger sauce, rice bake
• Italian comfort: sausage, peppers, onions, potatoes, Italian seasoning

Each theme can become several different examples of one-pan dinners for quick weeknight meals just by swapping the protein or veggies.

FAQ: Examples of one-pan dinners for quick weeknight meals

What is a simple example of a one-pan dinner for beginners?
A very simple example of a one-pan dinner is chicken thighs with baby potatoes and green beans. Toss everything with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder on a sheet pan and roast at 400°F until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender. It’s hard to mess up and uses basic ingredients.

What are some healthy examples of one-pan dinners for quick weeknight meals?
Healthy examples include salmon with asparagus and potatoes; chicken breast with Brussels sprouts and carrots; or shrimp with broccoli and bell peppers over a rice bake. Focus on lean proteins, plenty of vegetables, and moderate amounts of added oil and salt. Resources from Mayo Clinic and Harvard’s nutrition site can guide you on what “healthy” looks like for your situation.

Can you give examples of vegetarian one-pan dinners?
Yes. A few vegetarian examples of one-pan dinners for quick weeknight meals are: roasted chickpeas with cauliflower and sweet potatoes; baked gnocchi with tomato sauce and mozzarella; or a skillet of orzo with white beans, spinach, and tomatoes. You can also swap tofu or tempeh into many of the chicken or shrimp recipes.

Are one-pan dinners safe for meal prep and leftovers?
Most examples of one-pan dinners reheat well, especially dishes with rice, potatoes, or pasta. Cool leftovers within two hours, store in shallow containers, and refrigerate. The USDA recommends reheating leftovers to 165°F for safety. Their food safety site has more detailed guidance if you’re batch cooking.

What are the best examples of one-pan dinners for picky eaters or kids?
Kid-friendly examples include sheet pan chicken fajitas (kids can build their own), sausage with potatoes and carrots, or baked gnocchi with tomato sauce and cheese. Keep seasonings milder and serve toppings like cheese, salsa, or yogurt on the side so everyone can customize.

Once you’ve tried a few of these examples of one-pan dinners for quick weeknight meals, you’ll start to see that the real magic isn’t any single recipe. It’s the habit of thinking, “Can I cook this all together on one pan?” When the answer is yes, your weeknights get a lot calmer, and your sink stays a lot emptier.