We often celebrate the simple beauty of one-pot meals—a gently simmered soup, chili, or braise bubbling away on the stove while we see to the business of a lazy Sunday. But there’s also something to be said for the instant gratification of a quick, single-skillet supper.
Stir-friedrice or noodles are satisfying ways to repurpose starchy leftovers and while a wok is the more traditional cooking vessel for these Asian standbys, a flat-bottomed skillet is easier to maneuver on most conventional stovetops.
Shallow-fried meats with white tablecloth-style pan sauces (think chicken Marsala, veal piccata, and crisp and lemony sole) are quick and easy routes to getting an elegant dinner on the table in under 30 minutes, while variations on the humble omelette are beloved around the world as economical, fast, and filling meals for any time of the day.
Here are some of our favorite skillet recipes:
Chicken Marsala
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For the perfect chicken marsala recipe, pounding the chicken cutlets before cooking renders them thin and terrifically tender. Deglazing the pan with Marsala and stock after cooking the chicken creates a quick, rich sauce. Get the recipe for Chicken Marsala »
Barbecued Shrimp
A New Orleans classic, barbecued shrimp are bathed in a buttery sauce that's enlivened with loads of hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic. Get the recipe for Barbecued Shrimp »
Pan-Fried Eggplant with Balsamic, Basil, and Capers
This recipe employs a "reverse" stir-fry technique, in which the vegetables are cooked before the meat. It tends to be forgiving for a novice stir-fryer, since vegetables release water as they cook and won't stick the way that meat will if the wok isn't quite hot enough.
Get the recipe for Cong Bao Rou Si (Stir-Fried Pork with Leeks) »
Veal Scallopini Piccata
Tender veal scaloppine dredged in flour and sauteed in butter get a boost of brightness from a simple pan sauce made with white wine and a generous squeeze of lemon. Get the recipe for Veal Scallopini Piccata »
Any Chinese noodle—rice, wheat, flat, thin, or broad—can be used in this simple stir-fry from author Francis Lam; it's one of his favorite breakfast dishes. Get the recipe for Stir-Fried Breakfast Noodles »
Philippine Noodle Stir-Fry (Pancit Bihon)
"Eating this dish makes me feel like I'm at home. It's my mom's specialty, and I remember helping her prep this as a child. It is served at every party [my family throws] and is eaten on its own for merianda, the Filipino equivalent of British Tea Time." – Leah Cohen of Pig & KhaoGet the recipe for Philippine Noodle Stir-Fry (Pancit Bihon) »
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Fried Rice Omelette
In this dish, a popular order at Teshima's, a restaurant in the Big Island town of Kealakekua, a thin omelette is folded around a filling of fried rice and sausage. Get the recipe for Fried Rice Omelette »
