Sporting a tight-fitting lid and a heavy, thick-walled pot, the Dutch oven is an indispensable utility in the kitchen — if you know what to do with it, that is! Luckily, there’s a wide variety of delicious and easy-to-make recipes that you can try out with your brand-new Dutch oven that you’ve probably never even considered. Here are 20 Dutch oven dinner recipes that you should make tonight. 

1.  Beef Stew

This succulent combination of tender beef chunks and vegetables paired with a rich, savoury broth is a hearty dinner staple, especially during the brisk winter months. The Dutch oven is the perfect pot for your delicious stew to simmer, as its tight-fitting lid really allows for the flavours to develop fully. 

Photo by Laura Ohlman 

2. Chicken and Dumplings

This hearty, Southern staple is just what you need during the cold winter months. Combining tender bits of chicken with a rich, creamy broth, this dish is perfectly accompanied by a warm, fluffy biscuit-like dumpling to help soak up all the flavours. Chicken pot pie meets biscuits and gravy, this dish is a must-try. 

jeffreyw on Wikimedia Commons

3. Pulled Pork

Pulled pork, the Southern classic we all know and love, is a simple and versatile dish. The Dutch oven and its slow-cooking functionality are the perfect way to have your pulled pork come out tender and flavorful. Spice rub, onion, and some BBQ sauce are all you’ll need to make some delicious pulled pork sliders. 

Photo by Rachel Bramlett 

4. Chili Con Carne

This classic Mexican dish is not only simple to make, but it’s also incredibly filling and flavourful. The perfect combination of ground beef, beans, tomatoes, and spices, chilli con carne packs a massive flavour punch, and the Dutch oven really allows the dish to develop over the course of its simmering time. Pack on some cheese, green onions, and sour cream and you’ve got yourself quite the meal. 

cyclonebill on Wikimedia Commons

5. Chicken Cacciatore

This rustic and hearty Italian classic features juicy chicken thighs braised with tomatoes, peppers, onions, and olives — delivering a flavourful meal you and the family can’t get enough of. In working perfectly with the strengths of the Duch oven, your chicken cacciatore will easily retain all the tender juiciness of the chicken thighs along with its flavourful sauce. 

Burkhard Mücke on Wikimedia Commons

6. Pot Roast

If you want a fall-apart tender pot roast, look no further than the trusty Dutch oven. Perfect for slow-cooking your next succulent one-pot meal, the Dutch oven is the best place to meld all of the delicious flavours of beef, potatoes and veggies, leaving you with a flavourful dish to keep you and your heart warm. 

Photo by ThermoPro 

7. Coq au Vin

This famous French chicken stew is a delicious meal that will leave your guests thinking you’re a real maestro in the kitchen. Featuring succulent chicken braised in a tasty broth of red wine, mushrooms, onions, and bacon, coq au vin is perfectly accentuated by the Dutch oven, allowing flavours to meld beautifully.

MattHucke on Wikimedia Commons

8. Jambalaya

A spicy and powerful staple of Louisiana cuisine, jambalaya is a flavourful mix of all the right things. Featuring an eclectic blend of rice with chicken, sausage, and shrimp, the Dutch oven ensures that this delicious one-pot meal is cooked evenly and with just the right rice texture. 

Mark Bonica on Wikimedia Commons

9. Lasagna

The Dutch oven is a lifesaver when it comes to making easy, stress-free lasagna. Not only is the pot great for seamlessly layering pasta, cheese, and sauce, but its design also ensures that heat is evenly distributed, making for a perfect lasagna every single time. Potlucks and family dinners will be a breeze once you master this classic family dinner staple. 

Photo by Emanuel Ekström 

10. Braised Short Ribs

Offering the perfect vessel to make fall-off-the-bone braised short ribs, the Dutch oven is no doubt a major component of your kitchen arsenal. This delicious blend of short ribs braised in red wine, broth, and aromatics is a rich and flavourful dish that you can proudly serve for almost any occasion. 

Jeremy Noble on Wikimedia Commons

11. Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed bell peppers are a simple yet delicious recipe that’s only made better with the use of a Dutch oven. Combining ground beef, rice, tomatoes, and spices and stuffing them into fresh bell peppers, this wholesome dish will cook perfectly in your Dutch oven, leaving your peppers nice and tender and the filling packed with flavour. 

William Andrus on Wikimedia Commons

12. Vegetarian Stew

A tremendous and tasty dish for the vegetarians in your life, this stew combines root vegetables, beans, and greens to great effect. Your Dutch oven will allow you to seamlessly meld all of these rich, delicious flavours while evenly cooking the vegetables, leaving you with a satisfying vegetable stew with just the right texture.  

Mx. Granger on Wikimedia Commons

13. Lamb Shanks

This hearty dish really shines when made with the use of a Dutch oven. Slowly cooked with red wine, tomatoes, and herbs, your braised lamb shanks will come out fantastically thanks to your Dutch oven, rendering the lamb meat incredibly tender and practically falling off the bone. 

Benoît Prieur on Wikimedia Commons 

14. Seafood Paella

This classic Spanish staple is a must-try if you’re looking for new recipes that work perfectly with your Dutch oven. A scrumptious blend of rice, saffron, shrimp, chorizo and mussels, paella is a hearty meal that will leave the entire dinner table fawning over your penchant for throwing down in the kitchen. 

Photo by Sandra Wei 

15. Turkey and White Bean Chili

This light twist on classic chilli is just as flavourful and hearty while skipping the beef and opting for ground turkey and white beans. Perfectly allowing for this combo of flavours to beautifully meld while it simmers, the Dutch oven makes dishes like this an absolute breeze — just don’t forget the cornbread or tortilla chips. 

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16. Shepherd's Pie

This hearty comfort food is a British staple at the dinner table that just might creep its way into your dinner rotation. Featuring layers of ground beef or lamb, vegetables, and creamy mashed potatoes, shepherd's pie is the perfect family dinner made even easier thanks to your nifty Dutch oven. 

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17. Spaghetti and Meatballs

This classic Italian meal is the perfect recipe to convince you to dust off your Dutch oven. Featuring juicy meatballs simmered in a robust tomato sauce, spaghetti and meatballs are a simple yet rich and deeply satisfying comfort food that will have your whole family clamouring for more. 

Photo by Jason Leung 

18. Beef Stroganoff

The ultimate tool in helping to achieve that perfect balance of flavor, the Dutch oven is indispensable when concocting this classic Russian dish. Tender beef with mushrooms and onions cooked in a creamy sauce — what more could you ask for? 

Photo by Correen 

19. Pork Chops with Apples

This distinct dish is sure to keep you warm and happy during the brisk winter months. Combining seared pork chops with apples, onions and a smidge of apple cider vinegar, this hearty dish strikes the perfect balance between sweet and savory flavors that you won’t soon forget. 

Photo by Alex Munsell 

20. Baked Ziti

This family favorite and classic Italian staple is easier to make than ever before thanks to your Dutch oven. Combining baked pasta with tender ground beef, tomato sauce and a generous helping of cheese, your Dutch oven baked ziti will come out evenly baked with perfectly melted cheese, leaving no chance of leftovers. 

Prayitno on Wikimedia Commons