Are you looking for cast iron skillet recipes? We’ve rounded up 27 of our favorite things to cook in a cast iron skillet that you can make at home.
Learn how to use your cast iron skillet, and you will be well on your way to becoming a great home chef.
These versatile skillets can go straight from your range into the oven, allowing you to make complex dishes without dirtying multiple pans.
Try one of these classic cast iron skillet recipes today.
This homestyle chicken pot pie takes a flash to make and has all of the delicious goodness that you’d expect from a home-cooked meal.
Using store-bought pie crust and frozen vegetables saves you some time, and the combination of pan-frying and baking puts a brand new spin on an older recipe.
You will have dinner on the table in less than an hour with a golden-brown pie that the whole family can enjoy.
Cast iron skillet recipes aren’t all savory!
This giant pecan chocolate chip skillet cookie is gooey, flavorful, and packed with chocolate and huge pecan pieces.
It’s also dairy and egg-free, making it a great option for your vegan friends.
Use natural vanilla extract and top with a huge scoop of either soy or traditional ice cream for the best results—delicious!
This popular cast iron pan recipe is bursting with decadent cheese flavor and a hit of spice.
Loaded queso fundido has two different kinds of cheese—American and pepper jack, plus plenty of Tex-Mex toppings that will delight your family.
A chipotle and adobo sauce give this queso just the right amount of spice, and you can serve it with either store-bought or homemade tortilla chips for a real treat.
Biscuits and gravy casserole is one of those excellent cast iron recipes that you can serve any time of the day.
Flaky, fluffy biscuits meet decadent sausage gravy in this crowd-pleasing dish that’s also exceptionally easy to make!
The gravy is just your choice of breakfast sausage, milk, butter, flour, and seasonings.
Top that with Bisquick biscuits and bake until golden brown.
Serve all on its own or with a sprinkle of cheese.
Potato pan rolls add an easy, homemade touch to any meal.
Plus, they’re effortless to make if you have a cast iron skillet.
All you have to do is make a dough out of flour, yeast, seasonings, butter, and your secret ingredient—mashed potatoes—and bake in your cast iron skillet for about twenty minutes.
These rolls are one of the best cast iron skillet recipes because they’re simple, unexpected, and versatile.
Some of the world’s tastiest cast iron skillet meals involve comfort food favorites with a delicious twist, like these skillet chili nachos.
You can make your own beef chili from scratch or use chili from a can to save a few extra steps.
Make sure that you don’t skimp on the cheddar cheese and have fresh avocado on hand for topping.
The real key to these nachos is the blend of hot ingredients and fresh ones, like avocado and radishes.
Cast iron skillet recipes don’t have to be full of fat, like this one-skillet Greek sun-dried tomato chicken and farro recipe proves.
It’s full of fresh herbs like dill, oregano, and paprika and has a hearty squeeze of lemon to top it all off.
This dish is a star with flavorful sun-dried tomatoes, plump olives, and beautifully-cooked chicken.
These pan-fried pork chops are great for chilly evenings when you have to get something on the table fast.
You can serve them with sauce or just plain, and they go well with roasted vegetables or mashed potatoes.
The secret is the seasoning—it’s full of paprika, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to give the chops a blanched taste.
Then, simply sear, cook through, and serve.
9. Frittata
Frittatas are pan-seared and then baked, making cast iron skillets perfect for the job.
Your base is eggs, cream, cheese, salt, and pepper.
Once you have that done, you can add in any different types of vegetables or meats that you’d like.
Use seasonal ingredients to really help your frittata shine.
This berry cobbler is one of our favorite dessert recipes for cast iron skillet, and you can make it with whatever fresh berries you have on hand.
Frozen berries are good in a pinch, but they might make the cobbler a little more watery than intended.
This cobbler is bursting with berry flavor, plus plenty of cinnamon and a rich buttery topping.
Enjoy it with premium vanilla ice cream.
This St. Patrick’s Day, break out your cast iron skillet and make spotted dog Irish bread.
It’s a fun take on traditional soda bread, and you’ll love it alongside a complete Irish feast.
You probably have everything you need right on hand, and you can use regular or golden raisins.
Simply combine the ingredients and bake for about an hour until your bread is moist and done.
A crispy hash breakfast skillet is an excellent way to use up extra potatoes and vegetables.
First, shred your potatoes and chop up your vegetables relatively small before starting.
Then, fry your bacon, toss in the potatoes and seasoning, and the vegetables, eggs, and cheese.
The great thing about this recipe is that you can customize it to your tastes.
This skillet apple pie will put your traditional take to shame.
Use a few different types of apples for variety, plus your classic apple pie spices and flavorings.
The pie gets a lot of its character from a full cup of dark brown sugar.
You can make your own pie crust or use a store-bought one to save time.
Either way, this pie is in and out of the oven in about an hour.
Garlic butter shrimp cooks like a dream in your cast iron skillet.
This recipe is incredibly simple, and all you need are four ingredients plus salt and pepper to have a fabulous meal in no time.
Mix up your butter, garlic, chives, and a bit of salt and pepper, and let it melt down in your cast iron skillet.
Then, quickly cook your shrimp and serve immediately.
Some of the best cast iron skillet recipes are sinfully delicious, like this double chocolate skillet brownie.
You can make it with or without pecans, and it’s fantastic served with a generous scoop of vanilla or caramel ice cream.
It’s a true crowd-pleaser and an unexpected dessert.
Everyone knows that the best mac and cheese has crispy edges, which is why this skillet-baked mac and cheese is such a hit.
Add a little crumbled bacon or some toasted bread crumbs to make it even more delicious.
All you need is some cooked elbow pasta, butter, flour, salt and pepper, and tons of creamy cheese.
You can use cheddar cheese or add in a combination of cheeses if you prefer.
This homestyle favorite cooks in less than an hour and is totally divine.
If you’ve never made pizza in your cast iron skillet, what are you waiting for?
This cast iron skillet pizza is easy and delicious, with a nice deep filling and plenty of room for toppings.
As with many of the recipes on our list, you can make your own dough or use store-bought.
Once you have your dough, the rest is easy.
Brush down your cast iron pan with olive oil, load up the dough with your sauce of choice, add in spices, cheese, toppings, and bake.
18. Bananas Foster
Bananas foster is an often-underrated dessert that combines bananas, caramel rum, and ice cream.
Making your own caramel rum sauce is easier than you think.
All you need is butter, brown sugar, and rum—you can add nuts if you’d like, but they’re not necessary.
Saute your bananas in the rum sauce, flambe them, and serve with a nice scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Make this easy cheesy taco skillet for a true family treat on a weeknight.
Although there are a lot of ingredients, it comes together quickly in just your cast iron skillet.
You can mix and match the vegetables to suit your tastes, but try to include all of the seasonings if you want that authentic Tex-Mex flavor.
20. Cornbread Cakes
These yummy cornbread cakes come together in a flash and are an excellent substitute for rolls.
Bacon fat drippings work best, but you can use vegetable oil or butter if you’re in a pinch.
They cook quickly, so make sure that you keep your eye on the skillet to avoid burning them.
Serve these cornbread cakes with a generous pat of butter or alongside a steaming bowl of chili.
Perfecting caramelized onions are the Holy Grail of cooking.
Fortunately, it’s easy to do if you have a cast iron skillet.
All you need is some patience and a few ingredients, and you’ll have sweet, tender, caramelized onions in no time.
Yellow cooking onions work best.
You can also incorporate some fresh thyme into the recipe if you wish.
Caramelized onions take about an hour to cook correctly, but they’re totally worth it.
22. Skillet Potatoes
This simple, easy, and tasty breakfast recipe is great for brunches on the fly or lazy Saturdays.
Skillet potatoes are creamy on the inside, crispy outside, and bursting with flavor.
All you need are some chopped-up or shredded potatoes, salt, pepper, and a touch of onion.
You can toss in some garlic or red peppers for a bit of kick if you want.
23. Shakshuka
Shakshuka is a hearty and healthy breakfast dish that is the perfect combination of eggs, tomato sauce, garlic, peppers, and onions.
If you want, you can top your shakshuka with a bit of feta cheese or some avocado.
Although there are plenty of spices in this recipe, you can certainly use whatever combination suits you and your tastes.
Although many people eat shakshuka for breakfast, you can certainly enjoy this dish any time of the day.
24. Skillet Steak
Cast irons were made for creating the perfect steak, as this skillet steak recipe illustrates.
If you want your steak to be meaty, juicy, and full of flavor, bask it in an herbed butter sauce.
The butter lends a whole new element of flavor to the steak and gives it just the right amount of fat.
By cooking your steak in a cast iron pan, you’ll get a nice sear on the edges as well.
Sweet and savory corn casserole delivers a big, flavorful punch thanks to plenty of vegetables, sweet corn, heavy cream, and a lot of cheese.
Although the recipe calls for parmesan, you can certainly use whatever cheese strikes your fancy.
Brown the vegetables and corn in your skillet, put in the cornmeal, cream, and eggs, and bake until golden brown and delicious.
This spicy salmon sweet potato skillet is a deceptively easy dish.
You probably have everything you need for it right in your pantry.
First, coat the salmon in spices and a bit of olive oil.
Then chop up your red onions, sweet potato, and kale, combine those ingredients with garlic and olive oil, and cook it together.
The result is a tasty, nutritious meal.
This apple puffed oven pancake is a nice change from an apple pie, but it has the same traditional flavors.
All you need are apple pie spices, eggs, flour, apples, and brown sugar.
You can make a quick caramel sauce with brown sugar, butter, and vanilla or buy a pre-made one at the store.
The Bottom Line
Your cast iron skillet is one of the most versatile items in your kitchen.
Use it to make these delicious main dishes, sides, and desserts for homemade food that will never fail to impress.
27 cast iron skillet recipes
If you are trying to decide what to make in your cast iron skillet you are going to love our list of recipes.
Ingredients
- One-Skillet Chicken Pot Pie
- Pecan Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie
- Loaded Queso Fundido
- Biscuits and Gravy Casserole
- Potato Pan Rolls
- Skillet Chili Nachos
- One-Skillet Greek Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken and Farro
- Pan-Fried Pork Chops
- Frittata
- Skillet Berry Cobbler
- Spotted Dog Irish Bread
- Crispy Hash Breakfast Skillet
- Skillet Apple Pie
- Garlic Butter Shrimp
- Double Chocolate Skillet Brownie
- Skillet Baked Mac and Cheese
- Cast Iron Skillet Pizza
- Bananas Foster
- Easy Cheesy Taco Skillet
- Cornbread Cakes
- Caramelized Onions
- Skillet Potatoes
- Shakshuka
- Skillet Steak
- Sweet and Savory Corn Casserole
- Spicy Salmon Sweet Potato Skillet
- Apple Puffed Oven Pancake
Instructions
- Choose one or more options from our list of cast iron skillet recipes here!
- Create your new favorite dish.
- Pat yourself on the back for making food at home for you to enjoy!
- Share and comment! Did you make any tweaks, so it’s all your own?