35 Anti-Inflammatory Dinners You Can Make in One Pot

By

Published on January 28, 2022

Reviewed by Dietitian

Jessica Ball, M.S., RD

Skillet Lemon Chicken & Potatoes with Kale

Inflammation can be the sneaky culprit behind a number of health problems, from sleeping poorly to struggling to lose weight. These dinners can help you keep chronic inflammation in check, since they spotlight ingredients like colorful veggies, beans, whole grains and eggs that can help combat inflammation. Recipes like our Skillet Lemon Chicken & Potatoes with Kale and Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Chickpeas & Spinach are simple, one-pot meals that will help you have a healthy meal while cutting down on cleanup.

01 of 35

Skillet Lemon Chicken & Potatoes with Kale

This easy one-pan skillet-roasted lemon chicken is perfect for weeknight dinners. Juicy chicken thighs are cooked in the same pan as baby potatoes and kale for a satisfying meal with the added bonus of minimal cleanup.

02 of 35

Vegan Coconut Chickpea Curry

To make this 20-minute vegan curry even faster, buy precut veggies from the salad bar at the grocery store. To make it a full, satisfying dinner, serve over cooked brown rice. When shopping for simmer sauce, look for one with 400 mg of sodium or less and check the ingredient list for cream or fish sauce if you want to keep this vegan. If you like a spicy kick, add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce at the end.

03 of 35

Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Chickpeas & Spinach

Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Chickpeas & Spinach

Simmer eggs in a rich tomatoey cream sauce studded with chickpeas and silky spinach for a super-fast vegetarian dinner. Serve with a piece of crusty bread to soak up the sauce. Be sure to use heavy cream; a lower-fat option might curdle when mixed with acidic tomatoes.

04 of 35

Creamy Chicken, Brussels Sprouts & Mushrooms One-Pot Pasta

Creamy Chicken, Brussels Sprouts & Mushrooms One-Pot Pasta — Photography / Kelsey Hansen, Styling / Sammy Mila

You'll only have to dirty one pot in this easy pasta recipe that cooks chicken and vegetables right along with the noodles. Plus, by using the exact amount of water you need to cook the pasta, the starch that usually gets drained off with your pasta water stays in the pot, giving you delectably creamy results.

05 of 35

Four-Bean & Pumpkin Chili

This healthy vegetarian chili has a fragrant touch of cinnamon for added flavor. Let diners top it with whatever suits their taste.

06 of 35

Alaskan Cod Chowder

In this healthy fish chowder recipe, heavy cream is replaced with milk and flour-thickened fish (or seafood) broth and we keep sodium amounts reasonable with lower-sodium broth. By making your own homemade fish chowder, you'll save up to 300 calories, 20 grams of saturated fat and 500 milligrams of sodium per serving compared to many store-bought or restaurant chowders.

07 of 35

One-Pot Lemon Asparagus Pasta with Shrimp

One-Pot Lemon-Asparagus Pasta with Shrimp — Brie Passano

This quick one-pot shrimp and pasta dinner is cooked with asparagus in a lemony sauce. Feta cheese sprinkled over the top adds another savory layer, but feel free to skip it and add additional fresh herbs and a lemon slice instead.

08 of 35

Instant Pot Vegetarian White Chili

Parsnips lend a wonderful sweet and nutty flavor to this healthy white bean chili. Using an Instant Pot (or any other pressure cooker) means this hearty chili can be ready in under an hour, but it still tastes like it's simmered away for hours. Pureeing some of the chili gives the stew a nice creaminess, but feel free to skip that step to save time. Garnish the chili with cheese and sour cream for a richer meal, or serve it as-is to keep it vegan.

09 of 35

Winter Vegetable Dal

This southern-Indian-inspired vegetable dal recipe is rich and creamy thanks to light coconut milk and gets exotic flavor from spice-infused coconut oil. Serve with flatbread or naan.

10 of 35

Tilapia & Poblano Tacos

Tilapia & Poblano Tacos — Jacob Fox

Here's a quick take on fish tacos: just sauté fish, onions and peppers and serve with tortillas and some simple toppings. Poblano peppers vary immensely in heat level and tasting them is the only way to judge how hot they are. So before cooking, taste your poblanos and add a pinch of cayenne or a jalapeño if you want more heat. Use green bell peppers if you want a milder taco.

11 of 35

Slow-Cooker Chicken & Chickpea Soup

Slow-Cooker Mediterranean Chicken & Chickpea Soup

This set-it-and-forget-it slow-cooker recipe simmers away all day so you come home to a warm and healthy dinner the whole family will love. Using bone-in chicken is the key to making rich soup without adding broth.

12 of 35

Chicken & Broccoli Casserole

Chicken & Broccoli Casserole

This one-pan chicken-and-broccoli recipe comes out of the oven all browned, cheesy and bubbling like a casserole, but is really prepared more like a skillet meal on the stovetop. Serve with a crunchy green salad.

13 of 35

Garlic Roasted Salmon & Brussels Sprouts

Garlic Roasted Salmon & Brussels Sprouts

Roasting salmon on top of Brussels sprouts and garlic, flavored with wine and fresh oregano, is simple enough for a weeknight meal yet sophisticated enough to serve to company. Serve with whole-wheat couscous.

14 of 35

Slow-Cooker Moroccan Lentil Soup

Slow-Cooked Moroccan Lentil Soup

Like most soups, this Moroccan lentil soup recipe gets better with time as the complex seasonings have time to develop. Make it a day ahead if you can--this easy slow cooker/crock pot recipe variation makes it a cinch to get the soup cooking while you do other things.

15 of 35

Easy Vegetarian Chili

Canned beans and tomatoes make this quick vegetarian chili recipe ready to go in just 30 minutes. Serve over rice or couscous, or with tortilla chips for added crunch, and add extra toppings as you see fit--sliced scallions, chopped fresh cilantro, diced avocado and sliced jalapeños are all tasty choices.

16 of 35

Adobo Chicken & Kale Enchiladas

Put out your favorite toppings for these quick and healthy layered enchiladas. We like cilantro, sour cream, guacamole and jalapeños.

17 of 35

Rosemary Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

Rosemary Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

Chicken and sweet potatoes unite with the delicious taste of rosemary in this easy, one-skillet meal. Because we use parcooked and unseasoned sweet potatoes, the cooking time is much shorter--making this recipe perfect for weeknight cooking.

18 of 35

Vegan White Bean Chili

Fresh Anaheim (or poblano) chiles add mild heat to this classic white bean chili and contribute lots of smoky flavor. Quinoa adds body to the chili, while diced zucchini provides pretty flecks of green and increases the veggie content.

19 of 35

Instant Pot Vegetable Soup

Instant Pot Vegetable Soup

This easy soup recipe cooks up quickly thanks to the use of an electric pressure cooker or multicooker, like the Instant Pot. It packs in tons of filling veggies without packing on the calories. Plus, it happens to be entirely plant-based. If you aren't eating vegan, top it with a little Parmesan cheese or pesto to add even more flavor.

20 of 35

One-Pot Pasta with Tuna

Joy Howard

Use the one-pot pasta cooking method to make this tuna pasta recipe that calls for just 5 ingredients and is ready in just over half an hour. For extra crunch and a tuna noodle casserole feel, sprinkle this speedy pasta dish with toasted whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs.

21 of 35

Sweet Potato Pad Thai

Sweet Potato Pad Thai

Sweet potato "noodles" (spiralized sweet potatoes) are a nutritious, gluten-free alternative to starchy rice or wheat noodles. Look for them in the produce department of your supermarket. If you have a spiralizer, you can certainly make your own "swoodles" (start with 2 medium sweet potatoes).

22 of 35

Chicken Florentine

Classic chicken Florentine--creamy spinach served atop sautéed chicken cutlets--is a fast and easy meal. To keep calories lower, this recipe uses cornstarch to thicken the cream instead of cheese. This chicken recipe is simple enough for weekdays but also elegant enough for a dinner party.

23 of 35

Vegetarian Butternut Squash Chili with Black Beans

This butternut squash and black bean chili is a satisfying vegetarian meal. Load up bowls of the butternut squash chili and top with Greek yogurt, cilantro and minced red onion. Or skip the yogurt and keep this healthy dinner vegan.

24 of 35

Leek, Potato & Spinach Stew

For this light, brothy stew, use the vegetables of late spring and early summer from your CSA share: leeks, potatoes, garlic and spinach. Vary what's in the stew according to the weekly bounty. Serve with: Crusty whole-wheat baguette spread with goat cheese.

25 of 35

Sweet & Sour Chicken

This 20-minute meal delivers a faster, lighter and more flavorful takeout alternative. It's chock-full of fresh, crispy veggies and juicy chicken pieces, and it reheats well for meal-prep lunches. If you like heat, sub Sriracha for some of the ketchup.

26 of 35

Moroccan-Inspired Chicken & Sweet Potato Soup

This healthy chicken soup recipe gets bold Moroccan flavor from sweet potatoes, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne pepper and a touch of fiery harissa. To get a homemade stock flavor using store-bought broth, we simmer bone-in chicken breasts in the broth before adding the rest of the soup ingredients.

27 of 35

Chickpea & Potato Hash

The eggs cook right on top of this chickpea and potato hash--cook them a few extra minutes if you prefer hard-set eggs. Serve with warm pita bread and a cucumber salad with mint and yogurt.

28 of 35

Easy Cauliflower Fried Rice

This vegetarian faux fried rice uses riced cauliflower in place of white or brown rice to pack in extra veggies and cut down on carbs. Chile-garlic sauce pumps up the heat, and fresh ginger adds a bright, warm bite. If you don't like the heat of the chile-garlic sauce, leave it out and add a bit more tamari or soy sauce for a rich, fermented tang.

29 of 35

Pork, Farro, Bean, and Sweet Potato Stew

This stew recipe is a great choice for a warming fall or winter dinner. Because it uses shredded, cooked pork it's a relatively quick slow-cooker meal, ready in under 3 hours.

30 of 35

Chicken Quinoa Fried Rice

Regular fried rice gets a protein boost when rice is swapped for quinoa in this healthy dinner recipe. Feel free to use any vegetables you have on hand—broccoli, green beans and mushrooms are all good options in this quinoa fried rice. Serve with hot sauce, if desired.

31 of 35

Chipotle-Orange Broccoli & Tofu

Chipotle peppers add kick to this tofu and broccoli stir-fry recipe. If you're shy about spice, cut back on the amount or leave them out completely. Serve over brown basmati rice.

32 of 35

Butternut Squash & Cauliflower Enchiladas

The butternut squash and cauliflower in these easy layered enchiladas are frozen and don't need to be thawed, making this a healthy and quick dinner. Look for canned tomatillos, sometimes labeled green tomatoes, in the international aisle of your grocery store.

33 of 35

Sweet Potato & Barley Chili

If you're ready for something different, try this hearty slow-cooked chili made with sweet potato, pearled barley, and red beans.

34 of 35

Bean & Barley Soup

This hearty bean and barley soup tastes like it has simmered for hours, but actually it's quite quick to throw together. Plus this recipe for healthy bean and barley soup freezes beautifully. If you have cooked barley on hand, omit the quick-cooking barley and stir in 1 1/2 cups cooked barley along with the broth in Step 2.

35 of 35

Vegetarian Quinoa & Squash Casserole

An aromatic mixture of garlic, paprika, cumin, coriander, allspice and cayenne flavors this vegetarian quinoa and squash casserole recipe. Frozen squash is a super-easy topping.

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Tell us why!

Related Articles

20-Minute Creamy Tomato Salmon Skillet

15 Skillet Dinners That Can Help Reduce Inflammation

Lemon-Garlic Dump Dinner with Chicken, Potatoes & Brussels Sprouts

31 One-Pot Recipes for Easy Weeknight Meals

vegan chickpea coconut curry

20 One-Pot Dinners You'll Want to Make Forever

Baked Spinach and Feta Pasta

25 One-Pot Recipes for Sunday Dinner

Vegetarian Butternut Squash Chili with Black Beans

31 Comforting & Cozy One-Pot Dinners for Fall

Creamy Chicken & Mushrooms

25 30-Minute One-Pot Dinners for Fall

19 One-Pot Dinners with Ground Beef

Pork Chops with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

25 of the Tastiest One-Pot Dinners for When You're Craving Something Cozy

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili

11 One-Pot Dinners Our Editors Make on Repeat

vegan chickpea coconut curry

29 One-Pot Mediterranean Diet Dinners

One-Pan Chicken Parmesan Pasta

27 One-Pot Dinner Recipes for Winter

Puerto Rican Fish Stew Bacalao

23 One-Pot Mediterranean Diet Dinners for Fall

easy salmon cakes with dressing

18 One-Pot Anti-Inflammatory Dinners for Summer

Creamy One-Pot Penne Primavera with Shrimp

13 One-Pot Anti-Inflammatory Dinners You'll Want to Make Forever

Honey-Garlic Chicken Thighs with Carrots Broccoli

Our 30 Best Sheet-Pan Dinners

Charred Shrimp, Pesto & Quinoa Bowls

14 Diabetes-Friendly Skillet Dinners in 30 Minutes