20 Cast Iron Skillet Recipes That Are Absolutely Brilliant Cooked on the Grill

Dinner is tender, spice-rubbed pork medallions with some quick-sautéed veggies on the side, and the leftovers become pork sandwiches all week long. And not just any pork sandwiches, but the best pork sandwiches — this thinly sliced pork is light-years beyond anything you’ll find at the deli counter.

Their fat-bellied shapes hold their own with juicy tomatoes and other vegetables; it’s so fun to spear a thumbprint of gnocchi with a piece of sausage and tomato in this dish. It fits perfectly in the mouth, no trailing pasta to manage.

Some of the most flavorful cuts of meat are the least expensive. My butcher turned me onto this cut called the California tri-tip steak that cooks in a snap, and is a great addition to a summer salad.

While grilling this steak is fantastic, a cast iron skillet in the oven is the perfect tool for rainy days and chilly weather. Cooking this type of cut, or any cut for that matter, on cast iron is my preferred method because the pan gets smoking hot, allowing the meat to form a gorgeous brown crust with less risk of overcooking.

hubarb is often thought of as an ingredient for sweets, and while I would never turn down a slice of strawberry-rhubarb pie, rhubarb can do double duty in the world of savory foods as well. Stew it with onions, spicy ginger, and some soy sauce, and now you have a tangy sauce that you can braise pork chops in until juicy and tender.

These tenders are easy to make; the ingredients and steps are simple enough for novice cooks to successfully follow and do. The tenders also have the flavor and texture we crave in chicken fingers — juicy and moist with a golden brown-crust — but they are baked rather than fried (although people swear otherwise).

It’s an easier method for making hash browns that are crispy, but just a little bit lighter.

Paella — a Spanish rice dish — is traditionally made with seafood, chicken or sausage, and a seasoning base of saffron and tomato. But in this vegetarian version, I’m swapping the meat and fish for fresh produce and legumes. It’s a veggie-filled dinner perfect for any night of the week.

The key to this whole dish is the cheese. (Isn’t it always?) Cooked long and slow, this cheese melts into the rice and forms a crust on the bottom of the pan. The whole dish becomes infused with rich, smoky, caramelized cheddar, which is a taste that’s just this side of heaven.

Nachos, man. Cheese and chips are the perfect blank canvas for any craving that’s passing through your brain, and their pile-it-on nature makes them doubly great for serving to a whole mess of people. Set up a toppings bar, use your grill to melt down a bunch of big nacho platters, and let your guests load them up with abandon.

This Dutch baby is cheesy, spicy, and great topped with black beans, avocado, and chunky salsa! We’re calling it breakfast, but you know the drill — lunch and dinner are fair game, too.

This spring hash recipe brings together spring radishes and turnips. Both are boiled briefly and then sautéed in a cast iron skillet along with green garlic, eggs, and parsley. The recipe offers a change from a more conventional breakfast skillet, and although the ingredients might be somewhat unexpected, the results are hearty enough to rival hash browns.

This enchilada recipe skips the premade canned sauces in favor of a homemade variety with a vibrant, smoky punch. The sauce used in this recipe is a very traditional salsa verde. Made with roasted tomatillos, serrano chile, garlic, cilantro, and onion, it is refreshingly tart and spicy.

Dutch baby pancakes are also a grand party trick to pull on your guests. A thin, unassuming batter of eggs, flour, and sugar is poured into a hot pan, and through the miracle of steam, the pancake emerges from the oven puffed and golden with crispy sky-high ridges around the edge.

It’s a one-skillet meal that’s easy to clean up, and with the perfect combination of protein and vegetables, it’s absolutely satisfying and delicious. Frittatas are great for cleaning out the crisper, but one of my favorite veggie combos is savory mushrooms, crunchy asparagus, feta cheese, and fresh thyme.

Traditionally, skillet cornbread is cooked with lard, which is all fine and good, but I like to take the opportunity to cook up some bacon and then fold the crispy bacon into the cornbread.