Recipe Professional

Category: Main Dish

  • Easy Tuna Salad Recipe

    Easy Tuna Salad Recipe

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    Learn how to make our favorite tuna salad recipe! It is super easy, quick, and perfect for sandwiches, snacks, or topping your favorite salad!

    Tuna Salad Sandwich

    My favorite tuna salad recipe uses high-quality tuna and simple ingredients for a delicious sandwich, wrap, or cracker topping. I’ve made this salad so many times. I love this quick, healthy salad on a sandwich, in a wrap, or with crackers.

    I grew up eating tuna salad sandwiches (thanks, Mom!), and they’re still one of my favorite lunches. If you’re looking for other easy and tasty salad ideas, I bet you’ll love our classic egg salad, smashed chickpea salad, and this chicken salad (it’s so good!).

    Key Ingredients

    • Tuna: I use canned albacore tuna caught using sustainable pole-and-line methods and cooked right in the can. This results in the most flavorful tuna that retains its natural juices and fats. When I buy canned tuna cooked in the can, I don’t drain it. Brands that don’t cook tuna in the can cook it first and then can it, which means that much of the natural juices and healthy fats are lost. That’s why you will often see tuna canned in water or oil. When the tuna is cooked right in the can, there is no need for extra water or oil. If sustainably caught, high-quality tuna isn’t available, flaked salmon or mashed chickpeas work well as a substitute. (I love this smashed chickpea salad sandwich.)
    • Mayonnaise: I use store-bought mayonnaise or homemade mayo if I have it in the fridge, but you can use a vegan mayo or swap some of it for a drizzle of olive oil if you prefer a less creamy salad.
    • Mustard: I’m a big fan of adding Dijon mustard for a zesty kick, but it’s totally optional. If you’re unsure, make the salad without it, and then try adding a bit to see if you like it.
    • Fresh Lemon Juice: I love a tiny squeeze of lemon juice to balance out the richness of the mayonnaise and cut through the fishy taste of the tuna.
    • Crunchy Things: This is where you can get creative! I love adding celery, homemade dill pickles (along with a splash of pickle juice), and scallions for extra crunch and flavor. Feel free to experiment with your favorite crunchy additions.

    Find the full recipe with measurements below.

    Tuna Salad Ingredients

    Enjoying Your Tuna Salad

    This simple tuna salad is incredibly versatile (I really do make it almost every week)! Here are some of our favorite ways to serve it:

    • Classic Tuna Sandwich: This is my go-to lunch. I love layering this salad with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce on bread. If I have any on hand, homemade focaccia is amazing, but use what you have!
    • Wraps and Flatbreads: Create easy and flavorful wraps using tortillas or flatbreads. If you are up for it, I love these homemade flour tortillas and this super easy flatbread recipe!
    • Add to Salads: Add protein to your favorite salads by adding a scoop of tuna salad. It’s delicious with our Caesar salad, Greek salad, or on top of this quinoa salad.
    • Serve with Crackers and Vegetables: Make a light and healthy snack by serving tuna salad with crackers or fresh slices of cucumber and zucchini.
    • Make a Tuna Melt: Here’s Adam’s favorite! Spread the salad on buttered and toasted bread, top with cheese (we recommend Gruyère or white cheddar), and broil until melted. So good!
    Tuna Salad

    Easy Tuna Salad

    • PREP
    • TOTAL

    We use canned Albacore tuna and a short list of simple ingredients in our favorite tuna salad recipe. It is so quick and easy. If you cannot find sustainably caught canned tuna, substitute the tuna with flaked salmon or mashed chickpeas (use about 2 cups). Tips for buying tuna for tuna salad are in the tips section below.

    4 Servings

    Watch Us Make the Recipe

    You Will Need

    2 (5 ounce) cans of tuna, see tips below

    3 to 4 tablespoons mayonnaise, try homemade mayonnaise

    1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, optional

    1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

    1 stalk of celery, finely chopped

    1 scallion, finely chopped, or use 1 tablespoon of chopped onion

    1 to 2 dill pickles, finely chopped, try homemade pickles

    1 tablespoon dill pickle juice, optional

    Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

    Directions

      1Prepare the tuna: Whether you drain the liquid in the can depends on the brand of tuna you have. If you have purchased tuna cooked in the can, you do not need to drain it. Draining it would remove the natural juices and fats, including omega-3 fats. If the can of tuna says “packed in water” or “packed in oil,” we prefer to drain it.

      2Make the salad: Place the tuna in a medium bowl and break it up with a fork. Add 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, the chopped celery, scallion, pickles, 1 tablespoon of pickle juice, and a generous pinch of fresh ground black pepper. Mix thoroughly.

      3Taste and adjust: Taste the salad and adjust the seasoning with salt, or add another tablespoon of mayonnaise if needed.

    Adam and Joanne’s Tips

    • Storing:  Store tuna salad in airtight, food-safe containers in the fridge for up to 5 days. We do not recommend freezing the salad.
    • Do I need to drain tuna cans? The answer depends on the brand of tuna you have. If you have purchased tuna cooked in the can, then no, you do not want to drain it. Draining it would remove the natural juices and fats, including omega-3 fats. Alternatively, if the can of tuna says “packed in water” or “packed in oil,” we prefer to drain it. That tuna was likely cooked before being canned, so those natural juices have already been lost. Generally, most brands that cook the tuna can indicate this on the packaging or mention there is no need to drain.
    • Best tuna to buy for tuna salad: We look for the little blue logo with MSC on it (Marine Stewardship Council Certified) as well as key terms like “hand-operated pole-and-lines” or “pole and line caught.” Albacore tuna caught with trolling lines can also be a good option (be careful not to confuse trolling lines with trawling, which is very different).
    • The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.

    Nutrition Per Serving
    Serving Size
    1/4 of the recipe
    /
    Calories
    188 calories
    /
    Total Fat
    10.4g
    /
    Saturated Fat
    1.9g
    /
    Cholesterol
    40.5mg
    /
    Sodium
    577.3mg
    /
    Carbohydrate
    1.4g
    /
    Dietary Fiber
    0.5g
    /
    Total Sugars
    0.7g
    /
    Protein
    20.7g


    AUTHOR:

    Joanne Gallagher

    Adam and Joanne of Inspired Taste

    We are Adam and Joanne Gallagher, the creators of Inspired Taste. Established in 2009, Inspired Taste grew from a childhood dream into one of the internet’s most trusted recipe sites with hundreds of reliable recipes, step-by-step videos, and expert tips.More About Us

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  • Easy Margherita Pizza Recipe

    Easy Margherita Pizza Recipe

    My family’s favorite Margherita pizza recipe is simple to make with an authentic no-cook sauce, mozzarella, and fresh basil.

    Homemade Margherita Pizza

    My family goes bonkers for this homemade Margherita pizza. Like many Italian dishes, Margherita pizza (or pizza Margherita) is simple, fresh, and delicious. We use our favorite homemade pizza dough, but feel free to swap in your favorite or use store-bought dough instead!

    I love the authentic pizza sauce! It’s so simple to make, and you’ll have it ready in 5 minutes! For more pizza recipes, look at our equally simple cheese pizza, American-style pizza sauce, and this balsamic pear pizza, which is a bit different but still delicious!

    Key Ingredients

    • Pizza Dough: We love this bubby homemade pizza dough. It’s easy to make and perfect for home kitchens. Plus, you can whip it up the same day or let it sit overnight for a longer, slower rise. Your favorite store-bought dough will also work.
    • Tomatoes: Unlike American-style pizza sauce, Margherita pizza sauce is no-cooks and as simple as it gets: crush canned San Marzano (or fresh peeled tomatoes) and mix with olive oil and salt. It’s fresh and so delicious with the mozzarella and basil.
    • Mozzarella Cheese: Authentic pizza Margherita has fresh mozzarella. Use fresh, or do what we did in our photos and use shredded mozzarella instead. We love fresh mozzarella on pizza but sometimes find that when cooked in home ovens, it doesn’t melt and brown as quickly and instead releases too much liquid. Shredded mozzarella doesn’t have the same problem.
    • Fresh Basil: This doesn’t really count as Margherita pizza without the basil. I add it before baking and scatter a few extra fresh leaves for serving.

    Find the full recipe with measurements below.

    Margherita Pizza

    How to Make Margherita Pizza

    Tip 1: Use a really hot oven. At least 30 minutes before you bake your pizza, preheat the oven to 450°F. If you have one, place a pizza steel or pizza stone into the oven before preheating.

    Tip 2: Make our no-cook sauce. While the oven preheats, you can make the quick, no-cook pizza sauce. Use your hands or a fork to crush whole peeled tomatoes and stir in olive oil and salt. We use canned San Marzano tomatoes because they taste sweet and flavorful.

    Assembling margherita pizza with an authentic fresh tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese

    Tip 3: Don’t overdo the toppings. When your oven is ready, form and stretch your pizza dough into a large round, and then place it onto a pizza peel or pizza baking pan. Add a thin layer of Margherita pizza sauce and top with mozzarella cheese and fresh basil. Italian pizza usually has less toppings/cheese than American-style, so hold back a little.

    Tip 4: Serve with olive oil and basil. Bake your pizza until the crust is bubbly and the cheese is beginning to brown. Then, serve with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh basil scattered on top.

    Easy Margherita Pizza

    Easy Margherita Pizza

    • PREP
    • COOK
    • TOTAL

    This is our family’s favorite way to make Margherita pizza at home! We use our favorite homemade pizza dough, an authentic no-cook pizza sauce, mozzarella, and basil. We highly recommend our recipe for homemade pizza dough, but store-bought dough works. Use fresh mozzarella instead of the shredded mozzarella cheese in our recipe for classic Italian pizza. We love fresh mozzarella on pizza but sometimes find that when cooked in home ovens, it doesn’t melt and brown as quickly and instead releases too much liquid. Shredded mozzarella doesn’t have the same problem, so that’s what we end up using instead.

    Makes 1 large pizza

    You Will Need

    1 batch homemade pizza dough or use store-bought dough

    1/2 cup San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes from a can

    2 teaspoons olive oil

    Pinch fine sea salt

    1 cup (57g) shredded whole milk mozzarella or use fresh mozzarella

    Handful fresh basil leaves

    All-purpose flour, for forming dough disc

    Semolina flour, for dusting pan

    Directions

      1At least 30 minutes before you plan to bake your pizza, preheat the oven to 450° Fahrenheit (232°C). If you have one, place a pizza steel or pizza stone into the oven before preheating. Personally, we use a higher temperature, see the tips section for our thoughts on what temperature is best for baking pizza at home.

      2If your pizza dough is cold, allow it to warm at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes.

      3While the oven preheats, make the sauce. In a bowl, crush the tomatoes with the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Taste, and then season with more salt as necessary.

      4When ready to bake your pizza, prepare a pizza peel or pizza pan by dusting it with semolina flour.

      5Dust a clean work surface with all-purpose flour, and then form your pizza dough into a round, large enough to fit your pizza peel or pan. To stretch the dough, avoid rolling it out, as this can flatten the bubbles that have formed. Instead, use your fingers to make dimples in the dough, starting from the center and working outwards. Carefully stretch and push the dough to fit your pizza pan or peel. Use a light touch to maintain as many air pockets in the dough as possible.

      6Transfer the dough round to your pizza peel or pan, and reform it if it shrinks back a bit.

      7Spread a light layer of pizza sauce over the pizza, leaving a thin edge untouched for the crust. Scatter the cheese and basil over the sauce.

      8Bake until the crust is set and golden brown and the cheese has melted with golden spots all over, 6 to 15 minutes, depending on oven temperature. Remove from the oven, scatter over some more fresh basil, cut, and serve.

    Adam and Joanne’s Tips

    • Oven temperature: We recommend 450° Fahrenheit (232°C) in the recipe, but if you are comfortable with it, increasing the temperature to 550° Fahrenheit (288°C) will provide even better results. If you have a vented hood above your oven, turn it on high. When our oven is heated to such a high temperature, the fire alarm occasionally goes off due to the hot air that escapes when we open our oven door. It’s not a problem, other than the noise, and in our experience, it is remedied with a few fans of a dish towel near the alarm, but it is something to consider. If 550° Fahrenheit (288°C) is too high for you, feel free to use a lower temperature. However, keep in mind that this pizza bakes best between 425° Fahrenheit and 550° Fahrenheit (218°C to 288°C). The lower the temperature, the longer it will take to bake and the less bubbly it will be.
    • The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.

    Nutrition Per Serving
    Serving Size
    1 of 8 slices
    /
    Calories
    158
    /
    Total Fat
    4.7g
    /
    Saturated Fat
    2g
    /
    Cholesterol
    11.1mg
    /
    Sodium
    439mg
    /
    Carbohydrate
    22.2g
    /
    Dietary Fiber
    1.2g
    /
    Total Sugars
    0.7g
    /
    Protein
    6.5g


    AUTHOR:

    Joanne Gallagher

    Adam and Joanne of Inspired Taste

    We are Adam and Joanne Gallagher, the creators of Inspired Taste. Established in 2009, Inspired Taste grew from a childhood dream into one of the internet’s most trusted recipe sites with hundreds of reliable recipes, step-by-step videos, and expert tips.More About Us

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  • Incredible Turkey Brine Recipe

    Incredible Turkey Brine Recipe

    Use this incredible turkey brine recipe for amazing flavor, soft and tender meat, and crispy skin.

    Making Turkey Brine

    If you’re on the fence about brining turkey, just do it! This turkey brine is a game-changer, adding incredible flavor and making your roasted turkey savory and delicious while tenderizing the meat (trust me on this one).

    We teamed up with our friend, Chef Richard Hattaway, to develop this easy turkey brine recipe, and we couldn’t be more thrilled with the results. I was determined to make sure that brining was truly worth the effort, and I am 100% confident that this brine delivers. It makes the best roasted turkey I’ve ever had, and you can bet I’ll be using it for every Thanksgiving turkey moving forward.

    Key Ingredients

    • Salt: I use kosher or good-quality sea salt for my turkey brine. Avoid using iodized salt, as it can give the turkey a metallic taste. When measuring salt for your brine, use a scale or our specific volume measurements in the recipe below (we have provided them for Morton’s and Diamond Crystal). Look at my photo below. Both bowls are holding 4.5 ounces of salt. The Diamond Crystal salt flakes are fluffier and bigger, taking up more space than Morton’s salt. You don’t need to worry about this if weighing your salt, but if you use volume measurements (cups/tablespoons), you must know about it.
    • Sugar: If I’m going to brine a turkey, I want it to be flavorful. The brown sugar added to our brine recipe helps tremendously with this. The combination of salt and sugar in our brine recipe pulls some liquid from the turkey meat and replaces it with the brine, adding so much flavor.
    • Worcestershire Sauce: This adds a lovely savory, umami flavor to our brine (and ultimately the turkey meat).
    • Pepper: Richard adds a lot of black pepper to his brine, and I love it. Black pepper does a fantastic job of convincing you something is well-seasoned (that’s why so many chefs always season with salt AND pepper when cooking).
    • Garlic: This brine avoids citrusy flavors and focuses on savory flavors instead. Whole heads of garlic, lots of fresh thyme, and bay leaves make your turkey taste amazing.

    Find the full recipe with measurements below.

    Difference between Morton and Diamond Crystal salt for brine

    How to Brine a Turkey

    Tip 1: Brine turkey for 2 days. Turkeys are large, and the brine needs time to work through the bird. If you do not have 2 days, we still recommend leaving your turkey in the brine for at least 1 day (trust me, 1 day in this brine will produce a more flavorful turkey than not brining at all).

    Tip 2: Use a large, heavy-duty brine bag. These are sold in kitchen stores and online. You can also use a 5-gallon bucket with a food-safe liner. Don’t worry if the turkey is not entirely submerged (ours wasn’t in our video or photo below). If this happens to you, flip the turkey in the brine halfway through brining.

    Adding turkey brine to a brine bag

    Tip 3: Store turkey in the brine at or below 40°F (4°C). If you have the space (or a second fridge), you can brine the turkey in your refrigerator. Place your bag or bucket into the fridge. I put my brine bag into a roasting pan. If you do not have enough space, use a brine bag and place it in a well-insulated, ice-filled cooler. If you use a cooler, check the temperature of the ice water regularly to ensure that it stays below 40°F (4°C). Here’s the USDA’s guide for safely brining a turkey.

    While I use my roasting pan to hold my brine bag when using the fridge, the pan doesn’t fit inside my cooler, so I put the bag directly into the ice without a pan underneath. Brine bags are thick, so you should not have any issues with them leaking (just keep something sharp away from them).

    Turkey brining in the fridge

    Tip 4: Don’t rinse the turkey after brining it. You might see some recipes call for rinsing, but it’s not necessary with our recipe below. We’ve done side-by-side taste tests with rinsed and unrinsed turkeys and found no difference in saltiness. I promise your turkey won’t be over-salted!

    Tip 5: Air-dry in the fridge overnight. If you are like me and love crispy turkey skin, after removing it from the brine, let your turkey air-dry in the fridge overnight. I place it on a roasting rack inside a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet. I love this step because my brine is out of the way, and my turkey is perfectly brined and ready to roast the next day.

    Thanksgiving Turkey Timeline

    If you are like us, you don’t roast many turkeys throughout the year. Most of us really only roast them around the holiday season.

    Here’s our timeline for thawing, brining, and roasting turkey. I will use Thursday as our goal since that’s how Thanksgiving falls in the US, but you can easily move the days around to fit your intended roasting day.

    This timeline assumes a thawed turkey. To safely thaw a turkey, do it in the refrigerator. Plan on 24 hours in the fridge for every four to five pounds of turkey–so a 16-pound turkey will take four days to thaw.

    • Monday: Brine the turkey
    • Wednesday night: Remove turkey from brine, place it onto a rack set inside a roasting pan or rimmed sheet pan, and refrigerate overnight
    • Thursday: Roast the turkey, allowing approximately 14 minutes per pound, in an oven preheated to 325°F (162° C). Here’s our roast turkey recipe and I highly recommend this turkey gravy!
    My Favorite Turkey Brine

    Incredible Turkey Brine

    • PREP
    • COOK
    • TOTAL

    Use this turkey brine for turkey with amazing flavor, soft and tender meat, and crispy skin. We highly recommend it for any turkey you’re preparing, from a whole bird to individual pieces like breasts and legs. For a whole turkey, we recommend brining for two days. If you’re using just turkey parts, a one-day brine is all you need.

    2 gallons, up to 20-pound turkey

    Watch Us Make the Recipe

    You Will Need

    1 (12 to 20 pound) turkey, thawed

    2 gallons (7.5L) cold water

    4.5 ounces (128g) kosher salt or good quality sea salt; see tips for volume measurements

    3/4 cup (160g) packed brown sugar

    1/4 cup (60ml) Worcestershire sauce or Pickapeppa sauce

    1 tablespoon (10g) coarse ground black pepper

    1 onion, quartered

    2 whole bulbs garlic, cut in half

    1 bunch fresh thyme

    5 bay leaves

    Directions

      1Make the brine: In a large pot, combine 2 quarts (8 cups) of water, salt, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, onion quarters, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until the salt and sugar have dissolved completely. Allow the brine to cool to room temperature.

      2Combine turkey and brine: Place the turkey in a lined 5-gallon bucket or a large, food-grade brine bag. Carefully pour the cooled, room-temperature brine over the turkey, then add the remaining 6 quarts (24 cups) of cold water. If using a brine bag, be careful to hold the sides of the bag so they don’t flop down as you pour—another set of hands is very helpful here!

      3Brine for 2 days: Squeeze as much air as possible from the liner or bag and secure it shut to ensure the turkey is as submerged in the brine as possible (if the brine does not completely cover it, it’s okay). Place the bucket or brine bag in the refrigerator or an ice-filled cooler. Brine the turkey for two days. To ensure all areas of the turkey are fully submerged in the brine, flip it halfway through the two-day brining period.

      4Remove and air-dry: After two days, remove the turkey from the brine. Do not rinse the turkey. Instead, pat it dry with paper towels and place it on a roasting rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate the turkey, uncovered, overnight. This air-drying process is crucial for achieving crispy, golden-brown skin. The next day, roast your turkey in an oven preheated to 325°F (162° C) with our delicious turkey butter for an incredible result (use this turkey recipe).

    Adam and Joanne’s Tips

    • Salt: Diamond Crystal salt flakes are fluffier and lighter than Morton’s kosher salt. For Diamond Crystal kosher salt: use ¾ cup + ½ tablespoon. For Morton’s kosher salt: use ⅓ cup + 2 ½ tablespoons.
    • Brine bag: Place in a roasting pan to prevent spills. We recommend using a heavy-duty brine bag.
    • Cooler: Check ice water temperature regularly to ensure it stays below 40°F (4°C).
    • Crisp skin: For best results, air-dry the brined turkey overnight in the fridge. If you are out of time, pat dry before roasting.
    • Pre-brined turkeys: Some store-bought turkeys are already pre-brined, injected with a solution of water, salt, and other flavorings. While most recipes would advise against brining these turkeys again, ours is different. We’ve intentionally developed a lower-salt brine that allows you to safely re-brine your turkey without the risk of it becoming too salty. You will still benefit from our brine and its savory flavor. If you are concerned, you can reduce your brine time to 1 day and still achieve great results.


    AUTHOR:

    Joanne Gallagher

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  • Easy Coconut Black Beans Recipe

    Easy Coconut Black Beans Recipe

    These coconut black beans are the creamiest, most delicious beans! Thanks to canned coconut milk, they have a delicate coconut flavor, which is incredibly delicious when you squeeze fresh lime on top.

    Coconut Black Beans

    I absolutely love black beans, and these coconut black beans have quickly become a favorite way to cook them. They really couldn’t be any easier! Just toss the beans, coconut milk, garlic, onion, and spices into a large pot and simmer until the beans are tender and creamy and the liquid has thickened slightly.

    I love serving these beans with cilantro lime rice or Mexican rice. They’re also fantastic as a filling for burritos! And as a bonus, unlike many bean recipes, you don’t need to soak the black beans before cooking.

    Key Ingredients

    • Black Beans: This recipe calls for 2 cups of dried beans, which is about 1 pound. Most bags sold in stores are 1 pound.
    • Coconut Milk: For the best results, use a 14-ounce can of full-fat coconut milk. Light coconut milk will still work but will not make the beans as creamy.
    • Garlic and Onion: I toss whole garlic cloves and half an onion into the pot with our beans, adding light garlic and onion aroma and flavor.
    • Spices: This recipe keeps the seasoning simple yet flavorful with a bay leaf, ground cumin, a pinch of cinnamon, salt, and pepper.
    • Cilantro and Lime: Just before serving, top the beans with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice. Feel free to add other toppings you enjoy, such as chopped tomatoes, onions, pickled onions, or crumbled cojita cheese.

    How to Make Coconut Black Beans

    One of the best things about this recipe is how easy it is! You’ll combine all the ingredients in a pot and simmer until the beans are creamy and tender. You’ll be adding dried black beans, spices, garlic, half an onion, coconut milk, and water to the pot.

    It’s important to use unsweetened coconut milk for this recipe. We experimented with coconut water, but the sugar content made the beans overly sweet and imparted a strong coconut flavor. Unsweetened coconut milk, on the other hand, adds a lovely creaminess and a subtle coconut hint. The spices provide depth, while the onion and garlic enhance the aroma and flavor of the beans.

    How to Make Coconut Black Beans: Ingredients in a pot ready to cook

    After simmering for 1 ½ to 2 hours, the beans will be tender. To achieve a thicker consistency, increase the heat slightly and simmer until the liquid reduces and clings to the beans. These creamy coconut black beans are incredibly versatile. While I enjoy them straight from the pot, they’re also delicious, served over rice, in tortillas, with eggs, or alongside virtually any dish.

    For a complete meal, try these coconut black beans with our easy ground pork tacos, creamy avocado lime sweet potato noodles, or these chicken fajitas.

    Coconut Black Beans

    Easy Coconut Black Beans

    • PREP
    • COOK
    • TOTAL

    These coconut black beans cannot get much easier. You just need a little bit of time. Throw everything into a large pot and simmer until the beans are tender. Using coconut milk for the liquid makes the beans extra creamy. They have a delicate coconut flavor, which is delicious when you squeeze fresh lime on top before serving. When choosing the coconut milk, make sure it is unsweetened. For the creamiest beans, use full-fat canned coconut milk. Reduced-fat canned or refrigerated coconut milk, often found near dairy milk, does work, but the beans will be slightly less creamy and rich.

    Makes 6 cups

    You Will Need

    2 cups dried black beans, picked through, rinsed (about 1 pound)

    3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

    1/2 medium onion, peeled, left unchopped

    1 bay leaf

    1 teaspoon ground cumin

    1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

    1 (14oz) can unsweetened coconut milk, about 1 3/4 cups

    Water

    Salt and ground black pepper

    Handful fresh cilantro

    1 lime

    Optional toppings: tomatoes, avocado, and cojita cheese

    Directions

      1Add black beans, garlic, onion, bay leaf, cumin, cinnamon, and coconut milk to a large pot. Cover the beans with 2 inches of water.

      2Bring to a boil, stir, and then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cook uncovered until the beans are tender, 1 ½ to 2 hours. As they cook, stir the beans every once in a while and add extra water if they look dry.

      3Remove the onion, garlic, and bay leaf when the beans are tender. Taste and season with salt and pepper (start with 1/4 teaspoon and go from there).

      4Increase the heat to medium and bring to a rapid simmer. Simmer the beans, stirring often, until the liquid thickens, 5 to 10 minutes.

      5Serve with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime. Top with optional toppings.

    Adam and Joanne’s Tips

    • Coconut milk: One 14-ounce can of coconut milk should be close to 1 ¾ cups. If you are slightly under, simply add additional water to make up the missing liquid.
    • Storing: Store coconut black beans covered in the refrigerator up to 5 days and in the freezer up to one month.
    • The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.

    Nutrition Per Serving
    Serving Size
    1/2 cup
    /
    Calories
    191
    /
    Protein
    8 g
    /
    Carbohydrate
    22 g
    /
    Dietary Fiber
    8 g
    /
    Total Sugars
    1 g
    /
    Total Fat
    9 g
    /
    Saturated Fat
    8 g
    /
    Cholesterol
    0 mg
    /
    Sodium
    104 mg


    AUTHOR:

    Joanne Gallagher

    Adam and Joanne of Inspired Taste

    We are Adam and Joanne Gallagher, the creators of Inspired Taste. Established in 2009, Inspired Taste grew from a childhood dream into one of the internet’s most trusted recipe sites with hundreds of reliable recipes, step-by-step videos, and expert tips.More About Us

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  • Slow Cooker Steak Bites

    Slow Cooker Steak Bites

    These slow cooker steak bites are melt-in-your-mouth tender and simmered in a rich, savory au jus-style sauce. It’s the kind of crock pot dinner recipe that feels like Sunday supper but cooks itself.

    Jump to: ℹ️ Overview | 🛒 Ingredients | 📷 How To Make | 👩‍🍳 Recipe Tips | 🥗 Serving Suggestions | 📝Full Recipe Card | 🍽 More

    At A Glance

    • ⏱ Ready In: 6–8 hours
    • 🍽 Serves: 6
    • 🌱 Diet: Gluten-free (check gravy mix), high-protein
    • 💪 Nutrition Highlights: High in protein, rich in iron and B vitamins
    • 🥩 Main Ingredients: Sirloin roast, onion, garlic, au jus mix, beef broth
    • 🔪 Best Cuts to Use: Sirloin roast, chuck roast, bottom round
    • 🔥 Flavor Profile: Savory, beefy, buttery, deeply comforting
    • 🧊 Meal-Prep Friendly: Reheats beautifully and freezes well
    • 🍚 Best Served With: Mashed potatoes, egg noodles, rice, or crusty bread

    This slow cooker steak bites recipe hits that sweet spot between comfort food and practical weeknight dinner. It’s high in protein, deeply satisfying, and perfect for batch cooking. And honestly? It tastes even better the next day.

    The beef is cut into generous chunks or cubes, quickly seared for flavor, then slow cooked until fork-tender in a rich au jus-style sauce. After hours in the slow cooker, the steak becomes incredibly tender and coated in a glossy, savory sauce that tastes like you worked much harder than you did.

    👩‍🍳 Looking for more slow cooker recipes? Check out my slow cooker chicken tikka masala or this crock pot marry-me-chicken recipe. Check out more slow cooker dinner ideas here.

    Why This Recipe Works

    • Searing builds deep flavor (don’t skip if you can help it)
    • Deglazing captures every browned bit
    • Minced onion melts into the sauce
    • Low, slow cooking makes sirloin tender instead of tough
    • Simple ingredients = dependable results
    • Works in any kind of slow cooker (e.g. Crock-pot, Instant Pot)

    What You’ll Need

    Here is what you’ll need for this slow cooker steak bites recipe. Find the full measurements in the recipe card below.

    • Sirloin roast – Lean but tender when cooked low and slow. High in protein and iron. Swap: Chuck roast for richer flavor, bottom round for budget-friendly option.
    • Olive oil – For searing.
    • Kosher salt & black pepper – Simple seasoning that enhances the beef.
    • Aromatics: Onion (finely minced) which melts into the sauce for subtle sweetness, and garlic adds warmth and depth.
    • Au jus gravy mix – Creates that savory, beef-forward sauce. You can find it in most supermarkets in the dehydrated sauces section.
    • Beef broth – Helps deglaze and adds moisture.
    • A splash of Worcestershire or red wine for extra depth – these are optional but I always add them if I have some.
    • Butter – Adds richness at the end, again this is optional and you can skip it if watching calories.
    • Fresh parsley – For brightness.

    Best Cuts for Slow Cooker Steak Bites

    • Sirloin roast – Leaner, balanced flavor
    • Chuck roast – More marbling, ultra tender
    • Bottom round roast – Economical, needs full cook time
    • Top sirloin steak – Works if cut thick

    Avoid very lean cuts like eye of round unless cooking low for full duration.

    How To Make Slow Cooker Steak Bites

    Find the full recipe and nutritional information below. Here are some handy step-by-step photos for how to make steak bites in a slow cooker or crock pot.

    • Pat beef cubes dry and season with salt and pepper.
    • Sear in hot oil until well browned (work in batches).
    • Transfer beef to slow cooker.
    • Sauté onion until softened; add garlic briefly.
    • Deglaze pan with broth (and red wine, if using), scraping up browned bits.
    • Pour mixture over beef.
    • Sprinkle au jus mix evenly and stir gently. Add a splash of Worcestershire, if you have some on hand.
    • Cook LOW 6–8 hours or HIGH 3–4 hours.
    • Stir in butter before serving.

    Recipe Tips

    • Dry the beef first. Moisture prevents browning.
    • Don’t overcrowd the pan. Browning equals flavor.
    • Cut evenly sized cubes. This ensures even tenderness.
    • For thicker gravy: Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water and stir in during last 15 minutes on HIGH.
    • Make-ahead: Cook fully, cool, refrigerate up to 3 days.
    • Freezer-friendly: Freeze up to 3 months.
    • Meal prep tip: Portion into containers with rice or potatoes for high-protein lunches.

    Serving Suggestions

    These slow cooker steak bites are made for mashed potatoes. The sauce seeps into every fluffy bite.

    They’re also excellent over buttered egg noodles or white rice. For a lighter option, try spooning them over cauliflower mash. Add sautéed green beans or glazed carrots on the side and you’ve got a full comfort dinner.

    This is the kind of slow cooker dinner recipe that feels cozy without being complicated.

    💬 If you’ve tried this slow cooker steak bites or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and or sign up to my Newsletter to see more of my delicious food.

    Want to Save This Recipe?

    Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!

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    If you love hearty, comforting slow cooker steak recipes, these slow cooker steak bites deliver juicy beef and deep flavor with minimal effort. Find step-by-step photos and more recipe tips above.

    • Pat the sirloin cubes dry with paper towels. Season evenly with salt and black pepper.

    • Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear beef in batches until browned on all sides. Transfer to slow cooker.

    • Reduce heat to medium. Add minced onion and cook 2–3 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.

    • Pour beef broth into skillet and scrape up browned bits. Simmer 1 minute. If using red wine, add at this stage as well.

    • Pour onion mixture over beef in slow cooker.

    • Sprinkle au jus gravy mix evenly over the beef and stir gently. If using Worcestershire sauce, add at this stage as well.

    • Cover and cook on LOW for 6–8 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours, until tender.

    • Stir in butter just before serving. Garnish with parsley if desired.

    • Can I skip searing the beef? Yes, but searing adds depth and a richer sauce.
    • Will sirloin become tender? Yes, when cooked low for the full time and cut evenly.
    • Can I use cube steak? You can, but cube steak is already mechanically tenderized and cooks differently. Reduce cook time slightly and expect a softer texture.
    • How do I thicken the sauce? Use a cornstarch slurry during the last 15 minutes on HIGH.
    • Can I make this ahead? Absolutely. It reheats beautifully and tastes even richer the next day. Just cook fully, cool, refrigerate up to 3 days.
    • Dry the beef first. Moisture prevents browning.
    • Don’t overcrowd the pan. Browning equals flavor.
    • Cut evenly sized cubes. This ensures even tenderness.
    • For thicker gravy: Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water and stir in during last 15 minutes on HIGH.
    • Freezer-friendly: Freeze up to 3 months.
    • Meal prep tip: Portion into containers with rice or potatoes for high-protein lunches.

    Calories: 354kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 135mg | Sodium: 874mg | Potassium: 849mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 121IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 4mg

    Keywords: steak bites, Crock Pot Turkey Breast, Slow Cooker Steak Bites, Crock Pot Steak, Slow Cooker Steak Recipes

    More Hearty Beef Dinners

    More Comforting Dinner Ideas



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  • Avocado Salsa Stuffed Sweet Potatoes Recipe

    Avocado Salsa Stuffed Sweet Potatoes Recipe

    These outrageously tasty vegan stuffed sweet potatoes are one of my favorite ways to enjoy sweet potatoes! We roast them and then stuff them with our simple avocado and tomato salsa. They are simple and so good!

    Vegan Avocado Salsa Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

    I’m always looking to add to our collection of sweet potato recipes, and these vegan stuffed sweet potatoes are such a great option! We roast the potatoes until soft and tender, then fill them with a zesty, chunky salsa made with avocados, tomatoes, and lime. It’s light and super comforting, perfect for a weeknight meal.

    Roasted sweet potatoes are on regular rotation in our house, so I love throwing in this stuffed version to change things up. This stuffed sweet potato recipe is definitely one you’ll want to make again and again. For more delicious sweet potato inspiration, check out our mashed sweet potatoes, coconut roasted sweet potatoes, or my favorite, sweet potato and black bean tacos!

    Key Ingredients

    • Sweet Potatoes: I look for medium sweet potatoes that are firm and have smooth skin. I also love purple sweet potatoes (ube) for this recipe if you can find them.
    • Garlic: I toss a few garlic cloves onto the baking sheet to roast alongside the sweet potatoes and turn sweet (like roasted garlic). Then, I squeeze the roasted garlic into my avocado and tomato salsa before stuffing the sweet potatoes.
    • Avocado: Use slightly firm, ripe avocados for this so you can chop them into bite-size pieces. To pick them, gently squeeze the avocado with the palm of your hand. If it yields a little when pressed, it’s ready to eat. You can also check under the stem. If the stem pulls away and the area underneath is green, you’ve found an avocado perfect for this recipe.
    • Tomatoes: Use what you love. In the photos, we have used a variety of cherry tomatoes, but any ripe tomato will do.
    • Lime, Jalapeño, and Cilantro: I use this combination when making our avocado salad, which this stuffing is loosely based on. Feel free to leave out the jalapeño or add more, depending on your love of spice.
    Vegan Avocado Salsa Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

    How to Make Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

    We roast our sweet potatoes for this recipe, scrub away any dirt, and then use a fork to pierce the potatoes in several places. Place them onto a baking sheet, toss on your garlic cloves (with the peels left on), and then bake in a 400°F oven until they are very sweet and begin oozing (45 to 60 minutes).

    How to Make Stuffed Sweet Potatoes: Roasting the sweet potatoes

    Make the chunky salsa just as your sweet potatoes are finishing up in the oven. Combine chopped avocado, tomatoes, jalapeño, cilantro, and lime juice, then when they are cool enough to handle, squeeze the soft and sticky roasted garlic into the bowl. Add a pinch of salt and gently toss. Then, make a slit down the middle of your potatoes, and stuff them with as much salsa as you can fit.

    The sweet potatoes are soft and sweet, and the salsa is fresh, bright, and flavorful. We love it!

    Avocado Tomato Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

    Avocado Salsa Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

    • PREP
    • COOK
    • TOTAL

    Our family loves these stuffed sweet potatoes. The sweet potatoes are soft and sweet, and the salsa is fresh, bright, and flavorful. I love this as a light meal or on the side to other dishes. Check our tips below for roasting sweet potatoes in advance and adding protein with beans.

    4 Servings

    You Will Need

    4 medium sweet potatoes

    3 unpeeled garlic cloves

    1 teaspoon olive oil

    1 medium avocado, diced

    2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

    1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

    1 jalapeño

    Salt

    Directions

      1Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.

      2Scrub sweet potatoes and pierce in several places with a fork. Place them onto the baking sheet.

      3Toss unpeeled garlic cloves with olive oil and place them around the potatoes on the baking sheet.

      4Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of the potatoes, until very soft and beginning to ooze.

      5While the sweet potatoes are roasting, you can prepare the salsa. Add the chopped avocado, tomato, and cilantro to a medium bowl.

      6Cut the jalapeño in half, lengthwise, and use a spoon to scrape out the white membrane and seeds. The membrane and seeds can be very spicy, so we remove them. Depending on how spicy you like things, you can leave some or all of the membrane and seeds.

      7Finely mince the jalapeño and add to the bowl.

      8When the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the soft, sticky flesh inside the roasted garlic cloves onto your work surface, chop it, and add to the bowl.

      9Squeeze over the juice of one lime wedge, or about 1 to 2 tablespoons, and add a pinch of salt. Gently toss.

      10To serve, cut a slit down the middle of each sweet potato and fill with the tomato avocado salsa.

    Adam and Joanne’s Tips

    • Make ahead: Roast the sweet potatoes, allow them to cool, and store them in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat, make the salsa, stuff them and enjoy. The salsa is best made the day you plan to eat it.
    • Add protein: Add 1 ½ cups drained canned or cooked black beans to the salsa to bump up the protein a bit. Here’s our recipe for how to cook black beans if you need it. Or, stir 2 cups of cooked quinoa into the salsa.
    • The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We included 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

    Nutrition Per Serving
    Serving Size
    1 stuffed sweet potato
    /
    Calories
    202
    /
    Total Fat
    6.7g
    /
    Saturated Fat
    1g
    /
    Cholesterol
    0mg
    /
    Sodium
    224.8mg
    /
    Carbohydrate
    34.2g
    /
    Dietary Fiber
    7.8g
    /
    Total Sugars
    8.5g
    /
    Protein
    3.7g


    AUTHOR:

    Joanne Gallagher

    Adam and Joanne of Inspired Taste

    We are Adam and Joanne Gallagher, the creators of Inspired Taste. Established in 2009, Inspired Taste grew from a childhood dream into one of the internet’s most trusted recipe sites with hundreds of reliable recipes, step-by-step videos, and expert tips.More About Us

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  • The Best Pizza Sauce Recipe

    The Best Pizza Sauce Recipe

    This easy homemade pizza sauce recipe is made completely from scratch with fresh ingredients! Try this delicious sauce on your next pizza, and you’ll never look back.

    Homemade Pizza Sauce

    I make a new batch of this pizza sauce every few weeks. I love it that much. I use it to make homemade pizza and have even started tossing it with pasta and gnocchi (so good!).

    If you can put a few ingredients into a pot, you can make this delicious sauce. It is a must-try!

    Key Ingredients

    • Fresh tomatoes: The star of this sauce! Using fresh tomatoes keeps this pizza sauce light on its feet. I find sauces made with tomato paste heavy and rich. I have successfully used cherry, vine-ripened, heirloom, and Roma tomatoes in this recipe. Canned tomatoes should also work, if that is all that you have. We recommend using canned whole peeled tomatoes.
    • Garlic and onion: Add so much flavor. We cook them with fresh tomatoes so they become soft and sweet.
    • Oregano and red pepper flakes: These work so well with pizza! Use crushed red pepper or more flavorful gochugaru (Korean pepper flakes).
    • Olive oil: Makes our pizza sauce velvety and rich (similar to how we use olive oil to make marinara sauce).

    Find the full recipe with measurements below.

    Spreading homemade pizza sauce over pizza dough

    How to Make Our Favorite Pizza Sauce

    Tip 1: Start by simmering the sauce covered. To make pizza sauce, you’ll combine fresh tomatoes with olive oil, garlic, onion, pepper, oregano, and salt in a covered saucepan and simmer for 30 minutes. This helps break the tomatoes down into a flavorful sauce.

    Making pizza sauce with fresh tomatoes and garlic

    Tip 2: Finish simmering uncovered to thicken. Uncover the pot and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes. During this time, the sauce will concentrate its flavor and become incredibly flavorful. When the sauce is done cooking, blend until your desired consistency.

    Cooked pizza sauce

    Ways to Use Homemade Pizza Sauce

    Make pizza! Stretch your pizza dough and spoon on your sauce. I keep the sauce application pretty light. You should be able to see through the sauce. Here’s our easy pizza dough recipe! I love using this sauce to make our family’s favorite cheese pizza. For an easier option, make flatbread pizza!

    Beyond pizza, this amazing sauce is also great for pasta, lasagna, and gnocchi. Whenever a recipe calls for pasta sauce, use this pizza sauce instead. The garlicky tomato sauce works well in almost any recipe that uses red sauce.

    Homemade Pizza Sauce made with fresh tomatoes.

    The Best Pizza Sauce

    • PREP
    • COOK
    • TOTAL

    This flavorful pizza sauce recipe is made with fresh tomatoes, onion, garlic, and oregano, and it’s completely free of any added sugar. You can use this light and garlicky sauce to make your own homemade pizza or try it with pasta (it’s delicious).

    Makes 2 cups

    You Will Need

    4 cups (760g) chopped fresh tomatoes, 5 to 6 medium

    4 tablespoons olive oil

    3 cloves garlic, minced or finely grated

    3/4 cup (100g) chopped onion

    Pinch red pepper flakes or gochugaru (Korean pepper flakes)

    1 teaspoon dried oregano

    4 twists black pepper

    1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste

    Directions

      1Over low heat, combine olive oil, garlic, onion, and pepper flakes in a medium saucepan. Cover the pot and cook for 5 minutes.

      2Add the tomatoes, oregano, and black pepper. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.

      3Uncover, and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes, stirring every once and a while.

      4Season with salt — start with 1/4 teaspoon and add from there. Use an immersion blender or stand blender to puree the sauce.

    Adam and Joanne’s Tips

    • Canned tomatoes: We love fresh tomatoes for this sauce and have even found that the more lackluster winter tomatoes in stores work perfectly well for this pizza sauce. That said, you can use canned tomatoes. We recommend using drained whole peeled tomatoes.
    • The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.

    Nutrition Per Serving
    Serving Size
    1/4 cup
    /
    Calories
    43
    /
    Total Fat
    3.6g
    /
    Saturated Fat
    0.5g
    /
    Cholesterol
    0mg
    /
    Sodium
    38.8mg
    /
    Carbohydrate
    2.8g
    /
    Dietary Fiber
    0.8g
    /
    Total Sugars
    1.3g
    /
    Protein
    0.5g


    AUTHOR:

    Joanne Gallagher

    Adam and Joanne of Inspired Taste

    We are Adam and Joanne Gallagher, the creators of Inspired Taste. Established in 2009, Inspired Taste grew from a childhood dream into one of the internet’s most trusted recipe sites with hundreds of reliable recipes, step-by-step videos, and expert tips.More About Us

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  • Bang Bang Chicken Wraps

    Bang Bang Chicken Wraps

    This bang bang chicken wrap is creamy, spicy, crunchy and ridiculously satisfying. It’s the perfect chicken wrap recipe for quick lunches or easy dinners.

    Jump to: ℹ️ Overview | 🛒 Ingredients | 📷 How To Make | 📹 Watch The Video | 👩‍🍳 Recipe Tips | 🥗 Serving Suggestions | 📝Full Recipe Card | 🍽 More Wraps & Sandwiches

    At A Glance

    • ⏱ Ready In: 20 minutes
    • 🍽 Serves: 2 (or 4 smaller wraps)
    • 🌱 Diet: High-protein, adaptable to gluten-free and low-carb
    • 💪 Nutrition Highlights: High in protein, lighter sauce made with yogurt and mayo
    • 🥕 Main Ingredients: Shredded chicken, light mayo, yogurt, sweet chili sauce, slaw mix
    • 🔥 Flavor Profile: Creamy, spicy-sweet, tangy, crunchy
    • 🧊 Meal-Prep Friendly: Chicken mixture keeps 3–4 days in the fridge

    This bang bang chicken wrap brings all those classic creamy, sweet, and spicy flavors, but in a lighter, fresher way. Instead of frying, shredded chicken gets tossed in a mayo and Greek yogurt bang bang sauce with sweet chili and sriracha for that signature heat without feeling heavy.

    The quick pickled slaw adds crunch and acidity, which balances the richness perfectly. It’s high in protein, easy to prep ahead, and ideal for busy days when you want something bold but low effort.

    👩‍🍳 Looking for more wrap ideas? You might also like my chicken salad wrap, cheesy garlic chicken salad wrap or one of these other delicious wraps recipes. Oh, check out my bang bang chicken skewers.

    What You’ll Need

    Here is what you’ll need for this chicken wrap recipe. Find the full measurements in the recipe card below.

    Quick Pickled Slaw

    • Shredded slaw mix (cabbage, carrot, beet) – Crunch and fiber
    • Rice vinegar – Bright acidity (you can use apple cider or white wine vinegar)
    • Sugar – Balances the tang
    • Salt – Draws out moisture and seasons
    • Chili flakes or fresh chili (optional) – Extra heat

    Chicken

    • Shredded cooked chicken – Lean protein base; breast or thigh both work

    Lighter Bang Bang Sauce

    • Light mayo – Creaminess
    • Plain Greek-style yogurt – Lightens the sauce and adds protein
    • Sweet chili sauce – Sweet and mild heat (a classic flavor booster )
    • Sriracha – That signature spicy kick
    • Honey (optional) – Adjust sweetness
    • Rice vinegar or lime juice – Fresh tang to balance richness
    • Here is the recipe for regular bang bang sauce.

    Wrap Assembly

    • Large wraps or tortillas – Soft and pliable
    • Extra Pickled vegetables – Extra crunch and acidity if you like
    • Fried shallots or crispy onions – Salty crunch (so good here)
    • Green onions – Fresh bite
    • Mint or cilantro /coriander (optional) – Fresh herbal finish

    How To Make Bang Bang Chicken Wraps

    Find the full recipe and nutritional information below. Here are some handy step-by-step photos for how to make wraps with shredded chicken and healthy bang bang sauce.

    • Toss slaw mix with vinegar, sugar, salt (and chili if using). Set aside to lightly pickle.
    • In a bowl, mix mayo, yogurt, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, honey, and vinegar.
    • Stir shredded chicken into the sauce until well coated and creamy. Adjust with extra yogurt or sweet chili if needed.
    • Spread bang bang chicken down the center.
    • Top with the slaw, crispy shallots, and green onion. You can also add cilantro/coriander and extra pickled chili or crispy chili.
    • Roll burrito-style or fold taco-style and serve immediately or pan-fry for 30 seconds on each side for golden brown crispy finish.

    Watch The Video

    Recipe Tips

    • Don’t skip the acidity. The vinegar in the slaw and sauce keeps this from tasting heavy.
    • Make it spicier: Add extra sriracha or fresh chili slices.
    • Make it milder: Reduce sriracha and add a touch more yogurt.
    • Low-carb option: Serve in lettuce cups instead of wraps or use low-carb tortilla wraps.
    • Meal prep tip: Store the chicken mixture separately from the wraps and slaw. Assemble just before eating.
    • Storage: Chicken mixture keeps 3–4 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Slaw is best within 48 hours.

    Serving Suggestions

    I love serving this spicy chicken wrap with extra crunchy veg on the side — cucumber sticks or a simple sesame cabbage salad work beautifully. If you’re making this for dinner, pair it with baked sweet potato fries or a light Asian-style slaw.

    For entertaining, slice the wraps into halves or thirds and secure with toothpicks. They make fantastic party food.

    💬 If you’ve tried this bang bang chicken wrap or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and or sign up to my Newsletter to see more of my delicious food.

    Want to Save This Recipe?

    Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!

    By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Cooked & Loved

    This bang bang chicken wrap is creamy, spicy, crunchy and ridiculously satisfying. It’s the perfect chicken wrap recipe for quick lunches or easy dinners. Find step-by-step photos and more recipe tips above.

    • Toss slaw mix with vinegar, sugar, salt (and chili if using). Set aside to lightly pickle.

    • In a bowl, mix mayo, yogurt, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, honey, and vinegar.

    • Stir shredded chicken into the sauce until well coated and creamy. Adjust with extra yogurt or sweet chili if needed.

    • Warm wraps for 10 seconds in the microwave or in a dry pan.

    • Spread bang bang chicken down the center.

    • Top with drained pickled veg, crispy shallots, and green onion.

    • Roll burrito-style or fold taco-style and serve immediately.

    • Can I use rotisserie chicken? Absolutely. It’s actually one of my favorite shortcuts for this bang bang chicken recipe.
    • Is this very spicy? Not too spicy, I would say mild but you can adjust it. Start with smaller amount of Sriracha in the sauce and add a bit more if you wish.
    • Can I make this gluten-free? Yes — just use gluten-free wraps or serve in lettuce cups.
    • Can I make this ahead of time? Prep the chicken filling and slaw ahead, but assemble just before serving to keep the wraps from going soggy.
    • Don’t skip the acidity. The vinegar in the slaw and sauce keeps this from tasting heavy.
    • Make it spicier: Add extra sriracha or fresh chili slices.
    • Make it milder: Reduce sriracha and add a touch more yogurt.
    • Low-carb option: Serve in lettuce cups instead of wraps or use low-carb tortilla wraps.
    • Storage: Chicken mixture keeps 3–4 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Slaw is best within 48 hours.

    Serving: 1wrap | Calories: 504kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 1571mg | Potassium: 498mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 197IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 171mg | Iron: 4mg

    Keywords: Bang Bang Chicken Wraps, spicy chicken wrap

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  • Sausage Alfredo Pasta Recipe

    Sausage Alfredo Pasta Recipe

    This sausage Alfredo pasta has the most delicious, silky-smooth sauce made with butter, Parmesan cheese, and a splash of starchy pasta water. No cream needed!

    Sausage Alfredo Pasta

    My family loves classic fettuccine Alfredo, and this version with Italian sausage is right at the top of our favorites list. If you’ve seen my chicken Alfredo recipe, you already know I skip the cream. Instead, our Alfredo sauce comes together with butter, Parmesan, and pasta water. It’s every bit as creamy, just a little lighter, and not at all heavy or goopy.

    The sausage adds so much flavor to this pasta. You’ll brown it in the same skillet you use to make the sauce, so all it soaks up all those flavorful drippings, which means extra flavor, and as a bonus, fewer dishes to clean!

    Key Ingredients

    • Italian Sausage: Choose mild or spicy sausage, depending on what you love. Our family usually sticks with mild, but if you like a little kick, go for spicy! I also use Italian sausage when making this sausage minestrone (it’s so good!).
    • Spinach: I love the pop of green from baby spinach here. It wilts right into the sauce for a fresh, vibrant finish. Baby kale works just as well if that’s what you have on hand.
    • Fettuccine: That’s the traditional choice, but you can substitute what you have on hand. Spaghetti, linguine, or even short pasta like farfalle are all great options. Be sure to save a little pasta cooking water before draining. It’s the secret to a smooth, glossy sauce that clings to every strand. To make this really special, try homemade pasta!
    • Parmesan: Use a good-quality parmesan for this recipe, and grate it finely. I love Parmigiano-Reggiano and find that it melts the best.
    • Butter: I use salted butter, but unsalted is fine (adjust the pasta to taste with a bit of extra salt).

    Find the full recipe with measurements below.

    Sausage Alfredo Pasta

    How to Make Sausage Fettuccine

    Tip 1: Brown the sausage. This sausage Alfredo pasta comes together in about 20 minutes, and the first step is browning the sausage. Do this in the same skillet you’ll use to toss the pasta and sauce. Once browned, you’ll have bits of sausage stuck to the pan, along with some rendered fat that ultimately adds so much flavor to your sauce.

    Tip 2: Make the sauce. You’ll make the sauce right in the skillet with the browned sausage. Add everything (cooked fettuccine, finely grated parmesan, butter, spinach, and some starchy pasta cooking water), then use tongs to toss everything around the skillet until the butter and cheese melt down into a smooth and silky sauce. It’s not all that different from when we make our favorite cacio e pepe recipe.

    More Easy Pasta Recipes

    Sausage Fettuccine Alfredo

    Sausage Alfredo Pasta

    • PREP
    • COOK
    • TOTAL

    This fettuccine is quick, easy, and incredibly delicious thanks to Italian sausage. For the best results, use real Parmigiano-Reggiano and finely grate it yourself (it melts into the sauce better). When cooking your pasta, make sure you salt it well to taste salty like the sea (assume 1 tablespoon of salt for 3 quarts of water). And don’t forget to reserve some pasta cooking water before draining the pasta. It’s the pasta water that brings the sauce together.

    6 Servings

    You Will Need

    6 ounces Italian sausage, casings removed, use hot or mild sausage

    1 pound fettuccine

    4 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated, about 2 cups, plus extra for ­serving

    5 tablespoons butter, cut into 5 pieces

    4 to 5 cups packed baby spinach leaves

    Salt and fresh ground black pepper

    Directions

      1Cook sausage: Add the sausage to a wide skillet with a drizzle of olive oil over medium-low heat. Cook, breaking up the sausage with a wooden spoon until crispy, about 10 minutes. (While the sausage cooks, move on to cooking the pasta.)

      2Cook fettuccine: Meanwhile, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add one tablespoon of salt and the fettuccine. Cook, stirring once or twice, for 1 minute less than the suggested cooking time on the package. The pasta finishes cooking when making the sauce. Reserve 1 ½ cups of the cooking water, then drain the pasta.

      3Make the sauce: Add parmesan cheese, butter, spinach, 1 cup of reserved cooking water, and the drained pasta to the skillet with the cooked sausage. Set the skillet over low heat. Use tongs to toss the fettuccine, butter, and cheese around the pan for one minute. Take the pan off the heat, then cover the skillet with a lid. Leave for one minute.

      4Uncover the skillet and toss the pasta a few more times in the sauce. If the pasta looks dry, add a splash of more pasta water. If it looks wet, don’t worry, the pasta absorbs some the extra moisture as it cools. Serve fettuccine with a few grinds of pepper and a sprinkle of extra parmesan cheese over the top.

    Adam and Joanne’s Tips

    • Leftovers: Store leftovers tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to a day. As the pasta sits, it soaks up the sauce so while leftovers taste good, you’ll miss some of the velvety butter cheese sauce. When reheating, add a splash of water to thin the sauce a little.
    • The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.

    Nutrition Per Serving
    Serving Size
    1 bowl (1/6 of the recipe)
    /
    Calories
    544
    /
    Total Fat
    21.8g
    /
    Saturated Fat
    10.9g
    /
    Cholesterol
    59.7g
    /
    Sodium
    562.9mg
    /
    Carbohydrate
    62.2g
    /
    Dietary Fiber
    5.9g
    /
    Total Sugars
    3g
    /
    Protein
    25.7g


    AUTHOR:

    Adam Gallagher

    Adam and Joanne of Inspired Taste

    We are Adam and Joanne Gallagher, the creators of Inspired Taste. Established in 2009, Inspired Taste grew from a childhood dream into one of the internet’s most trusted recipe sites with hundreds of reliable recipes, step-by-step videos, and expert tips.More About Us

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  • Easy Vegan Mac and Cheese Recipe

    Easy Vegan Mac and Cheese Recipe

    The whole family will love this creamy vegan mac and cheese recipe. We use plant-based milk, nutritional yeast, and the perfect blend of spices. You can make this as a stovetop or baked mac and cheese!

    Creamy Vegan Mac and Cheese

    Our family loves mac and cheese! We’ve shared our traditional dairy-based mac and cheese before, but I’m incredibly excited to finally share our absolute favorite vegan mac and cheese! We went through countless variations, and this recipe is the one that won everyone over. It’s creamy, cheesy, and so satisfying you won’t even miss the dairy.

    I was inspired to create this vegan version because we’re trying to eat more plant-based meals, and my son loves mac and cheese. And honestly, it’s become a new family favorite (as have many of our vegan recipes)! This recipe has two options: enjoy it as a comforting stovetop mac and cheese, or bake it until bubbly and golden brown. I love serving it with a simple green salad or trying it with my lentil-based vegan meatballs.

    Key Ingredients

    • Pasta: Use what you love. I always go for something that will hold on to the sauce really well, like shells or elbows!
    • Vegan Butter and Flour: The combination of butter and flour thickens the sauce. Some recipes start with a base of cashew cream, and while we’ve tried that variation, making a roux and building our vegan cheese sauce from there was our favorite way to make vegan mac and cheese.
    • Plant-Based Milk: I typically use unsweetened soy milk, but non-dairy milk will work. Unsweetened is best.
    • Nutritional Yeast: This makes our mac and cheese taste so cheesy. Nutritional yeast is quite common in vegan recipes. If you are unfamiliar, it’s full of vitamins and minerals and adds a cheesy flavor to dishes. It’s perfect in this mac and cheese. We also use it when making our delicious vegan queso.
    • Dijon mustard: We also use Dijon mustard when making our dairy-based baked mac and cheese. It rounds out the sauce’s flavor and makes it taste even better.
    • Spices: I love adding onion powder, garlic powder, nutmeg, salt, and pepper to make the sauce taste incredible.

    How to Make Vegan Mac and Cheese

    To make my favorite vegan mac and cheese, you’ll first make the creamy sauce. We start with a roux made from melted butter (plant-based) and flour.

    Once the flour and butter smell toasty, you can pour in non-dairy milk. As it heats up, the milk thickens and turns into the base of our cheese sauce. To make it taste cheesy, we whisk in lots of nutritional yeast, mustard, and spices.

    How to Make Vegan Mac and Cheese: Stirring nutritional yeast into the vegan cheese sauce.

    When the sauce is smooth, you can stir in cooked pasta. Remember choose pasta shapes that hold onto the sauce really well. I like these medium shells because lots of that cheesy sauce gets trapped inside them.

    How to Make Vegan Mac and Cheese: Stirring in the pasta

    You can serve it as a stovetop recipe or pour it all into a baking dish, top it with some breadcrumbs, and bake until the sauce is bubbling and the top gets a little color.

    Easy Vegan Mac and Cheese

    Easy Vegan Mac and Cheese

    • PREP
    • COOK
    • TOTAL

    My family loves this creamy mac and cheese made with non-dairy milk, nutritional yeast, and the perfect blend of spices. You can make this as a stovetop or baked mac and cheese! If you decide to bake this, add some breadcrumbs on top so they brown and turn crisp (I like panko or homemade breadcrumbs).

    6 Servings

    You Will Need

    1 pound (450g) dried pasta like shells, elbows or penne

    6 tablespoons (85g) vegan butter

    6 tablespoons (48g) all-purpose flour

    5 cups (1180ml) unsweetened non-dairy milk, like unsweetened soy milk

    2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

    1 cup (60g) nutritional yeast

    1 tablespoon onion powder

    1 tablespoon garlic powder

    1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

    3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste

    1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

    1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste, optional for some spice

    1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric, optional for color

    Directions

      1Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta, and follow the package directions, but cook 1 minute less than the package states. Drain.

      2Meanwhile, make the vegan cheese sauce. Melt the vegan butter in a large, high-sided pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter and whisk it together and around the pan until it smells toasted and looks light brown, 2 to 3 minutes.

      3While whisking, slowly pour in the warm, non-dairy milk. Continue to cook, constantly whisking until the sauce simmers and thickens. (The sauce only thickens after it has reached a simmer.)

      4Turn the heat to low, then stir in the nutritional yeast, mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper. For a bit of spice, stir in the cayenne pepper. Add the turmeric for some extra “cheesy” color. Both cayenne pepper and turmeric are optional.

      5When the sauce is smooth and velvety, stir in the cooked pasta. If the sauce looks wet/thin, don’t worry, the pasta absorbs some extra moisture as it cools. Turn the heat off, and then cover with a lid. Leave for 5 minutes, stir once more, and then serve.

      6For baked mac and cheese, after adding the pasta to the sauce, spoon into a large baking dish and scatter breadcrumbs (optional) on top. Bake, uncovered, in a 375°F (190°C) oven until it is bubbling and browned on top, 25 to 30 minutes.

    Adam and Joanne’s Tips

    • Storing: Keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To freeze, transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. Then, bake, covered, in a 350°F oven for about an hour. Or, thaw overnight and reheat on the stove (if it seems dry, add a tablespoon or two of extra milk).
    • Broccoli mac and cheese: Stir roasted broccoli or steamed broccoli into the pot before serving.
    • Garlic mac and cheese: Fresh garlic and roasted garlic are excellent in this recipe. Add to the vegan butter just before adding the flour. For fresh, I’d use 2 to 3 cloves. For roasted garlic, you can increase it to 6 cloves or more. Here’s our roasted garlic recipe for reference.
    • The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.

    Nutrition Per Serving
    Serving Size
    1/6 of the recipe
    /
    Calories
    482 calories
    /
    Total Fat
    10.2g
    /
    Saturated Fat
    1.7g
    /
    Cholesterol
    0mg
    /
    Sodium
    624.9mg
    /
    Carbohydrate
    71.6g
    /
    Dietary Fiber
    5.9g
    /
    Total Sugars
    3g
    /
    Protein
    22.4g


    AUTHOR:

    Joanne Gallagher

    Adam and Joanne of Inspired Taste

    We are Adam and Joanne Gallagher, the creators of Inspired Taste. Established in 2009, Inspired Taste grew from a childhood dream into one of the internet’s most trusted recipe sites with hundreds of reliable recipes, step-by-step videos, and expert tips.More About Us

    Source link