5-ingredient recipes that are actually enjoyable may sound too good to be true, but I’m telling you now: they’re real! And they’re good for you too!
As a busy person who doesn’t always have time to cook up a super fancy dish, I’m always on the lookout for easy recipes that don’t require too much cleanup, and these meal ideas fit the bill perfectly. Give them a try next time you’re stumped on what to make!
5-Ingredient Meals
Starting off with the best of the best, we have our favorite breakfast, lunch, and dinner options that all use 5-ingredients or less.
1. Fluffy Scrambled Eggs
Plain scrambled eggs can get a bit boring but with the addition of asparagus you get more flavor, and more nutrients, all while keeping the ingredient list low.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Butter
- Eggs
- Green onion
- Swiss cheese
- Asparagus
2. Ranch Pork Chops
Pork chops are healthy and typically pretty inexpensive so this recipe is a great choice for a weeknight. It’s versatile too: cook your pork chops on the grill, on the stovetop, or in the oven.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Boneless pork chops
- Olive oil
- Ranch seasoning mix
- Parsley
- Salt and pepper
3. Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
Hard-boiled eggs are another really easy, nutritious breakfast, lunch, or snack idea. They can be used in a ton of other recipes as well so it’s good to know how to prepare them quickly – and this instant pot method is very quick and easy!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- An instant pot
- Cold water
- Eggs
4. Air Fryer Honey Mustard Salmon
Salmon probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of 5 ingredient recipes, but here we are. This honey mustard salmon is amazing and easy!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- An air fryer
- Salmon fillets
- Salt and pepper
- Honey
- Dijon mustard
5. Instant Pot Whole Chicken
Cooking a whole chicken in your instant pot may seem a bit overkill but not only does it work great, but it also leaves you with a ton of leftovers!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Whole chicken
- Onion
- Lemon herb dry rub
- Chicken broth or water
6. Crockpot Beef and Mushrooms
This beef and mushrooms recipe can be eaten on its own or served over something simple like rice. This another great recipe for leftovers too. You can even make a big batch and freeze half if you want.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Stew meat
- Cream of mushroom soup
- Sliced mushrooms
- Apple juice or red wine
- Dry onion soup mix
7. Keto Chicken Enchilada Soup
This chicken enchilada soup recipe is amazing. It’s creamy, flavorful, and healthy!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Salsa verde
- Cream cheese
- Sharp cheddar
- Chicken broth or stock
- Shredded chicken
8.
Bacon egg and cheese sandwiches are convenient, easy, and filling, but they’re not always healthy. This recipe fixes that with 5 nutritious and healthy ingredients!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Extra-lean turkey bacon
- Olive oil
- Egg white
- Multigrain English muffin
- Fat-free cheese
9. Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork
If you love a good pulled pork sandwich, you can make this amazing version with just 4 ingredients!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Pork
- BBQ rub or seasoning salt
- Dr. Pepper
- BBQ sauce
10. Dutch Oven Pizza
You can never go wrong with homemade pizza! This is one of my favorite camping recipes, but you can do it at home too as long as you have a dutch oven.
Keep in mind once you start adding toppings this will most likely go over 5-ingredients, but that’s to be expected!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Pizza dough (try this zucchini pizza crust)
- Pizza sauce
- Mozzarella
- Toppings
11. Juicy Burger
Who doesn’t love a good, juicy burger? This is a homemade patty recipe that takes just 4 ingredients and blows every store-bought patty out of the water.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Mayonnaise
- Bread crumbs
- Onion soup mix
- Ground beef or turkey
- Hamburger buns
12. Spinach Burger
This is another fantastic homemade burger recipe that’s for those who want a bit more nutrition in their burger. The spinach is a great addition!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Onion soup mix
- Ground beef
- Chopped spinach
- Mozzarella or cheddar cheese
13. Dutch Babies
Dutch babies are essentially oven-baked pancakes. They’re puffy, versatile, and easy!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Butter
- Milk
- Eggs
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
14. Sweet Baked Ham
This is one of my favorite Easter recipes. It feeds a crowd and takes only 5-ingredients! Combine it with a few easy sides and you’ve got a delicious feast.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Ham
- White distilled vinegar
- Water
- Brown sugar
- Ground dry mustard
Sides & Snacks
Speaking of sides, here are some 5-ingredient side dish recipes to combine with the mains above, or to enjoy on their own as a snack!
15. Air Fryer Corn on the Cob
Yes! You can cook some amazing corn on the cob in an air fryer. And it only takes around 10 minutes!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Corn
- Cooking oil or spray
- Salt and pepper
16. Air Fryer French Fries
You can probably already guess how delicious and crispy homemade fries get in the air fryer. They’re relatively healthy too!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Russet potatoes
- Vegetable oil
- Salt
- Garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
17. Oven-Roasted Asparagus
Asparagus can be paired with a ton of different dishes so it’s always good to have an easy recipe in your arsenal. This is just that!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Asparagus
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Pepper
18. No-Yeast Flatbread
Flatbread seems like one of those things thatcould be really complicated to make, but this recipe is a breeze! No yeast required and only about 40 minutes total to make 10 flatbreads. And you can do so many different things with them!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Olive oil or vegetable oil
- Cold water
19. Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
Once you try air fryer potatoes, you’ll never go back to oven-baked. Seriously. The air fryer gets the skin perfectly crispy while keeping the inside light and fluffy. It’s amazing!!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Russet potatoes
- Oil
- Salt and pepper
20. Peanut Butter Oat Bars
These are awesome little to-go snacks that take only 3 ingredients and about 20 minutes to make.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Peanut butter or almond butter
- Honey
- Old fashioned rolled oats
21. Homemade Tortilla Chips
Homemade tortilla chips are surprisingly easy to make and they taste much better than the store-bought alternatives. Serve with homemade salsa or pico de Gallo and enjoy!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Tortillas
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
22. Homemade Tortillas
While we’re on the subject of homemade tortilla chips, you can make them even better by using your own homemade tortillas in the recipe!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Water
- Olive oil
23. Make-Ahead Biscuits
Homemade biscuits are SO good and these ones are super easy to make. And they’re freezable!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- All-purpose flour
- Sugar
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Heavy cream
24. Cake Mix Banana Bread
This recipe is basically lifehack banana bread. By using cake mix you save a ton of time but you still get really delicious end result.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Overripe bananas
- Yellow or vanilla cake mix
- Eggs
- Chocolate chips or nuts (optional)
25. Cheese Straws
Making homemade cheese straws is easy when you use a store-bought puff pastry! This recipe is definitely a family favorite and I love how simple it is to make.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Puff pastry
- Parmesan cheese
- Salt
- Pepper
5 Dips & Condiments with 5 Ingredients or Less
Many delicious recipes are made even better with dip, sauce, dressing, or something similar! Here are a few ideas that all take 5 ingredients or less to make. Whip them up quickly and enjoy!
26. Cool Whip Fruit Dip
This dip is about as easy as it gets – only two ingredients required! If you love snacking on fruit I highly recommend giving it a try.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Whipped topping
- Instant pudding mix
27. Raspberry Chia Jam
Jam is a great option for spreading on toast, an English muffin, or a bagel, but it’s often loaded with undesirable ingredients. Fortunately, this keto-friendly jam recipe is super easy to make and it’s low carb! Perfect for an easy breakfast, lunch, or snack.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Frozen raspberries
- Swerve
- Water
- Chia seeds
28. Jalapeno Cilantro Dip
Here’s a 5-ingredient veggie dip that will add flavor to any veggie, no matter how bland! Seriously though, the spice from the jalapeno + the cooling power of ranch is just perfect for all veggies.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Mayonnaise
- Sour cream
- Ranch dip mix
- Jalapenos
- Cilantro
29. Cream Cheese Fruit Dip
Here’s another DELICIOUS fruit dip. This one only requires 3 ingredients! If you love cream cheese you’ll love this dip.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Marshmallow creme
- Cream cheese
- Vanilla
30. Strawberry Freezer Jam
I’m a big fan of strawberry jam so I love this recipe. You can stock up on strawberries when they’re in season, and then make and freeze extra jars of jam to use throughout the year! Delicious and easy.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Strawberries
- Sugar
- Instant pectin
So Many 5-Ingredient Recipes!
If you’re an avid recipe searcher, you’ve probably come across a ton of REALLY complicated recipes with overwhelmingly long ingredient lists. While those are nice to prepare every once in a while, sometimes you need something a bit more simple.
Hopefully, within this list of 5-ingredient recipes, you found a keeper! Let us know which recipes you plan on trying.
PS: If you want to keep these recipes stored conveniently on your phone, try Prepear! It’s a meal planning, recipe keeping, grocery list building app that I absolutely love. Read my full Prepear review to learn more.
