Food Cooking Techniques 30 One-Pot Meals to Rely On Minimize clean up time with these robust meals that come together in a single pot. By Food & Wine Editors Food & Wine Editors This is collaborative content from Food & Wine's team of experts, including staff, recipe developers, chefs, and contributors. Many of our galleries curate recipes or guides from a variety of sources which we credit throughout the content and at each link. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on January 3, 2024 Close Photo: Jennifer Causey If you ask us, the fewer pots and pans you need to wash after cooking, the better — which is why we love one-pot meals. One-pot cooking helps keep everything streamlined, so you're not juggling, say, a bubbling sauce on one burner while the vegetables sauté on another. Some of our favorite, easy one-pot meals include a lamb and butternut squash tagine with apricots and a classic beef chili; believe it or not, you can pull off one-pot pasta dishes, too. Read on for a wide variety of wonderful one-pot meals. 01 of 30 Ginger Crispy Rice with Salmon and Bok Choy Victor Protasio Grains of jasmine rice take on a toasty, crispy crust in this perfect pot of rice topped with salmon, bok choy, and corn. To achieve the crust at the bottom of the pot, use a squeeze bottle to drizzle oil around the edge of the pot, or apply it precisely with a spoon. Get the Recipe 02 of 30 Classic Beef Chili Caitlin Bensel Thanks to convenient canned beans, you can get this chili on the table in under an hour. Get the Recipe 03 of 30 Seafood-and-Seaweed Chowder Caitlin Bensel A combination of dry hard cider and dried seaweed brings a sweet, mild salinity to the stock, making it ideal for precooking the mussels and clams before using it as the base of the chowder. Get the Recipe 04 of 30 Linguine with Frenched Green Beans and Parsley Pesto Photo by Tara Donne / Food Styling by Chris Lanier / Prop Styling by Raina Kattelson In this classic recipe, Johanne Killeen employs starchy pasta water to thicken her fresh pesto into a sauce that clings to and flavors each strand of linguine, instead of pooling in the bowl. Thinly sliced green beans intertwine with the pasta, offering a refreshing crunch. Get the Recipe 05 of 30 Spicy Pot Roast with Oranges, Sweet Potatoes, and Calabrian Chile Gremolata John Kernick Whole orange segments and freshly squeezed orange juice and zest give this hearty winter braise a burst of fresh citrus flavor. Creamy sweet potatoes and celery root along with tender beef chuck fill out this satisfyingly hearty meal. Get the Recipe 06 of 30 Chicken Tortellini Soup with Kale Caitlin Bensel Fresh ingredients team up with store-bought shortcuts to get this comforting dinner on the table in just over 30 minutes. Frozen cheese tortellini only need a five-minute dip in the simmering broth to cook up perfectly. Don't be tempted to just dump the whole can of tomatoes into the pot; draining them first concentrates the flavor. Get the Recipe 07 of 30 Mushroom-Chickpea Pozole Caitlin Bensel "Traditional pozole is made by creating a rich broth by cooking a whole pig head with some neck bones along with dried hominy and then adding either a red or green salsa for color and flavor," Marcela Valladolid writes. "Here I use mushrooms to give us that earthy heartiness that you expect from pozole, no meat needed." Get the Recipe 08 of 30 Spicy Cumin-Braised Pork Photo by Greg DuPree / Prop Styling by Christine Keely / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer Just a tablespoon of Kwame Onwuachi's Pepper Sauce brings plenty of heat and tenderizing flavor to this braised pork shoulder. As the pork simmers, it becomes richly seasoned, perfect for eating with rice or leftover bara flatbreads. Get the Recipe 09 of 30 Lamb and Butternut Squash Tagine with Apricots Victor Protasio Savory lamb, salty olives, and ras el hanout (a North African spice blend of coriander, cumin, and warming spices) are balanced by sweet butternut squash, apricots, and a touch of honey in this dish. Get the Recipe 10 of 30 Campfire Lamb Peka Caitlin Bensel Peka is the name for both the bell-shaped, domed cooking vessel made of cast iron and Croatia's most-prized meal that is prepared in it. Here's how to make the one-pot braised lamb dish in an oven, on a charcoal grill, or over an open fire. Get the Recipe 11 of 30 Thin Spaghetti with Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives, Feta, and Mint Greg DuPree For a weeknight when speed is key, whip up this one-pot pasta. It's inspired by Greek ingredients like whole cherry tomatoes, briny olives, salty feta cheese, and fresh mint and oregano, and it makes a satisfying meal for a summer evening with very little effort. Get the Recipe 12 of 30 Kwame's Pepper Shrimp Photo by Caitlin Bensel / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop styling by Christine Keely Infused with layers of heat from Scotch bonnet chiles and fresh ginger, Kwame Onwuachi's pepper shrimp are inspired by a beloved Jamaican street food. Deveining the shrimp but leaving the shell on helps protect against overcooking. Onwuachi fell in love with this recipe when traveling in Jamaica. Get the Recipe 13 of 30 Miso-Tofu Hot Pot with Ramen Victor Protasio A soothing hot pot is the perfect excuse to set out ingredients and casually dine at the table. Although this recipe can be executed at the stove, donabe hot pot is traditionally prepared on a portable burner at the table. Cook the tofu and vegetables first, then soak up the delicious broth with chewy ramen noodles as a second course. Get the Recipe 14 of 30 Lentil and Bean Stew with Gremolata David Malosh Lentils add a delicious earthy flavor to the stew; their starchiness helps thicken the broth. Brown lentils work fine in this recipe, but we prefer French green lentils; they hold their shape better. Feel free to cook dried beans especially for this recipe, but any leftover or canned beans — rinsed and drained — will work well. Get the Recipe 15 of 30 Swiss Army Stew Jennifer Causey "Everything goes into one pot; a few hours later a meal ideal for the depths of winter emerges," Andrea Slonecker writes of this stew. "It's just the right kind of healthy eating for that post-holiday detox, without sacrificing flavor and satisfaction." Get the Recipe 16 of 30 Wine-Braised Beef with Green-Garlic Soubise and Young Chicories Victor Protasio Beef cheeks, which are available at whole-animal butcher shops, melt to tenderness when braised and add to the silky, wine-fortified sauce. Get the Recipe 17 of 30 Gaeng Rawaeng Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell At Nari in San Francisco, chef Pim Techamuanvivit's gaeng rawaeng, a whole Cornish game hen submerged in a deeply savory golden curry redolent with spices is served with impossibly flaky roti for sopping. In this recipe, a small chicken — standing in here for the Cornish game hen in the original dish — gently cooks in a velvety sauce of coconut milk spiced with chiles and galangal, a piney, citrus-flavored cousin of ginger. Get the Recipe 18 of 30 French Onion Soup with Roasted Poblano Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Prissy Lee Montiel Hiding under the blanket of cheese, a thick slice of baguette soaks up a soup suffused with flavor from a mountain of jammy onions, balsamic vinegar, and bay leaves. Poblano chiles add a mild, vegetal heat and slight charred flavor. To ensure even caramelization, keep the onions in an even layer while they cook. Get the Recipe 19 of 30 Brisket-Braised Chicken Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis Beef brisket is the most common latke pairing during Hanukkah. But for those looking to eat less red meat, or who simply want to switch up their holiday main-dish game, try braising chicken in a traditional brisket sauce. Heaped with sliced onions and flavored with red wine, paprika, and a touch of honey, the chicken is falling-off-the-bone tender with a deeply craveable sweet-savory sauce. And since chicken cooks significantly faster than a side of brisket, Hanukkah dinner doesn't take all day to prepare. Get the Recipe 20 of 30 Lightnin' Fast Weeknight Skillet Chili Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Store-bought pico de gallo adds a fresh, vibrant character as it joins forces with other big-flavor ingredients like canned chipotles in adobo, Mexican chorizo, fire-roasted tomatoes, and fresh poblano in a single skillet. Get the Recipe 21 of 30 Soto Ayam Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell This hearty Soto Ayam, an Indonesian soup, served at Diana and Maylia Widjojo's restaurant Hardena in Philadelphia, is the perfect one-bowl meal. The fragrant soup, filled with juicy chicken and delicate vermicelli noodles, gets topped with cabbage and sprouts to add texture and fresh crunch. The spice paste, bloomed in oil alongside fresh lemongrass and lime leaves, layers a mildly earthy, warming flavor into the broth. Get the Recipe 22 of 30 One-Pot White Wine Pasta with Mushrooms and Leeks Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland This creamy, savory one-pot pasta dish comes together without the need to boil the pasta separately. Savory sautéed mushrooms and gently sweet leeks combine with cream, lemon juice, and white wine to create the rich sauce. Feel free to switch up the flavor by adding tarragon instead of dill. Get the Recipe 23 of 30 Braised Beef and Handmade Noodles Victor Protasio Tender but hearty handmade noodles, simply made with flour, eggs, and whole-milk yogurt, add texture to the stew and thicken the broth. Store the noodles and broth separately to prevent the noodles from dissolving. Read Iliana Regan's essay about this recipe, My Mom Daydreams About These Noodles. Get the Recipe 24 of 30 Slow-Roasted Lamb Shoulder with Shallots and White Wine Eva Kolenko Pre-salting the lamb (the longer the better) will deepen its flavor and increase moisture and tenderness in the meat. Afterward, a simple sear then braise renders fork-tender shreds of meat. A spoonful of garlicky gremolata heightens those long-cooked flavors. Get the Recipe 25 of 30 Nqaj Qaab Zib (Sweet Pork) Celeste Noche Fragrant lemongrass and galangal add brightness and balance to the savory-sweet sauce that coats tender pork belly. Get the Recipe 26 of 30 Coconut Chickpeas with Winter Squash Johnny Miller Starchy, slightly sweet plantains are a natural addition to winter squash. Here, New York chef JJ Johnson simmers both, along with canned chickpeas, in coconut milk that's steeped with aromatics. The result is creamy, fragrant, and so comforting. Get the Recipe 27 of 30 Chicken in a Pot with Lemon Orzo Jonathan Lovekin Nigella Lawson's simple and comforting one-pot chicken is a "very forgiving dish," so don't be afraid to get creative with aromatics. Get the Recipe 28 of 30 Creamy One-Pot Spaghetti with Leeks © Christina Holmes Instead of boiling pasta in water, blogger Ashley Rodriguez cooks it in a super-flavorful combination of stock, cream, leeks, scallion, garlic, and chives. Get the Recipe 29 of 30 Spaghetti with Cacio e Pepe Butter Eric Wolfinger Cacio e pepe is a Roman pasta dish prized for its simplicity. Justin Chapple puts a spin on the original with a black pepper and Pecorino Romano compound butter. Just boil the pasta, grate the chilled butter over the top, and dinner is done. Get the Recipe 30 of 30 Slow-Cooked Pork Belly with Potatoes, Onions, and Garlic Cedric Angeles Pre-seasoning the pork belly with salt not only flavors the meat itself, but creates a crispy crust, while dry white wine helps balance the richly fatty meat. Save rendered fat for searing vegetables or making onion confit. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit