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Five-Ingredient Dinners: 100+ Fast, Flavorful Meals
Test cooks share their favorite low-effort, high-reward complete weeknight dinners, all ready in an hour or less.
Imagine surveying your pantry or fridge and realizing you already have every ingredient you need to make any number of fast, flavor-packed meals. Sounds like a dream? These back-pocket dinners make it a reality, with recipes that transform foods such as a rotisserie chicken, a baguette, hummus, or quinoa into full meals using just five ingredients (plus salt, pepper, and fat) that require little in the way of planning.
What these recipes lack in ingredients, they more than make up for in flavor and creativity. We use simple techniques to our advantage to coax the maximum amount of oomph out of each component:
• Turn rotisserie chicken into a cheesy, melty tart with frozen spinach, Brie, and store-bought crust
• Shape lemony meatballs from ground chicken and quinoa—given a flavor boost from garlicky hummus that doubles as the base for a sauce
• Get resourceful with our Grilled Tofu with Charred Broccoli, Peanut Sauce, and Crispy Shallots, repurposing the often drained-away shallot frying oil to coat the broccoli before grilling for an added layer of savoriness
With each recipe, a test cook's commentary gives an inside peek into the recipe creation process, whether offering a tip for using a high-impact ingredient like red curry paste or oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (we help you compile a treasure trove of useful flavor bombs) or an imaginative technique (such as mincing carrot tops for a garnish). These recipes and tips will have you looking at your pantry with fresh eyes.
Imagine surveying your pantry or fridge and realizing you already have every ingredient you need to make any number of fast, flavor-packed meals. Sounds like a dream? These back-pocket dinners make it a reality, with recipes that transform foods such as a rotisserie chicken, a baguette, hummus, or quinoa into full meals using just five ingredients (plus salt, pepper, and fat) that require little in the way of planning.
What these recipes lack in ingredients, they more than make up for in flavor and creativity. We use simple techniques to our advantage to coax the maximum amount of oomph out of each component:
• Turn rotisserie chicken into a cheesy, melty tart with frozen spinach, Brie, and store-bought crust
• Shape lemony meatballs from ground chicken and quinoa—given a flavor boost from garlicky hummus that doubles as the base for a sauce
• Get resourceful with our Grilled Tofu with Charred Broccoli, Peanut Sauce, and Crispy Shallots, repurposing the often drained-away shallot frying oil to coat the broccoli before grilling for an added layer of savoriness
With each recipe, a test cook's commentary gives an inside peek into the recipe creation process, whether offering a tip for using a high-impact ingredient like red curry paste or oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (we help you compile a treasure trove of useful flavor bombs) or an imaginative technique (such as mincing carrot tops for a garnish). These recipes and tips will have you looking at your pantry with fresh eyes.
280 pages, Hardcover
Published August 17, 2021
273 people are currently reading
169 people want to read
About the author
America's Test Kitchen
256 books617 followersAmerica's Test Kitchen, based in a brand new state-of-the-art 60,000 sq. ft. facility with over 15,000 sq. ft. of test kitchens and studio space, in Boston's Seaport District, is dedicated to finding the very best recipes for home cooks. Over 50 full-time (admittedly obsessive) test cooks spend their days testing recipes 30, 40, up to 100 times, tweaking every variable until they understand how and why recipes work. They also test cookware and supermarket ingredients so viewers can bypass marketing hype and buy the best quality products. As the home of Cook's Illustrated and Cook's Country magazines, and publisher of more than one dozen cookbooks each year, America's Test Kitchen has earned the respect of the publishing industry, the culinary world, and millions of home cooks. America's Test Kitchen the television show launched in 2001, and the company added a second television program, Cook's Country, in 2008.
Discover, learn, and expand your cooking repertoire with Julia Collin Davison, Bridget Lancaster, Jack Bishop, Dan Souza, Lisa McManus, Tucker Shaw, Bryan Roof, and our fabulous team of test cooks!
Learn more at https://www.americastestkitchen.com/.
Discover, learn, and expand your cooking repertoire with Julia Collin Davison, Bridget Lancaster, Jack Bishop, Dan Souza, Lisa McManus, Tucker Shaw, Bryan Roof, and our fabulous team of test cooks!
Learn more at https://www.americastestkitchen.com/.
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
September 4, 2021
Pictures of recipes? Yes.
Commentary on recipes? Yes.
Nutrition facts? Yes.
Recipe Style? Short, generally low effort. Lots of influences.
Any keepers? Yes, several.
I don't think the grilling section should have been as large as it was, but overall some great recipes here.
Commentary on recipes? Yes.
Nutrition facts? Yes.
Recipe Style? Short, generally low effort. Lots of influences.
Any keepers? Yes, several.
I don't think the grilling section should have been as large as it was, but overall some great recipes here.
November 2, 2021
Yummy recipes and photos. With five ingredients, leftovers, pantry staples, you can still put a good meal on the table. Plus all the advice and commentary from America's Test Kitchen cooks.
December 31, 2022
I love the simplicity of these go-to recipes. My family really enjoyed the Creamy egg noodles with Pork. Very comforting like a beef stroganoff. The delicious surprise ingredient is boursin cheese, to finish and add more flavor and creaminess. Also on Libby app👍.
April 11, 2022
Worth having around for the "Use It Up" chart alone that tells you which recipes will help use up a jar or bottle of something languishing in the pantry or fridge.
Read
November 28, 2021On one hand, I'm always skeptical of any cookbook that's dedicated to a too-specific gimmick. Themes or genres are one thing, but something too specific makes me worried the gimmick will be prioritized over the quality of the recipe. On the other hand, "five ingredient dinners" sounds like the promise a person could need. There are a myriad of reasons a person might want a quick dinner, or even just a shorter list of ingredients, so perhaps this isn't a gimmick, but a comfort.
This book stays true to its words and only ever uses five ingredients per recipe. It excludes salt, pepper, and oil/butter as "ingredients", but that's it. Sometimes it helps you get "bang for your buck" by utilizing already-flavorful and pre-mixed items. For example, instead of mixing herbs and cheese, buy an already-flavored herby cheese. Who needs to mince and saute garlic when it's already included in the garlicky hummus you grabbed at the grocery store? And there are times when a person would want to mix and measure their own spices, but there is also no shame in using a spice blend!
This book must have achieved its goal, because several times I said to myself, "Hey, that's easy to make! I could do that on a busy evening." Most recipes take about 30 minutes, but there are several that take a hour (due to baking, roasting, or such), but they always stick to the five ingredients. Each recipe has a full-color photo on one page and the introduction, ingredients, and recipe on the opposing page. It's organized and user-friendly. Chapters include:
Chicken Every Way
Meaty Meals
Fresh Catch
Noodle Night
Meatless Mondays
Dinner Off the Grill
Additionally, there's an introduction with tips and tricks, a guide in the back on how to round out a meal, nutritional info, conversions, and an index.
In a similar vein, I've also read Jamie Oliver's 5-ingredient book, and although it's been a while, I recall that being a pretty good book, too. The advantage of this book by America's Test Kitchen is that they use more ingredients and brand names I personally have access to. I felt there was a wide enough variety of flavors and styles of foods in this book, so it's likely most people can find something they like. If it sounds like something you're interested in, give this book a look!
This book stays true to its words and only ever uses five ingredients per recipe. It excludes salt, pepper, and oil/butter as "ingredients", but that's it. Sometimes it helps you get "bang for your buck" by utilizing already-flavorful and pre-mixed items. For example, instead of mixing herbs and cheese, buy an already-flavored herby cheese. Who needs to mince and saute garlic when it's already included in the garlicky hummus you grabbed at the grocery store? And there are times when a person would want to mix and measure their own spices, but there is also no shame in using a spice blend!
This book must have achieved its goal, because several times I said to myself, "Hey, that's easy to make! I could do that on a busy evening." Most recipes take about 30 minutes, but there are several that take a hour (due to baking, roasting, or such), but they always stick to the five ingredients. Each recipe has a full-color photo on one page and the introduction, ingredients, and recipe on the opposing page. It's organized and user-friendly. Chapters include:
Chicken Every Way
Meaty Meals
Fresh Catch
Noodle Night
Meatless Mondays
Dinner Off the Grill
Additionally, there's an introduction with tips and tricks, a guide in the back on how to round out a meal, nutritional info, conversions, and an index.
In a similar vein, I've also read Jamie Oliver's 5-ingredient book, and although it's been a while, I recall that being a pretty good book, too. The advantage of this book by America's Test Kitchen is that they use more ingredients and brand names I personally have access to. I felt there was a wide enough variety of flavors and styles of foods in this book, so it's likely most people can find something they like. If it sounds like something you're interested in, give this book a look!
September 5, 2021
I am very fortunate in that I am able to review a lot of cookbooks, thanks to the generosity of authors and publishers. That said, some books are easier to review than others. Five-Ingredient Dinners: 100+ Fast, Flavorful Meals by America’s Test Kitchen is one of those books. The reason that it wasn’t particularly easy for me to review is that quite a few of the recipes didn’t interest me, and the reason for that is because I am not a fan of quite a few of the ingredients used, among them grains and lamb. That said, my personal tastes should not deter you from giving this cookbook a try.
Having studied it page-by-page, I’m quite impressed overall. The meals are five ingredients (with the exception of basic staples like salt, pepper, butter, you get the drift), varied, and are relatively easy to prepare. Some of them are fancy enough for company, others great pleasers for kids. Honestly, a meal with only five ingredients is something of which dreams are made.
Each recipe features a test cook’s or editor’s commentary on what you are about to create, providing an inside look at the process, and inspiring your culinary endeavors. Learn what other people’s families find satisfying and doable. That personal touch makes this cookbook stand out among the rest.
One of the things I absolutely loved about this book was at the very beginning when it lists all kinds of things that you might have left over, and what to do with those little bits. I had to laugh at this because one of those leftovers was chilies in adobo sauce, and I cannot tell you how many of those I have tossed out over the years. No more! When I find myself with leftovers, I am definitely going to make Chipotle Shrimp Risotto.
There are loads of beautiful, colorful pictures in this book, something that, in my cranky old age, is an absolute must. I want to see what the finished dish is supposed to look like, so I can compare my efforts; I found their methods of plating to be helpful as well.
All in all, a handy, versatile book that can make your life a whole lot better.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Having studied it page-by-page, I’m quite impressed overall. The meals are five ingredients (with the exception of basic staples like salt, pepper, butter, you get the drift), varied, and are relatively easy to prepare. Some of them are fancy enough for company, others great pleasers for kids. Honestly, a meal with only five ingredients is something of which dreams are made.
Each recipe features a test cook’s or editor’s commentary on what you are about to create, providing an inside look at the process, and inspiring your culinary endeavors. Learn what other people’s families find satisfying and doable. That personal touch makes this cookbook stand out among the rest.
One of the things I absolutely loved about this book was at the very beginning when it lists all kinds of things that you might have left over, and what to do with those little bits. I had to laugh at this because one of those leftovers was chilies in adobo sauce, and I cannot tell you how many of those I have tossed out over the years. No more! When I find myself with leftovers, I am definitely going to make Chipotle Shrimp Risotto.
There are loads of beautiful, colorful pictures in this book, something that, in my cranky old age, is an absolute must. I want to see what the finished dish is supposed to look like, so I can compare my efforts; I found their methods of plating to be helpful as well.
All in all, a handy, versatile book that can make your life a whole lot better.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 9, 2025
I enjoy the incredible detail that the America's Test Kitchen Cookbooks contain, and I have to admit that I was excited to read this one and see the different meal combinations that they would come up with, but I have to say, this just didn't do it for me! They weren't bad or anything-just not something I would personally eat or think "that's a good mix of 5 ingredients!" I hope to find a cookbook within this subgenre that I will enjoy, but for now, its back to searching.
August 17, 2024
I picked this up at the library for the "Five-ingredient" premise and was impressed! I've made 4 meals (stovetop & grill) and have a list of others I want to try. It would be fun to just go through page-by-page, try them all (barring allergies [shrimp]). There are a LOT of soups - which I like - but it's August in Tennessee and soup beyond gazpacho holds no allure!
October 26, 2021
I loved this idea, so I gave it four stars. To have only 5 ingredients and very simple instructions is awesome. For me though, there are not a lot of the recipes I would make and eat from this book. Top marks for effort.
January 18, 2022
𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝! 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬. 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥. 𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐛𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩/𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞. 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨, 𝐬𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠.
September 19, 2021
3.5 stars
September 27, 2021
Another excellent cookbook by America's Test Kitchen. I need to buy this after reviewing it from the Library! There are many dishes I want to make!
October 14, 2021
This book guarantees a fuzz free and worry free dinners:even fantastic lunches as well !
January 1, 2022
Want to try the Farro Salad, Garlicky Fried Rice, and the Grilled Barbecue Tempeh Skewer recipes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 22, 2022
Several interesting recipes I liked the broccoli chickpea &avocado salad!
July 15, 2022
A great compilation of recipes! I really liked the illustrations!
October 12, 2022
Deducted a star because these recipes are not like "normal" recipes you'd make, if that makes sense. At least not for me!
November 13, 2022
Easy to follow and creative. Read on Kindle and it was still perfectly usable, unlike most other graphic rich books, this book rendered well and was easy to navigate.
April 17, 2023
I would make almost everything in this book if I had the time and money. I would buy this book!
June 10, 2023
Several solid recipes but less educational than I normally find ATK books.
June 28, 2023
A compilation on quick dinners, done either in the oven or on the stove top. I liked the minimal ingredient list. Took pics of some recipes that I thought I might use while camping.
August 5, 2023
Decent recipes and what the book promises. Disappointed that not all the recipes are available on ATK’s site for download.
June 30, 2024
Just not recipes my family will love. Others will! I love ATK and this book has pictures and tips for every recipe. Love that!!!
Read
September 17, 2024Not for me
September 25, 2024
Fairly straightforward. Nothing really stood out to me.
November 17, 2024
Great!
It has great recipes. I cooked several of them and it didn’t disappoint! I recommend this book. Great for meal prep.
It has great recipes. I cooked several of them and it didn’t disappoint! I recommend this book. Great for meal prep.
February 12, 2025
Saved some of the recipes for later.
October 11, 2025
Lots of good recipes and good technique information.
October 24, 2023
Very good recipe book with tons of ideas for quick 5-ingredient meals. It definitely opened my eyes and made me realize that dinner doesn’t have to be super fancy every day.
December 24, 2023
I want this one. Simple easy cooking.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews