19 Delicious And Easy 3-Ingredient Recipes For Busy Parents

Whoever invented 3-ingredient recipes needs to receive a medal of honor. Seriously. Whether you’re running low on staples in your pantry or just don’t have the time to cook a fancy schmancy zillion ingredient dish, a 3-ingredient recipe is your kitchen lifesaver! Don’t believe us? No problem. We rounded up some of the most delicious and easy recipes out there so you can wow your own tastebuds. Oh, and your family’s too. From easy baking recipes for kids to dinner, these delicious and easy recipes will leave you believing simple is better and delicious.

1. Perfect Roast Chicken

Yes, you can totally roast a perfect chicken dinner for you and yours using only minimal ingredients but maximum flavor. After all, if it’s the home cooked meal of choice for Meghan Markle then it’s good enough for the rest of us. After you cook the most mouthwatering bird, add some veggies to dress it up.

2. Ice Cream French Toast

Ice cream and french toast? Need we say more? Whether you’re looking to indulge your sweet tooth for dessert or breakfast, you’ll love this yummy treat.

3. Cheesy Garlic Broccoli

This easy peasy broccoli recipe is the perfect side dish to your potluck or Thanksgiving dinner. Cheese, broccoli, and garlic — finito!

4. Peanut Butter Cookies

Baking can be intimidating for a lot of people. But when you only have three ingredients to work with, like these delicious peanut butter cookies, then anyone has the power to embrace their inner Nigella Lawson.

5. Easy Chili

Chili needn’t be complicated! Warm up with a yummy bowl of this hearty chili that will look like it took you hours rather than minutes to cook.

6. Mac & Cheese

Everyone’s favorite comfort food just got a whole lot easier with this simple recipe that focuses on the most important parts: cheese, pasta, and milk.

7. Baked Salmon with Pesto and Pecans

Wow your guests with this Gordon Ramsey-worthy salmon dish that looks like you should be on a reality TV cooking show. They’ll be shocked when you tell them how easy it was (that is, if you tell them the truth).

8. Buttermilk Biscuits

These buttermilk biscuits might not be the same as your grandmother’s recipe, but we’re pretty sure they’re a heck of a lot easier to tackle. Not to mention they are mouthwatering goodness.

9. Italian Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Get cozy with this tasty cauliflower soup recipe that’s super simple you’ll never want to eat soup out of a can again!

10. Potato Gnocchi Pasta

Gnocchi is not only tricky to pronounce, but it has a rep that it’s tricky to make. Although this recipe definitely requires a finer touch in the kitchen, the ingredients are fairly straightforward and probably in your pantry right now: potatoes, egg, and flour.

11. Watermelon Granita

Cool off your tastebuds with this delicious granita that’s the perfect dessert for a hot summer weekend potluck. Bonus: you could add a fourth ingredient in vodka if you’re making this for an adult-only party.

12. Raw Brownies

Nothing satisfies a sweet tooth more than a delicious brownie. And the good news about this recipe? The three ingredients — dates, nuts, and cacao powder — are totally whole and healthy for you.

13. Nutella Croissants

This is a 3-ingredient recipe with a wink wink as one of the ingredients is Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, but the gist is the same. For piping hot chocolate croissants, spread Nutella hazelnut spread on the dough, rolling them up into a croissant shape. Brush on with an egg wash at the end for a golden brown finish.

14. Peanut Butter Cheerios Bites

In the vein of rice crispy treats, this recipe is a peanut butter lover’s dream come true. Microwave equal parts peanut butter and honey before mixing in Cheerios. Place on parchment paper and let cool before diving right in.

15. Puff Pastry Palmier Cookies

Cut puff pastry intro strips, roll the cookies into the classic palmier shape before brushing with an egg wash and sprinkling with cinnamon sugar or just granulated sugar. Bake 20 minutes at 450 degrees, cool, and enjoy!

16. Flourless Chocolate Cake

Eggs, chocolate, and unsalted butter are the main, no, only ingredients of this decadent flourless chocolate cake. Follow Gimme Some Oven’s easy step-by-step instructions for a gluten free and rich dessert. It’s so easy, kids can even jump in and help you mix before you take care of the baking part. It’s sure to be a family favorite.

17. Grilled Salmon With Asparagus and Lemon

This one is as simple as it sounds. Fire up that grill and broil up a well-oiled and seasoned salmon to your desired temperature. Toss some crunchy asparagus next to it briefly, sprinkle some coarse salt for flavor, and squeeze a lemon wedge on top of both for extra flavor.

18. 3-Ingredient Pancakes

This recipe from Tasty skips out on ingredients but not the taste. All you’ll need to make these fluffy pancakes is one ripe banana, two eggs, a few dashes of cinnamon and an (optional) maple syrup to serve. That’s all.

19. 3-Ingredient Chili

This easy chili delivers on the spice and heartiness without forcing the chef to stir and simmer all afternoon long. The recipe, via IheartNaptime, calls for a can of Chili beans, a can of diced spicy tomatoes, and some ground beef and cooks in less than 30 minutes. You can go from a chili craving to eating chili hours faster with traditional recipes. Now that’s something we can get behind.