When you’re short on time and need to get dinner on the table quickly, sheet pan meals are a no-fuss option for tasty meals with minimal equipment (and little cleanup as a sweet bonus). Sheet pan meals are gaining ground in home kitchens for their ease and simplicity as well as the delicious caramelization that happens in the oven that piles on the flavour.
A sheet pan dinner is a complete meal cooked on your baking sheet. Essentially, it’s similar to a one-pot meal – except it’s spilled out on a sheet pan instead of in a pot!
Obviously, you’ll need a sheet pan to make sheet pan meals. But what kind is best? As sheet pan recipes usually require higher-heat cooking, we recommend using safe and healthy cookware (you can check out our full guide here).
When it comes to sheet pans, we prefer:
We never use non-stick sheet pans, as non-stick linings are harmful to our health and can easily scratch with wear and tear, meaning its chemicals can leach into your food.
Sheet Pan Hack: If you have an older sheet pan and you’re unsure what it’s made of, or one that you know is made of detrimental materials and don’t have the funds for a new one, here’s what to do: throw a sheet of parchment paper over it (and we find good parchment can be reused several times for less waste).
It depends on how much you adore sheet pan meals! One large sheet pan is likely sufficient if you’re cooking for one to three people; otherwise, two is a good number to have on hand.
We prefer larger-sized pans because with sheet pan recipes, you’re doing a full meal deal: you’ll use the space, especially if you want full caramelization on what you’re roasting. Overcrowding on your sheet pan will lead to steaming as opposed to roasting, which may be okay for some recipes but not all.
We adore our standard 12 x 18-inch sheet pans. They work well for sheet pan meals, and you can use them for gluten-free cookies, gluten-free crackers, kale chips, seasoned nuts and seeds, and healthy French fries.
You may want to go smaller or bigger; if you go larger, just measure your oven first to ensure they fit!
Aside from your sheet pan, some helpful tools for sheet pan meals include:
If you don’t have sheet pans and aren’t ready to invest in one, there are a few alternatives you may have around!
Our go-to requirements for sheet pans meals are similar to recipe-free dinner bowls. To create a balanced meal, opt for:
Fats and oils have numerous benefits for our nervous system, digestive tract, hormones, joints, skin, muscle tissue and energy levels. Certain fats are incredibly susceptible to heat, light and air – this means we need to be mindful of which oils we use for high-heat cooking such as sheet pan meals.
Our go-to oils for sheet pan meals are:
Want to know more? See which oils are great for high-heat, medium-heat, low-heat and no-heat cooking here.
Another reason we adore sheet pan dinners: they’re fantastic for meal prep and menu planning! When a sheet pan dinner is on our menu plan, we like chopping and prepping its component parts in advance. That way, all you need to do is toss everything onto your sheet pan and it’s ready to go!
Items we usually prep for sheet meals are:
We also like to cook a batch of gluten-free grains in case the recipe we’re using is best served atop or alongside grains. You can also make cauliflower rice for a grain-free version.
These sheet pan recipes are incredibly versatile! Switch up the proteins and veggies for endless variations and seasonality.
Sweet and Sour Salmon with Bok Choy by Omnivore’s Cookbook
Salmon and other types of fish are a great protein for sheet pan dinners because it cooks fast. In less than 20 minutes, this dinner is done!
Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas by All the Healthy Things
This recipe is chock-full of tasty spices and can be served in tortillas or lettuce wraps.
Cauliflower Gnocchi Sheet Pan Meal by Darn Good Veggies
Pan-frying or boiling your gnocchi is out, baking them on a sheet pan is IN. You have to try this – the gnocchi develops a crispy exterior yet is still soft inside.
Sheet Pan Steak and Veggies by Damn Delicious
A fancy-style dinner has never been so easy with this 7-ingredient sheet pan recipe.
Vegetarian Sheet Pan Tacos by Fork in the Kitchen
We highly recommend topping these with guacamole and salsa.
Mediterranean Sheet Pan Chicken and Vegetables by Nyssa’s Kitchen
A Paleo, Whole 30-compliant meal that has a spice blend recipe you’ll probably want to double or triple for future meals.
Vegan Frittata on a Sheet Pan by Jessica In The Kitchen
Sheet pan meals aren’t just for dinner – you can make breakfast versions, too! This vegan adaptation is loaded with veggies and is great for meal prep or a crowd.
Southwestern Fingerling Nachos with Avocado Cream by Allison Day
How ’bout a sheet pan meal you can basically eat with your hands?
Sheet Pan Faux Honey Mustard Chicken by The Endless Meal
This recipe is ‘faux’ honey mustard because the sauce has dates for natural sweetness, making this a Whole 30 meal.
Herbed Potato, Asparagus and Chickpea Vegan Sheet Pan Dinner by The Simple Veganista
If asparagus isn’t in season, swap in your favourite vegetable!
Brussels Sprouts Tempeh Sheet Pan Hash by Wee Little Vegans
If you haven’t joined the tempeh train yet, the marinade in this sheet pan recipe will convince you to hop on.
AIP Sheet Pan Beef and Broccoli with Mushrooms by Heal Me Delicious
You will never regret adding mushrooms to your sheet pan meals.
Tahini Herb Crusted Salmon Sheet Pan Meal by Bites of Wellness
Tahini is an underrated marinade ingredient, but we love it to bits! (You can also learn to make your own tahini here.)
Garlic Cauliflower Steaks and Balsamic Veggies by Earthly Provisions
You already need to use the oven to make cauliflower steaks, so why not throw a bunch of veggies on the pan and make it a full meal?
Harvest Sheet Pan Breakfast Bake by What Great Grandma Ate
Veggies, sausages and eggs combine for the easiest breakfast for busy or lazy mornings. Root veggies and winter squash are also great in this!
Baked Mexican Cauliflower Rice by Cotter Crunch
This sheet pan recipe has vegan and Paleo options. You will love how the rice gets extra crispy.
Roasted Balsamic Rosemary Chicken and Squash by A Saucy Kitchen
You can use any kind of squash (or even pumpkin) in this recipe – it’s a great way to try squash varieties that are new to you.
Paleo Chicken Nugget and Cauliflower Tray Bake by Gathered Nutrition
Skip the pan-frying and make chicken nuggets on a sheet pan instead. As you might imagine, this one is very kid-friendly!
Sheet Pan Fried Rice by Green Plate Club
If you prefer crispy and crunchy fried rice, then this is your recipe.
AIP Burger and Fries Sheet Pan Dinner by Eat Beautiful
This burger recipe, served alongside cassava fries, shares some essential tips for making great burgers in the oven. We have more burger and fries inspiration if you need it!
Vegan Dijon Rosemary Sheet Pan Dinner by Rabbit and Wolves
Pure comfort food on a pan!
There is much to love about sheet pan meals. Which recipe will you try first?
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