Sheet Pan Dinners for One: 8 Ideas and a Formula

A sheet pan dinner for one is about as low-effort as cooking gets. You chop a few things, toss them in oil, slide one pan into the oven and walk away. There's one pan to wash, nothing to stir, and dinner is ready in about half an hour. The catch is that almost every sheet pan recipe out there is written for four people on a giant tray. This one isn't. Here's a formula you can use with whatever's in the fridge, plus eight single-portion combinations with timing.

The formula: protein + 2 vegetables + fat + one flavor

Every good sheet pan dinner for one follows the same shape:

• One protein, one portion. A chicken thigh or two, a salmon fillet, a sausage, a handful of shrimp, half a block of tofu or half a can of chickpeas.
• Two vegetables. One sturdy (potato, sweet potato, carrot, cauliflower) and one quicker (pepper, zucchini, broccoli, green beans, cherry tomatoes). That mix gives you something crisp and something soft.
• Fat. About a tablespoon of oil for the whole pan. Enough to coat, not so much that things steam.
• One flavor. Pick a single direction and commit: smoked paprika and garlic, lemon and oregano, soy and ginger, curry powder, or a spoon of pesto at the end. One strong flavor beats five timid ones.

For one person, aim for roughly one fist-sized portion of protein and two big handfuls of vegetables in total. That fills a small pan without crowding it.

Use a quarter-sheet pan (and why size matters)

A quarter-sheet pan is about 9 by 13 inches, half the size of the standard half-sheet most recipes use. For one person it's the right tool.

Size matters because of crowding and spreading. On a big tray, one portion of food spreads out, the oil pools in the empty spaces and burns, and the edges of your vegetables scorch. On a pan that's too small, food piles up and steams instead of browning. A quarter-sheet holds one dinner in a single layer with a little space between the pieces, which is exactly what you want for crisp edges.

It also fits in many larger toaster ovens (measure yours first), which heat up faster than a full oven for one small pan. If you don't have one, a small metal baking dish works, though the higher sides mean a little less browning.

Tip: line the pan with parchment for the stickier combinations (anything with honey, miso or cheese). Cleanup becomes a matter of throwing the paper away.

Timing: what goes in first

The one real skill in sheet pan cooking is timing, because different things cook at different speeds. At 425°F (220°C), these are good starting points:

• Potatoes and sweet potatoes, cut into ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes: about 25 to 30 minutes
• Carrots, cut into sticks: about 20 to 25 minutes
• Boneless chicken thighs: about 20 to 25 minutes (done at 165°F / 74°C)
• Sausages: about 20 to 25 minutes, turned once (done at 160°F / 71°C for pork, 165°F / 74°C for chicken or turkey sausage)
• Cauliflower and broccoli florets: about 15 to 20 minutes
• Peppers, onion wedges, zucchini: about 15 to 20 minutes
• Salmon or cod fillet: about 10 to 14 minutes, depending on thickness (done at 145°F / 63°C)
• Shrimp: about 6 to 8 minutes, until pink and curled
• Cherry tomatoes and green beans: about 10 to 15 minutes

The rule is simple: start the slowest thing first, then add the rest so everything finishes together. Cut sturdy vegetables smaller if you want them to catch up.

8 single-portion combos

All at 425°F (220°C) on a quarter-sheet pan.

1. Chicken thighs, potatoes and green beans with lemon and oregano. Potatoes in first for 10 minutes, then two boneless thighs for 20 to 25 minutes more, adding the green beans for the last 12. Squeeze lemon over everything at the end.
2. Salmon, broccoli and rice with soy and ginger. Broccoli in for 5 minutes on its own, then add the fillet brushed with soy sauce and grated ginger for 12 more. Serve over microwaved or leftover rice.
3. Sausage, peppers and onion. One or two sausages with one sliced pepper and half an onion, all in together for about 20 to 25 minutes. Pile into a roll or eat as-is with mustard.
4. Shrimp, zucchini and cherry tomatoes with garlic. Zucchini and tomatoes in for 10 minutes, then a handful of shrimp tossed in garlic and chili flakes for 6 to 8 more. Good over couscous.
5. Crispy chickpeas, sweet potato and red onion with curry powder. Everything in at once for 25 to 30 minutes. Finish with a spoon of yogurt or a drizzle of tahini.
6. Tofu, broccoli and a pepper with soy-honey glaze. Pat half a block of firm tofu dry, cube it and roast for 15 minutes before adding the vegetables for 15 more. Brush with the glaze for the last 5.
7. Chicken thighs, cauliflower and carrots with smoked paprika. Carrots in first for 5 minutes, then everything else for 20 to 25.
8. Cod, potatoes and cherry tomatoes with pesto. Potatoes for 15 minutes, then the fillet and tomatoes for 12 more. Spoon pesto over the fish once it's out.

Using up the other half of the vegetable

Here's where cooking for one gets tricky. Recipe 3 uses half an onion. Recipe 7 uses half a head of cauliflower. What happens to the rest?

Plan it before you shop. Pick two or three sheet pan dinners for the week that share vegetables, so nothing is left hanging:

• Peppers: combos 3 and 6 both use one, so buy a two-pack.
• Cauliflower: half for combo 7, the other half for combo 5 in place of sweet potato.
• Cherry tomatoes: one punnet covers combos 4 and 8.
• Broccoli: one head is enough for combos 2 and 6.

A cut half-onion keeps in a sealed container in the fridge for several days. Most cut raw vegetables will hold a few days in the fridge in an airtight container, so the second dinner should come within the same week.

Make it even easier

This is the kind of cooking 3Onions is built for. Every recipe has 3 to 5 steps, cook mode keeps your screen awake while you cook, and the week's 3 dinners share one grocery list, so the other half of the pepper goes into another dinner instead of the bin. Join the 3Onions early-access list (the iPhone app is almost here, and your first week will be free).

FAQ

Can you make sheet pan dinners ahead for one?

Yes. Chop the vegetables up to a day or two ahead and keep them in a sealed container in the fridge, then roast when you're ready. Cooked sheet pan dinners keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Reheat until hot all the way through; a hot oven keeps the vegetables crispier than a microwave.

What size pan do I need for a sheet pan dinner for one?

A quarter-sheet pan, about 9 by 13 inches, fits one portion in a single layer. A bigger pan tends to scorch the edges and burn the oil in the empty spaces.

What temperature is best for sheet pan dinners?

425°F (220°C) works for almost everything. It's hot enough to brown vegetables and cook most proteins through in 15 to 30 minutes.

Keep reading

• Cooking for one? Plan for one.
• 20 Quick Dinners for One, Built From One Ingredient
• What to Do With Half an Onion (5 Easy Ideas)

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