40 Easy One Pot Meals (healthy + meal prep tips)

Sharing 40 easy one pot meals that will not only make cooking a breeze, but clean up as well! From pasta to rice to skillet and sheet pan recipes, there are a ton of easy dinner ideas to choose from.

When it comes to weeknight dinners, I look for something that will be ready in under 30 minutes, and the fewer dishes that it creates, the better! Enter these one pot meals.

I'm sharing easy one pot pasta, rice, skillet and sheet pan meals that will make everyone's dinner routine so much easier.

Benefits of choosing one pot meals

the recipes are often simpler
the clean up is easy
often the pasta or rice will absorb extra flavor as it cooks

Let's check these meals out!

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One Pot Pasta

One pot pasta is one of my favorite types of single pot meals for the simple reason that the pasta absorbs so much flavor as it cooks! After making one pot pasta, I don't think I can go back to cooking the pasta and sauce separately ever again.

Meal prep tip- If you find a 'no saute' one pot pasta, this may work to assemble ahead for meal prep (see the Black Bean Fajita Pasta below as an example). Keep your pasta separate until just before you serve.

1. One-Pot Shrimp Linguine With Spring Vegetables from Sweet Peas and Saffron // 2. One-Pot White Bean Pasta with Leeks and Asparagus from Sweet Peas and Saffron

3. Sun-Dried Tomato Chickpea One Pot Pasta (Meal Prep) from Sweet Peas and Saffron // 4. One-Pot Spinach Pea Pasta from Savory Nothings

5. Skillet Butternut Squash, Sausage and Penne Pasta from Mel's Kitchen Cafe // 6. One-Pot Black Bean Fajita Pasta from Sweet Peas and Saffron

7. Zucchini Noodle Pad Thai from Sweet Peas and Saffron // 8. Spicy Instant Pot Peanut Noodles from Sweet Peas and Saffron

9. One-Pot Chicken Chow Mein from The Recipe Rebel // 10. One Pan Tuscan Chicken Pasta Bake (Freezer Meal) from Sweet Peas and Saffron

11. Easy One-Pot Shrimp Orzo Pasta from Foodness Gracious // 12. One-Pot Healthy Cajun Chicken Orzo from Sweet Peas and Saffron

One Pot Rice Recipes

Like pasta, rice can also absorb a lot of flavor while it cooks. These one pot rice recipes will simplify cooking, and also bring your rice to a whole other level, flavor-wise!

Meal Prep Tip- just like pasta, some of these one pot rice recipes may be assembled ahead before cooking. Keep the rice separate until you are ready to cook. Leftover rice also freezes really well.

13. Instant Pot Cajun Rice and Sausage from Sweet Peas and Saffron // 14. Instant Pot Fiesta Rice Bowls from Sweet Peas and Saffron

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15. One-Pot Caribbean Chicken and Rice from Sweet Peas and Saffron // 16. One-Pan Chicken Burrito Bowls from Number 2 Pencil

Stove Top Skillet or Pot Recipes

These one pot stove top recipes look absolutely delicious! From meat to plant-based recipes, there really is something for everyone.

Meal Prep Tip- check recipe cards of each post for meal prep specifics. Some of these may be assembled ahead and stored in the fridge or freezer while others may be cooked ahead and enjoyed as leftovers.

17. Vegan Moroccan Chickpea Skillet from Sweet Peas and Saffron // 18. Easy Red Lentil Dal from Sweet Peas and Saffron

19. Summer Vegetable with Sausage and Potatoes from Skinny Taste // 20. Healthy Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps from Tastes Lovely

21. Chili Lime Sweet Potato and Chicken Skillet from Sweet Peas and Saffron // 22. Mediterranean Stove Top Chicken Casserole from Scrummy Lane

23. Sweet Potato Quinoa Skillet with Kale and Sage from With Food and Love // 24. Winter One Pan Chicken and Veggies from Sweet Peas and Saffron

25. Easy Cauliflower Fried Rice from Sweet Peas and Saffron // 26. Low Carb Indian Chicken Skillet from Sweet Peas and Saffron

Sheet Pan Meals

Sheet pan meals are my absolute favorite! Cooking your protein and vegetables together in the oven is so efficient and frees up your hands to do other things while it cooks.

Meal Prep Tip- some of these recipes can be assembled ahead, while others keep for leftovers. See the recipe card on each post for specifics.

27. Jamaican Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner from Sweet Peas and Saffron // 28. Lemon Pepper Salmon Sheet Pan from Sweet Peas and Saffron

29. Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas from Sweet Peas and Saffron // 30. Lemon Chicken Baked Gnocchi from Sweet Peas and Saffron

31. One Pan Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Root Vegetables from Sweet Peas and Saffron // 32. Easy Pesto Chicken Pita from Sweet Peas and Saffron

Soups & Stews

The 'classic' one pot recipe, right? Soups and stews are great for minimizing dishes and leftovers often keep really well for lunches through the week.

Meal prep tip- soups and stews often freeze well. Freeze in mason jars for individual portions, or in plastic freezer jars for larger portions. See my shop for my favorite freezer equipment!