Our days can get pretty busy, and sometimes we find ourselves in a pinch or too tired to cook. Let me let you in on a little secret. With these one-pot meals, you don’t have to sacrifice taste for convenience. All you need to do is throw everything in, and you’ll have a delicious meal in less than an hour. These dishes are so good; your family will think you slaved all day! Whether you’re looking for a hearty soup, a filling pasta, or some fried rice, you’ll find a winner on this list. One-pot meals make cleaning up easier, too! After cooking, you’ll have fewer pots and pans to wash and more time for you and your loved ones. You can also make a big batch of these recipes and store them for when you need a quick meal. Get ready to elevate your weeknight meals!
20+ Easy One-Pot Meal Recipes
1. Easy Blueberry Banana Oatmeal
A hearty breakfast is important, so you have energy throughout the day. This easy and healthy blueberry banana oatmeal, with its appetizing colors and tasty flavors, will make you excited for breakfast! Oatmeal is incredibly nutritious. It’s good for the heart, and it’s rich in antioxidants. The flavors of blueberry and banana will definitely give some oomph to your oatmeal. You can even add additional toppings if you want!
2. Honey Garlic Chicken
Tender chicken glazed with a sweet and spicy honey garlic sauce? Mmm! You can whip up this honey garlic chicken in a matter of minutes. The sweetness of the honey with the spice of garlic is the perfect balance for a glaze. If you have kids, take this dish a step further and make crispy honey garlic chicken. Simply coat the chicken in flour or cornstarch (or both!), and fry until crispy and golden brown before mixing it with the sauce.
3. One Pot Pad Thai
A lot of people love pad Thai. It’s a fusion of vibrant flavors, a little bit sour, a little bit sweet, a hint of nuttiness, and loaded with fresh vegetables and protein. This popular Thai dish is often enjoyed as takeout, but this one-pot recipe will have you making your own from now on. You’ll only need 15 minutes of prep time and another 15 minutes of cooking time to make this recipe. You can also opt to use more of your favorite ingredients so it suits your liking.
4. One Pot Beef Stroganoff
This creamy and savory beef stroganoff can be made all in one pot! In this recipe, you will cook the egg noodles in the beef broth along with all of the other ingredients. The pasta will absorb all the flavors. It will reduce, and you’ll end up with a creamy and delightful dish that’s budget-friendly. You’ll thank yourself with each chewy bite.
5. One Pot Lemon Garlic Pasta
Take a break from rich and creamy pasta dishes and treat yourself to this refreshing lemon garlic pasta. Full of zesty flavors from the lemon juice and lemon zest, accompanied by the tangy flavor of cream cheese and gritty parmesan cheese, this dish is to die for! This meal is quick and easy. There’s no need to boil the pasta in a separate pot. All you need to do is saute the garlic and ginger in butter before adding the rest to cook the pasta. The final touch is mixing in the cream cheese and sprinkling some parmesan on top. Dig in!
6. Sukiyaki
Sukiyaki, a traditional Japanese dish, has plenty of umami with its sweet and salty soy sauce-based broth. The thin slices of marbled beef almost melt in your mouth. Much like Shabu-Shabu, it’s also cooked alongside vegetables, mushrooms, noodles, and other ingredients. Sukiyaki is usually cooked over a portable stove at the dining table, which makes it a fun cooking-slash-dining activity for friends and family. This also saves you cooking time because you do the cooking at the table!
7. Chicken Tortilla Soup
This chicken tortilla soup will warm your heart. It’s certified comfort food! The recipe is by Trisha Yearwood, so you can rest assured that it’s a crowd-pleaser. If you end up wanting to share, that is. The soup itself is very filling because it’s loaded with chicken, beans, corn, and tortilla chips. It’s also topped with cheese and some sour cream. Serve this any night of the week, and you won’t be disappointed!
8. Texas Roadhouse Chili
Make your own chili at home in less than an hour. You can even make a big batch and store it in the freezer for when you need it. The meaty, beefy flavor with the creamy and tender beans is what stands out in chili, but most of the magic happens when you add the spices and seasonings. Another bonus is that chili pairs well with just about anything. Chips and salsa, coleslaw, cornbread, and salad are my favorite options.
9. Spanish Chickpeas and Rice
This recipe puts a vegetarian twist on Spanish paella, but feel free to add some meat if you want. It’s bursting with the flavors of spices like smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne, and oregano. Meanwhile, the artichoke hearts give some bite to the smooth texture. The flavorful and aromatic rice will definitely fill you up. What’s even better is you can make this in a rice cooker! There’s a variation included in the recipe.
10. Caprese Pasta
Caprese salad is known for its simplicity. This Caprese pasta is just as easy as 1-2-3 to make! The most important ingredients in this recipe, tomato, mozzarella cheese, and basil, are in the colors of the Italian flag: red, white, and green. What makes this so easy is you simply toss all of the ingredients in a pot, and stir until it’s cooked.
11. Italian Wedding Soup
Soup is the ultimate one-pot meal, and this Italian wedding soup is top-notch. It’s full of vegetables, meatballs, and pasta in a chicken broth. This recipe uses frozen meatballs for easier cooking. You can use any kind of your choice. The original Italian name of this dish is minestra maritata meaning “married soup,” because of the “marriage” of all the ingredients. I think it’s aptly named. All of the ingredients do marry together wonderfully!
12. One Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Once you make this chicken gnocchi soup, you and your family will want it again and again. It will be the go-to soup to keep you warm on cold nights. The creamy soup, chewy gnocchi, and crunchy carrots and celery will leave you wanting seconds. It offers different kinds of texture in every bite. Whether it’s a cold or rainy night or you just want a warm and comforting meal, try this easy one-pot chicken gnocchi soup.
13. One Pot Lasagna
Let’s be real, lasagna is a lot of work. You need to have the right pan, you need to boil the pasta, and you need to do the layering. Okay, so maybe it’s not that bad, but wouldn’t it be great if there were an easier option? Good news! This one-pot lasagna will give you all the goodness of a lasagna but with zero hassle. Farfalle pasta, otherwise known as bowtie pasta, is coated in flavorful tomato sauce and mixed with meaty Italian sausage and three kinds of cheese. You can thank me later.
14. Bacon Ranch Chicken
I’m always on the lookout for chicken recipes. They’re easy to cook, and you can’t really go wrong with them. For your next dinner meal, why not try this easy, cheesy, bacon ranch chicken? It has tender chicken meat, ranch seasoning, gooey cheese, and crispy bacon bits. You and your family will surely enjoy this creamy chicken dish. Pair with your favorite sides for a truly filling meal.
15. One Pot Chicken Florentine Gnocchi
This recipe is another creamy and cheesy entry. I just can’t help it! Everything is better with cheese in it. Yes or yes? You’ll be stocking up on gnocchi after you try this one-pot chicken florentine gnocchi. You’ll start by cooking the chicken with garlic, shallots, and sun-dried tomatoes. Then, the chicken broth and cream are added to cook the gnocchi. The spinach and cheese are mixed in at the end.
16. One Pot Pizza Pasta Bake
Pizza and pasta are Italy’s most iconic dishes. Let’s merge them together in this one-pot pizza pasta bake! It uses all the usual pizza ingredients like Italian sausage, tomato sauce, herbs, and mozzarella cheese. This fun pasta bake is topped with mini-pepperonis for the cutest looking pizza pasta. Whether you’re making this for the kids or kids-at-heart, you’ll win them over.
17. Green Lentil Curry
This green lentil curry is inspired by the delicious and aromatic curry dishes of Thailand and India. The blend of spices with the creamy coconut milk is what gives the curry its unique taste. With this quick and easy curry recipe, you’ll be able to make your own at home. You can serve this with a hot bowl of rice or bread (like naan).
18. One Pot Pork Ragu With Orzo
Let’s get a little adventurous with this entry. You might not be familiar with orzo. It’s a pasta that’s shaped like long-grain rice. This recipe makes a spicy pork ragu with orzo. However, if you don’t like spicy food, feel free to adjust or omit the red pepper flakes and hot sauce. But if you love your food with a bit of heat, you will enjoy this dish! Ground pork, light tomato sauce, veggies, herbs, and spices with orzo pasta will be a great addition to your meal ideas.
19. One Pot Goulash
This American Goulash recipe is reminiscent of school lunches but better. It’s made of beef, macaroni, and seasoned red sauce. This recipe can be made on weeknights or for game nights and potlucks. You can dress it up or down depending on the occasion. It’s perfect to pair with garlic bread. If you want more heat, you can add a dash of chili powder or swap out the Italian seasoning for chili powder to really feel the spice.
20. Lasagna Soup
Turn the awesome flavors of lasagna into a rich and hearty soup! Everybody loves lasagna, and you can’t really go wrong with soup, so this lasagna soup is a no-brainer! The soup is made of chicken stock, tomato juice and paste, herbs and seasonings, Italian sausages, bite-sized lasagna noodles, parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and ricotta cheese. Basically, you will find all the flavors of a lasagna in this warm bowl of soup.
21. Chicken Fried Rice
If you have some leftover rice, there’s no other option but to make… fried rice! Nothing says simple and straightforward like a stir-fry. This chicken fried rice has protein, veggies, and carbs all in one dish. It’s a great meal that’s so easy, you won’t need to order takeout. If you don’t have leftover rice, be sure you cook the rice a day before and store it in the refrigerator. Not only will you save time when cooking, but you’ll also get the best results if you use cold rice. It’s a win-win!
22. One Pot Jambalaya
This jambalaya is cooked in one pot and can be enjoyed in a bowl as well. It’s easy to cook and just as easy to eat. It’s no-mess and fuss-free. Now, that’s what I’m talking about! Jambalaya is of West African, French, and Spanish influence. It’s a rice meal with meat and vegetables mixed into it. You can make this dish in less than 30 minutes. It’s a great weeknight meal if you want to take it easy but still want to eat like a king.
23. One Pot Teriyaki Chicken Bowls
Chicken cubes, rice, and crunchy vegetables coated in a sweet and salty glaze — that’s teriyaki chicken. The teriyaki sauce is addicting, especially when mixed with soft and fluffy rice. For this one-pot recipe, you don’t need to cook the rice separately. You simply cook the chicken then add all the other ingredients, and simmer until it’s done. You won’t realize you’re eating a properly balanced meal because it’s so good, it’s almost sinful.
24. Kielbasa and Cabbage
Kielbasa and cabbage are a great pair because kielbasa is packed with smoky, peppery, garlicky flavors, while the cabbage gives great texture. This recipe uses a dijon vinaigrette for a bit of a tangy kick, enhancing the overall flavor of this dish. It’s simple but has a lot to offer. If you’re trying to stay off the carbs, try this one out. And if you’re not afraid of carbs, you can add noodles or rice with this for a heavier meal.
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