21 One-Pot Dinners To Save Time And Dishes

Sometimes, the urge for a home-cooked meal must find a compromise with the amount of effort it takes to prepare, eat and clean up after one. Thankfully, there is a solution: the one-pot dinner.

The following recipes are devised to cook all of the ingredients in the same pot, working cleverly so that everything gets the right amount of time to cook properly.

Jump to:

• One-Pot Dinner Recipes
• One-pot garlic parmesan chicken with bow tie pasta
• Dutch oven cheesy taco spaghetti
• White wine coq au vin
• Boeuf bourguignon
• Speedy mince and halloumi 
• Vegan golden onion and spring veg pilaf
• Slow-cooked pork, cider, and sage hotpot
• Comforting sausage bake
• Mexican eggs with potato hash
• Beef and cauliflower taco skillet
• Pork meatball skillet bake
• One pot garlic parmesan pasta
• Gingery chicken and rice with peanut sauce
• Chicken chow mein
• Greek chicken with roasted spring vegetables and lemon vinaigrette
• Cheater’s skillet lasagna with corn and cherry tomatoes
• Vegan mushroom wild rice soup
• Apple butter pork chops with apples
• Slow roast shoulder of Welsh lamb with vegetables and cider gravy
• Aloo Gobi
• Lemon Orzo Shrimp
• More Delicious Recipe Collections
• 📖 Recipe

One-Pot Dinner Recipes

Using a single pot to prepare your meal is a favorite for many busy individuals. Why? Because it means you get something good to eat without creating a huge mess in the kitchen!

Below you will find a mix of pasta, rice, meat, and vegetarian one-pot dinner ideas. Whether you are trying to save time or save clean-up, there are many options here to choose from.

PRO TIP: One thing that makes one-pot meals easier is having the right equipment. I highly recommend investing in a 5-quart Dutch oven or one of these 3.7-quart casserole-style Dutch ovens. These go from stove top to oven beautifully, and have lids so even if you have leftovers, you can just pop the lid on and slide into the refrigerator without dirtying another dish!

One-pot garlic parmesan chicken with bow tie pasta

Recipe

Bursting with flavor and ready in only half an hour, as well as being fussy kid-friendly, this dish is sure to put a smile on the face of everybody at the table.

It’s hearty, warming, and will provide much comfort on a cold winter evening.

Though the recipe calls for bowtie pasta, you can use any on the small side - there are also veggies and a nice thick sauce to accompany the chicken so you don’t want anything too stodgy or you’ll spoil the meal.

Dutch oven cheesy taco spaghetti

Recipe

Combining two dinnertime favorites in one pot, this delicious Italian Mexican fusion dish is especially popular with the younger crowd and surprisingly tasty, even for a more adult palate.

Using a dutch oven makes your life super easy when cooking!

The best part is the cheese, in our opinion, and it’s up to you which kind you throw in: whatever you have lying around is fine, but a sharp cheddar or queso blanco is always good, as would be pepper jack.

White wine coq au vin

Recipe

This dish sounds far too fancy to be appearing on a list of one-pot dinners, but here we are!

Saucy and indulgent with an herbaceous aftertaste, it’s a comforting dinner that will please the whole family any night of the week.

Pancetta adds a lovely salty kick to the equation, whilst the garlic, mustard, and white wine are three strong flavors that blend surprisingly well, neither one overpowering the other.

It’s adult, but you’ll be able to get the kids on board. And if you want the more traditional red wine version, then check out this Julia Child's Coq au Vin recipe instead!

Boeuf bourguignon

Another dish you probably weren’t expecting from this article, this hearty French stew is an absolute classic, born in the bistro era but remaining just as popular as it was back in the 1960s, so it’s apt that it’s a recipe from Delia Smith.

Served with a fresh green salad, or crispy new potatoes and a side of ratatouille, you’ll have a dinner that’s good in all seasons, that goes fantastically with a nice large glass of red wine - or apple juice if you’d rather.

Speedy mince and halloumi 

Recipe

Simple but effective and oh so tasty, this is another dish that’s on the table in less than half an hour, with rich tomato pasta sauce loaded up with halloumi and spinach, topped off with hearty yet lean beef mince.

Reminiscent of spaghetti bolognese, the cheesy, garlicky flavors are enough to entice even the fussiest eaters.

What’s even better is that the greens will reduce significantly, so you’re getting veggies into their diets without being noticed!

Vegan golden onion and spring veg pilaf

Recipe

This zesty, colorful dish is packed full of green veggies and perfect for the vegans in your life, though you could add chicken or prawns if you’re feeding meat-eaters.

We recommend enjoying it as is, though, because it’s surprisingly flavorsome!

Seasoned to perfection with cumin, cardamom, turmeric, and more, it has a welcome heat that’s not overwhelmingly spicy but provides plenty of flavors for the rice to be a great standalone dish once the greens are added.

This rice is perfect to pair with one of these copycat curry recipes, or my personal favorite chicken masala recipe.

Slow-cooked pork, cider, and sage hotpot

Recipe

A British classic that’s perfect for warming everybody up on a dark and frosty evening, this tender pork is cooked until falling off the bone, warmed in a bath of sage-dipped cider and layered with crunchy baked potatoes.

Although it takes a little more effort than some of the other dishes to prepare, and has a longer cooking time, you’ll find it’s worth the wait, and smaller families may even have leftovers for the following few days.

Comforting sausage bake

Recipe

Another wonderful Winter warmer, this dish might not look very pretty on your Instagram feed, but it’s absolutely divine and makes you feel warm and tingly right down to your bones.

Use plant based sausages to make it vegan friendly!

It takes less than an hour to prep and cook this hearty dish, and though it might not sound especially filling, the tomatoes and creamy white beans bulk things out.

You could always serve up with some added greens or potatoes if everyone’s hungry! Here is another option for a bean and sausage casserole that might appeal to you!

Mexican eggs with potato hash

Recipe

Peppery, crispy, crunchy and hitting all the right spots with its seasoning, this is a dish that works as breakfast, lunch, dinner… whatever time of day it is, you’ll absolutely love the combination of eggs, tomatoes and potato.

Simple but effective, if you’re worried about the controversial inclusion of coriander, which some folks find tastes a bit too much for soap for their liking, you could leave it out or replace it with scallions for the same bite of flavor.

Beef and cauliflower taco skillet

Recipe

Another sneaky way to get some cauliflower in the mouths of fussy eaters is this one skillet taco dish that perfectly disguises the unpopular veggie with all of the flavorings of your favorite Mexican restaurant.

The kids will never be able to tell!

Depending on the chilli powder you use, as well as the choice of diced tomatoes (the recipe calls for a can that also comes with green chiles) you can adjust the spice level to be more suited to a younger audience, or ramp it up if you’d prefer.

Pork meatball skillet bake

Recipe

Three ingredient meatballs are the most satisfying part of making this Martha Stewart classic, as they simmer beautifully in a gorgeous sweet pepper and tomato sauce that’s topped with crisp, crunchy Italian bread.

The finishing touch features a mozzarella layer that‘s so gorgeous you won’t believe the quality of cheese pull it results in.

This one is a winner thanks to the use of authentic flavors taken right from the heart of Italy.

One pot garlic parmesan pasta

Recipe

Plenty of garlic and even more parmesan are the key to success in this simple yet highly effective dish.

It’s creamy, steamy and dreamy: exactly what you want from a dinner that’s saving you time and effort without compromising on flavor or quality.

The recipe calls for chicken broth and authentic Italian parmesan, but you could use vegetable broth and a vegetarian parmesan cheese alternative in order to make this dish friendly to any diners that are maintaining a plant based diet.

I also like this version of easy sundried tomatoes and garlic pasta. A little bit different with a similar process.

Gingery chicken and rice with peanut sauce

Recipe

Inspired by flavors of East Asia, this spicy, saucy chicken dish will bring sparkle to any boring weeknight, loosely inspired by a traditional Hainanese Chicken rice dish and brought into the future by Bon Appetit’s Molly Baz.

It’s also easy enough to make the sauce a couple of days ahead and then chill, to make life even easier for yourself.

Just because you’re busy, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a filling and comforting home cooked meal whenever you want one!

Chicken chow mein

Recipe

Fresh ginger gives this dish a powerful kick that’s sure to curb any hangover, but also make a satisfying end to any day.

You’ll only need 25 minutes to prep and cook it up, and of course, there’s only one pot required for all of that cooking.

The pungent oyster sauce is included for the sake of authenticity, but if you’re not a fan of the umami fishiness it brings, you’re welcome to leave it out.

Don’t worry if you’ve never tried it before - it’s not as salty and unpleasant as it sounds!

Greek chicken with roasted spring vegetables and lemon vinaigrette

Recipe

Inspired by Greek al fresco dining, the beautiful brightly colored vegetable and gorgeous crispy chicken are a match made in heaven and make for a lovely looking dish that you’d be lucky to showcase on your Instagram feed.

Though it sounds unnecessarily fancy, the lemon and feta vinaigrette makes for a welcome addition to the dish, bringing a tart creaminess that the other ingredients are lacking - baked altogether on one tray, it’s a garlicky dreamboat of a dish.

Cheater’s skillet lasagna with corn and cherry tomatoes

Recipe

Gone are the days of cooking up two sauces in separate pans, frying off mince and veggies in a third, then assembling in one giant casserole dish: this skillet alternative requires far less time, but provides just as much accomplishment and deliciousness.

With plenty of cheese and a funky addition of corn on the cob, it’s not quite a traditional Italian lasagna, but you’ll definitely be glad you tried it out, especially with less dishes and more time on your hands to enjoy it afterwards.

Vegan mushroom wild rice soup

Recipe

Wildly easy to make (see what we did there?) this mushroom based soup is an ideal meal no matter what day of the week, and you’ll probably have most of the ingredients you need to make it lying around in your store cupboard already.

Resulting in a rustic looking bowl of loveliness, there’s plenty of umami from the mushrooms, whilst the rice brings a wonderful texture that thickens the dish and makes it even heartier than your average homemade soup.

Apple butter pork chops with apples

Recipe

Juicy, crisp and absolutely fit to burst with fall flavors, it’s easy to fall in love with this pork skillet dish, especially because you only have one cooking dish to wash afterwards!

It’s also a great way to use up any apple butter you have on hand.

Having been a combination enjoyed for centuries, it’s no surprise that combining pork and apples here works amazingly well.

If you were able to get a vegetarian or vegan meat alternative, the dish would probably be equally as amazing!

Slow roast shoulder of Welsh lamb with vegetables and cider gravy

Recipe

This dish is so luxuriously decadent that you could serve it up at a dinner party and your guests would have no idea that everything was prepared in the very same pan!

The cider gravy sounds extravagant, but it’s surprisingly easy to prepare.

Welsh lamb is perfect for this dish, being the most tender and born from sheep reared on the finest grass, using traditional farming methods.

That said, if you can’t get it, any lamb shoulder would be fine to use in its place, so don’t sweat it too much.

Aloo Gobi

Recipe

Essentially translated as potato cauliflower, this very straightforward yet highly enjoyable Indian dish is lovely served over rice as a vegetarian alternative on a curry night, and can be amped up with tomatoes or onions for extra flavor.

You’ll serve six diners in just forty minutes from start to finish, and it’s as flavorsome as any meaty dish would be.

You could sub out the cauliflower for carrot or any other root vegetable if you’re not a huge fan, it’s not that big of a deal.

Lemon Orzo Shrimp

Recipe

Last but certainly not least we have a one pot meal for the seafood fans among us - even the orzo is cooked in the same pot, so it’s a filling and pleasant dish that requires minimal effort and preparation.

What more can you ask for?

Looking for a creative way to use up your leftovers?

Sub out the recipe’s suggested vegetables for whatever you happen to have lying around, in order to avoid waste and make a cohesive dish that brings everything together.

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