24 Dutch Oven Recipes That Bring Cozy Comfort to Your Kitchen

What to make, and bake, in your Dutch oven this fall.

By
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud

Devan Grimsrud is a Berlin-based writer, editor, and recipe developer originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota. After working in television production with James Beard Award-winning chef Andrew Zimmern, she relocated to Berlin and became the managing editor at Kitchen Stories, an international digital cooking platform with millions of active users. 

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Updated October 16, 2025
Devan Grimsrud
Overhead closeup view of a teal colored dutch oven of beef stew and a wooden spoon all on a tile countertop next to a pink bowl and blue hotpad

Simply Recipes / Photo by Rachel Vanni / Food Styling by Tiffany Schleigh

When I moved from Minneapolis, Minnesota to Berlin, Germany, my trusty Dutch oven was amongst the belongings I packed up into two big suitcases. Was it heavy? Inconvenient? Worth it? Yes, yes, and absolutely yes. There's nothing a Dutch oven can't do and I swear it makes all soups, stews, and even roasts just taste better, so there was no way I was going anywhere without it.

Since then, it's been my trusty vessel for so many delicious meals, from simple roast chickens to plenty of Covid-era sourdough loaves, various beef stews to simple weeknight pasta bakes. They're definitely an investment, but over the years the payoff is more than worth it and they can even become a treasured family heirloom when treated right. So grab your trusty (or maybe brand new?) Dutch oven and get to cooking these recipes this season!

  • No Knead Bread

    Showing How to Make No Knead Bread in a dutch oven. The loaf is golden and crusty inside the pot and has browned parchment paper underneath the loaf..

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

    "Whatever you do, don’t cut into the bread until it’s thoroughly cool. It continues to bake a little more after it comes out of the oven, and you will spoil its gorgeous texture if you’re impatient. The bread will compress and the texture will be squishy rather than airy and full of pretty holes." —Sally Vargas, Recipe Developer

  • Nilagang Baka (Filipino Beef Stew)

    Ladle raising some nilagang baka from a Dutch oven with more, and in the surroundings, a stack of bowls, a serving of Filipino beef soup in a bowl, a bowl of rice, and a small bowl of fish sauce

    Simply Recipes / Shilpa Iyer

    "Nilagang baka, or beef nilaga, is a Filipino stew of tender beef cubes simmered in a clear broth with potatoes, carrots, and leafy greens. The savory flavors come from the richness of the meat, garlic, onions, and a dash of patis (fish sauce)." —Elizabeth Ann Quirino, Recipe Developer

  • Country Captain Chicken

    Overhead view of a blue dutch oven of finished Country Captain Chicken recipe on a white background

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Sally McKay / Christina Daley

    "Rice is an important part of South Carolina cuisine, especially Carolina Gold. Spoon the sauce and chicken over cooked white rice and sprinkle it with the cooked bacon and toasted sliced almonds." –Afton Cyrus, Senior Editor

  • Ham and Cheese Pasta Bake

    Ham and Cheese Casserole Pasta Bake warm out of the oven

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "This dish has the flavors of a ham and cheese casserole with cheesy pasta. It's sort of a jazzed up mac-n-cheese, but for this extra cheesy pasta bake, we’re using fusilli pasta instead of elbow macaroni. The twisted fusilli pasta is bite-sized, and all those curves make the pasta the perfect vehicle for capturing and holding the thick and creamy white sauce." —Elise Bauer, Founder

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  • Stuffed Pepper Soup

    Bowl of stuffed pepper soup topped with cheese and some of the soup in a spoon being taken from the bowl

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Fred Hardy / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Julia Bayliss

    "For this soup, you'll want to use lean ground beef (85:15) because too much fat will result in a greasy soup." —Sara Bir, Former Senior Editor

  • Chicken Marengo

    chicken marengo in a dutch oven (close-up)

    Simply Recipes / Coco Morante

    "This recipe already includes thyme, bay leaves, and a final garnish of parsley, but you can also add rosemary, marjoram, oregano, or a sprinkle of Italian seasoning or herbes de Provence." —Coco Morante, Recipe Developer

  • Pollo Guisado

    Pollo Guisado in a Caldero

    Simply Recipes / Marta Rivera Diaz

    "Pollo guisado has a prominent onion and garlicky flavor, toned down by floury potatoes and the light acidity of tomato sauce. A finish of parsley brightens up the earthy flavors in the dish just before it's served. Unlike stews in the U.S., pollo guisado has minimal vegetables and is always served with steamed white rice." —Marta Rivera, Recipe Developer

  • Easy Cassoulet

    Easy cassoulet in white dutch oven.

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

    "Great Northern beans are slightly larger than navy beans. They hold their shape well when cooked and have a mild flavor. These are my favorites for cassoulet." —Sally Vargas, Recipe Developer

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  • Easy Roast Chicken

    Roasted chicken over vegetable in a braiser

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Nico Schinco / Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne

    "I like to roast chicken on a bed of veggies since it elevates the bird and helps it to cook and brown a bit more evenly. Plus, you can eat the schmaltzy vegetables as a side dish. Root veggies like carrots, turnips, and parsnips work well, as do potatoes, whole garlic cloves, big chunks of onion, fennel, and more. Even a large diced apple is nice." —Laurel Randolph, Associate Editorial Director

  • Stovetop Barbecue Pulled Chicken

    Bowl of Pulled Chicken With a Spoon Next to a Plate With a Toasted Bun and Spinach and a Light Green Table Napkin

    Simply Recipes / Tara Omidvar

    "The most difficult thing about this recipe (seriously!) is shredding the chicken. If you’ve ever shredded chicken before, you know how tedious it can be. In this recipe, we opt to shred the chicken with two forks directly in the pot you cook the chicken in." —Devan Grimsrud, Recipe Developer

  • Easy Green Chicken Chili

    A bowl of easy green chicken chili, ready to eat

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans

    "If you live in an area where you can find freshly roasted green chiles, those are far and away the best and should always be your first choice where possible. You can also roast your own chiles at home!" —Nick Evans, Recipe Developer

  • Pork and Poblano Stew

    Pork and Poblano Stew

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "Swirling in a spoonful of Mexican crema or sour cream right before serving makes the stew just lightly creamy and provides a soothing balance to the mildly spicy chiles." —Elise

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  • Hands-Off Beef Stew

    Overhead view of a teal colored dutch oven of beef stew and a wooden spoon all on a tile countertop next to a pink bowl and blue hotpad

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Rachel Vanni / Food Styling by Tiffany Schleigh

    "Instead of messing around with peeling potatoes, I use unpeeled fingerling potatoes or small red potatoes. They end up becoming deliciously tender and hold their shape instead of dissolving into the stew." —Ivy Manning, Recipe Developer

  • Rattlesnake Pasta

    Overhead view of two light green plates of a chicken and penne pasta dish with cheese and jalapenos along with a fork and next to an orange napkin, bowl of jalapenos, bowl of cheese and a bottle of hot sauce on a beige background

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower

    "Be sure to stir your pasta frequently while cooking to ensure it cooks evenly and doesn’t clump up or stick to the bottom of the pot." —Sheela Prakash, Recipe Developer

  • Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

    Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "This dish tastes best with sweet Hungarian paprika, but regular paprika will work if you can't find Hungarian paprika at the market." —Elise

  • Chicken Pot Pie Soup

    Bowl of chicken pot pie soup topped with toasted oyster crackers on a plate with a spoon and next to it, a mustard colored napkin

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Fred Hardy / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Julia Bayliss

    "While this tastes amazing on its own, we recommend tossing oyster crackers with olive oil, dried thyme, cayenne pepper, and salt and toasting them in the oven until crispy and golden brown. These little croutons bring a lovely crunch to the party. Not necessary, but certainly delicious." —Sara Bir, Former Senior Editor

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  • Homemade Beef Birria

    Birria

    Susy Villasuso / Simply Recipes

    "It is important to lightly toast the dried chiles before soaking them in hot water to rehydrate. Toasting wakes up the aromas and flavors of the chiles. Rehydrating makes them easier to blend into a smooth sauce." —Susy Villasuso, Recipe Developer

  • Easy Chicken Pot Pie

    Overhead view of a dutch oven of chicken pot pie with a serving spoon all resting on a gray kitchen towel on a marble countertop

    Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

    "Spices are important here, but substitute a different combination of flavors if you prefer. Rosemary, sage, tarragon, or even a teaspoon of curry powder will liven things up even further." —Lou Perseghin, Recipe Developer

  • Beef Bourguignon

    beef bourguignon

    Simply Recipes / Laura Heller

    "As for the wine, if you can find it, use a pinot noir. It is the dominant wine used in Burgundy, France, and it is what gives this dish its name. Obviously, you can use a real French Burgundy wine, but they tend to be far more expensive than a California Pinot Noir." —Elise

  • Chipotle Chicken Chowder

    Bowl of Chipotle Chicken Chowder Next to a Wooden Board with Baguette Pieces and Table Napkin

    Simply Recipes / Ross Yoder

    "Frozen or canned corn will be just as good as farm-fresh corn on the cob." —Ross Yoder, Recipe Developer

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  • Jamaican Beef Stew

    Two Bowls of Jamaican Beef Stew (One Served With Rice and Just a Bowl of Beef Stew) on a Blue and White Kitchen Towel Next to a Dutch Oven With More Stew

    Simply Recipes / Kalisa Marie Martin

    "This recipe calls for chuck beef stew meat but you could also use round roast. The key is to use a cut with a lot of connective tissue that will break down and yield super tender meat after our low and slow cooking process." —Kalisa Marie Levette, Recipe Developer

  • Guyanese Chicken Curry

    Guyanese Chicken Curry in a Bowl with Rice

    Simply Recipes / Alica Ramkirpal-Senhouse

    "The main spices used in Guyanese chicken curry are Madras curry powder and garam masala. Madras curry powder is a blend that is hotter than a standard curry powder. I recommend using this type of curry powder for this recipe for the best flavor." —Alicia Ramkirpal-Senhouse, Recipe Developer

  • Pumpkin Sourdough Bread

    Pumpkin-shaped sourdough on a cutting board and cut into slices.

    Simply Recipes / Hannah Dela Cruz

    "This bread is great with both sweet and savory toppings—serve it alongside a harvest-themed board filled with cheeses, nuts, dried fruits, and jams. It’s also great for dipping into soups and leftovers make delicious French toast." —Hannah Dela Cruz, Recipe Developer

  • Shrimp Risotto

    Plate of Shrimp Risotto

    Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

    "For this recipe, use the smallest shrimp you can find. Try to find tiny pink shrimp in the supermarket’s freezer section. These “boreal” shrimp or Maine shrimp are uncommonly sweet and come pre-shelled and pre-cooked." —Elise

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