The 35 best cooking for one recipes are helpful to reduce food waste, and enjoy cooking for one. In this list of 35 recipes, you'll find easy one pot recipes, pantry recipes, vegetarian meals, and 15 minute dinners.
[This recipe was originally posted in November 2021. It has been updated with more of the best cooking for one recipes, cooking instructions, expert tips, FAQ]
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Cooking for one can be a big challenge, we've been taught to cook for a family, see recipes with 4-6+ servings, and don't often think of cooking for one as being different than cooking for 4+. But it is, it needs to be.
There aren't that many of us who actually look forward to eating the same dish 4+ days in a row. If this is you, not loving ALL THE LEFTOVERS, this list of the 35 best cooking for one recipes is for you.
Well, that + one or a few recipes with 4 servings, because leftovers are great too. It's about balancing single serving recipes with leftovers. See tips below for more help to cook for one.
Make Cooking for One Easier
Here are a few articles and resources with tips to make cooking for yourself easy and more enjoyable.
- Meal Planning for One
- Single Serving Cooking: Meal Prep Hacks
- Cooking for One Pantry Staples
- More Single Serving Recipes for One (organized by protein)
One Pot Dinners
Some of the best cooking for one recipes can be made in just one pot or pan. Easy recipes can also be very tasty, as you can see with these easy recipes.
Creamy mushrooms and chicken are the ultimate comfort food. Serve this chicken dish over rice for an easy dinner.
This is one of my absolute favorite recipes, it's ready in about 20 minutes, and is easy because you pan fry breadcrumbs on their own instead of bread the chicken. This saves you effort but keeps all the delicious flavor.
This cajun foil packet is a great oven dinner or camping dinner. By adding all ingredients to a packet of tin foil, it's the easiest clean up and you can make more than one packet! This is such a great cooking for one recipe.
White beans, delicata squash, and more seasonal vegetables make this soup very comforting and tasty. It's especially great served with a grilled cheese.
This baked panko chicken is so good and easy. To make dinner easier, you can bake some fries with it, or roast vegetables like these Frozen Roasted Green Beans, Roasted Broccoli and Mushrooms, or Asparagus and Brussels Sprouts.
Chili is such a delicious and comforting meal, but it can take lots of time and effort. This chili without tomatoes is so easy, flavorful, and ready in 30 minutes. Add tomatoes to this if you like them, but you don't have to!
A good vegetarian chili leaves you not missing the meat at all, this is one of those recipes. It's a great one from One Dish Kitchen.
This maple mustard salmon is one of my favorite recipes. It's made on one sheet pan, with vegetables, and is so easy. 20 minutes for dinner.
This recipe is awesome you can cook the pasta with everything instead of cooking it in a separate pot of water. Easy! It's the ultimate delicious one pot dish.
If you want to include vegetables, nearly any vegetable would be great added to this simple pork stir fry recipe from One Dish Kitchen. It's done in 30 minutes, so you can get back to whatever else you need to do!
Pantry Dinners
I live for pantry dinners. Having a well stocked pantry is essential to make a tasty dinner on days when you didn't plan a recipe ahead of time. These Quick Pantry Dinners for One are great to get started.
Pantry recipes are essential great cooking for one recipes.
I like to make pesto with starting to wilt greens, then freeze it for later. This easy pesto pasta uses homemade or store bought pesto for a flavorful, easy dinner. I like to use arugula or spinach, and basil to make my pesto.
Canned foods and random vegetables come together in this easy black bean pasta dish. It's easy, and a great way to throw together a tasty pasta in just 15 minutes.
Swap the leeks for whatever vegetables you have on hand, although, when cooked in butter these leeks are SO GOOD! It's a simple recipe with delicate flavors, but is satisfying and so tasty.
Have you cooked salmon in parchment paper before? If not, try it! It's a wonderful French method to lock in moisture. It's one of my favorite cooking methods for frozen fish (which I use so much!)
Chicken salad is such an easy and flavorful recipe for one, plus the crunchy apples and pecans are so good! Using precooked chicken saves you time and effort. This salad is fantastic for a throw together lunch or dinner.
Don't have any premade pasta sauce? Throw together this canned tomato pasta with a can of tomatoes, seasonings, and pasta. It's ready in about 15 minutes and is very flavorful, making it a great cooking for one recipe.
These easy microwave eggs in a cup is a great component to a throw together meal. Enjoy them with toast in the morning or for dinner. Either way you're bound to love them.
Dinner in 15 Minutes
These assembly style dinner recipes are great for very quick weeknight meals. No need to sacrifice on flavor when you're tight on time. That's what makes these 15 minute and under recipes some of the best cooking for one recipes.
Grab a can of refried beans (or smash black beans or pinto beans so they don't roll off your tortilla), some vegetables in your fridge, and cheese. Load up tortillas and squeeze lime and serve with your favorite salsa.
Do you love bagel sandwiches as much as I do? They're so good and easy. Level up a traditional BLT by serving it in an everything bagel, or whatever your favorite savory bagel is, it'll still be great. And quick.
Remembering to defrost meat is hard, but it's even harder when you are throwing together something without planning ahead of time. This easy easy air fryer salmon doesn't require defrosting, and it's still quick!
This is one of my favorite ways to enjoy leftover chicken. Some seasoning is fine. Fresh vegetables, bacon, and ranch add lots of flavor to simple chicken. It's such a delicious recipe for cooking for one to look forward to.
This easy sweet potato gnocchi and sausage recipe is so flavorful and easy. Cook it all together in about 10 minutes. You could cook in an air fryer or oven, but the stove is my favorite way for ease and texture.
This simple apple omelet recipe is based on one super delicious omelet I had in New York City. I wouldn't have thought apples, sharp cheese, and eggs would be so great together, but they are!
Chicken salads are some of the best cooking for one recipes, add some dried cranberries and walnuts to make this chicken salad different than all the other ones. It's a great winter recipe served on bread, salad, or in a wrap.
This hand held egg roll is a great breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It's based on a delicious rolex that I enjoyed in Uganda. I like to use uncooked tortillas to get a more chapati feeling wrap than just tortillas. Use what you have though.
Carbonara is such a lovely, comforting dish, it's also quite easy. I like to add some lemon flavor to lighten it up, serve with whatever ham or similar product i have, and a poached egg on top. Yum!
Get all the watermelon you can during watermelon season. I recommend enjoying it in this easy watermelon chicken salad. It's such a flavorful, refreshing dish.
Vegetarian Dinners
Adding plant based meals to your rotation is a great way to switch up what you're eating, save money, and eat more sustainably. These plant based meals are packed with flavor and texture, and are loved by meat eaters too.
This is one of my favorite fall cooking for one recipes. It's packed with fall flavors, lots of different textures, and is very satisfying. Use whatever vegetables you have, and definitely crisp up the tofu for it!
Who would have thought that you just need a few pantry essentials to make this cheesy, creamy, delicious white bean tomato bake. Dip crackers or toast into it for a more filling meal. It's so good and comforting, without much effort.
Hands down this is my favorite way to prepare tofu, you get such a nice crispy crust, and tender tofu. Add any sauce you like, but simple soy sauce and something spicy is delicious. It's a great no plan dinner.
Adding silken tofu to soups is a great way to add creaminess and protein to them. This sweet potato soup is extra creamy and thick thanks to the tofu. It's such a tasty, simple fall or winter meal.
Instant Pot Recipes
I love my Instant Pot. I can make batches of rice, beans and pressure cook meat for future meals. It's also a great tool to brown and also quickly cook other dishes, it's so helpful to make cooking for one recipes.
I can actually make beans from dry with my Instant Pot. Make this simple vegetarian dinner with hearty vegetables and enjoy it with some crusty bread. It's such an easy and flavorful dish for a chilly night.
Oh this chicken fried rice is so good! It's easy, is made in an Instant Pot, and uses fresh rice instead of leftovers. But you can (and should use leftover rice-the flavor is great!) just add it later!
You can cook your pinto beans and rice in the Instant Pot at the same time! Add your favorite toppings for a tasty bowl. I like adding Spicy Pickled Onions and salsa.
Chicken and mushrooms is such a tasty flavor combination. This simple soup can be made entirely in your Instant Pot for easy clean-up and peak tastiness for an easy meal.
FAQ
It's hard for lots of people, but it doesn't have to be. It just takes a different approach to planning and cooking than cooking for more than one. Learn more about cooking for one in this article about Meal Planning for One.
The most important question to ask yourself is-do I like cooking? If you like cooking, than cooking for yourself can be worth it, you just may need to take a different approach to cooking, and to like it.
You can find 35 easy single serving recipes including ones you can make with just one pot or pan, recipes using pantry ingredients, and recipes that can be made in 15 minutes or less.
Did you make these cooking for one recipes? Leave me a comment & rating to share how they turned out!
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Recipes are great, but you’ll need a simple 3 step process to create a meal plan that make cooking easy & helps you stop wasting food. Check out this expertly developed meal planning guide to get started.
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