35 Cast-Iron Skillet Recipes, From One-Pot Dinners and Desserts to Brunch Favorites (2024)

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 (and think you will, too).

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 quick-cooking scallops or creating a golden-brown crust on a juicy steak. It's a fit for all kinds of cooking methods—you can take it from the stovetop to the oven and then finish it under the broiler before setting it on the table for family-style sharing.

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.

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Skillet-Cooked Mixed-Berry Grunt

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You can—and should—make dessert in your cast-iron skillet. Start here: 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.

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Roasted Chicken Breasts With Grape Stuffing

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Here's a cozy, comforting dinner where the chicken bakes on top of a delectable rustic stuffing. Trust us, there's a lot to like about this cast-iron skillet recipe.

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Classic Dutch Baby

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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.

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Sirloin Steak With Spinach and Onions

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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 has you do. Once it's cooked, remove the steak to a cutting board so it can rest and broil some sliced onion in your skillet. The onion gets tossed with spinach and a few other ingredients for a restaurant-quality salad to serve with the steak.

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Braised Chicken With Potatoes, Olives, and Lemon

35 Cast-Iron Skillet Recipes, From One-Pot Dinners and Desserts to Brunch Favorites (5)

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.

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Broccoli-and-Chickpea Parmesan

35 Cast-Iron Skillet Recipes, From One-Pot Dinners and Desserts to Brunch Favorites (6)

Here'a hearty vegetarian weeknight meal that's baked in your trusty cast-iron skillet. It's a comfort food dinner everyone will love.

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Pork Chops With Pineapple-Cilantro Rice

35 Cast-Iron Skillet Recipes, From One-Pot Dinners and Desserts to Brunch Favorites (7)

The cast-iron skillet pulls double duty in this easy weeknight dinner. First, the pork chops are seared on the stovetop. Next, add fresh pineapple, rice, broth, and cabbage, then bake it all in the oven.

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Skillet Chocolate-Chip Cookie

35 Cast-Iron Skillet Recipes, From One-Pot Dinners and Desserts to Brunch Favorites (8)

We wanted a quick dessert we could make on a whim. One skillet and two steps later, this easy and delicious cookie was created. The well-insulated cast iron lightly toasts the edges while center stays protected from overbaking, so the cookie winds up being chewy, gooey, and crisp all at once.

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Test Kitchen's Favorite Buttermilk Pancakes

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A well-seasoned cast-iron skillet is a great choice for making pancakes because of its ability to retain a consistent temperature. Though it may take a few extra minutes of preheating due to its heft, it's worth it to not have to fuss with the dial the whole time.

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Dry-Fried Green Beans

35 Cast-Iron Skillet Recipes, From One-Pot Dinners and Desserts to Brunch Favorites (10)

If you've only ever had steamed green beans and want to try something new, pop them in your cast-iron skillet for a transformation. This easy side comes together in under 20 minutes and produces a tasty char on the beans, which enhances flavor and brings out their natural sweetness.

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Skillet Chili Nachos

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

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Seared Rib-Eye Steak With Smashed Potatoes

35 Cast-Iron Skillet Recipes, From One-Pot Dinners and Desserts to Brunch Favorites (12)

Searing a steak is the kind of task that the cast-iron skillet was made for. Its heavy bottom will retain a steady, even heat which makes scoring a deep brown crust with crackling edges a cake walk. This recipe has you top the steaks with a flavorful scallion butter and serve them alongside crispy smashed potatoes.

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Creamy Lemon Chicken With Spinach and Artichokes

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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.

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Pad See Ew

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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.

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Sage and Honey Skillet Cornbread

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When you want a moist, tender cornbread that has a buttery crust all around the edges, there's only one skillet for the job. Don't believe us? Ask your grandma! Perhaps the most famous use for cast-iron skillets, cornbread has found a home in this pan for generations.

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Skillet Spinach Pie

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A riff on Greek spanakopita that's far from authentic, this approach to a spinach-feta pie goes a little easier on the butter and streamlines the prep, making it ideal for a quick, plant-based weeknight dinner.

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Garlic-Stuffed Roasted Chicken

35 Cast-Iron Skillet Recipes, From One-Pot Dinners and Desserts to Brunch Favorites (17)

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.

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Wild-Mushroom Skillet Pizza

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The next best thing to a standalone pizza oven, a cast-iron skillet will do 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 at your next pizza night.

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Greg's Campfire Breakfast Hash

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Cast-iron skillets were pretty much made for campfire cooking. They can go right over the open flame, be it on an actual fire, coals, or backyard grill—try this hash over fire sometime soon.

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Vinegared Pork Chop Milanese

35 Cast-Iron Skillet Recipes, From One-Pot Dinners and Desserts to Brunch Favorites (20)

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.

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Fruit Skillet Cake

35 Cast-Iron Skillet Recipes, From One-Pot Dinners and Desserts to Brunch Favorites (21)

This simple cake can highlight a wide variety of different fruits. Make it with strawberries in the summer or apples in the fall—what doesn't change is how easy this cake is to make.

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Seared Scallops

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When it comes to easy-to-cook proteins, scallops are a sure bet. The secret? A ripping hot pan and a cooking oil that can take the heat without turning your kitchen into a smoke show. A cast-iron skillet and this recipe, which uses safflower oil, are your ticket to perfectly-cooked scallops with a deep golden crust.

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Saffron Rice and Potato Skillet Cake

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Your dinner guests will flip for this skillet dish inspired by the Persian delicacy tahdig. Pile saffron-scented rice atop a layer of thinly sliced potatoes and let it cook on the stovetop. While the rice steams, the potatoes brown and crisp. Before serving, invert the mixture out of the skillet and onto a platter for a stunning presentation.

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Vegetarian Enchiladas Suizas

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You can take a cast-iron skillet from stovetop to oven to table without having to think twice about the handle melting off or chemical off-gassing. Its versatility is quickly proved here in this delicious weeknight dinner of Swiss-style enchiladas.

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Broiled Skillet Chicken With Leeks, Potatoes, and Spinach

35 Cast-Iron Skillet Recipes, From One-Pot Dinners and Desserts to Brunch Favorites (25)

This entire meal is cooked under the broiler in just one skillet, and there's no better choice than cast-iron for this high-temperature endeavor.

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Skillet Shrimp and Orzo

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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.

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Skillet Potatoes

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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.

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Oven-Baked Blueberry Pancake

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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.

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Gingery Pork-and-Broccoli Stir-Fry

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The trick to this great stir-fry is to cook the ingredients separately over very high heat before combining them with the gingery sauce.

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Skillet-Fried Trout With Herbs and Tomatoes

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A cast-iron skillet can be put over a campfire or backyard grill and will cook whole pieces of trout to perfection.

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Chocolate Brownie Spoon Bread

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A small cast-iron skillet is used for this irresistible chocolate spoon bread that features a crackly crust and pudding-like interior.

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Roast Beef With Shallots

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

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Squash Hash With Kale and Baked Eggs

35 Cast-Iron Skillet Recipes, From One-Pot Dinners and Desserts to Brunch Favorites (33)

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.

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Grilled Gruyère Sandwich With Onion Jam

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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.

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Spicy Fried Rice With Chiles, Ginger, Garlic, and Soy

35 Cast-Iron Skillet Recipes, From One-Pot Dinners and Desserts to Brunch Favorites (35)

A large, well-seasoned skillet is perfect for a quick dinner like this fried rice; its surface stays extra hot as you work in batches to pan-fry thinly sliced pork and veggies like carrots and onion. A fiery sauce of chile paste, ginger, garlic, and soy sauce is added near the end to season every bite.

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