61 Breezy 5-Ingredient Recipes to Keep Your Grocery List Short
No matter how easy a recipe is to make, a long ingredient list can slow things down. But these 5-ingredient recipes make it possible to get a no-fuss dinner on the table without rushing out for supplies or filling your kitchen with a ton of additions you might not reach for again. You’ll find simple soups and pastas, flavorful chicken dinners and vegetable sides, including some great options for weekend meal prep. Peek around your pantry, do a little inventory of your fridge, and get started with one of our favorites below. (Psst: Salt and pepper don’t count in the ingredient total; it's always wise to have those on hand.)
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Sean Dooley1/61Marcella Hazan’s Butter, Tomato, and Onion Sauce
We’re not sure there are 5-ingredient recipes more famous than this simple pasta sauce recipe from Italian cooking icon Marcella Hazan. Pretty much everything you need is in the name: canned whole tomatoes (or ripe, fresh tomatoes in summer), onion, butter, and a little salt.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova3/61Baked Salmon With Lemon and Thyme
There are an unlimited number of ways to cook salmon, but this technique is a go-to for a reason. The low oven keeps the fish moist and tender; all it needs is lemon and thyme.
Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Tiffany Schleigh4/61Twice-Baked Potatoes With Cheddar and Garlic
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone5/613-Ingredient Garlic-Herb Grilled Chicken Wings
Nothing against a classic Buffalo treatment, but if you’re looking for flavorful grilled wings, your best move is this herby, garlicky marinade.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson7/61Simplest Kale Salad
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Molly Baz8/613-Ingredient Pesto Fried Chicken
Crispy chicken cutlet + store-bought pesto = a flavorful and quick dinner that everyone loves. Serve this chicken recipe with broccoli rabe or a crunchy salad.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Sean Dooley10/61Creamy Polenta
Top with roasted vegetables or a hearty braise, or spoon onto a plate of juicy pork chops. If you have any leftover polenta, refrigerate in a casserole dish so you can slice and crisp it up.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova13/61Big-Batch Roasted Kale
This big batch of tender roasted kale can be kept in the fridge and added to meals throughout the week. Toss it into salads and stir-fries, stir it into soups, or use it in a grain bowl. When all else fails, there’s always kale slop.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton15/61Ruth Reichl’s Matzo Brei
This beloved Passover dish can go sweet or savory.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson17/613-Ingredient Charred Green Beans With Ricotta and Lemon
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Molly Baz18/61Creamy Pumpkin Pasta
Whole wheat pasta works best with this luscious sauce, which is made from canned pumpkin purée, cream, and the pasta cooking liquid. It’s one of those easy recipes that’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Jennifer Ophir19/613-Ingredient Maple-Cardamom Salmon
Serve this simple salmon with rice or quinoa; artic char works well in this recipe too.
20/61Instant Pot BBQ Baby Back Ribs
Baby back ribs get nice and tender in your Instant Pot—just brush with barbecue sauce for a quick finish in the oven.
Photo by Aubrie Pick21/61Super-Simple Overnight Porridge
Got leftover rice? Use cookbook author Andrea Nguyen’s method for cháo. All this comfort food needs is sliced green onions on top, but you can add crispy fried shallots, a soft egg, slivered ginger, fresh cilantro, or whatever else you’re craving.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Styling by Joseph De Leo23/61Deviled Eggs
Dress up this starter with crumbled bacon, a little anchovy, hot sauce, or sweet pickle relish.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton24/61Sheet-Pan Grilled Cheese
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Molly Baz25/613-Ingredient Orecchiette With Sausage and Fennel
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Astrid Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Hampton26/61Lemony Green Beans With Frizzled Leeks
Gotta love a green bean dish that comes with a festive cap of crispy frizzled leeks. You can even blanch the green beans in advance.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell28/61Zucchini Noodles With Anchovy Butter
There’s no pasta here, just tender ribbons of zucchini barely warmed in a mix of butter and anchovies and showered with grated Parmesan.
Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Sean Dooley29/61Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Roasted sweet potatoes retain more of their flavor than boiled ones do, and you want all that earthy sweetness in your side dish, after all. Serve with baked ham at a festive gathering, or pair it with pork tenderloin on a Tuesday.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne30/61Old-Fashioned Raspberry Jam
You only need two ingredients to capture the flavor of summer: fresh raspberries and granulated sugar. Spoon onto scones for a bakery-worthy breakfast, or deliver a jar to a friend.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka31/61Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Pancetta and Garlic
Great brussels sprouts are more about technique than using a ton of ingredients. But if you want to finish this tasty dish with a drizzle of balsamic or a squeeze of lemon, go for it.
Photo by Philip Haynes32/61Sweet Potato Fritters With Poached Eggs and Avocado
This recipe is a great excuse to throw a brunch party—but it’s also a wonderful reason to have breakfast for dinner.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Greg Lofts33/61Shiromi Wasabi Yaki
These chicken breast skewers get their subtle heat from wasabi. Like many classic Japanese grilled dishes, they’re best eaten as soon as they leave the coals.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks34/61Roasted Carrots With Pistachio Pesto
If you’re only starting with a few ingredients, you might as well use them to their fullest. Carrot tops shine here in a nutty pesto that contrasts the sweetness of the roasted veg. Offer it alongside a rack of lamb or crispy brioche-crusted salmon.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson36/613-Ingredient Pesto-Grilled Chicken With Peaches
If you don’t have homemade pesto on hand, feel free to use store-bought for this easy dinner. You’ll save some for drizzling and use the rest as a marinade.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell37/61Green Beans Amandine
Let’s bring this retro side dish back. The nutty brown butter and toasted almonds bring a little glamour to your everyday veggies.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson38/61The Simplest Roast Turkey
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson40/61Grilled Watermelon, Feta, and Tomato Salad
Some of our favorite five-ingredient recipes are strictly seasonal and all about the produce. File this simple move away for summer, when the watermelons and tomatoes are sweet, juicy, and plentiful. Instead of pairing tomatoes and mozzarella, this dish gets a tangy hit from the feta.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Greg Lofts41/61Aspara Bacon
Wrap strips of bacon around spears of asparagus, grill until the bacon is crisped up nicely, and watch your friends gather closer and closer to the coals, hoping to snag the first skewer.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou.42/61Quick Roast Chicken
For an extra-fast weeknight dinner, start with the smallest chicken you can find and roast it in a cast-iron skillet on the floor of your oven. You’ll take the temperature of the chicken thighs starting around 18 minutes, though it may take as long as half an hour to finish.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne43/61Garlic Mayonnaise
True aioli takes some elbow grease, but this simple sauce for dunking is an effortless substitute. Slather on sandwiches, drizzle over crispy roasted potatoes, or offer with crudités.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Judy Haubert44/61Homemade Flour Tortillas
Tender and fresh flour tortillas are key to make superlative breakfast burritos. Read these tips before you get started.
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Photo by Christina Holmes46/61Jalapeño Poppers With Smoked Gouda
Already thinking about your Super Bowl appetizer spread? These spicy, savory poppers have earned a spot alongside the bean dip and soft pretzels.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson47/61Parmesan-Roasted Butternut Squash
This luscious (and low-lift) gratin just might be one of our favorite butternut squash recipes. It’s perfect for bringing to a potluck dinner.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton49/61Horsey Goat
This spreadable combo is fun to say and fun to eat. Impress your guests with (secretly easy) homemade crackers too.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht, Prop Styling by Paola Andrea55/61Pasta al Preserved Limone
Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Kendra Smoot56/61Roasted Red Pepper Frittata
Make this frittata for brunch—or serve it for dinner alongside a simple leafy green salad and a loaf of bread.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich57/61Buttered Green Beans
You can’t go wrong with tender, snappy green beans, whether the rest of the meal is turkey meatloaf or cheesy sausage lasagna.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton58/61Apple-Walnut Charoset
This is our go-to recipe for the classic Ashkenazi Passover dish. A little brown sugar deepens the flavor.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht, Prop Styling by Paola Andrea59/61Spinach With Garlic and Crème Fraîche
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Judy Kim, prop styling by Beth Pakradooni60/61Three-Minute Red Wine Vinaigrette
Photo by Jason Fulford61/61Saltie’s Soft-Scrambled Eggs
The best 5-ingredient recipes teach you a cooking method, like this game-changing technique for scrambled eggs from the chef and owner of the now-closed Saltie in Brooklyn.
