15+ One Pot Meals for Busy Weeknights

These one pot meals are built for the weeks when homework, practices, and early bedtimes leave almost no time to cook. This roundup covers a lot of ground: beefy chili, cheesy pasta skillets, saucy sloppy joes, chicken dinners, and a lettuce wrap or two, all made in a single pot or pan.

Every recipe below skips the extra dishes, so cleanup is as easy as dinner itself. Most are ready in under 45 minutes, several make great leftovers for the next day’s lunch, and a few are hearty enough to double for a crowd.

Sweet Potato Taco Skillet

Ground beef, tender sweet potatoes, black beans, corn, and fire-roasted tomatoes simmer together in one skillet before getting topped with melted cheddar and finished in the oven for this Sweet Potato Taco Skillet. It has all the flavor of taco night without a stack of extra pans to wash.

Honey Garlic Chicken with Broccoli

Bite-sized chicken gets seared until golden, then tossed with steamed broccoli in a sweet, garlicky sauce for this Honey Garlic Chicken with Broccoli. It’s ready in about 35 minutes and pairs well with rice for a complete dinner.

Easy One-Pot Cajun Sausage and Rice Casserole

Chicken sausage gets browned first, then simmers with rice, bell pepper, onion, and diced tomatoes with a solid hit of Cajun seasoning for this Easy One-Pot Cajun Sausage and Rice Casserole. It’s ready in about 40 minutes and freezes well, so it’s an easy one to double for the week ahead.

Korean Beef Sloppy Joes

Ground beef simmers in a savory-sweet soy and sesame sauce, then gets piled onto toasted buns for these Korean Beef Sloppy Joes. It’s the classic sloppy joe format with a little extra personality, and it’s on the table in about 20 minutes.

Hearty Veggie Minestrone Soup

Carrots, celery, zucchini, and bell pepper simmer with beans, tomatoes, and pasta in one pot for this Hearty Veggie Minestrone Soup. It’s filling enough for dinner and reheats well for lunches later in the week.

BBQ Cowboy Sloppy Joes

Ground beef simmers in smoky BBQ sauce, then gets loaded onto buns with pepper jack, bacon, jalapeños, and crispy fried onions for these BBQ Cowboy Sloppy Joes. They’re messy, hearty, and ready in about 20 minutes.

Coconut Lime Chicken

Seared chicken breasts simmer in a creamy coconut milk sauce brightened with fresh lime, garlic, and ginger for this Coconut Lime Chicken. It comes together in one skillet and spoons nicely over rice.

One Pot Guinness Chili

Ground beef simmers with a can of stout, kidney beans, and diced tomatoes for this One Pot Guinness Chili. The beer adds a deep, roasted flavor, and it’s ready in about 40 minutes.

Healthy Beef and Broccoli

Thin strips of beef and sautéed broccoli come together in a sweet-savory sauce for this Healthy Beef and Broccoli. It’s ready in under 30 minutes and holds up well as leftovers.

High Protein Skillet Lasagna

Ground beef, marinara, and broken lasagna noodles simmer together in one pan, then get finished with ricotta, Parmesan, and mozzarella for this High Protein Skillet Lasagna. It has all the flavor of traditional lasagna without the layering or baking.

Korean Ground Beef Lettuce Wraps

Ground beef cooks in a gochujang and sesame sauce, then gets wrapped in lettuce with kimchi, cucumber, and carrot for these Korean Ground Beef Lettuce Wraps. They’re a fresh, hands-on dinner that’s ready in about 30 minutes.

Sriracha Meatballs

Frozen meatballs heat through in a skillet, then get tossed in a sweet and spicy sriracha-maple glaze for these Sriracha Meatballs. Using frozen meatballs keeps this one on the table in under 20 minutes.

Big Mac Sloppy Joes

Seasoned ground beef and a homemade Big Mac-style sauce come together with lettuce, pickles, and cheddar on toasted buns for these Big Mac Sloppy Joes. It’s a fun, kid-friendly twist on a classic weeknight sandwich.

Healthy Tuscan Pasta

Cherry tomatoes and garlic sauté in olive oil until they soften, then get tossed with pasta, cubed mozzarella, and red pepper flakes for this Healthy Tuscan Pasta. It’s a light dinner that’s ready in 20 minutes with just a handful of ingredients.

American Goulash

Ground beef and elbow macaroni simmer right in a rich tomato sauce for this American Goulash from Spend With Pennies, so the pasta cooks up flavorful in the same pot as the meat sauce.

One-Pot Pizza Pasta Skillet

Sausage, mini pepperoni, and pasta cook together in one skillet with pasta sauce and chicken stock, then get topped with mozzarella and broiled until bubbly for this One-Pot Pizza Pasta Skillet from The Slow Roasted Italian.

One Skillet Chicken Broccoli and Rice

Rice toasts right in the skillet, then simmers with milk and broth before broccoli and cooked chicken finish it off in the same pan for this One Skillet Chicken Broccoli and Rice from Amanda’s Cookin’.