15 Easy One-Pan Dinners to Make All Summer Long
Less cleanup means more time enjoying the sunshine.
One-pot meals are always a good idea, no matter what season it is. But when it comes to summer, when you’d rather be outside enjoying the longer days, doesn’t it seem even better when you have way less to clean up? Plus, on those extra hot days, do you really want to be in the kitchen longer than you have to be? Exactly. That’s why you’ll want these easy one-pan summer dinners on repeat all season long.
While a lot of these dinner ideas are made in a skillet, including a few quick stir-fry ideas and even a pizza, there are others that rely on a handy dandy sheet pan that you can just toss in the oven. You can make sausage and veggies that way, as well as easy roasted salmon and simple Cajun-spiced chicken breasts. And pro tip: If you line the sheet pan with aluminum foil, the cleanup is even easier!
There are plenty of lazy dinner ideas when it’s way too hot or you’re just too busy with summer activities to give too much thought to dinner plans. But lazy doesn’t mean boring! It just means that you’re taking the appropriate shortcuts to save time and still amp up the flavor. (A packet of ranch seasoning goes a long way with pork chops and veggies, let’s just say that!) So, check your pantry and fridge, see what you’ve got on hand, and pull out just one pot or pan. Dinner will be ready before you know it.
Caprese Chicken
Give basic chicken cutlets a summer glow-up with seasonal tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, jarred pesto, and store-bought balsamic reduction to drizzle over the top. Serve with a big hunk of bread to sop up all the goodness.
Get Ree’s Caprese Chicken recipe.
Lemon Pasta
You don’t even have to boil the pasta separately here! All you need are a few simple ingredients to jazz it up, like garlic, lemon, and parmesan cheese. It just happens to be vegetarian, too.
Get the Lemon Pasta recipe.
Skirt Steak with Blistered Green Beans
You do need a little more time on this meal, because there’s a marinade for the steak and you don’t want to skip that flavorful step! Otherwise, everything comes together lickety-split in one pan.
Sheet Pan Sausage and Summer Vegetables
Let those summer veggies shine! Load up a sheet pan with sweet Italian sausage, zucchini, bell peppers, eggplant, red onion, and cherry tomatoes. After it all cooks, all you need is a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and fresh basil at the end.
Garlic Shrimp
It takes just 15 minutes to make this whole dish. It’s so very garlicky and buttery, so make sure you have bread on hand to sop it all up. You can even use frozen shrimp! Just make sure it’s defrosted first.
Get the Garlic Shrimp recipe.
Mediterranean Chicken
Briny olive fans, this one is for you! They really amp the flavor of the chicken and seasonal veggies like tomatoes and zucchini. A little fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon finish off the dish.
Get Ree's Mediterranean Chicken recipe.
Roasted Veggie Cast-Iron Pizza
Yes, you can make pizza and all the roasted veggies to put on top right in the same skillet. The bottom gets nice and crusty as everything else bubbles and bakes.
Get Ree’s Roasted Veggie Cast-Iron Pizza recipe.
Chicken Primavera
Get your chicken, veggies, and pasta all in one pot for a well-balanced meal. Plus, it’s so versatile because you can use practically any veggies you have on hand or that look good at the market that day.
Get the Chicken Primavera recipe.
Sheet-Pan Ranch Pork and Veggies
Oh, the wonders of ranch seasoning! It makes assembling pork chops and a side of veggies so easy and flavorful. This is a great way to use up all that excess summer zucchini, too.
Get Ree’s Sheet-Pan Ranch Pork and Veggies recipe.
Chicken Florentine
If you've never had chicken Florentine, get ready for lots of flavor! It features juicy chicken, a cream and white wine sauce, plus sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and parmesan—all in one pot.
Get the Chicken Florentine recipe.
Sheet Pan Salmon Puttanesca
Have a bite of an Italian summer without leaving home. Salmon roasts beautifully in the oven with crusty bread that’s tossed with briny olives and capers plus fresh tomatoes for a burst of flavor.
Get Ree’s Sheet Pan Salmon Puttanesca recipe.
One-Pot Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta
All you really need is some creamy, tangy goat cheese, fresh cherry tomatoes, and some green olives to make ordinary pasta an extraordinary dinner in just 25 minutes.
Shrimp Stir-Fry with Asparagus
Juicy shrimp cook really quickly and pair well with asparagus, cremini mushrooms, and bell peppers. Want rice to serve it with? Use one of the microwave packets and save yourself another pot.
Get Ree’s Shrimp Stir-Fry with Asparagus recipe.
Pork Fried Rice
It really doesn’t get easier than this quick meal. Use leftover rice and frozen veggies and your prep time is cut to just ten minutes. You can make it with chicken or shrimp, too.
Get Ree’s Pork Fried Rice recipe.
Sheet-Pan Cajun Chicken and Corn
If you don’t have Cajun seasoning on hand, just make your own really fast. It’s simply garlic powder, paprika, salt, black pepper, and cayenne. It’s an easy way to spice up chicken and veggies!
Get Ree's Sheet-Pan Cajun Chicken and Corn recipe.
Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
Cauliflower Soup
Easy Foil Packet Recipes for a Grill or Campfire
The Pioneer Woman’s Favorite Sandwich
