recipes

58 Dutch Oven Recipes for Pastas, Braises, Breads, and More

It’s that time to make the most of your kitchen’s most versatile MVP.
Overhead shot of a Dutch oven filled with braised short ribs in a rich red wine broth.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Kate Buckens

Weeknight pasta? A Dutch oven can do that. One-pot gingery chicken and rice? That too. These heavy, clunky kitchen staples aren’t just for low-and-slow stews and braises, which is why it’s that time to make the most of your kitchen MVP with an arsenal of recipes that show off its do-it-all versatility. And as a little helpful bonus, here’s how to clean it, once you’ve scraped every bit of dinner from the pot.)

  • Photo by Ted + Chelsea Cavanaugh, Food Styling by Simon Andrews
    3/58

    BA’s Best Risotto

    With four ways to dress it up, this simple risotto recipe is worthy of a dinner party—but it's also delicious topped with nothing at all.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou, Prop Styling by Ayesha Patel
    4/58

    Red Wine and Soy–Braised Short Ribs

    These richly flavored ribs are a riff on kalbi jjim, a traditional Korean special-occasion dish.

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  • Photo by David Malosh, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Cindy Diprima
    5/58

    Squash au Vin

    Something very special happens when you give winter squash the coq au vin treatment.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Megan Hedgpeth
    6/58

    Oxtail and Red Wine Stew

    Oxtails contain a ton of collagen, which melts into the stew to create an ultra-rich, ultra-silky texture and flavor.

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  • Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Carla Lalli Music
    7/58

    Pasta e Fagioli

    The key to a soup with fully developed savory flavor starts with the soffritto—a mix of slowly cooked aromatic vegetables.

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  • Photo by David Malosh, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Cindy Diprima
    8/58

    Clams Arrabbiata

    Pancetta, garlic, and jammy slow-cooked tomatoes bring big, concentrated flavor to these brothy clams. 

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  • Alex Lau
    9/58

    Rigatoni with Sausage, Beans, and Greens

    Our favorite and best method of making pasta—the same one the pros use in restaurants—is one in which the pasta finishes cooking in a glossy sauce made by emulsifying cheese into the pasta cooking liquid. It’s so easy and good it might change your life (or if not your entire life, then definitely your weeknight pasta game).

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  • Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Anna Billingskog
    10/58

    Sriracha-Braised Brisket Sandwiches

    Spicy, falling-apart beef sandwiches are a game day no-brainer.

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  • Photo by David Malosh, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Cindy Diprima
    13/58

    Lentil Kielbassoulet

    All the satisfaction of a hearty, rich, bean-based cassoulet with none of the painstaking hours of cooking.

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  • Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Kate Buckens
    14/58

    Pasta al Limone (Lemon Pasta)

    This creamy lemon pasta recipe is luscious and amply cheesy,but still bright and fresh. Best part: You can make it for dinner in just 15 minutes.

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  • Photo by Chelsie Craig, Styling by Molly Baz
    17/58

    Simple Pasta Carbonara

    Humble ingredients—eggs, pasta, cheese, and pork—combine to create glossy, glorious spaghetti carbonara that’s just as good at dinner as at 2 a.m.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Megan Hedgpeth
    18/58

    Ham Hock and White Bean Stew

    The ham hock in this stew lends a rich, smoky essence that flavors the beans from the inside out.

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  • Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Kate Buckens
    21/58

    Maiale al Latte (Milk-Braised Pork)

    This traditional Italian braised pork roast may not be one of the most photogenic dishes you’ll ever make, but it sure is one of the tastiest.

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  • 22/58

    Beef and Bacon Stew

    You can call it beef bourguignon if you want to sound fancy—nobody has to know how much easier it is than the French classic.

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  • Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Jennifer Ophir
    23/58

    Simple Ribollita

    This (vegetarian!) Italian classic is about as comforting as it gets, packed with hearty greens, meaty beans, and plenty of rich olive oil and umami-packed Parm.

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  • Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Pearl Jones
    24/58

    Spiced Lamb Tagine

    You don’t need a tagine, a conical earthenware pot typically from Morocco, to make this warming, fragrant, tender lamb stew.

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  • Dan Monick
    27/58

    Shawarma-Spiced Braised Leg of Lamb

    This Flintstonian cut is impressive, and the bone lends flavor as the meat braises. But if you prefer, a boneless tied leg of lamb is a little more manageable and cooks more quickly.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle
    28/58

    Adult Mac and Cheese

    Our creamy stovetop mac and cheese is about as easy as opening a box—and a whooooole lot more delicious.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Sue Li
    35/58

    Vinegar-Braised Chicken Legs

    We love homemade vinegar, but, yes, you can use supermarket stuff for this, and it will still be awesome.

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  • Photo by Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriott
    36/58

    BA's Best Bread

    This bread has a nutty flavor and intense chew; it makes toast that’s a wholesome meal unto itself. To ensure you have fresh bread on time, count back three nights from the day you want to bake. If you want bread on Saturday, start Wednesday night. Bake it anytime Saturday. This is part of BA's Best, a collection of our essential recipes.

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  • Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott
    43/58

    Braised Lamb Shanks with Fish Sauce

    Where most chefs used to just reach for kosher salt, there are now many paths to savory goodness.

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  • Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Kate Buckens
    44/58

    Bigos (Hunter’s Stew)

    This Polish hunter’s stew features kielbasa, smoky bacon, melty cabbage, and lots of delicious broth that can be sopped up with bread.

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  • Shay Harrington
    49/58

    Ham and Sausage Jambalaya

    You can use kielbasa or any kind of dry-cured pork sausage, but spicy andouille gives this jambalaya a nice kick of heat.

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  • Alex Lau
    50/58

    BA's Best Fried Chicken Sandwich

    This sandwich is engineered for maximum impact. Each element is awesome, but it’s the way they come together that puts it over the top. Mmmmm, yeah. This is part of BA's Best, a collection of our essential recipes.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Megan Hedgpeth
    51/58

    Silky Pork and Cumin Stew

    Serve this huge pot of flavorful stew as the centerpiece surrounded by fixings that guests can pick and choose to build their own bowls.

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  • Photo by Heidi's Bridge
    52/58

    Pasta Alla Vodka

    It's creamy. It's cheesy. It's tangy. And it's about to be your new favorite pantry pasta.

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  • Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Kat Boystova
    53/58

    BA's Best Linguine and Clams

    Clams vary in brininess and the amount of liquid they’ll release during cooking, so you’ll need to adjust the salt and add pasta water accordingly. To prevent the sauce from getting too salty, we recommend a measured amount of salt for the pasta water. If possible, look for an artisanal dried pasta for this recipe—the rougher surface texture will catch the slippery sauce better.

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  • Christopher Testani
    54/58

    Ragout of Lamb and Spring Vegetables with Farro

    This elegant stew can be made up to the point that the farro goes in; cool, then cover and chill up to 2 days.

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  • Lennart Weibull
    55/58

    Ramen with Smoked Turkey Broth

    Check your authenticity meter at the door. This is the speediest, least traditional—and most fun—ramen ever invented.

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  • Eva Kolenko
    56/58

    Raspberry-Rose Jam

    If your jam mixture is still runny after the gel test, simmer a few minutes longer and try again. Just be careful: It's possible to overcook jam. If subjected to too much heat, pectin loses its setting power.

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  • Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne, Prop Styling by Graylen Gatewood 
    57/58

    Ratatouille

    For a little spice, you can add either dried or fresh chiles (like Fresno, Thai, or red pepper flakes). This is part of BA's Best, a collection of our essential recipes.

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  • Peden + Munk
    58/58

    Spicy Feel-Good Chicken Soup

    The squash and cabbage greens are seasonal and healthy, but you can add whatever veggies you like.

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