Home DIY 7 Easy 3-Ingredient Recipes

7 Easy 3-Ingredient Recipes

Easy three-ingredient recipes

Time is precious and free time is a luxury but we still need to eat. Thankfully though, the lack of time has given rise to easy recipes with a few ingredients but loads of flavor.

There is an array of dishes that need just three ingredients ranging from starters, mains to desserts. Not only do these recipes save time, but they also can be done on a budget and are very easy to execute. Here we have some recipes that show you just how simple it is to prepare meals using a couple of key ingredients.

1. Potato and Spring Onion Baked Fritters

Potato and spring onion pancakes

Ingredients

  • Potato – 3 ¾ cup, shredded
  • Spring onions – 2 cups, chopped finely
  • Parmesan – ½ cup
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Olive oil – 3 tbsp

Method

  1. Rinse the shredded potato and squeeze the water out using a towel. Lay the potato on a dry towel for 10 minutes.
  2. Preheat oven for 15 minutes at 180 degrees C.
  3. In a large bowl, combine parmesan, potato, spring onions and the seasoning.
  4. Add the olive oil and mix well with a fork.
  5. Place cupcake cases in a muffin tin.
  6. Spoon 1 ½ tbsp of the mixture into the cases and with another spoon flatten the mixture gently.
  7. Bake for 1 hour or 1 ½ hours till the fritters are a lovely golden color.
  8. Leave them in the pan for 15 minutes. This makes removing them from the pan easier.
  9. Serve warm.
  10. Batter can be made in advance and refrigerated.
  11. Add other ingredients like bacon or chicken ham to add more to the fritter.

 2. Homemade Energy Bars/Squares

3-Ingredient recipe

Ingredients

  • Almonds – 1 cup
  • Cashews/hazelnuts – 1 cup
  • Dates – 2 ½ cups
  • Salt to taste

Method

  1. The nuts can be added raw or roasted. The advantage of roasting the nuts is that it adds more crunch and flavor to the bars.
  2. Roast the nuts for 10 minutes on a roasting pan or until you get the nutty smell at 180 degrees C. Cool for 10 minutes.
  3. Place nuts in a Ziploc bag and crush the nuts with a rolling pin till you get the desired size and all are even.
  4. Put the dates in a grinder or food processor, and grind or process till the dates are wet enough to add the other ingredients to make bars.
  5. Add the nuts and mix with a fork or hands till the mixture is well combined.
  6. Place in the mixture in an 8”x8” tin. Cover with clingwrap. Refrigerate for a minimum of 8 hours.
  7. Remove from fridge and cut the mix into bars or squares.
  8. Wrap each bar in clingwrap or place a piece of baking paper between each bar if you are piling them in a container. This ensures that the bars do not stick together.
  9. You can use other nuts, chocolate chips, cranberries and cinnamon.

3. Peanut Butter Cookies (Gluten-Free)

Vegan 3-ingredient recipe

Ingredients

  • Egg – 1
  • Peanut butter – 1 cup
  • Caster sugar/brown sugar – ¾ cup
  • Salt to taste

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
  2. Mix all the ingredients till well combined.
  3. Using an ice cream scoop, drop round balls onto parchment or baking paper.
  4. Flatten the cookie dough with a fork 2 times to give a crisscross pattern.
  5. Bake for 12-14 minutes.
  6. Allow them to cool on the tin for 3 minutes before removing them from the tray.
  7. Store in an airtight container.

4. Baked French Fries with Garlic

Garlic baked french fries.

  • Potatoes – 1 kilo, cut into sticks
  • Garlic – 4-5 cloves, minced
  • Olive oil – 2 tbsp
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Chili flakes (optional)

Method

  1. Preheat oven at 200 degrees C. In a bowl, toss the potato sticks in the oil and garlic.
  2. Add seasoning.
  3. Toss till the fries are evenly coated.
  4. Place them on a baking tray with parchment and spread them out.
  5. Bake for 30-45 minutes or till they are crispy and golden.
  6. Serve immediately.

5. Buttery Corn

Butter corn easy recipe

Ingredients

  • Corn kernels – 21/2 cups, grilled
  • Butter – 2 tbsp
  • Spring onions/coriander – ½ cup
  • Salt, pepper and chili flakes to taste

Method

  1. After grilling, till soft and a little charred, remove the corn kernels and place in a glass bowl.
  2. Add the onions, butter and seasonings and toss till the corn is well coated.
  3. Serve as a side dish with grilled or barbecued meat.

6. Watermelon Salad with Mint

Easy watermelon mint salad.

Ingredients

  • Watermelon – 3 ½ cups, chopped
  • Onion – ¼ cup, sliced
  • Mint – ½ cup
  • Salt – To taste

Method

  1. In a glass bowl, combine watermelon, onion, mint, salt and pepper and toss till evenly coated.
  2. Serve immediately.

7. Caprese Salad

Easy caprese salad.

Ingredients

  • Tomatoes – 3 medium, sliced ¼ “thick
  • Mozzarella – 500g, ¼ inch thick slices
  • Basil leaves – 1 cup, fresh
  • Olive oil – a couple of splashes
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Method

  1. On a long rectangular-shaped plate, alternate between tomato slices, mozzarella slices and basil
  2. Repeat the process till you run out of ingredients.
  3. Sprinkle salt and pepper evenly.
  4. Drizzle with olive oil
  5. Keep refrigerated till it’s time to serve.
  6. Reduce balsamic vinegar till it becomes thick and reduces to half its volume to make a glaze. Drizzle over the salad (optional).