34 Easy Cast-Iron Skillet Recipes The Whole Family Will Love

From one-pot dinners and desserts to brunch favorites, these recipes are crowd-pleasers.

By

and

Updated on June 26, 2024

pork-and-broccoli stir-fry — Photo: Marcus Nilsson

You can always count on your trusty cast-iron skillet for around-the-clock cooking. Use it to make everything from easy weeknight meals to juicy steak dinners, as well as fluffy pancakes and family-sized cookies. Here, we're sharing the cast-iron skillet recipes we whip up on the regular.

There's a good reason to give your cast-iron skillet more cook time: Regular skillets just can't compete with what cast-iron varieties are capable of. Cast iron reigns supreme for achieving a perfect sear on delicate fish fillets or creating a golden-brown crust on a juicy steak. It's a fit for all kinds of cooking methods—it can go from stovetop or broiler straight to the dinner table.

Whether you're breaking in a new skillet or dusting off your family heirloom, these cast-iron skillet recipes will help you make the most of your pan.

01 of 34

Spicy Pork-and-Pineapple Stir-Fry

pork and pineapple stir fry — Justin Walker

This quick and easy stir-fry is our take on takeout. It’s as fast and convenient as it is nutritious. Succulent bites of chili-glazed pork, peppers, green beans, and pineapple sit atop a bed of brown rice.

02 of 34

Cheesy Butter-Bean Shakshuka

Cheesy Butter Bean Shakshuka — Nico Schinco

This shakshuka has all of the spicy and smoky traditional flavors, but we add a can of butter beans and a few handfuls of fresh spinach to bulk it up and make it even more nutritious. Serve it with toasted pita points to scoop up the sauce and break through the egg yolks.

03 of 34

Martha’s Plum Skillet Cake

Martha's skillet plum cake — Mike Krautter

Cast-iron skillets have a naturally nonstick coating, so they are perfect for baking projects like this plum cake. The batter is tender and delicate—serve each slice with a scoop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

04 of 34

Seared Porterhouse Steak

Bryan Gardner

A cast-iron skillet is the best tool for searing thick cuts of meat like porterhouse steaks. By starting the steak on the stovetop and finishing it in the oven, you’ll get a golden brown crust and a perfectly cooked interior every time.

05 of 34

Potato Hash With Spinach and Eggs

This hearty one-pan meal can be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The cast-iron skillet is hefty enough to roast the potatoes, but gentle enough to bake the delicate eggs.

06 of 34

Very Veggie Fried Rice With Eggs

very veggie fried rice with eggs — Nico Schinco

The beauty of this fried rice lies in its ability to customize. Use any and all fresh or frozen vegetables you like—here, we opted for shredded kale, fresh zucchini, and a medley of frozen carrots and peas. Whatever vegetables you choose, flavor them with plenty of fresh ginger, garlic, and sesame oil.

07 of 34

Pork-Meatball Skillet Bake

Pork-Meatball Skillet Bake — Justin Walker

These fragrant pork and fennel meatballs simmer away in a sauce made of tomatoes, bell peppers, and onions. Top them with fresh mozzarella cheese and pop them under the broiler, along with a few slices of crusty bread.

08 of 34

Skillet Cornbread

Sure, you can bake cornbread in a regular baking dish, but since cast-iron retains heat so well, the cornbread will develop a crisp golden brown crust while maintaining its soft interior texture. This recipe is a classic—just serve it with some softened butter for spreading.

09 of 34

Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie

Lennart Weibull

One skillet and two steps are all it takes to make this shareable cookie. The well-insulated cast iron lightly toasts the edges while the center stays protected from overbaking, so the cookie winds up being chewy, gooey, and crisp all at once.

10 of 34

Skillet Cod With Bulgur, Zucchini, and Tomatoes

braised cod and bulgur with zucchini and tomatoes — Justin Walker

This healthy one-pan dinner is inspired by Mediterranean flavors. It pairs heart-healthy cod, whole grains, and nutrient-dense summer vegetables to create a delicious and satisfying meal.

11 of 34

Curried Steak With Scallion Rice and Peas

Curried Steak with Scallion Rice and Peas — Ren Fuller

Flank steak is brushed with Massaman curry paste, which adds a slightly spicy warming flavor. When it hits the skillet, it helps caramelize the crust and add even more flavor to the meat.

12 of 34

Caramelized Skillet Peaches

martha-bakes-505-tip-caramelized-skillet-peaches-1015.jpg

These sweet caramelized peaches are delicious when served over a few scoops of vanilla ice cream or spooned over pound cake with a dollop of whipped cream. All you need is some lemon juice, cinnamon, and brown sugar to bring out the peach flavor.

13 of 34

Quick Skillet Paella With Shrimp and Tomatoes

Andrew Purcell

You don’t need a special pan to make paella at home—a cast-iron skillet does the job just as well. This flavorful paella recipe is made with smoky chorizo, shrimp, and arborio rice.

14 of 34

Berry Grunt

berry grunt — Tara Donne

You can—and should—make dessert in your cast-iron skillet. Sometimes called a slump, a grunt is an easy fruit dessert topped with fluffy drop biscuits. We used a mix of blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries for this recipe and the result is a delicious, homey treat.

15 of 34

Classic Dutch Baby

classic dutch baby topped with berries and cream — Lennart Weibull

The steam created by pouring the batter into a super-hot cast-iron skillet is what sends this Dutch baby to new heights. Once the pancake poofs up in the center and the edges look brown and crisp, take it out and pile on the berries and cream.

16 of 34

Sirloin Steak With Spinach and Onions

sirloin steak spinach onions — Chris Simpson

You've likely seared a steak in your cast-iron skillet before, but have you seared it under the broiler? That's what this clever recipe calls for. Once it's cooked, remove the steak to a cutting board so it can rest and broil some sliced onion to toss in a quick salad.

17 of 34

Braised Chicken With Potatoes, Olives, and Lemon

skillet chicken potatoes olives — Johnny Miller

This one-pot weeknight dinner starts on the stovetop, goes into the oven, and then takes a quick turn under the broiler before you can set it on the table for family-style sharing. The fresh lemon and briny olives add a taste of the Mediterranean.

18 of 34

Broccoli-and-Chickpea Parmesan

broccoli-and-chickpea parmesan — Johnny Miller

Here's a hearty vegetarian weeknight meal that's baked in your trusty cast-iron skillet. If you enjoy eggplant Parmesan, you'll love this broccoli variation. It's a comfort food dinner everyone will love.

19 of 34

Skillet Steak With Pink-Peppercorn Butter

Steak With Pink-Peppercorn Butter — Johnny Fogg

Make a romantic dinner for two—all in one cast-iron skillet. While the rib-eye steak sears, whip up a quick Meyer lemon and pink peppercorn compound butter and a simple herb and frisee salad to serve alongside.

20 of 34

Test Kitchen's Favorite Buttermilk Pancakes

buttermilk pancakes — Armando Rafael

A well-seasoned cast-iron skillet is a great choice for making pancakes because of its ability to maintain a consistent temperature. You won't have to deal with any practice pancakes with this recipe.

21 of 34

Skillet Chili Nachos

skillet chili nachos — Justin Walker

Let a cast-iron skillet be the cradle for some seriously good nachos; the high sides of the pan allow for many cheesy layers.

22 of 34

Creamy Lemon Chicken With Spinach and Artichokes

creamy lemon chicken with spinach and artichokes — Marcus Nilsson

While we'd never judge you for having dip and chips for dinner, we'd like to offer this skillet dinner as an alternative. Chicken cutlets are seared in a little butter until golden brown, then simmered in a creamy spinach-artichoke sauce. Serve over rice or pair the chicken with crusty slices of bread for dipping.

23 of 34

Pad See Ew

Martyna Szczesna

This beloved Thai noodle dish gets its signature flavor from the caramelization that happens in the pan. If you don't have a decent wok setup, a cast-iron is a great substitute since it can get (and stay) ripping hot.

24 of 34

Garlic-Stuffed Roasted Chicken

One of the hurdles with roast chicken is that the white meat is typically done before the dark meat. This recipe solves the problem by roasting it in a cast-iron skillet; the dark meat gets a jumpstart from its proximity to the super-hot pan, allowing everything to finish at the same time.

25 of 34

Wild-Mushroom Skillet Pizza

The next best thing to a standalone pizza oven? A cast-iron skilled. It does a great job baking a chewy, golden-brown crust. Whip up a pie in this trusty skillet and we promise it will be the star of your next pizza night.

26 of 34

Vinegared Pork Chop Milanese

vinegared pork chop milanese with radish salad — Johnny Miller

The steady, consistent heat that a cast-iron skillet can bring is great for shallow-frying these breaded pork chops. The same skillet is later used to dress the crispy chops in a vinegar sauce right before serving.

27 of 34

Vegetarian Enchiladas Suizas

vegetarian enchiladas suizas — Con Poulos

You can take a cast-iron skillet from stovetop to oven to table without having to think twice. Its versatility is quickly proved here in this delicious weeknight dinner of cheesy enchiladas.

28 of 34

Skillet Shrimp and Orzo

shrimp orzo — Hector Sanchez

This one-dish dinner is inspired by Spanish paella and comes together in about 30 minutes. It puts the stovetop, oven, and broiler to work; it's a good thing a cast-iron skillet can do all three with ease.

29 of 34

Skillet Potatoes

Randy Harris

Here's another one of our go-to cast-iron skillet recipes. Little potatoes are parboiled then finish in a cast-iron skillet, so they stay soft and fluffy on the inside and brown and crispy on the outside for a simple, satisfying accompaniment to a Sunday roast.

30 of 34

Oven-Baked Blueberry Pancake

Ryan Liebe

On those mornings when standing at the stove flipping a dozen little pancakes just isn't going to work, turn to this skillet recipe. Pop a tray of bacon in the oven to cook alongside it and serve your giant pancake in wedges with softened butter and warmed maple syrup on the side.

31 of 34

Gingery Pork-and-Broccoli Stir-Fry

pork-and-broccoli stir-fry — Marcus Nilsson

The trick to this great stir-fry is to cook the ingredients separately over very high heat before combining them with the gingery sauce. That way, you don't overcrowd the pan and each ingredient can develop a golden brown crust instead of steaming.

32 of 34

Roast Beef With Shallots

Aya Brackett

As the beef roast cooks in the oven, its drippings go right on top of a sizzling bed of shallots. Those same drippings are the start of a delicious pan sauce.

33 of 34

Squash Hash With Kale and Baked Eggs

David Prince

This recipe for a healthy start to the day begins in a cast-iron skillet. Squash and carrots are sautéed with kale and cilantro to make a hash. Eggs baked sunny-side-up complete this good-for-you breakfast.

34 of 34

Grilled Gruyère Sandwich With Onion Jam

close up plated grilled cheese — Sidney Bensimon

This fancy grilled cheese is a little like French onion soup in sandwich form. As the Gruyère cheese and onion jam filling melt on the inside, the outside is crisped up until golden brown in the cast-iron skillet.

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Tell us why!

Related Articles

wine braised chicken in a blue Dutch oven

23 Dutch Oven Recipes That Make Delicious Dinners

braised cod and bulgur with zucchini and tomatoes

13 One-Pot Fish Dinners to Make When You Want Easy, Healthy Weeknight Meals

Cannellini-Bean and Greens Stew

Our Food Editors' Favorite One-Pot Recipes Are Dishes You'll Make Again and Again

corn risotto with basil and tomato

One-Pot Dinner Recipes You Can Make in 30 Minutes or Less

weeknight vegetarian chili served with tortillas

14 One-Pot Dinners That You'll Want to Make on Repeat This Fall

chicken scarpariello

Our Most Popular One-Pot Dinner Recipes

Cheater's Mac and Cheese recipe

Easy One-Pot Pasta Recipes to Make for Dinner Tonight

skillet chocolate chip cookie

Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie

salmon creamy orzo

Baked Salmon with Creamy Orzo

bacon potato and swiss chard scramble served on grey plate

Bacon, Potato, and Swiss Chard Scramble

blistered green-bean and corn frittata plate and fork

Blistered Green-Bean and Corn Frittata

Broccoli rabe bacon pasta

One-Pot Pasta With Broccoli Rabe and Bacon

one pan cuban chicken with rice beans

One-Pan Cuban Chicken with Rice and Beans

apple-caramel french toast

Apple-Caramel French Toast

rice porridge

Sweet Rice Porridge