5 ingredient meals
When it comes to cooking, some of the best recipes have just 5 ingredients or fewer! Whether you're looking for a main dish, snack or dessert recipe that will feed the family, you can create a great meal using only a few ingredients.
We've scoured high and low to find some of the best five ingredient recipes for every meal.
Searching for more helpful tips to help you plan your dinners? Check out our weekly meal planners.
Breakfast and brunch
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! But that doesn't mean breakfast food needs to be the most complicated.
Whether it's a lazy Sunday morning or you're grabbing a quick bite on your way out the door, try one of these easy recipes to start the day right.
So Good pancakes
This easy recipe is dairy-free and utterly delicious. Using just self-raising flour, caster sugar, unsweetened almond milk and 2 eggs, it is a healthy take on more traditional pancakes. What could be a better start to the day than a big serving of fun pancakes!? Slather with butter, maple syrup or your choice of toppings.
Hash brown egg nests
This simple recipe uses just 5 ingredients and is a great twist on the ultimate breakfast food. Hash browns, eggs, cheese and herbs make for a tasty breakfast or lunch snack. While this recipe uses just five ingredients, it could also be served with sides like crusty bread with butter, freshly sliced avocado, sauteed spinach, or even bacon and extra cheese!
Homemade cocoa snap cereal
For a healthier option that will give you a quick fix in the morning, try a portion of this homemade cocoa snap cereal. The filling rice snaps will give you plenty of energy to get you through the day. Serve with milk or with yoghurt and fresh fruit.
1 / 0
Lunch
Thinking about lunch but struggling for inspiration and ingredients?
Don't stress! Our list of simple and tasty 5 ingredient lunches will have you serving a delicious, fresh and healthy meal in no time.
Can't find a recipe you like in the list below? Check out our Easy pantry staples recipes for some more food inspiration.
Easy bacon and egg slice
Our easy bacon and egg slice only has four ingredients (short pastry, tomato sauce, bacon and eggs) and is incredibly simple to make. Serve with a salad and sauce on the side for a well-balanced meal and season with lashings of salt and black pepper! This bacon and egg slice is equally delicious as a dinner meal too.
Cheesy mighty bites
Filled with Mozzarella cheese and Marmite (or Vegemite for those who prefer it!) these fun flaky puff pastry bites make the perfect midday meal. Bake a batch and you will find yourself struggling not to eat the whole thing! For a variation on this theme, add parmesan cheese at the end of baking for some extra bite.
Alice Ardnell's bread recipe
This simple bread recipe requires a bit of organisation, as it takes about four hours to prep. However, for those organised enough to plan in advance, this fresh bread is incredibly simple and uses just five ingredients. Spread it with melted butter or serve with shredded chicken meat, sauce and salad to make a sandwich. Bread is a staple at any Kiwi family table for lunch or dinner so a little bit of preparation will pay off in the long run.
Chicken salad wrap
This tasty, easy and healthy chicken salad wrap is a great café style lunch. Technically, it isn't quite a '5 ingredient recipe' since it has six ingredients - however, the ingredients can be switched around to create your own wrap of choice. Switch the chicken for leftover steak or ham and select your choice of salads. Tomatoes, spinach, green onions, cream cheese, and even cooked black beans, sour cream and cheese all make excellent fillings. You can even chuck this in the grill or sandwich press to create a toasted wrap - great to serve as a dinner meal too!
1 / 0
If you are looking for kid's lunch box ideas, check out these easy school meal ideas
Dinner
When you're looking to get dinner on the table in a hurry, the fewer ingredients the better. We've put together some of the best recipes you can cook using five ingredients or less. From pasta to stuffed mushrooms to creamy tomato chicken curry, these recipes are all versatile 5 ingredient meals to help you win in the kitchen.
5 ingredient tomato curry
This quick and easy five ingredient creamy tomato curry is incredibly simple and versatile, lending itself to many dietary and food requirements. Use whatever curry paste you desire (Korma is a popular mild paste for the whole family!) and whatever protein or meat is your favourite. Chicken, tofu or chickpeas are all great healthy options, although chicken will require a bit of extra cooking. If your curry turns out a bit acidic from the tomatoes, try adding a pinch of sugar to sweeten the dish up! Serve for dinner with naan, rice or flatbread and garnish with coriander or mint leaves.
Quick and easy tuna pasta
This easy pasta dish uses just a few ingredients and just one big pot. Seriously - we think this might be the simplest pasta dish you will ever serve for dinner! Whip this tuna pasta up in less than 20 minutes and garnish with fresh lemon zest and parsley to serve (and plenty of salt and black pepper). The leftovers also make a healthy, fresh and filling lunch the next day.
Portobello mushrooms with blue cheese
Whether this food is a snack or a dinner is up for debate - but we think they're delicious and filling enough that we'd eat them as a dinner dish! With every bite, you get the crunch on the outside and the delicate creamy blue cheese on the inside. To save time, you can also stuff them earlier and then bake them when you're ready. Pair with a tasty dipping sauce and with some healthy veggies like green beans or broccoli.
Couscous tabbouleh salad
This recipe is another that is technically made with six ingredients but it was just too good to miss out! Technically you could miss out the tomatoes but to make it five ingredients, but we suggest keeping them in!. Brimming with colourful ingredients, this salad comes together in just 15 minutes. Serve it on its own and include a protein like black beans or serve it alongside your choice of meat and vegetables - we like it alongside a tasty pepper steak or chicken breast with potatoes.
1 / 0
Dessert and snacks
This list would not be complete without us including some dessert and snack recipes. Perfect for when you need a sweet treat, these recipes are tasty options that come together with just a few ingredients.
Pears with blue cheese and honey
Just a few fresh ingredients come together to make the most decadent and easy of dessert meals. Arrange your pear slices and blue cheese on a platter, then drizzle over honey. Can be served with gingerbread if desired.
Swedish berry cake
This tasty Swedish berry cake can be enjoyed warm or cold! Using just caster sugar, butter, an egg, flour and your choice of frozen berries, this is one of the best easy dessert meals you'll ever find.
3 ingredient crème brulèe with cherries
These easy crème brulèes are our best-kept secret! Using only three ingredients and paired with a fruity cherry sauce, this dessert is a great stress-free option for finishing special meals on a high note.
1 / 0