If you’re tired of spending so much time in the kitchen, then keep reading. Many home cooks dream of a day where there’s very little prep time, a healthy meal on the table and only one pan to wash when it’s all said and done. Enter: sheet pan dinners. To help you understand what exactly that is, we got two expert opinions.
Lauren Keating, cookbook author and Healthy Delicious founder, says, “Sheet pan dinners are one of the best ways to get a healthy meal on the table on busy nights. They only take a few minutes to prepare and there’s just one pan to clean up. And the oven does most of the work for you, so instead of standing over the stove for a half hour, you can use that time to do something else — like relax!”
Sylvia Fountaine, professional chef and founder of Feasting at Home, adds, “A sheet pan dinner is similar to a one-pot meal but utilizes the oven instead of the stove top, and a sheet pan versus a pot.”
These meals can be adapted for almost any dietary restrictions too. So without further ado, here are some sheet pan recipes worth trying, plus some handy tips and tools for making the most of these simple dinners.
Easy sheet pan dinners
One Pan Orange Salmon With Sweet Potatoes + Broccoli by Healthy Delicious
Ingredients
- 2 sweet potatoes
- 1 head of broccoli
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small navel orange
- 3 tablespoons orange marmalade
- 1 teaspoon reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon Sriracha
- 4 4-ounce salmon filets
- 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds
See the full instructions here.
Tarragon Chicken (or Tofu) With Asparagus, Lemon and Leeks by Feasting at Home
Ingredients
- 2 lemons
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 to 6 garlic cloves, finely minced (or use a garlic press)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1-ounce package of fresh tarragon leaves, rough chopped, about 1/4 to 1/3 cup
- 1 extra-large bunch of asparagus, trimmed (about 1 1/2 pounds)
- 1 to 2 large leeks, sliced into 1/2-inch thick rounds
- 1 to 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast (boneless, skinless) or sub tofu
See the full instructions here.
Healthy sheet pan dinners
Baked Tandoori Chicken (or Tofu) and Veggies by Feasting at Home
Marinade ingredients
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt whole milk yogurt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 6 large garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, sliced
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 2 teaspoons paprika (not smoked)
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Additional ingredients
- 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of chicken thighs (boneless, skinless) OR tofu “filets” about 1-inch thick
- 1 layer of vegetables, sliced or diced 1/2-inch thick (carrots, winter squash, sweet potato, onion, cauliflower, zucchini, peppers, potatoes, eggplant, parsnips, etc.)
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garnish: cilantro, scallions, cilantro mint chutney
- Serve over: basmati rice with cucumber raita and Indian naan
See the full instructions here.
Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas by Healthy Delicious
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
- 3 bell peppers, thinly sliced
- 1 red onion, thinly spiced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or more to taste
- Lettuce or tortillas, for wrapping
- Avocados, salsa, sour cream, limes, cilantro, etc., for topping
See the full instructions here.
Vegetarian sheet pan dinners for meatless Mondays
Lemon-Parmesan Gnocchi With Mushrooms by Healthy Delicious
Ingredients
- 16 ounces dried gnocchi
- 8 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms
- 1 bunch asparagus, cut into 3-inch pieces
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup Go Veggie Parmesan, plus more for serving
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 lemon, thinly sliced
- 5 to 6 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced (optional)
See the full instructions here.
Chipotle Portobello Tacos (Vegan!) by Feasting at Home
Ingredients
- 2 extra-large portobello mushrooms
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1/2 yellow onion (optional)
Chipotle marinade ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 tablespoons canned Chipotle in Adobo sauce (sauce only)
- 1 minced garlic clove (or 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic)
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- Salt to taste
Additional ingredients
- 4 tortillas, warmed
- 1 can refried black beans, warmed
- Optional garnishes: cilantro, pickled onions, vegan cilantro crema, or guacamole or sliced avocado.
See the full instructions here.
Tips and tools for making sheet pan dinners
‘Sheet Pan Suppers: 120 Recipes for Simple, Surprising, Hands-Off Meals Straight From the Oven’ by Molly Gilbert ($13.30; amazon.com)
One of the most popular books of sheet pan recipes currently on Amazon, this cookbook is loaded with delicious ideas for the more tactile chef who prefers cookbooks to a screen or printout.
New Star Foodservice Commercial-Grade 18-Gauge Aluminum Sheet Pan ($19.97; amazon.com)
One tip that both experts recommend is to get the largest rimmed sheet pan that will fit in your oven to make sure that you can spread out the ingredients for even cooking, there’s less steaming and you’ll still have only one pan to wash at the end.
Fountaine says, “If cooking for a large family, you may need two sheet pans.” This full-size rimmed baking sheet measures 18 by 26 inches, whereas more common baking sheets measure 13 by 18 inches or smaller, for maximum space.
Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Commercial Baker’s Half Sheet, 2-Pack ($27.50; amazon.com)
This two-pack of standard half-size rimmed baking sheets — measuring 16.5 by 11.38 inches on the interior — are made of commercial-quality aluminum and are built to last. Standard-size sheets like these are also perfect for baking chocolate chip cookies and loads of other delicious things.
Chefmade 13-Inch Nonstick Rimmed Baking Pan ($22.99; amazon.com)
If a smaller pan will be easier for your oven to scale recipes, this quarter-size nonstick number — measuring approximately 13 by 9 inches on the interior — will do the trick. “If your oven is very small, you may also need two [smaller] sheet pans,” advises Fountaine.
Katbite Heavy-Duty Parchment Paper Sheets ($15.99, originally $19.99; amazon.com)
Make prep time and cleanup even easier by using these precut parchment paper sheets. These are the perfect size to protect a full-size rimmed baking sheet and act as a nonstick surface to boot.
Smartake Parchment Paper Baking Sheets ($15.99; amazon.com)
Protect your half-sheet baking pans with these perfectly trimmed, unbleached parchment papers that act as a barrier to help prevent endless scrubbing of baked-on crust and keep food from sticking to the pan in general.
Geekhom Silicone Spatula Set for Nonstick Cookware ($24.88, originally $26.88; amazon.com
Spatulas are to sheet pan dinners as wooden spoons are to homemade soups. This four-pack of silicone spatulas will provide a flipper or scooper for almost any sort of sheet pan recipe you choose to whip up. They’re safe for use on nonstick surfaces and are heat resistant up to 600 degrees Fahrenheit.
KsenDalo Nonstick Spatula Turner ($10.37; amazon.com
A silicone spatula is great for almost every sheet pan recipe… The exception? Fish! Fish is so delicate that you really need to use an extra-thin and long spatula like this one to pick it up so that it doesn’t break. It’s also good for everything from scrambling eggs to roasting vegetables to pan-frying pork chops, so if you want only one spatula in your drawer, this is the one.
