Despite the ever-present urge to pick up my phone and order take-out, I’m committed to preparing delicious, home-cooked meals as often as I can. But cooking at home isn’t always as easy as it seems–especially when you need to buy loads of ingredients that you end up having to throw out. We can all admit we’ve brought home ingredients, used them for one specific recipe, and then forgotten they existed. Instead of buying tons of groceries to sit unused in my refrigerator until they go bad, I’m leaning on 5-ingredient recipes (or less!) to help eliminate waste.
Get 70% off select areas until March 31!
Coming up with new meals to cook every day is a challenge (I can’t always just lean on my favorite air fryer recipes), but the options below make it so much easier to stick to my goal. Bonus: because they require so few ingredients, they’re quick and painless to put together on days when I really just don’t feel like cooking. Check out some of my favorite 5-ingredient recipes below:
1. Chipotle Lime Shrimp Lettuce Cups

Source: The Defined Dish
2. Chicken Fajita Casserole

Source: Closet Cooking
3. Instant Pot Sweet & Spicy Meatballs

Source: A Night Owl
4. 5-Ingredient Chicken Feta Pasta

Source: By Erin Clarke of Well Plated
5. Flank Steak

Source: Spices in My DNA
6. Creamy Sausage and Tortellini Soup

Source: Fox and Briar
7. Coconut Curry

Source: Pinch of Yum
8. Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Source: Erin Clarke of Well Plated
9. Vegan Vodka Pasta

Source: Pinch of Yum
10. Roasted Garlic Butter Salmon

Source: Gimme Delicious
11. One Pot Pasta with Chicken Sausage

Source: Kristine’s Kitchen
12. Garlic Parmesan Zoodles

Source: Gimme Delicious
13. Sourdough Havarti Grilled Cheese

Source: My Sequined Life
14. Tomato Soup

Source: Feel Good Foodie
15. Mac and Cheese

Source: Show Me The Yummy
16. Crispy Black Bean and Sweet Potato Tacos

Source: She Likes Food
17. Garlic Butter Shrimp

Source: 40 Aprons
18. Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings

Source: A Sassy Spoon
19. Crockpot Greenbean Casserole
20. Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

Source: From My Bowl
21. Easy Chili

Source: Gimme Some Oven
22. Baked Spinach and Mozzarella Ravioli

Source: With Salt and Wit
23. Sheet Pan Gnocchi
24. Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken

Source: Hello Spoonful
25. Iceberg Wedge Salad

Source: I Heart Naptime