130 Easy 5-Ingredient or Less Recipes

A mind-blowing list of 130 easy 5-ingredient or less recipes,  featuring healthy and tempting dishes that will make your eyes dance and your mouth water while saving you time and money. They are comfort food at its finest, without the hassle! Take also a look at our book, The Complete 5-Ingredient Cookbook with 175 easy recipes for busy people. 

Don’t you love the convenience of 5-ingredient recipes that you can count on, especially on busy days? Me too! We are here to make your life easier with these 130 easy 5 ingredient recipes from around the world . They include delicious options for breakfast, snacks, quick lunches, dinner, sides, appetizers, desserts, and drinks– all of them stress-free.

I ain’t kidding! This complete list of quick and easy recipes will save you time and money while tantalizing your taste buds with incredible flavor. Some are everyday recipes and others are great for entertaining, too.

There is a variety of dishes to fit a wide range of dietary needs and lifestyles: low carb, keto, vegan, vegetarian, Paleo, Whole30, gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, and more. Some are made in the slow cooker, Instant Pot, or stovetop,  while others are grilled, fried, baked, or require no cooking at all.

BENEFITS OF 5-INGREDIENT RECIPES

• Less ingredients: Most 5-ingredient recipes or fewer use a combination of fresh, frozen, and/or pantry staples to get the job done with less effort. That gives you less fuss to deal with for one or more meals during the day or the week, saving you time. And we could all use that, right?!
• Faster meal prep: Since you have less ingredients to handle, the prep itself tends to be quicker than usual.
• Easy cooking: This type of recipe has simple directions with less cooking steps, which is ideal for beginners and busy cooks.
• Most cost effective: If you have fewer items needing purchase on your shopping list, you’ll be able to spend less — except for when you want to splurge on a pricier ingredient (e.g. lobster or brisket).
• Less time spent in the kitchen and shopping for ingredients: 5-ingredient recipes or less are designed to save you time. They demand less time in the grocery store and less time cooking.
• Less stress and dishes to clean: Simplicity and efficiency are the hallmark of this type of recipe! Besides less fret over planning, shopping, prepping, and cooking, there is another added plus: less dishes to clean! Wouldn’t you love to have more time to spend with your family instead?

These recipes with 5 ingredients or less serve as a guide for easy comfort food! Enjoy each one!

5-INGREDIENT BREAKFAST RECIPES OR LESS:

Most of these breakfast recipes can be prepared in less than 30 minutes and require no cooking. They are portable as well. You can either prep them ahead or right before going to work/school.

1. Acai Bowl 
2. Mango Lime Smoothie Bowl 
3. Monte Cristo Sandwich Breakfast Rolls 
4. Avocado Smoothie 
5. Overnight Oats with Greek Yogurt 
6. Peanut Butter Cereal Bars 
7. Skinny Banana Smoothie 
8. Green Tea Latter Oats 
9. Chocolate Blueberry Portein Shake 
10. Sugar-Free Banana Pancakes
11. Egg in a Hole Bagel 
12. Paleo Sweet Potato Smoothie Bowl 

5-INGREDIENT SNACKS OR FEWER

These are the type of snacks that you can make ahead and munch on during the day. They will fill you up in between the main meals without guilt.

13. Grilled Peach S’mores Sticks

14. Strawberry Frozen Yogurt Bark 

15. Nutella Dip 

16. Vegan Homemade Nutella 

17. Kale Chips 

18. SF Almond Energy Bars 

19. Puppy Chow Snack Mix 

20. Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies 

21. Watermelon Strawberry Popsicles 

22. Honey Nut Brittle 

23. Tajin Mango 

24. Black Bean Chips 

5-INGREDIENT QUICK LUNCHES

To this list add soups, salads, and sandwiches that you can prepare in less than 30 minutes and transport anywhere you go.

25. Grilled Cheese Tomato Naan 

26. Salsa Chicken Lettuce Wraps 

27. Air Fryer Pita Bread Pizza 

28. Zucchini Alfredo

29. Bacon and Cheese Hot Pockets

5-INGREDIENT DINNER RECIPES

After a full day of work or school I’m sure the last thing you’d like to do is to trudge through a lengthy recipe with a bunch of ingredients. That’s when these 5-ingredient dinners truly come handy. You can take full advantage of them without compromising one bit on flavor.

30. Ranch Chicken Thighs 

31. Garlic Butter Shrimp 

32. Pesto Pasta with White Beans 

33. Black Bean Pasta Recipe

34. Goulash 

35. Roasted Carrot Ginger Soup 

36. Mussels Fra Diavolo 

37. Crock Pot Mushroom Chicken 

38. BBQ Beef Tortilla Pie 

39. Creamy Salsa Chicken 

40. Miso Salmon 

41. Garlic Noodles 

42. Grilled Bacon Wrapped Ribs 

43. Baked BBQ Chicken 

44. Oven Fried Catfish 

45. Garlic Butter Salmon and Swiss Chard 

46. Sweet Potato Sausage Soup 

47. Instant Pot Lemon Chicken 

48. Broccoli Mac and Cheese 

49. Sweet Chicken 

50. Stacked Enchiladas 

51. Shells and Cheese 

52. Gnocchi with Basil Pesto 

53. Cajun Butter Steak Bites 

54. Broiled Lobster Tail 

5-INGREDIENT APPETIZER RECIPES

Planning a party or get-together? No worries! Make one or a few of these appetizers with next to no hassle at all. Enjoy the moments with your guests, all without having to slave away in the kitchen or break the bank.

55. Grilled Cheese Sticks

56. Cheese Bread

57. Greek Spicy Feta Dip 

58. Crescent Sausage Bites 

59. Honey Pistachio Baked Brie 

60. Bagel Mini Pigs in a Blanket 

61. Bacon Ranch Dip 

62. Baked Pears with Gorgonzola 

63. Bacon Jalapeno Poppers

64. Grape Jelly Meatballs

65. Bacon Wrapped Green Bean Bundles 

66. Keto Pizza Roll Ups 

67. Lebbaneh Dip 

68. Pork Potstickers 

5-INGREDIENT SIDE DISH RECIPES

Happen to buy a roast chicken or some other protein and need a side dish to go along with it? Well, you’re in luck. There is a variety of yummy and filling go-to sides in this list that you can easily make to serve it with.

69. Deep Fried Bananas 

70. Fried Collard Greens

71. Carrots Need Butter Thyme 

72. Sweet Potato Flatbread 

73. Air-Fryer Baked Potatoes 

74. Oven Roasted Broccoli with Parmesan 

75. Baked Parsnip Chips 

76. Simmered Kabocha 

77. Fried Cabbage 

78. Bacon Ranch Smashed Potatoes 

79. Pesto Green Beans 

5-INGREDIENT DESSERT RECIPES

After a long day at work, if you want to reward yourself with an easy yet luscious treat, say no more. Make any of the desserts below and you’ll be smiling like a kid in a candy store. Go on, you deserve it! 🙂

80. Brigadeiros 

81. Queijadinha 

82. Cocada 

83. No Bake Nutella Tart 

84. Coffee Fudge Cups 

85. 3-Ingredient Shortbread Cookies 

86. Keto Coconut Ice Cream 

87. Keto Shortbread Cookies with Chocolate 

88. Orange Tarts 

89. Sugar-Free Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies 

90. Avocado Mousse 

91. Hot Chocolate Fudge 

92. Banana Oatmeal Cookies 

93. Healthy Oatmeal Cookies 

94. Classic Chocolate Fudge 

95. Peanut Butter Balls

96. Lime Kool Aid Sorbet 

97. Lemon Curd Ice Cream 

98. Vegan Chocolate Covered Oranges 

99. Peanut Butter Bars 

100. Vegan Ice Box Cake 

101. DF Chocolate Coconut Pudding 

102. Strawberry Ginger Sorbet 

103. 3-Ingredient Sugar Cookies 

104. GF Rice Krispies 

105. DF Toasted Coocnut Truffles 

106. Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies 

107. Reese Fudge Bars

108. Strawberry Sorbet 

109. Vegan Chocolate Mousse 

110. Churro Bites 

111. Banana Spring Rolls 

112. Matcha Green Tea Ice Cream 

113. Eclair Cookies 

114. Mango Graham Cake 

115. Coconut Biscuits 

5-INGREDIENT OR LESS DRINK RECIPES

Unwind and celebrate the end of a long day, your weekend, or your next party with one of the drinks below. Whether you prefer a cocktail or a mocktail, each one makes happy hour the chillest hour of the day.

116. Caipirinha 

117. Pineapple Mint Juice 

118. Pineapple Coconut Agua Fresca 

119. Honeydew Mint Cooler 

120. Frozen Pineapple Mint Margarita 

121. Hibiscus Tea 

122. Cranberry Passionfruit Cocktail

123. Pineapple Coconut Cocktail

124. Batida de Coco Light 

125. Champagne Cocoktail

126. Blood Orange Mocktail

127. Mojito

128. Classic Margarita

129. Prosecco Cocktail 

130. Aguas Frescas

 

PIN & ENJOY!