25 Easy Recipes Your Teen Can Cook on Their Own

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byJanice Smith, B.Sc. Kinesiology updated on:

Easy Recipes for Teens – Whether it’s mom and dad’s night off or you want to teach your teen how to cook on their own, these simple, no-fuss, easy recipes your teen can cook are a delicious place to start.

Collage of easy recipes for teens to cook

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Whether it’s mom and dad’s night off or you want to teach your teen how to cook on their own, these simple, no-fuss, easy recipes your teen can cook are a delicious place to start.

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Collage of easy recipes for teens to cook

With a lot of extra time on our hands these days, my teens have expressed an interest in learning how to cook. In order to encourage them we’ve set aside two nights a week where they are responsible for cooking us dinner.

The girls are responsible for finding the recipes, comparing the ingredients to the food we have on hand, and providing us with a list of the groceries they need us to buy for them. It’s been a fun experience, and they’ve made us some delicious meals. There have also been a few misses where they have misread 1 1/2 cups as 11 half cups… but other than that it’s been a great learning experience for them.

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Tips for teaching your Teen how to cook

  1. Let your teen decide – Teens are exercising their independence, this also includes choosing the food they want to eat, and the food they want to learn how to cook. I have found that teens are more interested in cooking if they choose what they cook.
  2. Be encouraging – Even if the meals they choose to cook aren’t your preferred meal (like nachos for dinner), positive reinforcement will encourage your teen to continue trying, and allow them to develop the confidence to try harder meals.
  3. Take a step back – When encouraging your teens to cook, I have found that the best approach can be to help them organise the ingredients and the kitchen supplies they’ll need – and then take a step back. You can always be on hand if they need it, but helicopter parenting will almost certainly not be welcome in a hot kitchen. 
  4. Be available to them – While teens are independent, they don’t always read the directions carefully, nor do they always understand the directions. Stay nearby so that they can ask questions as they cook so they don’t become frustrated when they “get stuck” on a step.
  5. Teach them how to handle raw meat – Share basic rules of safe meat handling with them, such as: Never put cooked meat back on a tray that held raw meat, wash utensils that have touched raw meat before reuse, and use hot water or disinfectant to wash cutting boards and counters to cut down on the risk of food poisoning, E. coli, or salmonella.
  6. Use a notebook – Encourage your teen to keep a notebook to write down tips, recipes, and reference information they can use and build on later.

All you can do as a parent is to teach your children well and set a good example. As much as I would like to keep mine young and at home, I feel great knowing that they’ve been practicing their cooking at home and I’m confident they’ll be able to fend for themselves in their first apartments.

Easy Recipes for Teens to Cook for Dinner

I’ve put together a selection of recipes that not only will your teen love to eat, will help your teen to gain the basic skills they need to cook confidently on their own. Now all you'll have to argue about is the washing up...

As hard as it is, giving your teen freedom to cook in the kitchen will allow them to develop a sense of autonomy that will set them up well for the future. Sure ovens are hot and knives are sharp and your kitchen will look like a bomb site. But with a small bit of guidance, and lots of practice in a safe environment they’ll soon have the confidence to cook unaided in their own kitchen when they leave home… however don’t hold your breath they will clean up as they learn…

Janice Smith is the creator and food blogger behind Salads for Lunch, a healthy recipe website dedicated to easy, delicious salads, soups, and wholesome family meals. With a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology and a certificate in Athletic Therapy, Janice combines her passion for nutrition, fitness, and simple home cooking to inspire readers to live healthier lives. She began blogging after transforming her own lifestyle through healthy eating and exercise, and now shares approachable recipes that make it easy for busy families to enjoy fresh, seasonal ingredients. When she's not developing recipes, Janice enjoys running, staying active, and spending time with her three daughters. Through Salads for Lunch, she encourages readers to embrace healthy living one meal at a time.

More recipes to enjoy:

  • Healthy Sweet Potato Chili with Ground Beef

    This healthy sweet potato chili with ground beef is an easy one-pot dinner loaded with sweet potatoes, black beans, kidney beans and smoky spices. Hearty, freezer-friendly and even better the next day.

  • Kale, Apple, Pecan and Pomegranate Salad with Pomegranate Balsamic Dressing

    A fresh kale salad with juicy pomegranate, crisp apple, toasted pecans and creamy goat cheese, tossed in a tangy pomegranate balsamic dressing. Sturdy enough for the holiday table and easy enough for a weeknight.

  • One-Pot Chicken Parmesan Soup

    A cozy Chicken Parmesan Soup with tender chicken, tomatoes, pasta, and melted mozzarella and Parmesan in every bowl – all the flavor of chicken parm, ready in about 45 minutes.

  • Creamy Tuna Macaroni Salad

    This creamy Tuna Macaroni Salad comes together in about 25 minutes with pantry staples like canned tuna, elbow macaroni, and a tangy mayo-Dijon dressing. Perfect for potlucks, picnics, or a quick make-ahead lunch.

  • Easy Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup Recipe

    This creamy roasted cauliflower soup gets most of its flavor from caramelized vegetables, so it tastes rich even with just a small amount of cream, or none at all.

  • Cantaloupe Cucumber Feta Salad

    A refreshing no-cook salad with sweet cantaloupe, crisp cucumber, blueberries, and feta in a honey lime dressing, ready in 15 minutes.

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One Comment

  1. Hey Janice! My teen is now making her own meals because of this post! All hail Janice at Salads for Lunch!

    Reply