Are you a very busy person who loves delicious, home-cooked meals but doesn’t have hours to spend in the kitchen? Stovetop dinners are the perfect solution for your hectic lifestyle. With just a skillet or pot on the stove, you can whip up amazing dishes in no time at all. Without a doubt, I can say that I’m a master at creating flavor-packed stovetop recipes that come together rapidly.
My stovetop dinners maximize taste while minimizing prep time and cleanup. Forget complex recipes with long ingredient lists, my fuss-free stovetop meals use simple, everyday ingredients for fast weeknight cooking. Yeah! you got that, why don’t you ride with me?
1. One-pot Pasta with Tomato-Basil Sauce
This tangy tomato sauce perfectly balances fresh basil over al dente pasta.
Ingredients: pasta, olive oil, garlic, crushed tomatoes, basil, parmesan.
Instructions;
- Cook pasta al dente according to package instructions
- In a skillet, sauté garlic in olive oil until fragrant
- Add crushed tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes
- Stir in cooked pasta, basil, and parmesan
Total Cook Time: About 20 minutes depending on heat.
2. Skillet Beef and Broccoli
Savory beef and crisp broccoli in a rich brown sauce.
Ingredients: beef sirloin, broccoli, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and cornstarch.
Instructions;
- Slice beef into thin strips and broccoli into florets
- In a skillet, sear beef over high heat until browned
- Add broccoli and stir-fry for 2 minutes
- Make sauce with soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and cornstarch slurry
- Simmer until sauce thickens, coating beef and broccoli
Total Cook Time: 25 minutes.
3. Creamy Garlic Shrimp
Succulent shrimp in a rich, garlicky cream sauce.
Ingredients: shrimp, butter, garlic, cream, parmesan, and parsley.
Instructions;
- Sauté garlic in butter until fragrant
- Add shrimp and cook until pink
- Pour in cream and parmesan, simmer until thickened
- Garnish with parsley
Total Cook Time: 15 minutes.
4. Vegetable Stir-Fry with Tofu
A vibrant medley of crisp vegetables with tender tofu in a savory sauce.
Ingredients: tofu, bell peppers, broccoli, snap peas, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil.
Instructions;
- Press and cube the tofu, pat dry
- Heat oil in a skillet/wok over high heat
- Stir-fry the garlic and ginger for 30 seconds
- Add vegetables and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes
- Add tofu and stir in soy sauce and rice vinegar
- Drizzle with sesame oil before serving
Total Cook Time: 20 minutes.
5. Cajun Chicken Pasta
Juicy Cajun-spiced chicken in a creamy tomato sauce over pasta.
Ingredients: chicken breast, cajun seasoning, pasta, onion, bell pepper, garlic, diced tomatoes, and cream.
Instructions;
- Season chicken with Cajun spice and sauté until cooked through
- In the same skillet, sauté onions, peppers and garlic
- Add diced tomatoes, cream, and cooked pasta
- Toss everything together until well combined
Total Cook Time: 30 minutes.
6. Quick Beef Tacos
Perfectly seasoned ground beef in warm tortillas with fresh toppings.
Ingredients: ground beef, taco seasoning, tomato sauce, tortillas, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and shredded cheese.
Instructions;
- Brown the ground beef in a skillet
- Drain excess fat, then stir in taco seasoning and tomato sauce
- Warm the tortillas then fill with the beef mixture
- Top with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and cheese
Total Cook Time: 20 minutes.
7. Lemon Garlic Butter Salmon
Flaky salmon filets in a bright lemon-garlic butter sauce.
Ingredients: salmon filets, butter, garlic, lemon juice, and parsley.
Instructions;
- Pat the salmon dry and season with salt & pepper
- Melt butter in a skillet and add garlic, cooking for 1 minute
- Add the salmon and cook for 4-5 minutes per side
- Remove salmon, then deglaze pan with lemon juice
- Drizzle lemon-garlic butter sauce over salmon and garnish with parsley
Total Cook Time: 15 minutes.
8. Chicken Fajitas
Smoky sliced chicken with charred peppers and onions for classic fajitas.
Ingredients: chicken breasts, bell peppers, onion, fajita seasoning, lime, tortillas, guacamole, salsa, sour cream.
Instructions;
- Slice the chicken, peppers and onions
- Toss with fajita seasoning and sauté in a skillet until chicken is cooked through
- Squeeze lime juice over the mixture
- Serve with warm tortillas and toppings like guacamole, salsa, sour cream
Total Cook Time: 25 minutes.
9. Mushroom Stroganoff
Beef and mushrooms in a creamy stroganoff sauce over egg noodles.
Ingredients: beef sirloin, mushrooms, onion, garlic, beef broth, sour cream, parsley, egg noodles.
Instructions;
- Brown the beef then set aside
- Sauté mushrooms and onions in the same skillet
- Add garlic then deglaze with beef broth
- Stir in sour cream and parsley, return beef to skillet
- Serve over cooked egg noodles
Total Cook Time: 30 minutes.
10. Shakshuka (Eggs in Tomato Sauce)
Eggs poached in a rich, spiced tomato sauce.
Ingredients: eggs, diced tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, garlic, cumin, paprika, and feta cheese.
Instructions;
- Sauté onions, pepper and garlic in a skillet
- Add spices then diced tomatoes, simmer for 5 minutes
- Make wells in the sauce and crack in the eggs
- Cover and cook until egg whites are set
- Crumble feta over the top
Total Cook Time: 20 minutes.
11. Thai Basil Chicken
Chicken and fresh basil in a sweet, spicy, and savory Thai sauce.
Ingredients: chicken breast, garlic, Thai chili, fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, and fresh basil.
Instructions;
- Slice chicken into strips and sauté until cooked through
- Make sauce with garlic, chilies, fish sauce, soy sauce and brown sugar
- Add sauce to skillet and toss with chicken to coat
- Remove from heat and stir in fresh basil
Total Cook Time: 20 minutes.
12. Tuna Noodle Casserole
A nostalgic tuna and vegetable casserole baked with a crispy topping.
Ingredients: egg noodles, canned tuna, frozen peas, cream of mushroom soup, milk, and breadcrumbs.
Instructions;
- Cook the egg noodles al dente and drain
- In a skillet, combine the tuna, peas, soup and milk
- Mix in the cooked noodles and transfer to a baking dish
- Top with breadcrumbs and bake until browned
Total Cook Time: 30 minutes (including baking)
13. Shrimp Scampi
Tender shrimp in a garlicky lemon-butter sauce over linguine.
Ingredients: shrimp, linguine, garlic, lemon, white wine, parsley, and butter.
Instructions;
- Cook linguine al dente according to package
- In a skillet, cook garlic in butter/oil until fragrant
- Add shrimp and cook until starting to turn pink
- Deglaze pan with white wine and lemon juice
- Toss cooked linguine in the garlic-wine sauce
- Garnish with parsley
Total Cook Time: 20 minutes.
14. Beef and Vegetable Stir-Fry
A classic stir-fry with marinated beef and crisp-tender veggies.
Ingredients: flank steak, broccoli, carrots, snap peas, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil.
Instructions;
- Slice steak into strips and marinate in soy sauce/vinegar
- Sauté garlic and ginger in a wok/skillet over high heat
- Stir-fry marinated beef until nearly cooked through
- Add veggies and stir-fry for 3-4 more minutes
- Drizzle with sesame oil and toss everything together
Total Cook Time: 25 minutes.
15. Creamy Mushroom Chicken
Chicken and mushrooms in an indulgent cream sauce.
Ingredients: chicken breast, mushrooms, garlic, cream, parmesan, and parsley.
Instructions;
- Season chicken and sauté until cooked through
- Remove chicken and sauté mushrooms and garlic
- Deglaze pan with cream and simmer until thickened
- Stir in parmesan, then return chicken to sauce
- Garnish with parsley before serving
Total Cook Time: 30 minutes.
16. Sausage and Peppers
Savory sausage and caramelized peppers in a tangy tomato sauce.
Ingredients: Italian sausage, bell peppers, onion, garlic, diced tomatoes, and Italian seasoning.
Instructions;
- Slice sausages and sauté in a skillet until browned
- Add sliced peppers, onions and garlic, sautéing until tender
- Pour in diced tomatoes and Italian seasoning
- Simmer for 10 minutes to let flavors meld
Total Cook Time: 25 minutes.
17. Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta
Plump shrimp in a garlic-butter sauce coating al dente linguine.
Ingredients: shrimp, linguine, garlic, white wine, butter, parsley.
Instructions;
- Cook linguine al dente according to package
- Sauté garlic in butter/oil until fragrant
- Add shrimp and white wine, simmering until shrimp is cooked
- Toss in cooked linguine to coat in the garlic-wine sauce
- Garnish with chopped parsley
Total Cook Time: 20 minutes.
18. Beef and Broccoli Ramen
Tender beef and crisp broccoli in a rich and savory ramen broth.
Ingredients: beef sirloin, broccoli, ramen noodles, beef broth, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and green onions.
Instructions;
- Slice beef into thin strips and broccoli into florets
- In a pot, bring beef broth, soy sauce, garlic and ginger to a simmer
- Add ramen noodles and cook for 2-3 minutes
- Stir in beef and broccoli, simmering until beef is cooked through
- Garnish with sliced green onions
Total Cook Time: 20 minutes.
19. Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup
Cheese tortellini in a velvety tomato-cream broth.
Ingredients: cheese tortellini, diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, heavy cream, garlic, and basil.
Instructions;
- In a pot, combine diced tomatoes, vegetable broth and garlic
- Simmer for 10 minutes to develop flavors
- Stir in heavy cream and cooked tortellini
- Let heat through, then stir in torn basil before serving
Total Cook Time: 25 minutes.
20. Chickpea Curry
A fragrant and hearty vegetarian chickpea curry.
Ingredients: chickpeas, onion, garlic, ginger, curry powder, diced tomatoes, coconut milk, and spinach.
Instructions;
- Sauté onions, garlic and ginger in a pot until fragrant
- Add curry powder and cook for 1 minute
- Stir in diced tomatoes, chickpeas and coconut milk
- Simmer for 10-15 minutes to thicken
- Stir in spinach just before serving
Total Cook Time: 25 minutes.
21. Beef and Veggie Skillet
A one-pan meal of beef and colorful vegetables in a savory sauce.
Ingredients: ground beef, bell peppers, zucchini, onion, garlic, diced tomatoes, and Worcestershire sauce.
Instructions;
- Brown the ground beef in a skillet,
- Draining excess fat
- Add sliced peppers, zucchini, onions and garlic,
- Sauté for 5 minutes
- Stir in diced tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce
- Simmer for 10 minutes to let flavors blend
Total Cook Time: About 25 minutes.
22. One-Pot Cheesy Taco Pasta
A Tex-Mex inspired cheesy pasta with taco seasonings.
Ingredients: ground beef, taco seasoning, diced tomatoes, beef broth, pasta, and cheddar cheese.
Instructions;
- Brown the ground beef, then drain excess fat
- Stir in taco seasoning,
- Then add broth, tomatoes, and pasta
- Bring to a boil,
- Then reduce heat and simmer for 12-15 minutes until pasta is tender
- Remove from heat
- Stir in shredded cheddar until melted
Total Cook Time: Approximately 25 minutes.
23. Garlic Butter Shrimp with Asparagus
Bright and lemon-garlic shrimp with crisp-tender asparagus.
Ingredients: shrimp, asparagus, butter, garlic, lemon juice, and parsley.
Instructions;
- In a skillet, add butter to melt and sauté garlic for 1 minute
- Add shrimp and asparagus,
- cooking for 4-5 minutes until shrimp is opaque
- Squeeze lemon juice over the top
- Garnish with thingly or finely sliced parsley
Total Cook Time: 15 minutes.
24. Honey Garlic Chicken
Chicken in a sweet and savory honey garlic sauce.
Ingredients: chicken breasts, garlic, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar.
Instructions;
- Season chicken breasts and cook until browned on both sides
- Make sauce by heating garlic, honey, soy sauce and vinegar
- Pour sauce over chicken and simmer for 5-10 minutes until thickened
Total Cook Time: 25 minutes.
25. One-Pot Chili Mac
A comforting blend of chili and mac & cheese.
Ingredients: ground beef, onion, garlic, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder, elbow macaroni, beef broth, cheddar.
Instructions;
- Brown the beef with onions and garlic
- Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, spices and broth
- Add uncooked macaroni and simmer for 12-15 mins until tender
- Remove from heat and stir in shredded cheddar
Total Cook Time: 30 minutes.
Conclusion
With so many delicious and easy stovetop dinner recipes at your fingertips, you’ll never struggle with the “what’s for dinner?” question again.
Expand your weeknight meal repertoire with these flavorful one-pot and skillet dishes that come together in a flash.