The best part about sheet pan dinners? The oven does all the hard work for you ;)

The beautiful thing about this recipe is that the chicken thighs, potatoes, and onions all have about the same cook time, and they complement each other so well.

The chicken stays juicy, the potatoes get tender with crispy edges, and the onions get sweet and caramelized. Honestly, the onions might be my favorite part of the whole dish. They soak up some of those chicken juices as they cook and have so much flavor.

Then at the end, you just combine your favorite honey and hot sauce for a quick hot honey glaze that really sets everything off.

Hands-On Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: About 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs

• 1½ lb. russet potatoes, sliced into ¼-inch half-moons

• 1 large red onion, cut into ¾-inch wedges

• 3 T. avocado oil

• 2 tsp. sea salt

• 2 tsp. smoked paprika

• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

• ¼ cup honey

• 2 T. Cholula Original Hot Sauce (or your favorite hot sauce)

• ½ lemon

• ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

The Process

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the upper third.

2. Add the chicken, potatoes, and onion to a half sheet pan. Drizzle with the avocado oil, then add the sea salt, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Toss until everything is coated.

3. Arrange the chicken over the potatoes and onions, leaving some of the vegetables exposed.

4. Roast for 35 minutes.

5. Drizzle the honey and hot sauce over the chicken.

6. Return the pan to the oven for another 10 minutes, until the chicken is glazed and cooked through. If it needs more color, broil for 1 to 3 minutes, watching closely.

7. Squeeze the lemon over everything and finish with the parsley. Serve right away.

Serves 4

This recipe has already received over 1.7 million views on Instagram, and one of the coolest parts has been seeing how many of you are making it. I’ve gotten so many messages, photos, and comments from people saying how much they loved it, which honestly never gets old. So if you make this one, please keep sending them my way :)

Normally with a chuck roast, you’d probably expect to sear it first to get that nice browned exterior. But after testing this version, I realized you really don’t need to. The top gets so much color in the oven that by the time it’s done, it almost looks like it was seared anyway. You can absolutely sear the beef first if you want that extra step, but for me, my goal is always to keep things as simple as possible.

Quick Tadas Update

I spent this past weekend in New York City. It was my first time back in over a decade(!) and I had an absolute blast. As a creative and foodie, it’s such an epic place to get inspired. The second your feet hit the ground, it feels like you’re on a mission…

It was quick trip, but very full. I ran a half marathon through Central Park (and made a running vlog), went on a date ;) (watch the grwm video here haha), ate my way through the city, and had some of the best pizza I’ve ever had.

I got back to Dallas on Monday, and am right back to cooking and working on my Sheet Pan Cookbook.

Hands-On Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: About 4 hours

Ingredients

Japanese BBQ Chuck Roast

• 2½ lb. chuck roast

• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced

• 1 whole head garlic, cloves separated and peeled

• 1½ cups beef bone broth

• ½ cup Bachan’s Original Japanese Barbecue Sauce

• 2 to 3 T. additional Bachan’s Original Japanese Barbecue Sauce (optional)

For Serving

• Cooked jasmine rice

• Sliced green onions

• Sesame seeds

• Lime wedges (optional, but highly recommended)

The Process

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.

2. Add the chuck roast, onion, garlic, bone broth, and Japanese barbecue sauce to a Dutch oven.

3. Turn the chuck roast a few times to coat it in the sauce and braising liquid.

4. Cover and bake for about 4 hours, until the beef shreds easily with a fork. If it still feels tough when you try to pull it apart, cover it back up and give it another 20 to 30 minutes.

5. Skim off and discard the excess fat from the top of the braising liquid.

6. Shred the beef directly in the Dutch oven and mix it back into the onion, garlic, and braising juices.

7. Taste and add another 2 to 3 tablespoons Japanese barbecue sauce if you want the flavor a little stronger.

8. Serve over jasmine rice and finish with sliced green onions, sesame seeds, and a generous squeeze of fresh lime.

Is it a cheeseburger? Is it a taco? It’s a CHEESEBURGER TACO.

My favorite part of this recipe is how easily everything comes together. You basically just press the ground beef onto the tortillas, hit ’em with some cheese, fold them up, bake, broil, and voilà.

Add some “secret sauce”, all the classic burger toppings, and you get such a satisfying dinner with a ton of flavor.

As a food content creator, my mission is to help people eat more real food and less processed food and fast food. So something I think about a lot is, why do people end up at McDonald’s or Taco Bell?

A lot of the time, it’s just convenience. Cooking feels like too much work.

So I hope that providing easy alternatives like this helps at least one person skip a trip to the drive-through and make a home-cooked meal instead :)

Hands-On Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 to 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the Tacos

• 1 lb. 80/20 ground beef

• ¾ tsp. sea salt

• ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

• 8 small flour tortillas, about 6 inches

• 4 oz. medium cheddar cheese, freshly grated

• 1 cup finely shredded iceberg lettuce

• ¼ small white onion, very thinly sliced

• 1 tomato, thinly sliced

• ½ cup dill pickle chips

• Avocado oil spray

Special Sauce

• 2 T. mayonnaise

• 3 T. ketchup

• 1 T. yellow mustard

• 1 T. finely chopped dill pickles

• 2 tsp. pickle juice

The Process

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the upper third. Set a wire rack inside a half sheet pan.

2. Stir together the mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, chopped pickles, and pickle juice to create the “secret sauce”.

3. Working with 1 tortilla at a time, press a portion of beef very thinly over one half, almost to the edges, in the shape of a half circle. Season with the sea salt and black pepper.

4. Add the cheddar cheese, fold the tortilla over, then flip it so the beef side is facing up. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and lightly spray the tops with avocado oil.

5. Arrange the tacos on the wire rack with the beef side facing up. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes, until the beef is almost cooked through and the cheese is melted.

6. Switch the oven to high broil. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, then flip the tacos and lightly spray with avocado oil. Broil for another 1 to 2 minutes, watching closely, until both sides are browned and crispy.

7. Carefully open each taco and add the iceberg lettuce, onion, tomato, pickles, and special sauce. Serve right away.

Serves 3 to 4

Making curry usually feels like a whole lot of work. You’re building a sauce, simmering it, letting everything cook down… and it’s messy.

So I set out to create the perfect weeknight sheet pan curry. It’s definitely not a traditional curry with a big pot of sauce, but that’s kind of the point. Less work, way less cleanup, and still a whole lot of curry flavor.

The green beans go in first because shrimp cooks CRAZY fast. Once the beans have a head start, you toss on the shrimp with red curry paste, coconut cream, honey, fish sauce, and lime zest.

And what really makes this recipe for me is the fish sauce.

If you’re not familiar with it, or have never opened a bottle before… be warned, it smells disgusting. But don’t skip it!

Once it’s mixed into the curry, you don’t taste “fish.” It just gives the whole thing this deeper savory flavor. UMAMI—the fifth basic taste, along with sweet, salty, sour, and bitter.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Green Beans

• 12 oz. green beans

• 1 T. avocado oil

• ½ tsp. sea salt

Curry Shrimp

• 1½ lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined

• 2 to 3 T. red curry paste

• 2 T. coconut cream

• 1 T. honey

• 2 tsp. fish sauce

• 1 tsp. avocado oil

To Finish

• 1 lime

• ⅓ cup cilantro

• ¼ cup roasted peanuts

• Cooked jasmine rice, for serving

The Process

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the upper third.

2. Add the green beans to a half sheet pan. Toss with the avocado oil and sea salt, spread into an even layer, and roast for 12 to 14 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, pat the shrimp very dry. Add the red curry paste, coconut cream, honey, fish sauce, and avocado oil. Toss until coated.

4. Remove the pan from the oven and add the shrimp. Toss the green beans through any curry mixture that lands on the pan, then spread everything back out into an even layer. Roast for 6 to 8 minutes, until the shrimp are just cooked through.

5. Switch the oven to high broil and broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until the shrimp and green beans pick up a little caramelization.

6. Squeeze the lime over everything, then finish with the cilantro and roasted peanuts. Serve with warm jasmine rice.

Gnocchi makes for such a satisfying dinner. I’ve made it plenty of times. Store-bought, homemade, I’ve even made my own out of butternut squash (delicious, btw!).

But… how come no one ever told me you can throw it right onto a sheet pan, no boiling a big ol’ pot of water required?!

After I recently learned that sheet pan gnocchi is a thing, I set out to make my own version of a gnocchi-based sheet pan dinner. The results surprised me in the best way possible… my favorite part is how beautifully crispy the gnocchi gets on the sheet pan.

Especially once we get past summer (it’s 100+ pretty much every day in Dallas rn), I can already see this becoming one of those dinners I make all the time when it starts getting cold out.

Serves: 3 to 4
Hands-On Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

For the Sheet Pan

• 1 lb. shelf-stable potato gnocchi, not boiled

• 12 oz. fully cooked chicken sausage, sliced on a bias into ¾-inch pieces

• 1 large head broccoli, cut into small florets and thoroughly dried

• 3 T. olive oil

• ¾ tsp. sea salt

• ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

• ½ tsp. onion powder

• ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

• Zest of 1 lemon, divided

Read more

I love how quick salmon cooks in the oven! About 8 minutes under the broiler and it’s roasted to perfection. It goes especially quick when you cut it into bite size pieces.

And for this recipe, I had another idea: toss a lime right onto the sheet pan too, and use it for the sauce to give it some extra roasted depth.

I used Mother-in-Law’s Garlic Gochujang (*amazon affiliate link — I earn a commission if you purchase through this link.) for the gochujang sauce. I first discovered the brand by trying their kimchi, and now love their sauces as well. And, in case you’re unfamiliar with what gochujang is, it’s a Korean fermented red chili paste that give spice, sweetness and a deep savory flavor.

I plated the salmon with a cucumber-tomato salad, avocado, rice, and sesame seeds and this makes for an easy, healthy, and super delicious weeknight dinner.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

Salmon

• 1½ lb. salmon, skin removed and cut into 1½-inch cubes

• 1 T. avocado oil

• 1 tsp. fine sea salt

• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

• 1 tsp. onion powder

• 1 lime, halved

• Avocado oil, for the lime

Charred Lime Gochujang Yogurt

• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt

• 1 T. avocado oil

• 2-3 T. Mother-in-Law’s Garlic Gochujang (or another gochujang)

• 1 T. honey

• 1 T. charred lime juice

• 1 T. fresh lime juice

• ¼ tsp. fine sea salt

Cucumber-Tomato Salad

• 1 large cucumber, chopped

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1 T. rice vinegar

• 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil

• 1 tsp. black sesame seeds

• ¼ tsp. fine sea salt

For Serving

• Cooked jasmine rice

• 2 ripe avocados, sliced

• White sesame seeds

• Green onions, thinly sliced

• Fresh lime, for the sauce and serving

The Process

1. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the broiler on high.

2. Toss the salmon with the avocado oil, sea salt, black pepper, and onion powder. Spread the salmon across the sheet pan, leaving space between the pieces. Add the lime halves cut-side up and rub a little avocado oil over the cut sides.

3. Broil for about 8 minutes, until the salmon is browned around the edges and just cooked through. Keep an eye on it toward the end since broilers can vary quite a bit.

4. While the salmon cooks, add the cucumber and tomatoes to a bowl. Toss with the rice vinegar, sesame oil, black sesame seeds, and sea salt.

5. Add the Greek yogurt, avocado oil, gochujang, honey, charred lime juice, fresh lime juice, and sea salt to a bowl. Stir until combined.

6. Add the salmon bites to the gochujang yogurt sauce, and toss.

7. Add jasmine rice to each bowl or plate, followed by the salmon, cucumber-tomato salad, and avocado. Finish with more gochujang yogurt, white sesame seeds, and green onions.

* This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them, at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Harissa is such a beautiful ingredient. If you’ve never had it, it’s a North African chile paste made with red chiles, garlic, spices, and sometimes roasted red pepper.

Flavor-wise, it’s smoky, spicy, a little sweet… there’s a lot going on.

When I was developing this recipe, I knew it needed something creamy, fresh, and acidic to go with it. That’s where the avocado mint dressing came in.

Avocado, fresh mint, parsley, lemon, and kefir. Blend it all up and you get this cool, creamy dressing that works so well with the smoky harissa chicken. The mint especially is what sets it off.

Then I added romaine and tomatoes tossed in the dressing, pickled onions, and a little chili oil, and wrapped the whole thing up in a toasted tortilla.

When I tried the final version, I genuinely thought… this might be the best wrap I’ve ever made :)

Serves: 4
Hands-On Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

Smoky Harissa Chicken

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1¼-inch pieces

• 2–3 tbsp harissa paste

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2 tsp honey

• 1 tbsp smoked paprika

• 2 tsp garlic powder

• 1½ tsp sea salt

Avocado Mint Dressing

• 1 ripe avocado

• ½ cup plain Lifeway Kefir

• ¾ cup packed parsley

• ¼ cup packed fresh mint leaves

• Juice of 1 large lemon

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• ½ tsp sea salt

For the Wraps

• 4 large flour tortillas

• 1 small head romaine, chopped

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

• ½ cup pickled red onions

• Avocado oil, for toasting

• Chili oil, for finishing

Equipment

• Sheet Pan

• Wire Rack

• Skewers (wood or metal)

The Process

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the upper-middle position. Set a wire rack over a sheet pan.

2. In a large bowl, mix the harissa paste, olive oil, honey, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and sea salt. Add the chicken and toss until coated.

3. Thread the chicken onto about 4 wooden or metal skewers without packing the pieces too tightly. Arrange the skewers across the wire rack.

4. Roast for 24–28 minutes, until the chicken is nearly cooked through. Switch the oven to broil and broil for another 2–4 minutes, watching closely, until the edges get dark and caramelized.

5. While the chicken cooks, add the avocado, kefir, parsley, mint, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic powder, and sea salt to a blender. Blend until smooth.

6. Add the chopped romaine and cherry tomatoes to a bowl. Add a generous amount of avocado mint dressing and toss until coated.

7. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat with a light coating of avocado oil. Toast each tortilla for 30–60 seconds per side, until warm and browned in spots.

8. Remove the chicken from the skewers. Fill each tortilla with the dressed romaine and tomatoes, harissa chicken, and pickled red onions. Finish with chili oil, wrap it up, and serve right away.

If you’ve never had a gremolata before, it’s an Italian herb sauce that’s traditionally made with parsley, garlic, and lemon. It’s fresh, bright, and meant to wake up rich dishes.

For my version, I had the idea to swap the usual fresh lemon juice for roasted lemon. The juice becomes sweeter, deeper, and slightly caramelized, while the fresh lemon zest keeps the gremolata bright and vibrant. It feels like a small change, but it gives the sauce so much more flavor. When I tried the final version of this, all I could say is… SO GOOD :)

Serve it over jasmine rice, spoon the gremolata over everything, and you’ve got an easy dinner that feels way fancier than the effort it takes.

Ingredients

Sheet Pan

• 4 center-cut salmon fillets (5–6 oz each)

• 1 lb medium-thick asparagus, woody ends trimmed

• 1 large lemon

• 1 tbsp avocado oil

• 1 tsp fine sea salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• Cooked jasmine rice, for serving

Read more

I’ve made sheet pan kebabs with beef (beef kebab recipe), lamb (lamb kebab recipe), and turkey… so the last kebab meat to give a shot was chicken.

And chicken did not disappoint.

It’s flavorful, high-protein, and perfect for a weeknight dinner—especially because this whole thing is less than 25 minutes of hands-on time.

As I’ve made a lot of sheet pan kebabs, I’ve been thinking about how to better use the empty pan space. I originally tested this with potatoes, but the chicken released too much liquid and the potatoes struggled to properly roast.

So I went back to the test kitchen…

Red peppers and chickpeas ended up being the move. They fit the Mediterranean vibe, roast well around the edges, and take this dish to the next level without adding a lot of extra work.

Once everything was plated with cucumber-tomato yogurt, pickled onions, sumac, parsley, and chili oil… this one was truly a flavor bomb :)

If you try this recipe, drop a comment below to let me know how it turned out for you.

Serves: 4–5
Hands-On Time: 20–25 minutes
Total Time: 35–40 minutes

Ingredients

Chicken Kebabs

• 2 lbs ground chicken, preferably 93/7 or not extra lean

• 3 tbsp tomato paste

• 1 tbsp honey

• 1 tbsp avocado oil

• 1¾ tsp kosher salt

• 1 tbsp smoked paprika

• 2 tsp cumin

• 1½ tsp dried oregano

• 1 tsp black pepper

• ⅓ cup finely chopped parsley

Chickpeas and Red Pepper

• 1 can chickpeas, drained and patted dry

• 1–2 large red bell peppers, sliced into fajita style strips

• 1 tbsp avocado oil

• ½ tsp kosher salt

• ½ tsp smoked paprika

• Black pepper

Read more

I’m coming at you with another sheet pan recipe…

But before I get to that: I have some big news to share — I signed a book deal with a publisher :) I have 225 days to develop the ultimate sheet pan cookbook, built around real food ingredients, easy prep, and big flavor. I’m SO EXCITED about this project! I’ll share more soon, but if you want to follow along behind the scenes, I started an additional new Instagram to vlog the process: @sheetpanbook (and, I’ll of course be sharing updates on my primary instagram @superfoodsguy as well.)

Okay, back to the recipe.

This is not another boring and basic chicken dinner.

You’ve got sticky caramelized chicken thighs, smoky crispy-edged Brussels sprouts, rice to catch the sauce, and a bright finish of lime and green onions.

Sweet, salty, smoky, acidic… all the things.

The double glaze is a little move that really takes this to the next level. The first layer starts getting sticky in the oven, then the second layer goes under the broiler and gives you that glossy, deeply colored finish. I try to avoid using refined sugar in my cooking, so I opted for a sugar free BBQ sauce for this recipe.

Serves: 4
Hands-On Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35–38 minutes

Ingredients

Chicken and Brussels

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs

• 1 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

• 2 tbsp avocado oil

• 1½ tsp kosher salt

• 2 tsp smoked paprika

• ½ tsp black pepper

Read more

It’s always exciting when summer finally arrives (my favorite season of the year!) and ripe peaches and fresh corn start showing up at the market. This salad tastes like summer to me, so I’m calling it “Salad of the Summer”.

And honestly, one of the best parts is that it gets even better after sitting in the fridge for a day or two. The lime, Tajín, tomatoes, corn, and onion have time to marinate, and the whole thing tastes even brighter and more seasoned.

Ingredients

• 2 ears fresh corn, kernels cut off the cob

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered

• 1 peach, diced

• 1 avocado, diced

• 1 jalapeño, finely diced

• ½ red onion, finely diced

• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped

• Juice of 2 limes

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• Tajín, to taste

Instructions

1. Cut the kernels off the corn cobs and add them to a large bowl.

2. Add the cherry tomatoes, peach, jalapeño, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, and Tajín.

3. Toss gently until combined.

4. Fold in the avocado last so it doesn’t get too soft.

5. Taste and add more Tajín or lime if needed.

When it comes to summer fruit, watermelon is near the top of my list.

I eat a whole lot of it all summer long, usually just cold and straight from the fridge. But it’s fun to find new ways to use it too.

This watermelon refresher is cold, creamy, tangy, and naturally sweet without adding any sugar. The yogurt addition might sound a bit surprising at first, but trust me—it works. It gives the drink that creamy refresher feel without making it heavy.

Also, you don’t need a juicer to make this, which is a win.

Ingredients

• 1½ cups watermelon, cubed

• ½ cup frozen strawberries

• ¼ cup plain yogurt or kefir

• Juice of ½ lime

• Pinch of sea salt

• Ice, for serving

Instructions

1. Add the watermelon to a blender first.

2. Add the frozen strawberries, yogurt or kefir, lime juice, and sea salt.

3. Blend until smooth.

4. Fill a glass with ice.

5. Pour over ice and enjoy.

6. Optional: for the smoothest texture, strain after blending, then pour over ice.

How to Serve

Pour it over a full glass of ice and drink it right away. Optionally, garnish with a lime and/or mint.

This is one of those meals where every part is simple, but the combination is what makes it feel special.

You’ve got the sweet potato doing the sweet, caramelized, almost candy-like thing. Then you get the steak bites: salty, juicy, and broiled hard enough to get a little char on the edges. Then the arugula adds that peppery freshness. And finally, the chimichurri brings the whole thing together with parsley, garlic, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, oregano, and chili flakes.

The best part is that it still feels very weeknight-friendly.

The sweet potatoes take time, but they’re almost completely hands-off. You roast them low and slow, cut-side down, until the bottoms caramelize. While they rest, you broil the steak bites fast and make the chimichurri in a food processor.

It’s not complicated. It’s just a few real ingredients handled the right way.

Read more

This recipe is a very easy, yet high-reward sheet pan dinner with smoky heat, fresh crunch, and a whole lot of flavor.

You’ve got smoky, spicy, sticky-ish chicken coming out of the oven, then a cold pineapple cucumber salsa that hits it with sweetness, crunch, lime, cilantro, and creamy avocado.

The chicken by itself is already good—chipotles in adobo, honey, lime zest, and spices do a lot with very little effort—but the salsa is what turns it into a full dinner that feels bright and fresh instead of heavy.

And the process stays simple: season the chicken directly on the sheet pan, roast it on the middle rack, make rice while it cooks, and toss the salsa together at the end.

Active & Total Time

Hands-On Time: 20-25 minutes
Total time: 40-45 minutes

Ingredients

For the Chicken

• 3 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

• 3–4 chipotle peppers in adobo, finely chopped *Heat Note: Four chipotle peppers will make this pretty spicy. Use 2 chipotles if you want it milder, or 3–4 if you want more heat and smoky intensity.

• 1 tbsp adobo sauce from the can

• 2 tbsp honey

• Zest of 1 lime

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1¾ tsp kosher salt

• 1½ tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 1 tsp sweet paprika

• 1 tsp Mexican oregano

• ½ tsp cumin

• 1 tsp cornstarch

For the Pineapple Cucumber Salsa

• 1½ cups fresh pineapple, diced

• 1 cucumber, diced

• 1 avocado, diced

• 1 jalapeño, finely diced

• ¼–½ red onion, finely diced

• Juice of 1½ limes

• ½ cup cilantro, chopped

• ½ tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste

For Serving

• Jasmine rice

The Process

1. Preheat oven to 425°F with a rack in the middle position.

2. Pat the chicken thighs dry and place them skin-side up on a sheet pan.

3. In a small bowl, mix the sea salt, garlic powder, smoked paprika, sweet paprika, Mexican oregano, cumin, and cornstarch. Sprinkle the seasoning evenly over the chicken.

4. Add the chopped chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, honey, lime zest, and olive oil directly over the chicken. Rub everything evenly over the thighs so each piece is well coated.

5. Roast for 37–40 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 180–190°F internally and the skin is deeply colored with smoky-sweet pan juices.

6. While the chicken roasts, cook the jasmine rice.

7. Make the salsa: combine the pineapple, cucumber, avocado, jalapeño, red onion, lime juice, cilantro, and sea salt in a bowl. Toss gently so the avocado doesn’t get smashed. Taste the salsa and adjust with more lime or sea salt if needed. It should taste bright and punchy before it goes on the chicken.

8. Serve the chicken over rice and top with the pineapple cucumber salsa right before eating.

There are some foods that just feel like summer, and for Lithuanians, šaltibarščiai is one of them.

In case you were wondering, yes — I’m Lithuanian. I grew up with this cold, bright pink beet soup, and it’s one of those foods that sounds a little strange if you’ve never had it… until you try it and realize it’s actually perfect for hot weather.

It’s cold. It’s creamy. It’s tangy. It’s packed with cucumber and dill. It usually gets served with hard-boiled eggs and potatoes on the side. And the color is absolutely insane in the best way possible.

We’re calling this version Pink Lithuanian Soup because, honestly, that’s exactly what it is.

Traditionally, šaltibarščiai is often made with cooked or pickled beets and kefir or buttermilk. For this version, I wanted to give it a little Superfoodsguy twist by using fresh beets roasted on a sheet pan. Roasting the beets makes them sweeter, deeper, and a little more earthy, while the kefir keeps everything tangy, creamy, refreshing, and probiotic-rich.

And yes, you should absolutely serve it with potatoes on the side. That’s the move. I made mine boiled first, then broiled until crispy, which gives you the best contrast: cold, tangy, creamy beet soup with hot, salty, crispy potatoes.

Cold soup is underrated. Pink soup is elite.

Pink Lithuanian Soup (Šaltibarščiai)

Serves: 4
Active Cooking Time: 20–25 minutes
Total Time: About 1 hour 30 minutes, including roasting and chilling
Optional Add-On: Crispy boiled-and-broiled potatoes

Ingredients

For the roasted beets

• 3 medium red beets

• 2–3 tablespoons water, for roasting

For the soup

• 3 cups Lifeway Plain Kefir

• 3/4 to 1 cup cold water, plus more as needed

• 1 English cucumber, finely diced

• 1/3 cup fresh dill, finely chopped

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

• Black pepper, to taste

For serving

• 4 hard-boiled eggs, halved

• Fresh chives, finely chopped

• Extra dill

• Extra black pepper

The Process

1. Roast the beets

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Scrub the beets well, then trim off the tops and tails.

Place the beets on a sheet pan with 2–3 tablespoons of water. Cover the pan tightly with foil.

Roast for 45–60 minutes, depending on the size of the beets, until a knife slides through the center easily.

You’re not trying to make crispy roasted beets here. You’re basically steam-roasting them so they become tender, sweet, juicy, and easy to peel.

2. Cool and peel the beets

Let the beets sit covered for about 5–10 minutes after they come out of the oven.

If you want to cool them faster, you can place them in ice water for about 5 minutes, then remove them and pat dry.

Rub the skins off with a paper towel or your hands. They should slip off pretty easily once the beets are fully cooked.

3. Grate the beets

Once the beets are cool enough to handle, grate them using the large holes of a box grater.

Don’t use the tiny holes. You want texture, not beet pulp.

Grating the beets helps them release their color into the kefir and gives the soup that classic bright pink look.

4. Make the soup

In a large bowl, combine:

• Grated roasted beets

• Lifeway Kefir

• Cold water

• Diced cucumber

• Fresh dill

• Lemon juice

• Apple cider vinegar

• Kosher salt

• Black pepper

Stir until the soup turns bright pink.

At this point, taste it. This is important.

It should be tangy, salty, creamy, and refreshing. If it tastes too thick, add a little more cold water. If it tastes flat, add a little more salt or lemon juice. If it needs more sharpness, add a tiny splash more apple cider vinegar.

Cold soups need to be seasoned more assertively than hot soups because cold temperatures dull flavor.

5. Chill

Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, but ideally 1–2 hours.

The flavor gets better as the dill, cucumber, roasted beets, and kefir all mingle together.

Also, the color gets even prettier.

6. Make the hard-boiled eggs

Bring a pot of water to a boil.

Gently lower in the eggs and boil for 10 minutes.

Transfer immediately to an ice bath for 10 minutes, then peel and halve.

This keeps the yolks fully set but still golden, without that gray ring.

7. Serve

Ladle the chilled soup into bowls and top with hard-boiled egg halves, fresh chives, extra dill, and black pepper.

Serve cold as-is, or with crispy potatoes on the side if you want to make it more of a full meal.

Optional Add-On: Crispy Boiled-and-Baked Potatoes

Šaltibarščiai is amazing with potatoes on the side.

Traditionally, it’s often served with warm boiled potatoes, but I made mine boiled first, then baked at high heat until crispy. This is not required for the main recipe, but it’s a really good add-on.

The contrast is unreal: cold, tangy, creamy beet soup with hot, salty, crispy potatoes.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds baby potatoes or small yellow potatoes

• Kosher salt, for boiling

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, for boiling

• 1–2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• Salt, to taste

• Black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.

2. Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water. Add a generous amount of salt and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda.

3. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 15–20 minutes, depending on size.

4. Drain well and let the potatoes steam-dry for a few minutes.

5. Transfer the potatoes back to the empty pot or a large bowl. Shake or toss them gently for 20–30 seconds to rough up the edges. The baking soda helps break down the outside of the potatoes slightly, which creates a starchy coating that gets crispier in the oven.

6. Transfer the potatoes to a sheet pan. Lightly smash them with the bottom of a cup or fork, just enough to crack them open and create more rough edges.

7. Drizzle with olive oil or avocado oil, then season with garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Toss gently to coat.

8. Bake at 450°F for 25–35 minutes, flipping once if needed, until the potatoes are golden, crispy, and browned in spots.

9. Serve hot on the side with the cold soup.

Chef Notes

Use plain kefir

You want plain Lifeway Kefir, not flavored. The tanginess is part of what makes this soup work.

Don’t skip the dill

Dill is one of the main flavors here. If you go too light, the soup will taste more like “beet kefir” than šaltibarščiai.

Season after chilling

The soup will taste slightly different once it’s cold. Before serving, taste one more time and adjust with salt, lemon, or a little more apple cider vinegar.

Keep the cucumber finely diced

The cucumber gives freshness and crunch. A small dice works better than big chunks here.

Chives are for finishing

I like chives on top instead of mixing green onion into the soup. It keeps the flavor cleaner and gives a delicate onion note without overpowering the kefir.

Let the potatoes dry before broiling

This is the key to getting them crispy. If the potatoes are too wet after boiling, they’ll steam instead of crisp. Drain them well, let them steam-dry, then oil and broil.

How to Make the Eggs Without the Gray Ring

The gray ring around hard-boiled eggs usually happens when the eggs are overcooked or cooled too slowly.

For bright yellow yolks:

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil.

2. Gently lower in the eggs.

3. Boil for 10 minutes.

4. Transfer immediately to an ice bath for 10 minutes.

5. Peel and halve.

For this soup, I like the yolks fully set but still golden and creamy-looking.

Final Thoughts

I know cold beet soup might sound unusual if you didn’t grow up with it, but this is genuinely one of the best summer recipes.

It’s light but satisfying. Creamy but refreshing. Tangy, earthy, herby, and ridiculously beautiful.

And when you serve it with crispy potatoes on the side, it becomes the perfect summer meal: cold pink soup, hot crunchy potatoes, golden hard-boiled egg, lots of dill.

If you’re Lithuanian, you already know.

Pink soup season is serious business.

These Korean BBQ-Style Beef Meatballs with Charred Broccoli are exactly the kind of dinner I love: simple ingredients, minimal cleanup, big flavor, and enough caramelization to make it feel way more exciting than a basic weeknight meal.

The meatballs are made with ground beef, garlic, ginger, green onion, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and bread crumbs to keep them tender. Then they roast with broccoli until the edges start to brown and char.

The best part is the glaze. It’s made with soy sauce, honey, gochujang, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, and toasted sesame oil. Instead of adding it too early and letting the sugars burn, you brush it on at the end and broil everything for a few minutes until the meatballs get glossy, sticky, and slightly charred.

Serve it over rice with green onions, sesame seeds, and cucumber for something fresh, and you have a seriously good dinner.

Serves: 3–4
Cook Time: About 20 minutes
Total Time: About 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

• 1 lb 85/15 ground beef

• 1 egg

• 1/3 cup bread crumbs, panko-style preferred

• 3 garlic cloves, grated

• 2 green onions, sliced

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 1/2 tsp black pepper

For the Korean BBQ-Style Glaze

• 1/4 cup soy sauce (use a low sodium soy sauce if you would like a lower sodium sauce)

• 2 tbsp honey

• 2 tbsp gochujang chile paste

• 1 tbsp rice vinegar

• 2 garlic cloves, grated

• 1 tsp grated ginger

• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

For the Broccoli

• 2 large heads broccoli, cut into florets

• 3 tbsp avocado oil

• Salt and pepper

For Serving

• Rice

• Green onions

• Sesame seeds

• Optional cucumber or kimchi

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven

Preheat oven to 425°F.

2. Make the meatballs

In a large bowl (or directly on the sheet pan), combine the ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, garlic, green onions, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, kosher salt, and black pepper.

Mix until just combined. Try not to overwork the meat, or the meatballs can become dense.

Form into smaller meatballs. You should get around 9-12 meatballs.

3. Assemble the sheet pan

Toss the broccoli with avocado oil, salt, and pepper.

Spread the broccoli across the sheet pan, then nestle the meatballs among the broccoli with a little space around each one.

This gives the pan a better visual look and lets the broccoli char around the meatballs.

4. Roast

Roast at 425°F for 15 minutes, until the meatballs are mostly cooked through and starting to brown, and the broccoli has charred edges.

5. Make the glaze

While the meatballs roast, mix together the soy sauce, honey, gochujang, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, and toasted sesame oil.

6. Glaze and broil

Brush the glaze over the meatballs (use about half the sauce)

Broil for 2–3 minutes, until the meatballs are glossy, caramelized, and slightly charred in spots.

Watch carefully so the glaze does not burn.

7. Serve

Serve over rice with more sauce, green onions, and sesame seeds.

Notes

Use 85/15 ground beef

For this recipe, 85/15 ground beef is the sweet spot. It has enough fat to stay juicy and flavorful, but not so much that the pan gets greasy under the broiler.

Don’t overcrowd the pan

Even though the broccoli is arranged among the meatballs, keep enough space so everything roasts instead of steams.

Why toasted sesame oil?

Toasted sesame oil adds deep, nutty flavor without needing much. Use avocado oil for roasting, and toasted sesame oil for flavor.

Bread crumbs note

I used panko-style bread crumbs because they keep the meatballs lighter and more tender.

Optional Upgrade

This dish also pairs great with some fresh cucumbers or kimchi.

Let me show you exactly, step by step, how to make these viral caramelized sweet potatoes without messing them up.

These have been everywhere lately. You’ve probably seen the videos: sweet potatoes roasted cut-side down until the bottoms turn glossy, golden, and almost candy-like.

But here’s the thing: everyone is making them… and not everyone is nailing them.

Because the recipe itself is almost too simple. Sweet potatoes, oil, salt, seasonings, parchment, oven. That’s it.

But the details matter.

The size of the sweet potato matters.
The parchment matters.
And honestly, the 10-minute rest after baking might be the most important part.

That’s what lets the caramelized sugars firm up so you can actually lift the potatoes cleanly instead of tearing off the best part.

Done right, you get a sweet potato that’s creamy in the middle with a candy-like, crème brûlée-style caramelized bottom.

Active & Total Time

Active time: ~10 minutes
Total time: ~1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 large orange sweet potatoes, preferably garnet or jewel

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 1/2 tsp black pepper

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

Read more

This is a 10-minute prep, then hands-off kind of recipe.

You take a chuck roast, add it with some other ingredients to a Dutch oven, put it in the oven, and let it cook for about 4 hours.

That’s it.

No searing, no multiple steps, no checking on it. Just a simple setup, and the oven does the work.

I usually focus on sheet pan recipes here—fast, minimal, in and out. But Hedley & Bennett sent me one of their new Dutch ovens, and I wanted to break it in properly.

This came out so good (and so easy) it felt worth sharing.

You end up with tender, shreddable beef in a rich, smoky chipotle sauce with a little sweetness from the honey—the kind of flavor you’d expect from something much more involved.

Why This Works

• Chuck roast slowly breaks down into tender, shreddable meat

• Chipotle in adobo brings smoky heat and depth

• Honey + lime balance everything out

• Partial submersion keeps the texture right—not boiled, not dry

• It’s all built in one pot, no extra steps

Active & Total Time

Active time: ~10 minutes
Total time: ~3½–4 hours

Ingredients

• 2.5 lb chuck roast

• 2 tsp kosher salt

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 1 medium white onion, sliced

• 4 garlic cloves, smashed

• 1 and 1/2 cup beef bone broth

• 3 chipotle peppers (from canned chipotles in adobo)

• Juice of 1 lime

• 2 tbsp honey

• 2 tsp cumin

• 2 tsp smoked paprika

• 1 tsp chili powder

The Process

1. Preheat

Set oven to 325°F.

2. Build Everything in the Pot

Add the chuck roast to your Dutch oven.

Then add:

• onion

• garlic

• beef broth

• chipotle peppers + a bit of the adobo sauce

• lime juice

• honey

• cumin

• smoked paprika

• chili powder

• salt + pepper

Mix everything around so the beef is coated and the ingredients are evenly distributed.

3. Check Liquid Level

The liquid should come about ⅓ to ½ of the way up the beef.

If needed, add a splash more broth.

4. Braise

Cover and cook for 3½–4 hours, until the beef shreds easily.

If it doesn’t shred easily, give it another 20–30 minutes.

5. Shred + Finish

Shred the beef directly into the sauce and mix.

Taste and adjust salt if needed.

How to Serve

Bowl Style

Rice + shredded beef +

• guacamole

• salsa

• pickled onions

Other Options

• Tacos

• Burritos

• Lettuce wraps

Final Note

This is one of those recipes where the effort doesn’t match the result—in a good way.

You spend 10 minutes setting it up, walk away, and come back to something that tastes like you worked way harder than you did.

That’s the kind of cooking you actually stick with.

This is not the traditional, all-day version of chicken tikka masala.

This is the version you actually make on a Tuesday night.

You’re still getting:

• tender, spiced chicken

• a rich, tomato-based sauce

• that creamy, slightly tangy finish

But instead of a long marinade and multiple pans, this uses a sheet pan + quick simmer approach that keeps things simple without sacrificing flavor.

Using kefir here (I like Lifeway Kefir) is a smart shortcut—it helps tenderize the chicken quickly and adds a subtle tang that works really well with the spices.

Why This Works

This recipe leans on a few efficient techniques:

• Kefir marinade tenderizes quickly (no overnight wait)

• High heat roasting builds flavor fast

• Cooking onions on the same pan captures all the drippings

• Quick simmer sauce pulls everything together

It’s not about doing more—it’s about doing the right things in the right order.

Active & Total Time

Active time: ~20 minutes
Total time: ~40–45 minutes

Ingredients

Chicken

• 2–2.5 lb chicken thighs, cut into chunks

• ¾ cup Plain Kefir (I love using Lifeway Kefir)

• 1–1½ tsp garlic powder

• 1 tbsp grated ginger

• 1½ tsp garam masala

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp paprika

• ½ tsp turmeric

• 1½ tsp kosher salt

• 1 tbsp avocado oil

Read more

This is one of those recipes that feels way more impressive than it actually is.

You’re taking everything you want from lamb kebabs—warm spices, juicy texture, crispy edges—and simplifying it into a single sheet pan. No skewers, no grill, no extra steps.

And honestly… I think this version might be even better than the beef ones.

Lamb has more natural fat and flavor, so when it hits high heat and finishes under the broiler, you get that crispy, caramelized exterior while the inside stays soft and juicy.

The mint yogurt sauce is what balances everything out. Without it, it’s good. With it, it actually comes together.

Why This Works

This is a simple recipe, but a few details make a big difference:

• Ground lamb (80/20) keeps everything juicy

• Pressing it thin gives you more surface area to brown

• Scoring helps with even cooking and better texture

• The broil at the end creates that kebab-style char

• The mint yogurt sauce cuts the richness

Active & Total Time

Active time: ~15–20 minutes
Total time: ~25–30 minutes

Read more