One pot meals are my secret weapon to making meal prep as easy as possible. I simply drop the ingredients into a big pot, let it cook, and portion it out into my favorite meal prep containers when it’s all done.
One pot recipes are perfect for meal prepping because they are easy to make, pretty healthy, and they make tons of food without all the mess.
No pressure, but if you need to buy yourself a pot that will last forever, check out this one: nonstick dutch oven 7qt. If you need more help, check out our guide on how to meal prep for beginners.
Here is our mega list of the best one pot meals the internet has to offer! This list of 50 easy one pot meals were not written by me, but by some of my favorite bloggers out there. Show them some love and check out their food.
If you’re really eating on a budget, check our list of dirt cheap meals and cheap crockpot recipes.
40 One Pot Meals to Rock Your Sunday Meal Prep
Your weeknights already feel jam-packed. Whether it’s grad classes or after-school activities with kids, it’s no wonder many people feel even busier after work. These easy one pot meals will save your time and your sanity. Plus, this round-up includes recipes to meet a variety of dietary needs, including gluten-free, vegan, paleo, or keto! Did we mention they’re downright delicious?
1. One-Pot Beef Chili
What better way to kick off a one pot meals recipe roundup than with a chili? This chili is fuss-free and fast. You can make an entire delicious meal in just about 45 minutes. Plus, the topping options are endless, so you’ll be able to easily dress up your leftovers for lunch later in the week.
2. Vegan One Pot Pasta
This one pot pasta dish is from my friend Carleigh at PlantYou! She puts together amazing plant based meal plans and has all kinds of vegetarian and vegan dishes on her blog. This vegan pasta has only 8 ingredients and only takes half an hour to make!
3. Sheet Pan BBQ Smoked Sausage Dinner
This one pan recipe whips together meat, potatoes, and veggies to feed your family fast. The flavors from the bbq sauce will be a welcome treat during the months when your grill is snow covered. Pop it in the oven and in about a half an hour, you’re ready to eat. This is just one of our favorite sheet pan dinners.
4. One Pot Mexican Beef and Rice Casserole
I have to admit when I first saw the name of this recipe I thought, No way. I am not about scrubbing all those pots. But this delicious dish truly is a one pot meal. The rice is cooked right in the same skillet. Including prep time, you’ll have this fiesta-inspired dish on the table in 40 minutes. You know you’ve got a winner with a recipe this flavorful that still lets you save time and do fewer dishes.
5. Creamy One Pot Shells and Beef
This meal will have you feeling like a kid all over again. The shells are reminiscent of your favorite childhood mac ‘n cheese, but you can still serve up this dish to adult dinner guests no problem. You probably have most of these ingredients on hand, and this family-friend meal cooks up in half an hour.
6. One Pot Beef Stroganoff
Can we even talk about easy and delicious comfort foods without including a stroganoff? I don’t think so. How about one that you can whip together in 40 minutes in a single pot? Now we’re talking. This one pot recipe is made with ground beef, so it’s fast, budget friendly, and tasty.
7. Pan-Fried Gnocchi with Sundried Tomatoes and White Beans
Relax. This one pot recipe only sounds complicated. In fact, you can create a delicious vegetarian one pot meal in 30 minutes. The sun-dried tomatoes lend it so much flavor, you might not notice that you’re eating a meal that’s protein-packed and full of veggies, too.
8. One Pot Mushroom Rice
You won’t believe how much flavor gets folded into this dish in an hour. Then there’s the fact that it’s so deliciously creamy. This works as both a side dish or a vegetarian meal. With a slice of fresh bread, you won’t want to eat anything else. I promise it’s that good.
9. Healthy Sesame Orange Ginger Chickpea Stir Fry
This vegan-friendly dish can easily hold its own against your favorite takeout place for taste and speed. It’s ready to go in a little more than half an hour. So now it’s healthy, delicious, and helping you save money. What can’t this dish do?
10. One Pan Tomato and Kale Pasta
What if I told you about a dish that was vegan and gluten-free, plus it could be on your table in 25 minutes? It’s not a dream; it’s this easy one pan pasta dish. Layers of flavor and a hearty serving of white beans gets you a delicious, protein-rich meal fast.
11. One Skillet Mexican Quinoa
Let’s cut to the chase here. This dish is amazing. It is a protein powerhouse (20 grams per serving!), and it’s vegan and gluten free. But the very best part? It’s downright tasty, especially if you add the easy homemade guac to the top.
12. Cuban Sweet Potato Picadillo Bowls
This vegan one pot meal makes me feel like a gourmet. Just look at the name! If you’re worried that gourmet is a French-inspired word for over-the-top or unrecognizable ingredients, don’t sweat it. The stewed tomatoes come right from your supermarket shelf. Still, with surprise ingredients like raisins, you’ll delight in how unusual this dish is and celebrate the fact that it’s done in half an hour.
13. One-Pot Sesame Noodles and Veggies
The veggies in this Asian-inspired pasta dish get so tender, it will quickly become a vegetarian favorite. It’s no problem if your family requests it often because you can cook it up in 25 minutes.
14. 30 Minute Red Beans and Cauliflower Rice
This is another fast and fantastic gluten-free and vegan dish. My favorite thing about this meal is how creative I feel after making it. You can use it to top nachos, dress up a bed of lettuce, or even use it to top your tortilla shells for tacos or burritos.
15. 30-Minute Gnocchi Enchilada Skillet
Who says gnocchi is only for Mediterranin cuisine? This vegetarian one pot meal can go toe-to-toe with any traditional enchilada recipe. The gnocchi replaces tortilla shells, so if you’ve got dinner guests, you’ve got a built-in conversation starter to boot.
16. One Pot Thai Peanut Veggie Pasta
An easy pad thai? We’ve got the perfect one pot recipe for you. Serve it with whole wheat pasta, but rest assured that no one will notice thanks to the creamy peanut sauce. Whether you’re looking to try out Meatless Mondays during the school year or you follow a vegetarian diet all the time, this meal is perfect for you.
17. Zucchini Pine Nut & Cranberry Paleo Pasta
This one pot meal is the perfect culinary adventure. First, shake things up with a spiralizer, then you get to play around with cranberries–no Thanksgiving celebration required! It’s paleo, it’s a crowd pleaser, and it’s done in under 30 minutes.
18. One Pot Killer Vegan Chili
We started this round-up with a beef chili recipe and wanted to include a vegetarian one, too. But no worries about our carnivore friends. This recipe is so hearty, protein-rich, and fiber-filled, no one will miss the meat. You can serve this up in under two hours.
19. One Pot Healthy Cajun Chicken Orzo
I love this recipe when I’m looking to kick up the flavor fast on a weeknight. The cajun seasoning makes this dish anything but boring. Plus, it’s packed with vegetables like bell peppers and zucchini. You’ll have this meal plated in a half hour, and I guarantee dinner guests will be looking for seconds. This is one of our favorite healthy chicken meal prep ideas.
20. One Pot Creamy Chicken Alfredo
The creamy sauce will make this a family favorite even with the pickiest eaters sitting at your table. Plus this dish lets you cook the chicken and pasta in the same pot, so you know it’s going to be fast. You’ll have this kid-friendly dish on your table in 30 minutes, and it’ll be no time before you get requests for seconds.
21. Sheet Pan Skinny Chicken Parmesan
The broccoli and cauliflower cut the carbs and calories, but this dish does not skimp on flavor. In fact, the melted cheese on top makes sure that no one misses any of the less-than-healthy traditional chicken parm toppings. This is another meal to keep in heavy rotation if you’re looking for a healthy, family-friendly meal that you can make in 30 minutes.
22. One Pot Spanish Chicken and Rice
This colorful dish harkens to a paella you might order at a fancy tapas restaurant. But considering you can make this one pot meal in 25 minutes, that’s less time that it would take for you and your family to pile into the car and drive over. Though it calls for chicken thighs, you can easily substitute chorizo. As an added perk, it’s also gluten free!
23. Easy & Foolproof Crispy Skin Chicken Drumsticks with Green Beans
If you’re budget conscious, you know that chicken legs are about as frugal as it gets. That’s icing on the cake for this recipe. The only thing you’ll be thinking about when you dig into this 45-minute meal is a second helping!
24. One Pot Chicken and Dirty Rice
In under an hour, you can have this Cajun-inspired dish on your plate. The recipe calls for bone-in chicken thighs, which is just about as budget-friendly as you can get. As an added bonus, you can play around with the heat in this dish to make it as spicy as you’d like.
25. Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry
No matter how busy your evenings are, you can definitely fit in this 20-minute dish. There’s tender chicken, savory veggies, and a homemade teriyaki sauce that will have you feeling like a master chef. Also, this meal is low carb and paleo.
26. Salsa-Simmered Fish
A recipe that’s paleo and done in under 10 minutes–what kind of culinary magic is this? The trick is using a jar of your favorite salsa. It features cod filets, but you can easily swap in whatever white fish you like.
27. Salt and Pepper Shrimp
Here’s another protein-rich paleo recipe you’ll love. Serve this delicious 10-minute dish with cauliflower rice or ginger green beans. You can also plate it on a bed of lettuce and smother it in salsa for a Mexican-style dish.
28. One Pan Baked Salmon Asparagus & Sweet Potato
This dish pan does it all: you’ve got your meat, your veggies, and your potatoes in under 30 minutes. It’s paleo, gluten free, and perfect for busy weeknights. The fact that it only requires a handful of ingredients is just one more thing to love about this one pan dish.
29. Easy Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas
A 20-minute recipe like this might actually convince you to ditch your favorite Tex Mex place. The shrimp absorbs all the different seasonings to make a meal that is perfectly flavored and a breeze to make and clean up.
30. Sheet Pan Honey Mustard Salmon & Rainbow Veggies
This recipe wins the prize for most beautiful one pan meal. There’s an actual rainbow of veggies, so you know it’s packed with nutrients. Plus, the flavor is really unique. The cleanup is a snap, and that’s a good thing because you’re bound to make this one pan meal again and again.
31. One Pan Easy Baked Fish and Chips
This dish crisps up in 30 minutes in your oven. It’s also healthier than your favorite restaurant fish and chips since it’s baked. If you opt for the homemade tartar sauce–it only takes five minutes to whip up!–you might think you’re eating out.
32. Easy Chicken and Rice Soup
If you’re looking for comfort food in a hurry, this recipe is for you. You can either boil and shred chicken breasts in advance if you meal prep on weekends, or you can pick up a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket to make this weeknight meal even faster.
33. One Pot Vegan Tortilla Soup
There’s something really magical about the way that bowls of soup can make you forget falling temperatures. The best soups, though, seem like they’d be too difficult to ever attempt at home. One pot soup recipes to the rescue. This soup calls for just 10 ingredients, and it’s so smoky and savory, you’ll never miss the meat. The fact that you can churn it out in under an hour will keep this on heavy rotation all fall and winter.
34. Easy One Pot Quinoa Corn Chowder
This one pot soup recipe is the perfect weeknight meal. It’s quick and satisfying. There’s quinoa and beans in this chowder, so it’s loaded with protein and fiber. You can eat this soup as a meal on its own or serve it up with a salad and some crusty bread.
35. One Pot Curried Butternut Squash Soup
There’s curry, cumin, cinnamon, and ginger in this soup. Prep and cook time for this soup clock in at 60 minutes, which means your kitchen will smell divine for at least an hour. Additionally, you can get as creative as your tastebuds desire with the toppings, like cilantro or coconut milk. There’s even a link for steps to make your own roasted chickpeas to sprinkle on top. This is one of the tastiest one pot meals on this list!
36. Smoky Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup
This soup is vegan and gluten-free. It’s also utterly delicious. With the addition of sweet potatoes, you get fiber, protein, and tons of vitamin A in this Mexican-inspired meal. You can dress it up with avocado slices, tortilla chip crumbles, or some cilantro and salsa on top.
37. One Pot French Onion Soup
French onion soup feels downright fancy as far as soups go. Fortunately, you can put this soup together in an hour and a half. You can also be fairly flexible with the ingredients. For instance, use Gruyere cheese if you’re feeling fancy or mozzarella if you want to use cheese you already have. As an added bonus, French onion soup is the perfect way to use up any bread that you might have lurking around in your cabinets. Serve it with a salad to make a complete meal for your family.
38. Easy 10-Minute Wonton Soup
The most fun part about this recipe is that you can actually make the chicken and cilantro wontons yourself or get the kids involved. Still, if you’re pressed for time, you can absolutely use wontons from the supermarket as well. With wonton soup that is this filling, this good, and this fast, you might never use DoorDash again.
39. Classic Tomato Soup
Whether you have kids or simply are a kid at heart, there’s nothing better than a steaming bowl of tomato soup. Unless you add grilled cheese. Then, it’s definitely better. This family favorite takes about 90 minutes to make, but you’re only active for about 25 of those minutes.
40. Green Goddess Vegan Broccoli Soup
If you haven’t jumped on the green goddess meal train yet, what are you waiting for? This soup is the perfect way to test drive the trend. Topped with crunchy kale chips, you won’t even notice that this recipe is dairy-free. You can either make your own chips following this recipe or opt for store-bought. Combined, you won’t spend more than 30 minutes making this dish, but you will need one extra sheet pan if you make your own chips. They’re so good, it’s worth it!
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