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These cast iron skillet recipes are the essential foods to make in this versatile pan! Try everything from a scramble to pizza to dessert.
Who’s obsessed with their cast iron skillet? (All hands raise.) Yes, this heavy duty pan is one of the most versatile items in the kitchen. Cast iron can sear a fish to perfection, or make a pizza that rivals your local pizzeria. It makes the crispiest hash browns you’ve tasted, and a cozy apple cobbler to delight the whole family.
Here are all the essential cast iron skillet recipes to try! There’s something for every eater and occasion in this list. Because as you probably already know…you could eat out of this skillet for breakfast, lunch and dinner if you wanted!
And now…the top cast iron skillet recipes to try!
First up in our cast iron skillet recipes: cast iron pizza! This epic homemade pan pizza tastes just like the thick crust pizza from your favorite pizzeria. The smell wafting from the oven is enough to make you visibly drool (we did!). Cooking in a cast iron skillet makes the crust crispy on the outside and soft on the inside: and the cheese goes all the way to the edges. These supreme-style toppings with gooey cheese and garlicky tomato sauce…well, it’s true perfection.
Ever crave a skillet of perfectly browned fried potatoes? Introducing the perfect cast iron potatoes! These thin potato rounds are browned in a cast iron skillet until they’re crispy and golden. And the seasoning is perfect: just the right amount of smoky, salty, and savory. With the hint of sweetness from the potatoes, there’s a lot going on with only a few ingredients. They work as breakfast potatoes, or an easy side dish for dinner.
Want to eat more breakfast vegetables? You’re not alone. Eating more veggies to start the day is starting to trend. How to eat vegetables for breakfast? Try this Cast Iron Skillet Breakfast Scramble! You can make it two ways: with eggs or tofu, depending on your diet. It’s full of savory flavor…and loaded with nutrients, too.
Here's a stellar cast iron skillet recipe: shakshuka! Shakshuka is a dish of eggs poached in a tomato sauce that originates from North Africa and the Middle East. Usually the tomato sauce includes onions and peppers, and is flavored with cumin and paprika. It's eaten from Tunisia to Israel to Morocco, and it’s gotten very popular in the US in restaurants and with home cooks! Try it for a stunning brunch or easy dinner.
Here’s a way to cook shrimp that you’ll find yourself coming back to again and again: blackened shrimp in a cast iron skillet! Blackening is a Cajun cooking technique that’s all about the spices. Combine homemade blackened seasoning with skillet fried shrimp, and you’ve got a mix of savory, herbal, and salty flavors that makes it over the top irresistible!
Here’s a fun dessert idea that you can whip up right in your cast iron skillet...because a skillet's not just for savory food! The cozy spiced apples are topped with tender biscuits, all nestled in a skillet and baked until golden brown. Serve with a bit of melty ice cream and it’s totally irresistible.
Check out that gooey, melty cheese! This skillet Mexican cheese dip is the ideal cast iron skillet recipe. It’s perfect for parties: tailgating, a game day gathering, or a party table full of finger foods. It’s a play on white chili, using white beans, mild green chiles, corn, and a gooey mess of Mexican cheeses. Grab some tortilla chips and get dipping!
Want a salmon recipe to impress? This Cajun Salmon in a cast iron skillet is so tender and full of savory flavor, everyone around the table will fall head over heels! This beautiful piece of fish has a crispy blackened top, seasoned with a special blend of homemade Cajun spices. Even better: pan searing salmon is the fastest and easiest way to cook it! Just a few minutes in a blazing hot pan, and you’ve got dinner.
Also try: Blackened Salmon
Did you know naan bread is an essential cast iron skillet recipe? This Indian skillet flatbread is always a crowd pleaser: it’s soft, supple, warm and garlic-scented. There’s not much better to sop up a curry! There are all sorts of creative ways to turn naan into dinner too: like naan pizza! It’s easy to find this famous bread at the store, but the very best way to eat it: homemade, right off the skillet.
Also try: Vegan Naan Bread
Homemade hash browns are incredibly delicious, and here’s the thing: they’re not much harder than cracking open a bag of frozen ones. The tradeoff in flavor is absolutely worth it! These cast iron skillet hash browns are browned and crispy, with flecks of tender moist shreds that combine into a texture that tastes like a cozy hug. Salt them to perfection with lots of black pepper, and you might not be able to put down your fork.
Grilled nachos are a perfect cast iron skillet recipe to wow a crowd for entertaining! The grill brings a smoky, charred flavor to the nachos and they look stunning in the skillet. Serve them right out of the pan with a few sides and you've got a tasty dinner...or snack.
Here's another dessert that's a cast iron skillet recipe, too: bananas foster! Here the bananas are sauteed in a gooey sauce of caramelized sugar and rum, and served over ice cream. There’s usually a flame too, which brings in over the top drama! The best part: you can make it in 10 minutes!
Little green shishito peppers have quite a cult following. Because here’s the thing: they’re just as irresistible as French fries! Cook them at high heat in a cast iron skillet until they’re tender and their skin is blackened, then sprinkle with salt. Each bite is a mini-explosion of sweet, salty and charred flavor! Here’s exactly how to cook them.
Many of our readers swear by this enchilada skillet recipe! It’s got enchilada sauce, tortilla strips, and a bunch of veggies and black beans, all nestled together in a cast iron skillet with just the right amount of cheese. It’s so flavorful! Use your favorite store-bought enchilada sauce or our homemade version (made in advance).
Last but not least in our cast iron skillet recipes...a vegetable stir fry! Cast iron is perfect for high heat cooking like stir fries. These vegetables are colorful and taste so delicious, you won’t want to stop eating them! It’s great way to eat all the best healthy vegetables! Making a stir fry is easy, but you also need to know a few tricks to get it right. Here's everything you need to know to make a tasty skillet of stir fried vegetables.
What size skillet to buy
When you’re looking for a cast iron skillet: what’s the best size to buy? Most of the recipes above we made using a 10-inch cast iron skillet. This is the size needed for the cast iron skillet pizza below, and it works for just about any other recipe. We also have a small size of cast iron skillet, but it’s less versatile than the 10-inch.
What else can you make in a cast iron skillet?
So many things! Here are a few more of our recipes that work in this versatile type of skillet:
- Best Bibimbap Cast iron is crucial for that crispy rice crust (in the “dolsot” version)
- Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie Double this recipe for a 10-inch skillet
- Sweet Potato Dinner Skillet Shredded sweet potatoes and eggs is a fabulous combo
- Skillet Eggplant Marinara This tasty eggplant dinner is great in cast iron
- Spanish Tortilla (Tortilla Española) This classic Spanish dish demands a good skillet
Cast Iron Skillet Pizza
- Prep Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 8 slices 1x
Description
Here’s how to make the incredible cast iron pizza at home! It’s got thick pillowy crust and tastes like your favorite pizzeria…but even better.
Ingredients
For the pan pizza dough
- 188 grams (1 ½ cups) Tipo 00 or all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon instant or active dry yeast
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 118 grams (½ cup) warm water
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
For the topping
- 4 baby bella mushrooms or one portabella mushroom
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/2 bell pepper (or 1/4 green and 1/4 red)
- 1 handful thinly sliced red onion
- ½ cup Easy Pizza Sauce
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- Dried oregano
Instructions
- Make the dough (15 minutes): Combine the flour, yeast, salt, oregano and garlic powder in a bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Stir to combine. Add the water and olive oil and stir until a raggy dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.
- Knead the dough by pushing with the base of your palm, then reforming it into a ball. Continue kneading for 8 minutes until the dough feels pillowy and has a smooth, stretchy exterior. If the dough is very sticky, add a small amount of flour while kneading. Alternatively: attach the dough hook to a stand mixer and start the mixer on medium-low speed, then allow the mixer to knead for 8 minutes.
- Proof the dough (45 minutes to 1 hour): Generously the oil bottom and sides of a 10” cast iron skillet with olive oil. When the kneading is finished, use floured hands to gently shape the dough into a boule (ball shape) by folding the dough under itself. Set the dough in the center of the skillet and dab the dough with a bit of olive oil to keep it moist. Cover with a damp towel and allow them to rise until doubled in size and spread out, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Press and proof again (45 minutes): Remove the towel and drizzle with a tad of olive oil. Use your fingers to press the dough out into a circle to the edges of the pan. Cover and rest for 45 minutes.
- Preheat: When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 475F.
- Prep the toppings: Slice the baby bella mushrooms. Heat the olive oil in a small skillet. Saute the mushrooms and fennel seeds for about 3 to 5 minutes, until they become golden brown and start to release moisture. Add 2 pinches of kosher salt and cook another minute, then remove from the heat.
- Finely dice the green pepper. Thinly slice the red pepper. Thinly slice the red onion.
- Top and bake the pizza (20 minutes): When the dough is ready, spread the pizza sauce over the dough using the back of a spoon to create a thin layer all the way to the edges of the dough. Add the mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. Top with the mushrooms, peppers, and red onion. Sprinkle with dried oregano and a few pinches of kosher salt. Top with another light sprinkle of mozzarella cheese.
- Place the skillet on a stovetop burner on high heat for two minutes. Then transfer to the oven and bake 13 to 17 minutes until the cheese is browned. Run a butter knife around the edge of the pan so that the cheese doesn’t stick, then cool it to cool slightly. After a minute or so, remove the pizza to a cutting board and slice it into pieces. Serve immediately.
- Category: Main dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Italian American
- Diet: Vegetarian
