25 Easy Recipes With Only 3 Ingredients (2024)

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25 Easy Recipes With Only 3 Ingredients (1)

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25 Easy Recipes With Only 3 Ingredients (2)

Mealtime Tri-Umphs

Cooking at home is usually healthier and cheaper than going out, but lingering pandemic complications makequick and easy recipes essential. Forget about hunting down a long list of ingredients and embrace the simplicity captured in the TikTok phenomenon of "Uunifetapasta" (the baked feta pasta dish the world went crazy for as 2021 rolled in); we've rounded up our favorite three-ingredient recipes — 25 of them, ranging from breakfast to dessert. As long as you have kitchen staples such as salt, pepper, and olive oil, these tasty recipes will be a breeze.

Related: 50 Food Storage Tips to Make Your Groceries Last as Long as Possible

25 Easy Recipes With Only 3 Ingredients (3)

Cheddar Broccoli Egg Muffins

Need a quick, healthy breakfast? These keto-friendly muffins are filled with veggies, protein, and a bit of healthy fat to start a day off right. Feel free to sub in other vegetables, too.

Recipe:Fit Mama Real Food

Related:With These Healthy Recipes, You Won't Miss Packaged Snacks

25 Easy Recipes With Only 3 Ingredients (4)

Creamy Lemon Pasta

Egg noodles, the zest and juice from a few lemons, and heavy cream: That's really all it takes to make this simple and delicious pasta recipe from food writer Barb Kafka.

Recipe:Food52

Related:16 Easy Pasta Salad Recipes for Summer

25 Easy Recipes With Only 3 Ingredients (5)

Marcella Hazan's Famous Tomato Sauce

Speaking of pasta, this classic tomato sauce from famed Italian food writer Marcella Hazan is somehow only three ingredients, plus salt, and will impress all your foodie friends. Serve over pasta or even leftover rice. For true Italian nonnastatus, make an extra large batch and freeze half for later.

Recipe:The Kitchn

Related:Target, Walmart, Aldi — Which Cheap Pasta Sauce Is a Winner?

25 Easy Recipes With Only 3 Ingredients (6)

Gnocchi With Chicken Sausage and Spinach

This fun weeknight recipe is endlessly customizable. It calls for gnocchi, chicken sausage, and spinach, but it's easy to swap in other veggies or meats. Prefer arugula? Just have bacon? Throw those in instead — whatever you feel like.

Recipe:Family Food on the Table


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25 Easy Recipes With Only 3 Ingredients (7)

Baked Eggs in Avocado

We love the simplicity of this recipe for eggs baked in avocado and spread over toast. But if you're looking to cut carbs or just don't feel like making toast, it's delicious on its own.

Recipe:White on Rice Couple

Related:13 Simple Ways to Cook Eggs

25 Easy Recipes With Only 3 Ingredients (8)

3-Ingredient Instant Pot Chicken Tacos

We love our Instant Pots, and yours will come in handy for this ridiculously easy recipe for chicken tacos. Great for hard tacos, soft tacos, or even taco salad.

Recipe:Fresh Fit Kitchen

Related: 50 Simple, Cheap, and Delicious Instant Pot Recipes

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25 Easy Recipes With Only 3 Ingredients (11)

Instant Pot Pot Roast

Gone are the days where pot roasts took hours to cook. This delicious three-ingredient Instant Pot version featuring chuck roast will take a little over an hour.

Recipe:Girl and the Kitchen

Related:45 Comfort Foods for a Cozy Meal

25 Easy Recipes With Only 3 Ingredients (12)

Root Beer Pulled-Pork Sandwiches

The root beer in this recipe adds flavor and helps tenderize the meat. This recipe is an easy way to feed a crowd with a cheap cut of pork.

Recipe:The Girl Who Ate Everything

Related:How to Feed a Crowd 15 Ways With a Cheap Cut of Pork

25 Easy Recipes With Only 3 Ingredients (13)
25 Easy Recipes With Only 3 Ingredients (14)

French Market Chicken With Herbed Potatoes

Date night snuck up on you again? This French market dinner will be perfect. If this recipe makes your taste buds say "Oui," have a look at these easy French classics, too.

Recipe:Refinery29

Related:10 Quick Recipes to Make With Costco's $5 Rotisserie Chicken

3-Ingredient Steak With Crispy Parmesan Potatoes

This steak dish is another elegant, date-night-appropriate recipe, and it's as hearty to eat as it is easy to make. Celebrate your smashing culinary success by toasting with your favorite red wine.

Recipe:Epicurious

Related:50 Great-Tasting Red Wines Under $20

25 Easy Recipes With Only 3 Ingredients (16)

Easy 3-Ingredient Chili

Hearty, filling, and inexpensive, there's nothing like a good chili. Don't worry, we managed to find a three-ingredient version — but don't be afraid to customize it. Have black beans, not chili beans? Want to add some smoked paprika? Follow your heart.

Recipe:I Heart Naptime

Related: 13 Regional Chili Recipes to Feed to the Family

25 Easy Recipes With Only 3 Ingredients (17)

3-Ingredient Summertime Salsa

Since the tacos themselves were so simple, why not also serve some homemade salsa? Fresh ingredients are the key here. We recommend this summery, minimalist recipe from one of our favorite food bloggers.

Recipe:Smitten Kitchen

Related:15 DIY Sauces and Condiments to Liven up Multiple Meals

25 Easy Recipes With Only 3 Ingredients (18)

Roasted Fennel, Red Onion, and Orange Salad

Looking for a light dinner or a healthy side? Try the combination of roasted fennel, red onion, and orange for a self-dressing salad that's fragrant and refreshing.

Recipe:Food52

Related:22 Quick and Easy Cold Salads for People Who Hate Lettuce

25 Easy Recipes With Only 3 Ingredients (19)

Homemade No-Knead Bread

Even if you're not a star baker, this recipe for homemade no-knead bread will trick friends and family (and maybe even you) into thinking you are. This delicious, rustic-looking loaf will be a feast for the eyes, too.

Recipe:Healthcastle

Related:Top Bread Makers and Other Bread-Making Supplies for Baking at Home

25 Easy Recipes With Only 3 Ingredients (20)

Banana Cinnamon Rolls

This vegan, gluten-free take on cinnamon rolls requires only bananas, cinnamon, and dates. A bit of vanilla bean couldn't hurt, if you have it.

Recipe:Feasting on Fruit

Related:We Tried 8 Store-Bought Cinnamon Rolls and These Were the Best

25 Easy Recipes With Only 3 Ingredients (21)

3-Ingredient Vegan Pancakes

If you're vegan and/or gluten-free, this recipe for pancakes will be just right. All you'll need are gluten-free oats or oat flour, almond milk, and spotty bananas. It includes recommended add-ons and syrup recipes if you want to zhuzh up your morning.

Recipe:Simple Sweet Vegan

Related:15 Homemade Vegan Meals Under $4

25 Easy Recipes With Only 3 Ingredients (22)

3-Ingredient Ice Cream French Toast

Put the words "ice cream" and "French toast" together, and you'll have us drooling. With only three ingredients required, we may just start cheering.

Recipe:Epicurious

Related:40 Breakfast Foods Ranked by Their Calorie

25 Easy Recipes With Only 3 Ingredients (23)

Cloud Bread

Don't worry, we have a great paleo bread option, too. No flour needed for this bread recipe that can be used for sandwiches or as the crust for mini pizzas.

Recipe:Paleo Hacks Blog

Related:15 Tips To Eat Cheap and Stay Healthy With These Popular Diets

25 Easy Recipes With Only 3 Ingredients (24)

Watermelon Granita

This recipe is essentially fancy watermelon shaved ice, but what could be more refreshing on a hot day? This treat would be right at home as summer party fare.

Recipe:Mom Advice

Related:16 Quick, Easy Side Dishes for Summer Parties

25 Easy Recipes With Only 3 Ingredients (25)

Nutella Brownies

Did someone say brownies? These require onlyeggs, Nutella, and flour. What's more, they come together in less than half an hour.

Recipe:Kirbie Cravings

Related:20 Foods Americans Eat Now That They Never Heard of 20 Years Ago

25 Easy Recipes With Only 3 Ingredients (26)

Mango Cheesecake

This genius Instant Pot recipe for mango cheesecake will surprise and delight whomever you're serving. Condensed milk, yogurt, and mango puree come together beautifully for an exquisite crust-less dessert.

Recipe:My Heart Beets

Related:20 Cheap and Easy Cheesecake Recipes

25 Easy Recipes With Only 3 Ingredients (27)

Mini Strawberry Pies

You'd think a pie would be more complicated, but these adorable mini strawberry pies involve really only three ingredients and are easy to make with ready-made puff pastry and fresh berries. They're delicious with Nutella, if you have it around.

Recipe:Brit + Co

Related:22 Classic Pie Recipes

25 Easy Recipes With Only 3 Ingredients (28)

Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse With Fleur De Sel

Need an impressive dessert? Do three ingredients still sound like too many? Okay, try this wonderful recipe for chocolate mousse — all you need is bittersweet chocolate and a bit of fleur de sel.

Recipe:Dining & Cooking

Related:20 Most Decadent Chocolate Desserts Across America

25 Easy Recipes With Only 3 Ingredients (29)

Banana Sushi

For something fun and more out of the box, how about some banana sushi? It's sweet, simple, fast, and totally customizable to the ingredients you have on hand.

Recipe: Creative Healthy Family

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25 Easy Recipes With Only 3 Ingredients (2024)

FAQs

What can I make with very little food? ›

Five ingredients or less recipes
  • Smoked mackerel & leek hash with horseradish. A star rating of 4.4 out of 5. ...
  • Beetroot, hummus & crispy chickpea sub sandwich. A star rating of 4.3 out of 5. ...
  • Cacio e pepe. ...
  • Easy kedgeree. ...
  • Saucy bean baked eggs. ...
  • Peanut butter & jam flapjacks. ...
  • Gnocchi cacio e pepe. ...
  • Creamy pesto & kale pasta.

What to eat when you have no money or food? ›

Cheapest Foods to Live On:
  • Oatmeal.
  • Eggs.
  • Bread.
  • Rice.
  • Bananas.
  • Beans.
  • Apples.
  • Pasta.

What are the 5 things every good recipe has? ›

  • Yield. The yield tells the number and size of servings the recipe will make.
  • List of Ingredients & Amounts.
  • Step By Step Directions for Mixing & Handling.
  • Equipment (Container Size & Type)
  • Temperature & Time.

What is the easiest food item? ›

32 Quick and Easy Indian Recipes
  • 01 of 32. Masala Kheema - Dry Spicy Minced Meat. ...
  • 02 of 32. Basic Chicken Curry. ...
  • 03 of 32. Mint-Cucumber Raita. ...
  • 04 of 32. Baingan Aloo Ki Subji (Eggplant and Potatoes) ...
  • 05 of 32. Bhajias (Pakoras) ...
  • 06 of 32. South Indian Lemon Rice. ...
  • 07 of 32. Andey Ki (Egg Curry) ...
  • 08 of 32. Bhindi Dopiaza (Okra)
Mar 14, 2024

What to eat when you don't wanna? ›

WHAT TO EAT FOR DINNER WHEN YOU LACK INSPIRATION OR DON'T FEEL LIKE EATING
  • Homemade queso + chips.
  • Popcorn. ...
  • Eggs on or with toast.
  • Omelet – very accommodating to whatever you might have in the fridge!
  • Grilled cheese and soup. ...
  • Cereal. ...
  • One skillet meals like rice, chicken and veggies.
  • Pesto pasta.
May 27, 2020

What to make for dinner when nothing sounds good? ›

What to eat when nothing sounds good: 25 balanced meal ideas
  • Ham or turkey & cheese sandwich with a side of fruit.
  • Rotisserie chicken with frozen microwaveable rice and veggies.
  • “Adult Lunchable”: cheese, crackers, deli meat, raw fruits or veggies with dip.
  • Frozen chicken tenders or nuggets on top of a salad.
Jan 11, 2023

What are three foods that can be eaten without cooking? ›

What can I eat?
  • raw fruits and raw vegetables.
  • dried fruits and vegetables.
  • freshly made fruit and vegetable juices.
  • soaked and sprouted beans, other legumes, and grains.
  • raw nuts and seeds.
  • raw nut butters, such as peanut butter and almond butter.
  • nut milks, including almond milk.
  • coconut milk.

What is lazy cooking? ›

It means making smart or clever adjustments that make cooking quicker and easier. Think of it as pandemic cooking 2.0—good, healthy food made convenient. It's all about sheet pan dinners, pressure cookers and any meal you can make in one vessel. It likely involves fewer steps and fewer ingredients.

What is the most simple thing to cook? ›

Easy staples of mine:
  • Eggs - scrambled and over easy.
  • spaghetti with meat sauce (brown meat and add a jar of sauce)
  • hamburgers on the grill.
  • tacos (hamburger meat and seasoning packet)
  • Bake a chicken breast with seasoning and microwave a bag of frozen veggies for side.
Jan 17, 2018

What is the easiest thing to bake? ›

Easy baking recipes
  • Classic cheese scones. A star rating of 4.8 out of 5. ...
  • Salted caramel brownies. A star rating of 4.7 out of 5. ...
  • Ginger & white chocolate cake. A star rating of 4.9 out of 5. ...
  • Double chocolate loaf cake. ...
  • Chocolate traybake. ...
  • Chocolate fairy cakes. ...
  • Easy caramel cake. ...
  • Vegan carrot cake.

What is the 5 ingredient rule? ›

Stick to the 5 ingredient rule: Choose foods with less than 5 ingredients and all things you recognize and know are real food, such as tomatoes, water, or salt. Or if there are more than 5, make sure they're all food or spices. Buy only packaged foods with ingredients you can pronounce or recognize.

What to add to food when it's missing something? ›

Add an acid.

It's also a very easy component to add and is often as simple as a squeeze of lemon. Acids enhance the existing flavors of your dish while balancing out sweetness or saltiness. Make it a habit to reach for citrus, splash of vinegar, or even wine to combat the “missing something” taste.

What is an only ingredients household? ›

It's a home that stocks mostly, well, ingredients, instead of ready-to-eat foods. Like, instead of oatmeal packets, you might have jars of oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon, and there's milk in your fridge.

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