18 Great Cast-Iron Skillet Recipes

Bake these tender, buttery little biscuits in a cast-iron skillet, then bring them to the table still in the pan.

This luscious roast chicken is weighted down and cooked in a cast-iron skillet so the skin is extra-crispy.

Shrimp are seared and glazed in chipotle-honey butter in this warm seasonal salad from chef JJ Johnson. He serves the shrimp over gently sautéed radicchio and endive, which mellows their bitter edge without losing their color or delicate crunch.

This galette is great baked in a cast-iron skillet because it’s easy to transport and serve. The secret to the sturdy crust is the buttery brown sugar oat crumble, which absorbs the jammy blackberries as they bake.

For a perfectly tender and crusty steak, brothers Bryan and Michael Voltaggio salt their meat up to 12 hours before and let it sit, uncovered, in the refrigerator. This step seasons the meat to its core and pulls out moisture for a better sear.

Carla Hall’s skillet cornbread comes together in just three simple steps. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

“There are few things better (or easier) than a fruit crisp,” Susan Spungen writes. “It’s extremely hard to mess it up—even if you aren’t a baker.”

These brownies take on a deliciously smoky flavor on the grill from “baking” in a skillet set over hot coals. After you’re done grilling dinner, prepare to make brownies on the grill by adding a few more lumps of charcoal to maintain a grill temperature of around 350°F. Pull the skillet brownies when they’re still a bit moist, but not wet, in the middle for a fudgy texture in the center and smoky brownie “bark” around the edges.

Be sure to heat the tortillas in a hot skillet before stuffing them with the ricotta-kale mixture. Warming them up first makes them more pliable and less likely to break during the stuffing and cooking process. Opt for high-quality organic yellow corn tortillas; they tend to be chewier and more satisfying when fried.

This super simple meal is ready in 25 minutes. Want to pair it with wine? Go for a smoky, dark-fruited Malbec.

Pouring the batter into a hot skillet ensures a perfectly cooked, dark golden–bottomed crust with a fluffy, golden interior. To check for doneness, rely on the visual cues for browning—a cake tester will come out clean before the cake is cooked through.

A large-format pancake with a light, airy interior and rich, savory toppings, this Dutch baby is perfect for brunch. Add the toppings around the edges, leaving the center clear to allow it to rise properly. Preheating the pan is also crucial to a beautiful rise; the batter should begin to puff immediately after you pour it into the pan.

In her episode of Chefs at Home, chef Rachel Yang makes her own homemade Napa cabbage kimchi, and then shows how to use kimchi at varying stages of fermentation in a range of dishes. One of her favorites is this irresistible kimchi pancake, in which tangy, lightly spicy kimchi is balanced out by plenty of mozzarella and cheddar cheese.

“This is a single-serving recipe, but it can easily be doubled—just use a bigger skillet so you have plenty of room,” Klancy Miller writes.

For Ashkenazi Jews (those hailing from Central and Eastern Europe), latkes are the heart and soul of Hanukkah. Instead of frying batches of traditional pancakes, here the whole lot of shredded potato batter is pressed into a sizzling frying pan and finished in the oven. The oversized pancake emerges golden with a tender center and crackly shoestring curls around the perimeter. To amp this dish up for brunch, serve it topped with lox.

The secret to this casserole is the layer of creamed spinach in the middle. It adds elegance to the dish, as well as a nice contrast to the crispy, crunchy Tater Tot top.

Simplicity reigns supreme in this classic roast chicken that browns to perfection in your favorite cast-iron skillet. An overnight marinade in buttermilk not only infuses the chicken with flavor, but also ensures a tender bird. We cover the chicken with parchment then foil during roasting to lock in moisture, then discard both for a final broil to get the skin extra bronzed and crispy. Served with a spoonful of lemony-garlicky-schmaltzy pan juices, this is one serious chicken dinner winner.

Chef Julia Sullivan employs a duo of cast-iron skillets to prepare the tender, crispy-edged mushroom steaks at Henrietta Red in Nashville; one for cooking the mushrooms, the other for pressing them flat so they cook evenly. Buttery roasted almonds balance the sharper notes of garlic and lemon this rustic French sauce.