Sheet Pan Recipes + Basics to a Great One Pan Meal

Our One Pot recipes round-up is the most popular round up to date, so we thought we would expand on easy weekday meals. Sheet pan recipes are just as great: minimal cleaning, quick prep, and efficient cook time. They’re perfect for those busy weeknights and can be whipped up in a jiffy. You can even prepare it the night before so it’s ready to bake as soon as you get home. We especially love the fajita one sheet pan recipes, the veggies get an amazing broil and just taste magnificent! Also, sheet pan recipes are perfect for meal prep, so add these to your Sunday meal prep arsenal!

The basics of a good sheet pan meal

The formula for a delicious sheet pan recipe is pretty simple: pick your protein, add 3-5 veggies, and pick a marinade/flavoring. Mix everything together and roast until everything is cooked and the flavors have melded together. Essentially sheet pan recipes are everything that’s in a regular meal prep recipe, just simplified into a one pan process.

Picking your pan

You can get really technical when picking your ideal sheet pan, Epicurious has a great guide on this! We’ve found that a rimmed sheet pan that’s at least the half size (9×13) is ideal for fitting a protein and multiple veggies. Note, you don’t want a flat one since liquids may seep out while cooking. Our go-to pan is made of aluminum and is also a thicker gauge, at 20!

If you’re in need of a new sheet pan, check this one out, it’s amazing!

Choose your Protein

When it comes to protein, there are limitless options, but the most important thing to consider is cooking time. Since you’re baking the protein and veggies at a high temperature (we usually use 400 to 425 degrees) you’ll want everything to finish cooking at the same time. We love using chicken tenderloin for this since they’re quicker to cook compared to whole chicken breasts or drumsticks. Other protein options are steak, salmon, shrimp and even tofu! We recommend marinating your protein for at least an hour before roasting.

Select your veggies

Select 2-5 different veggies for your sheet pan and consider the cooking times for these too. Potatoes can take 30-40 minutes to bake at 400 degrees, while broccoli can only take 15. You can add the veggies that take longer to bake first and then put the rest in after 10-15 minutes. Use this guide to pick your veggies and baking times!

Flavors

The last step in making a perfect sheet pan meal is choosing your marinades, herbs, flavorings, fats and garnishes. These recipes below all have a great balance of flavor that make the protein and veggies shine!