Our 20 Absolute Favorite Sheet-Pan Recipes (2024)

This article was originally published in June 2020. It has been updated to include more of our community's favorite recipes.

I’d like to give a shout-out to sheet pans. Because it’s amazing how the simplest, cheapest of tools can accomplish quick, delicious, and fuss-free (in the planning, prepping, and cleaning) meals the entire family adores. Sure, we love Instant Pots, Air Fryers, and the like, but sheet pans are the OG busy (and hungry) cook’s best friend.

But I hardly need to tell you this. Sheet-pan recipes are some of our most popular attractions (ahem, please refer to this list). There are the buttery, flakey slab pot pies, roast-y salads, a full American breakfast...I could keep going!

But I don’t want to keep you here all day, so I’ve combed through Food52's recipe box for the most cooked, most favorited sheet-pan recipes ever. Yes, it was hard to narrow it down to just 20, but these superstars are the best of the best—our community's absolute favorites. Now, without further ado:

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Our 20 Best Sheet-PanRecipes

1. Sheet Pan Shrimp Scampi for One

Senior Editor Eric Kim was inspired to make this solo shrimp scampi supper after a trip to Hawaii. Now we can enjoy it, too (without stepping on an airplane).

Sheet-Pan Shrimp Scampi for One

2. Sheet-Pan Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake

“I love this cake because it's one of those things I'm able to throw together when it seems I have nothing in my pantry and fridge,” writes recipe developer Eric Kim. “All it needs are the usual suspects, things like brown sugar, butter, flour, eggs, and milk—plus chopped dates.”

Sheet-Pan Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake

3. Sheet-Pan Eggs

This egg-cellent (not sorry) breakfast is perfect for those blurry mornings when you have to cook for a crowd. Simply whisk eggs, pour into a greased pan, bake, and then pat yourself on the back.

Sheet Pan Eggs

4. Sheet-Pan Chicken With Broccoli, Chickpeas, And Parmesan

This all-in-one traybake from the queen of weeknight suppers, EmilyC, uses tons of smartypants tricks. My favorite? Add baking powder for better browning.

Sheet-Pan Chicken With Broccoli, Chickpeas, and Parmesan

5. Sheet-Pan Croquembouche

Sheet pans make quick work of desserts, too. “This streamlined version makes at-home croquembouche totally doable,” writes recipe developer Emma Laperruque. “Look no further for a holiday showstopper or even a birthday cake replacement (trust me, no one will complain).”

Sheet-Pan Croquembouche

6. All-In-One Sheet-Pan Brown Rice With Sweet Potato And Broccoli Rabe

This recipe highlights a reliable, forgiving method for cooking grains on a sheet pan in the oven, and results in a flavorful, do-it-all grain salad you’ll turn to again and again.

All-in-One Sheet-Pan Brown Rice with Sweet Potato and Broccoli Rabe

7. Sheet-Pan Roast Chicken and Cabbage

In just 40 minutes, you’ll get juicy, crispy-skinned chicken and sweet, tender cabbage, flavored by not only the spicy dressing, but also the aromatic drippings of the chicken. What are you waiting for?

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8.

This bright and bold harissa chicken maintains a perfect, five-star rating amongst our community members. Trust Cathy on this one: “This is amazing! Every element blends perfectly together." It won over Emily, too: Consider me a skeptic until about 3 minutes before plating. Never been happier to be wrong.”

9.

Yes, salads can be cozy comfort food, too. See below.

10. Sheet-Pan Chicken And Cauliflower Bake

This tray bake is the spicy, smoky shawarma-inspired dinner that you’ll definitely want to add to your weeknight rotation.

Sheet Pan Chicken and Cauliflower Bake

11. Sheet-Pan Crispy Rice With Bacon And Broccoli

Absolute Best Tests columnist Ella Quittner speaks the truth: “Crispy bits are textural and flavor magic.” And this dish is chock full of ‘em.

Sheet-Pan Crispy Rice with Bacon and Broccoli

12.

This convenient play on huevos rotos (“broken eggs” in Spanish) is the perfect lazy brunch recipe. It requires only 10 minutes of actual work, serves up to six people, and highlights the beloved trio of sausage, potatoes, and eggs.

13. Sheet-Pan Lamb Meatballs With Cauliflower And Tahini-Yogurt Sauce

Fact: Super tender lamb meatballs and comforting cauliflower combined with the refreshing brightness of pomegranate, makes the crowd go wild.

Sheet Pan Lamb Meatballs with Cauliflower and Tahini-Yogurt Sauce

14.

With a scrappy vinaigrette that does triple-duty, as well as tapping into the wallet-friendly bulk bin (hey there, dried figs), this dinner is both inexpensive and satisfying.

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15.

Consisting of white miso, yellow mustard powder, sugar, and rice vinegar, nuta is a typical Japanese dressing for blanched greens and seafood that tastes like really good honey mustard. Here nuta works double-duty: caramelized on chicken thighs and squash, and as a piquant dressing for peppery arugula.

16.

Salad? On a sheet-pan? Recipe developer EmilyC thinks yes, making three great cases for it.

17. Our Best Brussels Sprouts With Bacon

Our best version of the best food partnership (okay at the very least tied with peanut butter and eggs). Top a bowl of these Brussels sprouts and crisp bacon bits with a soft, oozy egg, for a square (round?) meal.

Brussels Sprouts With Bacon

18.

While a schnitzel-ready, thin, boneless pork cutlet is likely to dessicate in the oven, a thicker-cut, bone-in chop is ready. Dry-rub one per person and lay atop a bed of root vegetable hunks—the recipe calls for carrots and fennel, but why not beets, parsnips, or turnips?—eager to drink in any (sheet-)pan juices.

19. Baking Sheet Macaroni and Cheese

Food52 co-founder Amanda Hesser wanted a mac and cheese that didn’t skimp on the crunch—so she made this recipe. Combining techniques from baked pasta, gratin, and kugel, Amanda’s mac is texturally complex and decidedly delicious.

Baking Sheet Macaroni and Cheese

20. Sheet-Pan Apple Crisp

A traditional apple crisp is heavy on the apples, lighter on the streusel. Not with this sheet-pan riff from Food Editor Emma Laperruque. “Instead of using a deep-dish casserole pan, a sheet pan creates a shallow crisp that’s equal parts jammy apples and oaty streusel,” Emma writes. If there’s a more perfect use for an eighth-pan, I don’t want to know about it.

Sheet-Pan Apple Crisp

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Just kidding I do—share some of the best things to come out of your half-, quarter-, and eighth-sheet-pans in the comments below!
Our 20 Absolute Favorite Sheet-Pan Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What size sheet pan for sheet pan dinners? ›

In this guide, we'll use the 18-by-13-inch pan as our standard, though the quarter sheet pan, measuring about 9-by-13 inches, is terrific for smaller ovens or kitchens as well as for cooking several ingredients in the oven at once without letting the flavors bleed into one another.

Can I use parchment paper for sheet pan dinners? ›

Lining the pan

Cleanup is a breeze when you line the baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.

Will a full sheet pan fit in a standard oven? ›

Full Size Sheet Pans – the commercial full sized sheet pan is 18” x 26” and for any home cooking enthusiasts that are shopping commercial restaurant supplies, it's critical to know that this pan will not fit in a residential oven.

How do you keep sheet pan dinners from getting soggy? ›

Use the Right Kind of Pan

The size allows for ingredients to be spread out so you don't crowd the pan. (Crowded pans make for mushy meals because the ingredients steam instead of roast.) And the rim is low enough for heat to move across the ingredients to give them a crisp, brown, caramelized finish.

How long do you bake sheet pan dinners? ›

Temperatures range from 375-400°F for sheet pan meals. Depending on the vegetables and protein you've chosen, it may take anywhere from 35-45 minutes to cook thoroughly. Remember if you've chosen something you know will overcook in that period, you want to add it in later on in the cooking time.

What is the difference between a baking sheet and a sheet pan? ›

Although cookie sheets are often referred to as "baking sheets," there are differences between a cookie sheet and a baking sheet (also known as a baking sheet pan or simply a sheet pan): Baking sheet pans have rolled edges with a lip around the entire pan, whereas cookie sheets do not.

Do you cover sheet pan dinners with foil? ›

We recommend foil over parchment paper for sheet pan cooking. As it conducts heat, foil can help accelerate the cooking process and help browning.

When should you not use parchment paper for baking? ›

Parchment paper is not designed for high-heat cooking. Avoid using it in your oven or on the grill if temperature will exceed 400 degrees, says Michelle Weaver, chef at Charleston Grill in South Carolina, as there's a chance it could catch fire.

What side of parchment paper do you cook on? ›

Since parchment paper doesn't have a helpful “this end up” sign with an arrow, it takes a little detective work. Just hold the paper up to the light and look for the side that's slightly glossier or shinier. It is the shiny or glossy side of the parchment paper that should be face up on your baking sheet or cake pan.

Why do my sheet pans warp in the oven? ›

Sheet pans are most prone to buckle due to the uneven expansion of the surfaces of the pan. Most sheet pans have turned-up continuous edges all around, so you have multiple surfaces, all expanding in the heat, with the greater the length the greater the amount of expansion.

What happens to a metal sheet pan when you put it in the oven? ›

Metal expands as it heats. The large surface of your sheet pan will heat and expand faster than the short rimmed sides. This creates stress right where the flat base meets the raised lip, causing some pans to buckle or twist.

What is the difference between a jelly roll pan and a sheet pan? ›

A jelly roll pan has one-inch rims, which makes it ideal for working with liquid batter or food that releases juices as they cook. A cookie sheet only has one raised rim (for ease of handling), so it's not great for working with liquids like the Dutch Oven is.

Can you prep sheet pan meals ahead of time? ›

Here, you'll assemble dinner components in reusable containers or zip-top bags so during the week all you need to do is dump everything on sheet pan, maybe toss with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, and then bake. You'll also be ready to tackle the week with simple, ready-to-eat breakfast and lunch options.

Should you flip sheet pan chicken? ›

Place chicken on a rimmed baking sheet and season with salt and pepper all over. With the chicken skin-side up, drizzle with half the olive oil and place in oven. 2. Roast the chicken, without flipping, until cooked through and deeply browned all over, 25 to 30 minutes.

Should you preheat a baking sheet? ›

Without preheating the baking sheet, ingredients that contain a lot of moisture will essentially start to steam in their own juices before they roast, softening and never quite developing that crispy exterior you want.

What is the difference between 1 8 sheet pan and 1 4 sheet pan? ›

The quarter sheet pan is 9 1/2″ x 13″ (24 x 33cm) and the one-eighth pan clocks in at a mere 6″ x 9″ (13 x 23cm). If you're concerned about cooking on aluminum, which is an excellent – and even – conductor of heat, bakers line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

What is a 1 2 sheet pan used for? ›

We've told folks before that half-sheet pans (along with cooling racks) are the unsung heroes of the kitchen; they can be used to not only bake cookies, but also to roast vegetables, make sheet pan meals, dry brine chicken and turkey, rest meat, and so much more.

What is the difference between 1 2 and 1 4 sheet pans? ›

Meanwhile, 1/2 sheet cake (18 x 12 inches and using 7 to 8 cups of batter) should be enough for 36-48 guests. And the smallest option, 1/4 sheet cake (9 x 13 inches, up to 4 cups of batter), can feed 20-24 people.

What is a 1 4 sheet pan used for? ›

They're great for cooking for one, too, and can accommodate a single serving of protein for baking or roasting in the oven (or toaster oven!). I also like to use one to toast a handful of croutons for a single-serving salad.

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