30 Cast-Iron Cooking Recipes

A cast-iron skillet half-filled with tomato and goat cheese cobbler and a spoon resting in the skillet.

Tomato and Goat Cheese Cobbler1/30

Oh, my, my, my, my. That's what we think of this lovely late-summer cobbler in a skillet.

Potatoes with Mexican chorizo tucked inside tortillas with a glass of beer on the side.

Potatoes With Mexican Chorizo2/30

Easy, authentic, and awesome any time of day, whether accompanied by steaming hot coffee in the morning or cold cerveza any (other) time of day. One of our recipes folks rave about most.

A cast iron skillet filled with baked macaroni and cheese

Baked Macaroni and Cheese3/30

This toss-it-together-and-shove-it-in-the-oven casserole is exactly what macaroni and cheese ought to be—easy, cheesy, crumb-topped, and knee-wobblingly indulgent.

A cast-iron skillet filled with a cooked sweet potato cornbread with two pats of butter on top and a dish of butter pats beside it.

Sweet Potato Cornbread4/30

We could blather on and on about this surprising (and stealthy healthy) riff on a Southern classic that everyone is swearing is the best cornbread they've ever had.

A skillet full of Ina Garten's caramelized shallots, garnished with parsley.

Ina Garten’s Caramelized Shallots5/30

Shallots take on a dulcet, docile personality when slowly coaxed to a caramelized brown. Easy to make. And easygoing by way of going well with just about anything.

Pan-roasted mushrooms and a knob of butter melting in the center, in a cast-iron skillet.

Pan-Roasted Mushrooms6/30

Mushrooms and butter and garlic. Think you've been there, done that? Trust us, you haven't. Not like this, anyway.

Cast-iron skillet with a Dutch baby--a popover pancake--topped with powder sugar on a set breakfast table

Dutch Baby7/30

Everyone who's made this easy and show-stopping pancake is lauding it as the airiest, most perfect puffed pancake they've encountered. Sorta makes you want to experience it, yeah?

A thin circle of stretched pizza dough being tossed in the air.

Jim Lahey’s Pizza Dough8/30

We know you've always wanted to fling pizza dough like a boss. This recipe from master bread baker (and pizza flinger!) Jim Lahey helps you do exactly that.

A cast-iron pot of Cajun Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya with a wooden spoon resting inside.

Cajun Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya9/30

Jambalaya just doesn't get any more authentic than this deeply flavored, deeply revered rendition from Cajun country.

Cast iron skillet with a pan boxty(Irish potato pancake) in it, on a wooden cutting board

Pan Boxty ~ Irish Potato Pancake10/30

An Irish classic for a darn good reason. Actually, three reasons—it's shamelessly simple, flagrantly frugal, and undeniably delicious. Lovers of colcannon, rösti, latkes, and hash browns will find comfort here.

A giant skillet cinnamon roll in a black cast iron pan half cover with cream cheese icing.

Skillet Cinnamon Rolls11/30

Cinnamon rolls just got even better thanks to crisp, golden edges that come from being baked in a classic cast iron skillet. Make a single ginormous roll or more modest individual rolls.

A cake pan of golden brown cornbread with a slice removed

Cornbread12/30

An easy, foolproof, ever so slightly sweet corn bread that comes together as quickly as it disappears. Just watch it.

A man holding tongs in front of a skillet making southern pan-fried chicken, which is bubbling in the pan.

Southern Pan-Fried Chicken13/30

This recipe from the late, great Edna Lewis turns out skillet-fried chicken that's perfectly seasoned, extra-crisp, and gosh darn beautiful in every way.

A cast-iron skilled filled with choriqueso, a cheese dip topped with queso

Choriqueso14/30

Choriqueso = chorizo (spicy Mexican sausage) + queso (Spanish for cheese) melted into a puddle in a skillet. Perfect for dipping.

A cast-iron skillet filled with chocolate brownie

Skillet Brownies15/30

Intensely gooey, fudgy, crunchy-edged, gluten-free, flourless brownie loveliness. Easy to make. Even easier to make disappear.

A skillet of eggs with chorizo and eggplant, tomato, zucchini, onion, and peppers.

Skillet Eggs with Chorizo and Vegetables16/30

This godsend of a quick weeknight recipe can be twerked, er, tweaked any which way—which is to say, your way.

A cast-iron skillet filled with chilaquiles on a wooden cutting board with a block of queso fresco and half a jalapeno beside it.

Chilaquiles17/30

Essentially eggs scrambled with chips (or day-old tortillas) and salsa, chilaquiles is equally enticing in the a.m. as the p.m., with a cup of hot joe or a bottle of cold cerveza.

A cast-iron skillet filled with easy skillet meatballs, and a plate of meatballs with some sauce and mashed potatoes

Easy Skillet Meatballs18/30

Simple to make, kid-friendly, incredibly versatile, and essentially foolproof. Let's not forget to mention uber delicious. That's what we think of these easy skillet meatballs perfect for weeknights.

Cast iron skillet of broccolini and potato frittata, with a wedge on a metal spatula

Broccolini and Potato Frittata19/30

Breakfast. Brunch. Lunch. Dinner. Pretty much anytime you need an insanely quick, one-skillet, satiating something, this frittata is the solution.

Pan Roasted Pork Chops20/30

Perfect. The best brine I've ever had. Oh. My. God. That's just a few of the things we're hearing about this simple weeknight supper solution.

An Italian frittata garnished with a squash blossom on a white plate with a fork resting beside it.

Italian Frittata21/30

Eggs, potatoes, and not much else. That's our weeknight salvation come suppertime on a super crazy day.

A perfect fried egg in a small black skillet.

How To Make The Perfect Fried Egg22/30

The perfect egg fried sunnyside up, boasting a white that's neither overly crisp at the edges and a yolk that's justifiably jiggly.

Skillet cauliflower pasta with farfalle, andouille sausage, spinach, and goat cheese in a cast iron pan, a wooden spoon and striped towel nearby.

Skillet Cauliflower Pasta23/30

Roasted cauliflower. Andouille sausage. Spinach. Goat cheese. Bowtie pasta. What's not to love about this quick weeknight meal? You'll be fighting your loved ones for leftovers.

A cast-iron skillet plum cake with slices of fanned out plums baked in

Skillet Plum Cake24/30

Skillet cake is moist and tender and sweet (not too sweet, though) and sorta like upside-down cake except it's right-side up.

A skillet cheeseburger with arugula and a pile of fries on a white plate.

The Skillet Cheeseburger25/30

There's no scarcity of seductiveness in this Seattle-style redux of a classic cheeseburger. The secret's in the super melty cambozola cheese and the slathering of bacon jam. (Bacon jam!)

Three square slices of meatball pizza on strips of parchment paper, with fresh Parmesan sprinkled overtop.

Meatball Pizza26/30

The traditional Italian approach to pizza is one of restraint. We, uh, sort of took a few liberties with that. Okay. A lot of liberties. We don't hear anyone complaining.

A square cast iron skillet filled with sliced fried skillet potatoes for 2 on a grey oval metal platter.

Skillet Potatoes for Two27/30

A swift stovetop version of classic pommes Anna, these sliced spuds are swaddled in butter, garlic, and Julia Child's enthusiastic approval.

A whole roast chicken with Moroccan spices on an oval serving platter.

Roast Chicken with Moroccan Spices28/30

This is definitely NOT the roast chicken of our childhood. And with all due respect, we couldn't be happier about that.

Skillet steak peperonata and two slices of toasted baguette in a cast-iron pan.

Skillet Steak Peperonata29/30

Wanna know how to stretch a single steak into supper for four without seeming skimpy? Your answer awaits.