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Weeknight Cast Iron Skillet Recipes

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These easy skillet recipes are here to help you win dinner! Easy meals your family will love, and all cooked in your favorite cast iron skillet!

a cast iron skillet, blue checked towel, a wooden spoon, cookbooks, and fresh herbs on a wooden table

What is best cooked in a cast iron skillet?

Basically, almost everything. You can make everything from fried chicken to dutch baby pancakes, to pizza, to Swedish meatballs, you can cook almost anything in a cast iron skillet! Cast iron skillets are an essential tool you need in your kitchen!

What I love about cast iron skillet recipes is how simple they usually are – you don’t need a whole bunch of different dishes going on – you have everything you need for a meal in one place. PLUS it means making less dishes!

Top 5 reasons why you should be using cast iron skillets

  1. Cast Iron is SO sturdy!  They can take some serious abuse. They won’t break, they won’t scratch, and even if you break every cardinal rule in how to take care of them, you can almost always bring them back to their beautiful, shiny, glory!
  2. Cast Iron has even heat distribution! When you are cooking on the stovetop, having the heat evenly distributed across your pan is super important. No one likes a pork chop that’s burnt on the right and raw on the left.
  3. Cast Iron can take the heat! Not only can you use them on the stovetop, but they are also fantastic in the oven, on the grill, or in a campfire. Try that with your Teflon. Or…don’t…
  4. Cast Iron are non-stick! When seasoned properly, you can cook pretty much anything on these, and it won’t stick!
  5. Cast Iron are super versatile! You can cook pretty much anything in cast iron – you can beautifully sear a steak, fry some chicken, or bake cinnamon rolls. There isn’t much it can’t do.

 

If Cast Iron seems super intimidating to you, I highly recommend you check out my post “Cast Iron 101 – How to Care for & Maintain Cast Iron ” – It will seriously tell you EVERYTHING you need to know about caring for your cast iron!

1
Chicken Fajita Skillet
Chicken Fajita Pasta Skillet
This Chicken Fajita Pasta Skillet is an easy Tex-Mex inspired meal that is super quick, and the fajita veggies and creamy and flavorful sauce are pretty much lovely. And – the kiddos love it, too!
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2
shakshuka in bowl and cast iron skillet
feastinthyme.com
South Asian Spiced Shakshuka
Filled with Indian flavors, sliced bell pepper, fresh plum tomatoes, healthy spinach and sunny little eggs, this South Asian Spiced Shakshuka is the perfect vegetarian option for a lovely brunch!
Get the recipe
3
Greek Meatballs with Lemon Orzo Skillet
This easy greek meatball skillet with lemon orzo is a great family friendly weeknight meal. Greek spiced beef meatballs are cooked with orzo, diced zucchini and tomatoes and sprinkled with fresh dill and fresh lemon juice. This 30 minute meal is flavorful and easy!
Get the recipe
4
https://houseofnasheats.com
Whole Roasted Mexican Chicken
Tender and juicy, whole roasted Mexican chicken with peppers, onions and carrots is loaded with flavor and is good enough for Sunday dinner but easy enough for weeknights.
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5
closeup of mac and cheese scoop being lifted out of skillet
https://www.kyleecooks.com
Skillet Mac and Cheese
Comfort food at its finest, this skillet mac & cheese is so easy! Just the skillet and a pasta pot, the and a quick broil, and this is ready FAST!
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6
turkey meatballs with thai sauce in cast iron skillet
Thai Turkey Zucchini Meatballs
These easy weeknight Thai meatballs are kid friendly and healthy! With a creamy red curry and coconut milk based sauce, these tender and flavorful Turkey Zucchini Meatballs are ready in about 30 minutes!
Get the recipe
7
Thai Chicken Casserole
Thai Chicken and Quinoa Casserole
This easy Thai Chicken Casserole with Quinoa is a perfect weeknight meal packed with family friendly flavors. Leftovers reheat well, too!
Get the recipe
8
skillet with chicken and mushrooms
https://www.deliciousmeetshealthy.com
Skillet Tuscan Chicken
This one skillet Tuscan chicken is just SO good and satisfying. Plus, it comes together quickly, perfect for those busy weeknights.
Get the recipe
9
Cast iron skillet with ground beef and rice drizzled in chimichurri sauce
Chimichurri Ground Beef and Rice
Try this Chimichurri Ground Beef and Rice Recipe for an easy dinner that is sure to become a family favorite meal. Made with ground beef and rice, this skillet recipe is served with a tasty chimichurri sauce. This easy dinner recipe for families is sure to be a big hit!
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10
Thai Stir Fry with Pork and Broccolini
This easy Thai Stir Fry with Pork and Broccolini is a great weeknight meal your family will love! With tender, bite sized pieces of pork, packed with veggies like broccolini, sweet peppers and mushrooms, and with a slightly sweet and flavorful Thai inspired sauce, this 30 minute dinner is sure to become a family favorite recipe!
Get the recipe
11
cast iron skillet with chicken and apple slices
https://houseofnasheats.com
Creamy Apple Cider Chicken Skillet
This Creamy Apple Cider Chicken Skillet is an easy, delicious Fall dinner with sweet and savory flavors. We loved this served with mashed red potatoes with the easy pan sauce spooned over the top.
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12
Gallo Pinto Breakfast Bowls
Gallo Pinto is an easy and delicious breakfast from Costa Rica with loads of flavor! This easy 30 minute skillet meal is a great Costa Rican Rice and Beans Recipe that uses a combination of leftovers and fresh produce to make a lovely meatless meal for any time of the day!
Get the recipe
13
Pesto Chicken and Veggies
Chicken Pesto and Veggie Skillet
This skillet pesto chicken recipe comes together in less then 30 minutes! It’s fresh, healthy, and so delicious! Perfect for busy families!
Get the recipe
14
A plate of cheeseburger mac & cheese on a white wooden table with a blue striped napkin and a fork
Cheeseburger Macaroni and Cheese
This 30 minute skillet meal is the perfect fall comfort food – filled with pasta, cheese sauce, and so many great flavors, its something the whole family will love!
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15
Sweet and Sour Kielbasa on blue grey plate with fork
Sweet and Sour Kielbasa
This easy Sweet and Sour Skillet Kielbasa is a family friendly weeknight recipe perfect for busy nights. With real ingredients and a homemade sweet and sour sauce, this quick kielbasa recipe is sure to become a favorite in your meal plan.
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19 Comments

  1. Nancy Loring says:

    We love cooking fried potatoes and bacon and eggs in our cast iron skillet that we use at camp. It makes a regular breakfast taste so much better.

  2. Jeanne Coulombe says:

    My favorite thing to make is lobster mac and cheese.

  3. Christine Labelle says:

    I love using it for a big breakfast. Home fries, ham, and eggs.

  4. kelly tupick says:

    I love to use it to sear of my steaks and then finish them off in oven.

  5. carol clark says:

    i like making cornbread in mine

  6. I’ve never used nor have a cast iron skillet. Maybe it’s time to try?

  7. Sara Zielinski says:

    We like to use the skillet for browing meat.

  8. Cast iron is the best!

  9. I have never tried a cast iron skillet! That probably means I need one, right?

  10. Val - Corn, Beans, Pigs & Kids says:

    I love using my skillet for browning meats and then finishing them off in the oven.

  11. I only have one cast iron skillet, so I think I need more, right?! I love making Indian food in it!

  12. Kristin Mallett says:

    My favorite has to be all sorts of eggs, mainly because that’s the only thing I’ve cooked in a cast iron skillet. But I would love to do more!!

  13. Rachel Verzani says:

    I have never had a cast iron skillet! But all of these recipes look yummy

  14. Ally's Sweet & Savory Eats says:

    Skillet cornbread!

  15. Deb crowley says:

    Haven’t had a cast iron skillet for years! Great for pancakes!

  16. I love to cook meat in my CI and cornbread.

  17. Monica Cateron says:

    I’m crossing my fingers!!!!! Would be a lovely wedding gift to myself !!!

  18. My favorite thing to make is tortillas. We actually only bought a cast iron skillet because we heard it was better for making tortillas.

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