I’m A Food Writer, And These 5-Ingredient Or Fewer “Instant Keeper" Recipes Are Some Of The Most Delicious Meals I've Ever Cooked
Hi, friends! It's Ross. I'm a food writer and recipe developer, but truth be told, getting to point people in the direction of exceptionally delicious, must-cook recipes from across the internet is what gives me the biggest hit of serotonin. Case in point: I update my annual recipe tracker on a weekly basis so I can document the delicious (and not-so-delicious) recipes I cook, just so I can report back on the Must-Make Meals for all of you.
I do my best to cook at least 100 new recipes yearly. I just hit #30 for 2023...so we're getting there, y'all.
Lately, I've been finding that a substantial part of my weekly cooking has become minimal-ingredient dishes. Maybe it's because the ingredients themselves are just more expensive these days, or perhaps I'm just not feeling like grabbing every single food item and spice in my kitchen when I want to sit down for a quick dinner. Either way, it turns out that I've assembled quite the collection of *actually* delicious, five-ingredient or fewer dishes over the years. And trust me, they're the real deal.
Ross Yoder
First, one important ground rule to define the "five-ingredient meal" for the purposes of this post...before the comments become a battleground:
The logic: You likely already have cooking fats, basic seasonings and spices, and salt and pepper in your pantry (and if you don't, anything you'll purchase can be used across multiple recipes in the future). Optional garnishes are, well, optional. They will not make or break a dish!
Now that that's out of the way: recipes. Enjoy, and as always, feel free to comment below or DM me with any five-ingredient recipes you come back to over and over again.
(And most importantly, be sure to let me know if you try any of these recipes for yourself.)
1.Eggs in Purgatory — You could certainly make this dish the traditional way by using whole or canned tomatoes and a plethora of other ingredients. But in my humble opinion, the five-ingredient version, starring your favorite jarred marinara sauce, tastes best.
Think of eggs in purgatory as the Southern Italian version of the popular North African and Middle Eastern shakshuka. To prepare it, it's as simple as bringing a tomato sauce to a gentle simmer and then allowing it to poach eggs to yolky, runny goodness. Served with a hunk of crusty bread, it's a one-skillet, low-maintenance meal that's equally as delicious for breakfast as it is a full-blown dinner.
Using jarred marinara sauce — ideally a spicy variety, given the "purgatory" of it all — adds a ton of flavor to the dish without needing to add any other aromatics or seasonings. Rao's Arrabiata sauce is easily my #1 pick (not sponsored, just obsessed), since it packs a perfect punch of heat, but you could also start with non-spicy marinara and add crushed red pepper to your preferred spice level, if you'd like.
If you're after the perfect runny eggs — aren't we all — my advice is to use the "jiggle test" to determine when to take your skillet off the heat.
The type of skillet you use, the brand of marinara sauce, and even the size of your eggs can all affect how long it takes for each egg to poach, so give your skillet a strong shake every two or so minutes of cooking. At first, the eggs will wobble quite considerably, but eventually, only a small area around the yolks will jiggle. That's your sign to turn off the stove and allow carryover cooking to do the rest of the work for you.
Recipe: Eggs in Purgatory
2."Braised" Rotisserie Chicken Skillet with Garlicky Kale — There are zillions of ways to turn a humble rotisserie chicken into dinner, but this recipe is the only one I know that could trick someone into thinking they were eating something 100% homemade.
This meal can turn even the saddest, soggiest, days-old rotisserie chicken into a showstopper. Swear to god! That's because you'll reheat the chicken in two very purposeful steps. First, the quartered chicken pieces "braise" in a sauce of wilted kale and canned fire-roasted tomatoes. I put braise in quotes because a five-minute braise is an oxymoron in and of itself, but whatever. Then, you broil everything until the chicken skin turns as golden brown as the second it came off the rotisserie.
Serving this dish is as unfussy as preparing it: just plop the whole skillet onto the dinner table and let everyone serve themselves. It's plenty substantial on its own, but to stretch this meal even further, you can also serve each chicken piece over a bed of creamy polenta or mashed potatoes.
Recipe: "Braised" Rotisserie Chicken Skillet with Garlicky Kale
3.Shortcut Carnitas Tacos — This recipe is proof that Trader Joe's carnitas are one of the most delicious pre-made items you can grab at everyone's favorite grocery chain.
I was first introduced to this recipe in a roundup of three-ingredient Trader Joe's meals written by fellow BuzzFeed writer Hannah Loewentheil. And y'all, I swear I've been hooked ever since — it's just so rare that something this easy is also indescribably delicious. It starts with one pouch of Trader Joe's traditional carnitas, which has become a must-purchase item whenever I make a TJ's run. The pork in the pouch is pre-cooked, so all you have to do is shred it up into bite-sized pieces...
...and fry in a skillet until super crispy. Optional but recommended, I also like to toast my tortillas directly in the rendered pork fat before building each taco. It's impossible to replicate the chewy goodness of a fresh tortilla using anything store-bought, but tortillas prepared using this trick come pretty darn close.
For the slaw, you can either doctor up a bag of shredded cabbage like I did: olive oil, lime juice, and salt will do the trick. Or you can grab a bag of coleslaw mix — dressing included. When it's time to serve, plate 'em with lime wedges for squeezing and your hot sauce of choice for a lazy weeknight meal that tastes as if it took you hours to put together.
Here's how to make them in your own kitchen:
Yield: 6–8 tacos
1. Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat. While the skillet heats, open one package of Trader Joe's pre-cooked traditional carnitas and shred the meat into bite-sized pieces using a fork. Add a drizzle of olive oil to the hot skillet, swirling to coat, followed by the shredded pork. Allow the meat to crisp on the first side for 4–5 minutes untouched, until browned. Turn and repeat on the remaining side.
2. While the carnitas cook, prepare the slaw. Add one 9-ounce package of shredded cabbage or slaw mix to a large bowl along with 2 tablespoons olive oil and the juice of one lime. Toss to coat and season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Optional but recommended: Toast each tortilla directly in the rendered pork fat until browned at the edges. Otherwise, you can wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and steam them in the microwave for 30 seconds, or toast them directly over the flame of a gas stove.
4. To serve, top each tortilla with slaw, followed by the crispy carnitas. Finish with a drizzle of hot sauce, if you'd like, and serve with lime wedges for squeezing.
4.5-Minute Miso Chili Crisp Udon Noodles — Relying on only three ingredients, these creamy, slurpable noodles are the easiest speedy lunch or dinner.
I've raved about these three-ingredient noodles several times now, so I'll be brief. They're cheap, extraordinarily savory, and yes, they only take five minutes to prepare. Once the frozen noodles are thawed, you'll whisk some white miso and chili crisp into a bit of the reserved cooking liquid until it thickens. Coat your noodles in the luscious sauce, and you've got one of the most low-effort, high-flavor meals I've ever tried.
Frozen udon noodles from my local Asian market are my go-to for this dish since they're basically unmatched in the texture department and they cook quickly. Actually, there's no "cooking" involved, per se — they simply thaw in boiling water and they're ready to eat. That said, if you can't get your hands on them, you can easily swap in your favorite instant noodles, minus the seasoning packet.
Here's how to make it:
Yield: One serving
1. Bring 2 cups of water to a rolling boil in a small saucepan. Add one single-serve packet of frozen udon noodles (250g) or another instant noodle of your choosing. Cook according to the package instructions, reserving 1/4 cup of the boiling water for your sauce. Drain and reserve.
2. Return the reserved water to your saucepan and add 1 tablespoon white miso and 1 tablespoon chili crisp. Whisk the mixture together over medium-low heat until creamy and fully combined.
3. Add the cooked noodles to the sauce, stirring to coat each noodle, and eat immediately.
5.Maple Sheet Pan Sausage With Butternut and Brussels — In the Venn diagram of "actually delicious five-ingredient meals" vs. "sheet pan meals," I'd imagine this is one of only a few recipes that land entirely in the middle.
I find sheet pan meals to be surprisingly (and frustratingly) hands-on every now and then. The promise of tossing a bunch of ingredients into the oven and having a complete dinner 30 minutes later often becomes a seemingly never-ending process of adding various ingredients sequentially — since different ingredients have different cook times. But in this recipe from How Sweet Eats, it's as one-and-done as it gets.
As evidenced by the photo below, three events will all occur at the same time, approximately 25 minutes after you place your sheet pan of ingredients into the oven. Your Brussels sprouts will become tender with crisp outer leaves, the butternut squash will get soft and creamy, and your sausage of choice will turn into sticky sweet, caramelized perfection.
You can use any type of sausage you'd like for this dish, as long as it's a pre-cooked or smoked variety. I use kielbasa, but it would be equally delicious with smoked turkey sausage, chicken and apple sausage, or even plant-based sausage for any vegetarians or vegans out there — this dish is actually 100% vegan after making that easy substitution.
6.David Chang-Inspired Salmon Rice Bowls — Please don't panic when you read the following sentence. This salmon is cooked in your microwave. And you know what? It's iconic.
I turn to this five-ingredient meal whenever I'm mere moments away from splurging on some delivery. It's satisfying, ready in a matter of minutes, and boasts a ton of savory goodness for a dish that doesn't require any marinating in advance. Basically, you make a quick sauce and slather the mixture all over a filet of salmon. Microwave the whole thing for 3:30–4:00, and you'll have one of the flakiest, most tender pieces of fish you've ever tried.
I'll also answer the question that's likely eating away at you before you have time to ask it: No, it won't stink up your microwave, kitchen, or home...unless your fingers slip and you accidentally microwave it for twice as long. Do not do that, I beg of you.
To turn the perfectly cooked salmon into a full meal, I serve it flaked overtop some steamed white rice for a true five-ingredient meal — just drizzle the remaining sauce over the salmon and dig in. Or you can top it with any garnishes hanging around your fridge or pantry. I added a generous sprinkling of sliced scallion and furikake this time around, but it would be equally delicious with a drizzle of mayo and sriracha, or even some toasted sesame seeds and a squeeze of lime.
If/when you become as obsessed with this recipe as I am, it's a great reason to make sure you stash a cost-efficient (and very convenient) bag of frozen, pre-portioned salmon filets in your freezer. Since I pretty much always have the remaining ingredients in my kitchen, this is one meal that I can easily make myself whenever I'm running low on other groceries.
Recipe: David Chang's Microwave Salmon
7.Kale Sauce Pasta — Make this four-ingredient pasta because it's a) gorgeously green, b) costs less than $2 per serving, and c) a reaaaaally great way to get kids to eat their veggies.
I don't have kids, yet I do know this recipe from Joshua McFadden (adapted by Home Cooking Collective) is, apparently, remarkably kid-friendly. How? Because whenever I post about it on social media, my DMs are filled with messages from parents that swear it's the only way they can get their kids to eat a green vegetable. And as a formerly picky eater in my childhood, I totally get it.
The earthiness of the kale is mostly masked by adding a quick garlic-infused olive oil to the sauce before whizzing it up in your blender. It's still bright and vegetal — there's a pound of kale in this, after all — but for a sauce made of only three ingredients, it's surprisingly bursting with flavor.
Recipe: Kale Sauce Pasta
8.Chicken Soup with Fennel & Toasted Orzo — You've never had orzo that tastes like this stuff. Seriously.
To make a minimal-ingredient recipe delicious, it's crucial to think about how the flavors of each and every ingredient will build on one another. Here, I start with bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, which render all their fat as they sear in a dutch oven. The orzo then toasts in that delicious fat until it turns brown and nutty, and it's hard to describe just how much of a difference that tiny step makes when tasting the final product.
Beyond the toasted orzo, there's the fennel. Oddly enough, I don't really love raw fennel. Actually, I don't like it at all. But when sautéed until soft and succulent, it adds a sweet-savory note to this soup that an onion (and/or garlic) could never compete with.
And the best part of all? The bright green fennel fronds double as garnish. Resourceful, huh?
9.Pasta Carbonara — A creamy bowl of classic carbonara might just be the ultimate five-ingredient or fewer recipe, and with one helpful hack, it's actually a lot more foolproof than you'd think.
Growing up, I always thought of carbonara as that restaurant pasta dish with a ridiculously rich cream sauce, bacon, and peas. Anyone else? In my early 20s, I learned that that version of carbonara is actually as Americanized as it gets — the traditional Roman version requires very few ingredients and there's no cream involved whatsoever. The "creamy" sauce is mostly comprised of egg yolks, which turn luxuriously silky and smooth as they heat up with the pasta.
There are countless carbonara recipes out there, but I'm obsessed with this particular recipe from Serious Eats because it minimizes your risk of turning the sauce into...well, scrambled eggs. Here, you'll toss together the pasta, bacon, egg, and cheese in a makeshift double boiler. This simple technique swap makes for much more consistent results in my opinion, especially if you wouldn't normally consider yourself to be a pro in the kitchen.
Recipe: Pasta Carbonara
10.Teriyaki Chicken — With very little effort required on your part, you can have a steaming hot bowl of crisp-yet-tender teriyaki chicken that easily rivals anything you could get via delivery, takeout, or even in-person dining.
Tasty's recipe for teriyaki chicken is truly magical — the chicken itself only requires three ingredients to toss together, though I like to add some steamed white rice and broccoli just to round things out. The two-ingredient sauce of brown sugar and soy sauce thickens gorgeously as the chicken finishes cooking, and you end up with a meal that's the definition of sweet and savory goodness. There are "easy weeknight dinners," and then there's this meal, which is simplicity at its most delicious.
A word of advice: Make sure you use boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. If you use chicken breast, the meat will likely dry out before the sauce has a chance to thicken and coat each piece evenly. Since chicken thighs have a higher fat content than the breast, they'll stay tender and juicy throughout the entire cooking process.
Recipe: Teriyaki Chicken
11.Spinach & Halloumi Salad — In this vibrant salad, oranges work overtime, which means that it's a perfect meal for gloomy winter days when citrus is in season (and you just want a bite of something fresh).
Pan-fried cheese is my love language, but TBH, I think oranges are the star of the show in this vegetarian salad from BBC Good Food. Their inclusion in this recipe has dual purposes: Orange segments add a pop of juicy brightness to each bite, and fresh juice serves as the base for a refreshing, perfectly balanced vinaigrette.
I must confess that I actually used paneer cheese in lieu of halloumi this time around since it was, drum roll please, half as expensive. That said, I feel confident that you could use any non-melting cheese you can find at your local grocery store and still get delicious results, since many stores won't carry all that many varieties. Just be sure to season your cheese with salt if you use a non-brined variety like paneer or Mexican panela.
Recipe: Spinach & Halloumi Salad
12.Pineapple Pork with Coconut Rice — The pork and rice that make up this recipe are so obscenely delicious that I simply could never choose a favorite. As my partner once said after his first bite: "instant keeper."
President of the pork tenderloin fan club, here. And with that self-declared title, let me also assure you that this might be the most delicious pork tenderloin recipe I've ever tasted. Between the melt-in-your-mouth meat and the fluffy coconut rice, it's perfection in a bowl.
Pinch of Yum's recipe mentions that you can easily use pre-cut "stir fry" pork in lieu of pork tenderloin, which is very much an option. My suggestion, however, would be to opt for the tenderloin anyway. I've found that the stir fry cuts can occasionally be sliced haphazardly, which results in the pieces not always being uniformly tender. By slicing the pork yourself, you'll ensure maximum tenderness every single time...but if you want to use the pre-sliced stuff, go for it! No judgment here.
Recipe: Pineapple Pork with Coconut Rice
What's a minimal-ingredient recipe that you swear by in your own kitchen? Drop a link or describe it below — or DM me! I'm always looking to expand my culinary horizons!
And for more recipe inspo, you can check out my previous roundups of Must-Make Meals:
