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3-Ingredient Recipes That Make Kids AND Parents Happy

creamy tomato shells from Pinch of Yum, a 3 ingredient recipe

You’ll be amazed at what you can make with just three ingredients

If you’re anything like us, you’re always on the hunt for easy dinner recipes. The fewer ingredients we have to remember, the better (because no one likes doing a last-minute grocery store run!). To make all of our lives easier, we’ve rounded up a list of 3-ingredient recipes that will please even the pickiest of eaters. Read on to simplify your meal plan.

Cauliflower Soup

Just a Taste

Your whole crew is sure to fall in love with this silky soup from Just a Taste. It’s practically begging to be topped with your favorite add-ons, from a simple swirl of olive oil to crumbled bacon or crispy chickpeas. 

Blackened Chicken

Cooking with Janica

Dry, overcooked chicken will be a thing of the past once you try this 3-ingredient recipe from Cooking with Janica. Their easy method yields a juicy, well-seasoned chicken breast—perfect for pairing with rice, salad, or potatoes.

Perfect Roasted Potatoes

A Clean Bake

Our hunt for perfectly crispy roasted potatoes has finally come to an end, thanks to A Clean Bake. This foolproof method will have your whole family asking for seconds.

 

Honey Teriyaki Lime Salmon

Delicious salmon is less than a half hour away, thanks to this 3-ingredient recipe from Savory Nothings. Bonus points if you make your own teriyaki sauce (but we won’t judge if you go for the bottled stuff!).

Tomato Tortellini Soup

Honey and Birch

Grab your soup pot and make a big batch of this soup from Honey and Birch! With the homey goodness of tomato soup and tortellini (a kid fave!), we guarantee it'll disappear in no time.

Creamy Tomato Shells

Pinch of Yum

Trust us, you're gonna want to bookmark this delish recipe from Pinch of Yum. It's hearty, homey, and can be whipped up for any busy weeknight dinner. 

Related: 14 Easy Meals Kids Can Make Themselves This Summer

Ham and Cheese Freezer Sandwiches

Make-ahead-meal alert! We love how these sandwiches from A Taste of Madness can be frozen and then heated whenever you need a quick and easy school lunch. Plus, you can always customize it with your kiddo’s favorite lunch meat.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

Lanc Foodie Girl

Taco night just got way easier, thanks to this genius recipe from Lanc Foodie Girl. Set up the slow cooker in the morning, and dinner will be hot and ready by the time you get home.

 

3-Ingredient Biscuit Recipe

The Feathered Nester has an incredibly easy 3-ingredient biscuit recipe we love for weekend breakfasts. 

Grilled Ranch Pork Chop

No one likes a dry pork chop! Good news: this recipe from Gimme Some Grilling is going to be your new go-to method for the juiciest (and easiest) pork. The secret ingredient is hiding in the grocery store spice aisle.

Sweet Potato Wraps

Lemons & Basil

We’re always on the hunt for healthy snacks that the little ones will actually eat, and these sweet potato wraps from Lemons & Basil get the toddler seal of approval. You can fill them up with butter, cheese, or peanut butter for a perfectly balanced snack. 

Crock Pot BBQ Chicken Wings

Intelligent Domestications

Three ingredients and a few hours in a Crock Pot and bam! Now you have killer BBQ chicken wings to feed the masses, all thanks to this recipe from Intelligent Domestications. Plus the kids will get a kick out of the “secret ingredient.”

 

Grilled Cheese Rollups

Flat sandwiches are so last year… These rollups from My Little Gourmet are perfectly sized for tiny hands to dunk into a bowl of soup.

Related: 31 Make Ahead Meals That Are Perfect for Busy Weeknights

Handmade Gnocchi

Get your tiny taste testers’ hands deep into potatoes when they help you make gnocchi from scratch! Pair this step-by-step tutorial from Eugenie’s Kitchen with the tomato sauce later in this roundup.

Baked Rollups

It's Peachy Keen

Roll up ham and cheese for a dinner that will have the little ones forgetting about their pre-boxed meat, cheese, and crackers (you know which ones we're talking about!). You and your kids can whip up this recipe from It's Peachy Keen in less than 20 minutes for a fun, fingers-only meal. 

Apple Juice Chicken

Oatmeal with a Fork

You know that stockpile of juice boxes your family has been collecting? This sweet recipe, courtesy of Oatmeal With a Fork, puts them to good use! This chicken is flavorful and easy to make—and we’re willing to bet it’ll be a hit with kids and grown-ups alike. 

Steak Pinwheels

Weary Chef

A dinner that is fun to make, fun to look at, and deliciously satisfying to eat? Please let your burgeoning kitchen master bring these pinwheels to your dinner table. Weary Chef simplifies it down so your little one can get artsy with their greens before rolling it up to bake. 

Garlic Charred Green Beans

Nyssa’s Kitchen

For the easiest (and kid-friendliest) side dish, you’ve got to try these green beans from Nyssa’s Kitchen. Her method leaves the beans perfectly tender with a little char on the outside. Drooling yet? 

 

Grilled PB&J Sandwiches

If your little one is tired of sandwiches, switch it up with this tortilla version on the stove. It’s literally as simple as spreading peanut butter and jelly on a tortilla, then heating up before devouring.

Dairy-Free Perfect Noodles

Miles Burke/Unsplash

This easy dish subs nutritional yeast for parmesan and olive oil for butter to make a simple, dairy-free alternative to your kiddo’s favorite go-to pasta dish. Just cook spaghetti or linguine noodles according to the package, toss in enough olive oil to coat, and sprinkle liberally with nutritional yeast. You can add parsley, pepper, and a pinch of salt if you’re a rule-breaker.

Black Bean Soup

The Pretty Bee

Does your kiddo feel like traveling south of the border for dinner? Try out this deliciously simple black bean soup recipe from The Pretty Bee.

 

Easy Meatballs

We know your kids can’t get enough of meatballs once they’re on the table—it’s time to teach them where those delicious things come from. Take a peek at Persnickety Plates’ recipe for three-ingredient slow cooker pineapple teriyaki meatballs and have your little sous chef’s help with all the prep.

Rich Tomato Sauce

The Honour System

This one's an easy one for momma's helper, and it's done in no time at all. The Honour System has got tomato sauce down to a two-step science: simmer and stir! 

 

Maple & Mustard Salmon

Your iron chefs-in-training may or may not be ready for handling raw salmon, but they can certainly help out with a sweet and spicy glaze from For the Love of Cooking.