Skillet Lasagna

Who doesn’t love lasagna? This classic cheesy pasta dish is easy to make and sure to please a crowd. Whether cooking indoors or outdoors, you’re bound to love this skillet lasagna recipe.

One thing I enjoy doing is finding ways to make my favorite meals on the grill because I love cooking outside and getting to watch my kids play while I do so. I knew I wanted to try lasagna on the grill and decided to give this recipe a try. 

I started by smoking the ground beef and then layering the rest of the ingredients into my cast iron skillet. The results were amazing! This skillet lasagna can easily be prepared indoors in the oven, but I promise that you won’t regret trying this on the grill.

The Best Skillet Lasagna

You will find all of your favorite traditional lasagna flavors in this recipe but with less dishes and more ease. Below are some of the reasons this skillet lasagna truly is the best!

• Easier to make than traditional lasagna 
• Kid Friendly
• Great for company
• Easy weeknight meal
• Can be prepared on the grill, so you don’t have to heat up your oven

What You Will Need

• Lasagna Noodles – To make this an easy one dish meal, I used oven ready (no cook) lasagna noodles. If using regular lasagna noodles, make sure to boil them first before layering the lasagna.
• Canola or vegetable oil – Used to sauté the onions.
• Onion – Sautéed onions add a great savory flavor.
• Ground Beef – I used 93/7 for this lasagna. I also prefer to smoke the ground beef when I cook this dish on the grill, but you can feel free to cook it in the skillet with the onion on the stove. 
• Tomato Sauce – mixed with other seasonings, this creates a sauce for the lasagna. I love to use Rao’s marinara sauce for even more flavor.
• Ricotta Cheese, Shredded Mozzarella, Grated Parmesan – The ricotta and mozzarella are incorporated into the layers of the lasagna and the grated parmesan is used for a topping.
• Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Sugar – these ingredients are used to season the sauce and add even more flavor.
• Dried oregano, Dried Basil – adds a classic Italian flavoring to the lasagna. 
• Fine Sea Salt, Ground Black Pepper – both are used for seasoning.

How To Make Skillet Lasagna

Since my favorite way to make this recipe is on the grill, I will share the steps to do that. If you prefer to use the oven instead, I’ve included instructions for how to do that as well. No matter how you decide to make this skillet lasagna, it’s amore!

Step 1: If you want to smoke the meat, go ahead and heat your grill to 300°F. Add wood chunks or chips to the hot coals.

Step 2: In the cast iron skillet, add the oil and chopped onion. Sauté over medium-low heat for 8 minutes or until the onion is softened and translucent. 

Step 3: Add the ground beef to the skillet and break into small chunks with a rubber spatula, mix with the onion. At this point you can either cook the ground beef in the skillet on the stove or smoke it on the grill. To smoke the meat, place the skillet on the grill and allow the beef to smoke for around 40 minutes, or until it is done and no longer pink. Smoking the beef will add so much flavor to the lasagna. I highly recommend doing it if you have the extra time!

Step 4: Once the ground beef is done, mix in 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil, ½ teaspoon salt, and the pepper. The remaining seasonings will be added with the sauce. If you have any extra liquid/oil in your pan, make sure to drain it out at this point.

Step 5: To the skillet, add the jar of tomato sauce, remaining dried oregano, dried basil, salt, sugar, garlic powder, and onion powder and stir to combine. I like to let the sauce simmer for a couple of minutes as well. Once everything is well combined, remove the meat sauce from the skillet and transfer it to a large bowl.

Step 6: Spread about ½ cup of the meat sauce in a layer on the bottom of the cast iron skillet, this will prevent the lasagna from sticking. Then begin layering with ⅓ of each of the ingredients, beginning with noodles, then the meat sauce, ricotta cheese, and shredded mozzarella cheese. Be sure when adding each layer to spread it out in an even layer so every bite will be flavorful. Repeat this layering process two more times, ending with a final layer of mozzarella cheese.

Step 7: Increase the temperature of your grill to 350°F. Tent the skillet with foil so it doesn’t touch the cheese layer. Place the covered skillet on the grill over indirect heat and cook for 30 minutes.

Step 8: After 30 minutes, uncover the pan, and sprinkle the lasagna with the parmesan cheese, then cook for an additional 15 minutes. 

Step 9: Remove the cast iron skillet from the grill and allow the lasagna to cool for 15 minutes before serving!

Oven Directions

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Follow step 2 from above. On step 3, cook the ground beef on the stovetop over medium-high heat, until cooked through. Continue to follow steps 4, 5, & 6. Once the lasagna is assembled, tent the skillet with foil and place it in the oven for 30 minutes. 

Next, uncover the pan and sprinkle the lasagna with parmesan and cook for another 15 minutes. Broil for the remaining 1 to 2 minutes until golden and bubbly. Allow the dish to cool for 15 minutes before serving.

What To Serve With Lasagna

Check out some of our other recipes that would go great with this meal.

• Copycat Texas Roadhouse Rolls
• Broccoli Salad
• Stuffed Mushrooms
• Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

Recipe Variations

• Use a different kind of meat: Feel free to substitute the ground beef with ground chicken, ground turkey, sausage, or even a meatless option like Beyond Beef.
• Try a different cheese: I love to use shredded mozzarella to make this recipe easier, but slices of fresh mozzarella would work great. If you can’t find ricotta cheese, cottage cheese is another great substitute. 
• Add veggies: If you want to bulk up this lasagna or make it a little healthier, saute some chopped carrots, zucchini, or spinach with the onion.