16 Bright & Delicious Skillet Dinners You'll Want to Make This Spring

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Published on February 24, 2024

Weeknight Lemon Chicken Skillet Dinner in a skillet for serving — Photo: Justin Walker

You’ll want to keep your favorite skillet in a convenient spot this spring so you can make these delicious recipes for dinner. Packed with seasonal ingredients like broccoli, mushrooms and spinach, these dishes are exactly the healthy and flavorful meals you’ll want to see hit your dinner table around this time of year. Recipes like our Ground Beef & Potatoes Skillet and Weeknight Lemon Chicken Skillet Dinner are bright and nutritious bites you’re sure to love.

01 of 16

Chicken & Spinach Skillet Pasta with Lemon & Parmesan

Chicken & Spinach Skillet Pasta with Lemon & Parmesan

This one-pan chicken pasta combines lean chicken breast and sautéed spinach for a one-bowl meal that's garlicky, lemony and best served with a little Parm on top. I call it "Mom's Skillet Pasta," and she called it "Devon's Favorite Pasta." Either way, it's a quick and easy weeknight dinner we created together and scribbled on a little recipe card more than a decade ago, and it remains in my weekly dinner rotation to this day. It's a simple dinner the whole family will love.

02 of 16

Ground Beef & Potatoes Skillet

Overhead photo of Ground Beef & Potato skillet with spoon and linen. — Photographer: Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn

In this healthy one-pan meal, ground beef and potatoes are paired with colorful veggies, including kale, tomato and peppers. Everything is cooked in one skillet, which builds layers of flavor while also cutting back on the number of dishes.

03 of 16

One-Skillet Chicken Paprikash with Mushrooms & Onions

One-Skillet Chicken Paprikash with Mushrooms & Onions

Try this quick and easy one-skillet version of the Hungarian classic chicken paprikash. Serve the chicken cutlets, mushrooms and creamy sauce over egg noodles with a green salad on the side.

04 of 16

Creamy Garlic Skillet Chicken with Spinach

Creamy Garlic Skillet Chicken with Spinach — Marty Baldwin

Quick-cooking chicken cutlets are coated in a garlic cream sauce, while spinach adds a boost of color and nutrition in this easy, one-skillet recipe.

05 of 16

Tofu & Vegetable Curry with Zucchini Noodles

Thai Tofu & Vegetable Curry with Zucchini Noodles

For this quick Thai-inspired curry recipe, we've combined tofu and plenty of veggies with a flavorful sauce made with red curry paste, lime juice and coconut milk. Serve the curry over lightly warmed zucchini noodles to get even more veggies in your weeknight dinner. Bonus: Everything is cooked in one skillet, so there's only one pan to wash after dinner.

06 of 16

Weeknight Lemon Chicken Skillet Dinner

Weeknight Lemon Chicken Skillet Dinner in a skillet for serving — Justin Walker

This one-pan chicken dinner doesn't get much easier, or more satisfying. In just half an hour, you can have a complete meal on the table that doesn't require loads of dishes afterwards. We call for tender haricots verts because they're quick cooking; traditional green beans likely won't be tender enough after the brief cooking time at the end. If that's all you have on hand, steam them first, and then add them to the pan for the final step. Serve this hearty chicken and potatoes dinner with a simple side salad to sneak in another serving of veggies.

07 of 16

Skillet Lemon Chicken with Spinach

overhead view of cooked dish in skillet with a wooden spoon — Diana Chistruga

This simple, ultra-quick chicken dinner—packed with spinach and peppers—is delicious on its own or served over brown rice or your favorite pasta.

08 of 16

White Bean-Sage Cauliflower Gnocchi

White Bean-Sage Cauliflower Gnocchi

Turn lower-carb cauliflower gnocchi into a complete and satisfying meal with this riff on classic brown butter and sage gnocchi. We added beans to amp up the fiber and protein for a fast and healthy dinner.

09 of 16

Chicken & Broccoli Casserole

a recipe photo of the Teriyaki Chicken Casserole with Broccoli — Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Lauren McAnelly, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco

This one-pan chicken and broccoli casserole is prepared in a skillet on the stovetop, then finished in the oven until it's browned, cheesy and bubbling. Serve with a crunchy green salad.

10 of 16

Skillet Lemon Chicken & Potatoes with Kale

Skillet Lemon Chicken & Potatoes with Kale

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11 of 16

Chicken Fajita Casserole

a recipe photo of the Chicken Fajita Casserole — Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman

This chicken fajita casserole combines classic fajita veggies and chicken thighs with corn tortillas and spices in one skillet for an easy dinner. Chicken thighs are tender and flavorful, but chicken breast or leftover chicken will work well too. Serve this easy casserole topped with your favorite fixings, like sour cream, avocado, salsa and/or chopped tomato.

12 of 16

Creamy Chicken, Mushroom & Spinach Skillet Casserole

Overhead view of a skillet of Creamy Chicken, Mushroom & Spinach Skillet Casserole recipe — Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food Stylist: Annie Probst

This spinach-packed casserole cooks on the stovetop and bakes in the same skillet for a family-friendly dinner with an easy cleanup. You can use leftover chicken and cook the pasta ahead of time to speed up the prep.

13 of 16

Cheesy Ground Beef & Broccoli Casserole

cheesy-ground-beef-broccoli-casserole-hero-01 — Christine Ma

This cheesy ground beef and broccoli casserole is comfort food the whole family can get behind. It's assembled and baked all in one skillet and finished in 30 minutes, making it the perfect weeknight meal.

14 of 16

Skillet Ravioli Lasagna

Skillet Ravioli Lasagna — Jasmine Comer

This easy inside-out ravioli lasagna is the ultimate weeknight comfort food—no layering or mixing bowls required. Feel free to swap in ground turkey for the beef. Look for fresh mozzarella balls (also called "pearls") in the specialty cheese section of your grocery store.

15 of 16

Chicken Enchilada Skillet Casserole

Chicken Enchilada Skillet Casserole — Jacob Fox

This simplified take on cheesy chicken enchiladas only requires one pan for cooking and eliminates the need to stuff and roll corn tortillas. Charring the veggies in a cast-iron skillet adds depth of flavor. Don't worry if you don't have one, because you can use any oven-safe skillet instead.

16 of 16

Skillet Chicken with Orzo & Tomatoes

Mediterranean Chicken Skillet — Victor Protasio

In this healthy chicken recipe, chicken thighs are infused with lemon, garlic and herbs and paired with orzo that's perfectly al dente. Charred tomatoes and onions add full flavor to complete this easy, one-skillet dinner.

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