The Skillet

The hardest-working pan in the kitchen finally gets its moment to shine. ATK has reimagined skillet cooking to show how to prepare just about anything in the essential kitchen workhorse—from roast chicken to cinnamon rolls—while teaching innovative techniques.

A skillet isn’t just a skillet, it can be a baking dish, a roasting pan, a saucepan, a griddle, and more. With this surprising selection of 150 crave-worthy dishes, cooking is fast and convenient—and often leaves you with just one pan to wash. Think pot pie, pizza, pasta that cooks right in the sauce, deep dish quiche, enchiladas, breads, and even appetizers, sides, and dessert. Here are just some of the ways you'll up your skillet IQ: 

You Don’t Need an Arsenal of Skillets: Whether you’re a nonstick superfan, a cast iron devotee, or exploring carbon steel, we help you choose the best skillets (and sizes) for your cooking style and when and how to substitute one for another.

Sauté and Sear: A masterclass on developing crust on meat, chicken, fish, and tofu: Learn why we start some cuts in a cold pan, how to butter baste others, and how to sear fish fillets for to crisp the skin while keeping the interior perfectly moist.

Simmer and Braise: Our tricks simplify lavish dishes while developing deep flavor. Think Chicken Biryani, Spring Vegetable Risotto, and Shrimp and Grits with Andouille.

Pan-Roast and Bake: Perfect your roast chicken game with fuss-free techniques and sides that soak up all the juices. And baking in your skillet offers an easy route to enchiladas, savory cobblers, and Dutch babies.

Make Skillet Pasta and Noodles: Ditch your pasta pot (and strainer) with pastas that bubble away in their own sauce, from a stovetop macaroni and cheese to pantry pastas, chewy rice noodles, and pan-crisped gnocchi

Bake Breads and Desserts: If you love brownies with crispy edges and fudgy middles, follow our innovative recipe in a cast-iron skillet. Fluffy dinner rolls for dinner? They’re a snap in a skillet. So are rustic fruit desserts that go effortlessly from the oven to the table.

Expert Advice from the Gearheads: Our equipment experts explain all you need to know, from how to properly season and clean cast-iron and carbon-steel skillets to navigating the world of nonstick pans including ceramic ones. Find our which brands the test kitchen recommends and why.

Dinner for Two? We’ve got you covered with recipe variations scaled to yield two servings (in a smaller skillet).