There are a lot of things players can do in Stardew Valley to make money, have fun, and befriend the villagers of Pelican Town. One of the things that most players never do is cooking.
You probably haven’t avoided cooking because you disliked it. You never did it because you never needed to. Most raw foods will usually give you enough Health and Energy, so you don’t actually have to make a hard recipe for small buffs.
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However, most cooking recipes are actually much more overpowered than you would imagine, and you would be smart to keep an eye out for recipes at all times.
To cook food in Stardew Valley, you will need to upgrade the Farmhouse to unlock the kitchen and use it to make known recipes, or you can use a Cookout Kit once you reach Foraging level 9.
Table of Contents
- How to Cook in Stardew Valley
- How to Unlock Cooking Recipes
- All Cooking Recipes and How to Get Them in Stardew Valley
How to Cook in Stardew Valley
To cook in Stardew Valley, you will either need to:
- Upgrade the Farmhouse
- Reach level 9 Foraging
The common way players gain access to the cooking mechanic in Stardew Valley is to upgrade the Farmhouse to unlock the kitchen. You can do this by going to Robin’s Carpenter’s Shop and selecting the Upgrade House option.
To get the first Farmhouse upgrade in Stardew Valley, you will need 10k g and 450 Wood. If you want to quickly get the upgrade and have more money than time, you can purchase the 450 Wood from Robin for 4500 g.
After a few days, Robin will finish upgrading your house, and you will finally get the kitchen. If you just approach it and interact with it, you will see all the recipes you can cook and unlock in Stardew Valley.
To cook a recipe in Stardew Valley, you will just have to get the ingredients for one of them and click the dish in the kitchen menu.
If you know the recipe for one of the dishes, you can see the ingredients you need by hovering over it in the menu.
You can place most of your cooking ingredients in the fridge next to the counter, as you can directly use them in the recipes this way.
The ingredients will appear written in red text on the cooking menu if they are missing and in normal dark text if you have them in your inventory or in the fridge.
Most recipes on the cooking menu will appear as shadowy figures that are named “???” and you can only discover them by befriending villagers or watching TV on the right days.
Cookout Kit
If you reach Foraging level 9, you will get the crafting recipe for the Cookout Kit, which will allow you to cook meals anywhere outside of your house.
It is not one of the most useful things you can craft in Stardew Valley, but it will allow you to also cook in other locations besides your kitchen.
The Cookout Kit can be useful if you spend a lot of time in the Mines or Skull Cavern and need to make a quick meal after you’ve finished all in the dungeons.
How to Unlock Cooking Recipes
There will generally be three basic ways you can get cooking recipes in Stardew Valley:
- Through Mail from Villagers
- By Watching TV
- Buying them from the Stardrop Saloon
The most common method to get recipes is to befriend villagers.
Once you get to a specific number of Friendship Hearts with them, they will send you a recipe in the Mail.
You will also get a lot of recipes by watching The Queen of Sauce on the TV in your house on specific dates.
The last common way to get recipes is to buy them directly from Gus at the Stardrop Saloon for a reasonable price.
All Cooking Recipes and How to Get Them in Stardew Valley
You will only know one cooking recipe at the start of Stardew Valley, which is the Fried Egg. If you want to discover and unlock other recipes, you will need to meet many other requirements.
Players that want to complete all of the achievements in Stardew Valley will need to use this list often.
The Gourmet Chef achievement is only given to players that cook all of the recipes in the game.
Here is a full list of all the cooking recipes in Stardew Valley, along with how to unlock and get them ordered exactly as you would find them in the kitchen recipe menu:
| Cooking Recipe | How to Unlock | Ingredients | Sell Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fried Egg | Unlocked From the Start | Egg x1 | 35 g |
| Omelet | The Queen of Sauce 28 Spring, Year 1 Buy From Stardrop Saloon for 100 g | Egg x1 Milk x1 | 125 g |
| Salad | Emily, Mail, 3 Friendship Hearts | Leek x1, Dandelion x1 Vinegar x1 | 110 g |
| Cheese Cauliflower | Pam, Mail, 3 Friendship Hearts | Cauliflower x1 Cheese x1 | 300 g |
| Baked Fish | The Queen of Sauce 7 Summer, Year 1 | Sunfish x1 Bream x1 Wheat Flour x1 | 100 g |
| Parsnip Soup | Caroline, Mail, 3 Friendship Hearts | Parsnip x1 Milk x1 Vinegar x1 | 120 g |
| Vegetable Medley | Caroline, Mail, 7 Friendship Hearts | Tomato x1 Beet x1 | 120 g |
| Complete Breakfast | The Queen of Sauce 21 Spring, Year 2 | Fried Egg x1 Milk x1 Hashbrowns x1 Pancakes x1 | 350 g |
| Fried Calamari | Jodi, Mail, 3 Friendship Hearts | Squid x1 Wheat Flour x1 Oil x1 | 150 g |
| Strange Bun | Shane, Mail, 7 Friendship Hearts | Wheat Flour x1 Periwinkle x1 Void Mayonnaise x1 | 225 g |
| Lucky Lunch | The Queen of Sauce 28 Spring, Year 2 | Sea Cucumber x1 Tortilla x1 Blue Jazz x1 | 250 g |
| Fried Mushroom | Demetrius, Mail, 3 Friendship Hearts | Common Mushroom x1 Morel x1 Oil x1 | 200 g |
| Pizza | The Queen of Sauce 7 Spring, Year 2 Buy From Stardrop Saloon for 150 g | Wheat Flour x1 Tomato x1 Cheese x1 | 300 g |
| Bean Hotpot | Clint, Mail, 7 Friendship Hearts | Green Bean x2 | 100 g |
| Glazed Yams | The Queen of Sauce 21 Fall, Year 1 | Yam x1 Sugar x1 | 200 g |
| Carp Surprise | The Queen of Sauce 7 Summer, Year 2 | Carp x4 | 150 g |
| Hashbrowns | The Queen of Sauce 14 Spring, Year 2 Buy From Stardrop Saloon for 50 g | Potato x1 Oil x1 | 120 g |
| Pancakes | The Queen of Sauce 14 Summer, Year 1 Buy From Stardrop Saloon for 100 g | Wheat Flour x1 Egg x1 | 80 g |
| Salmon Dinner | Gus, Mail, 3 Friendship Hearts | Salmon x1 Amaranth x1 Kale x1 | 300 g |
| Fish Taco | Linus, Mail, 7 Friendship Hearts | Tuna x1 Tortilla x1 Red Cabbage x1 Mayonnaise x1 | 500 g |
| Crispy Bass | Kent, Mail, 3 Friendship Hearts | Largemouth Bass x1 Wheat Flour x1 Oil x1 | 150 g |
| Pepper Poppers | Shane, Mail, 3 Friendship Hearts | Hot Pepper x1 Cheese x1 | 200 g |
| Bread | The Queen of Sauce 28 Summer, Year 1 Buy From Stardrop Saloon for 100 g | Wheat Flour x1 | 60 g |
| Tom Kha Soup | Sandy, Mail, 7 Friendship Hearts | Coconut x1 Shrimp x1 Common Mushroom x1 | 250 g |
| Trout Soup | The Queen of Sauce 14 Fall, Year 1 | Rainbow Trout x1 Green Algae x1 | 100 g |
| Chocolate Cake | The Queen of Sauce 14 Winter, Year 1 | Wheat Flour x1 Sugar x1 Egg x1 | 200 g |
| Pink Cake | The Queen of Sauce 21 Summer, Year 2 | Melon x1 Wheat Flour x1 Sugar x1, Egg x1 | 480 g |
| Rhubarb Pie | Marnie, Mail, 7 Friendship Hearts | Rhubarb x1 Wheat Flour x1 Sugar x1 | 400 g |
| Cookie | Evelyn, 4 Friendship Hearts event | Wheat Flour x1 Sugar x1 Egg x1 | 140 g |
| Spaghetti | Lewis, Mail, 3 Friendship Hearts | Wheat Flour x1, Tomato x1 | 120 g |
| Fried Eel | George, Mail, 3 Friendship Hearts | Eel x1, Oil x1 | 120 g |
| Spicy Eel | George, Mail, 7 Friendship Hearts | Eel x1, Hot Pepper x1 | 175 g |
| Sashimi | Linus, Mail, 3 Friendship Hearts | Any Fish x1 | 75 g |
| Maki Roll | The Queen of Sauce 21 Summer, Year 1 Buy From Stardrop Saloon for 300 g | Any Fish x1, Seaweed x1, Rice x1 | 220 g |
| Tortilla | The Queen of Sauce 7 Fall, Year 1 Buy From Stardrop Saloon for 100 g | Corn x1 | 50 g |
| Red Plate | Emily, Mail, 7 Friendship Hearts | Red Cabbage x1 Radish x1 | 400 g |
| Eggplant Parmesan | Lewis, Mail, 7 Friendship Hearts | Eggplant x1 Tomato x1 | 200 g |
| Rice Pudding | Evelyn, Mail, 7 Friendship Hearts | Milk x1 Sugar x1 Rice x1 | 260 g |
| Ice Cream | Jodi, Mail, 7 Friendship Hearts | Milk x1 Sugar x1 | 120 g |
| Blueberry Tart | Pierre, Mail, 3 Friendship Hearts | Blueberry x1 Wheat Flour x1 Sugar x1 Egg x1 | 150 g |
| Autumn’s Bounty | Demetrius, Mail, 7 Friendship Hearts | Yam x1 Pumpkin x1 | 350 g |
| Pumpkin Soup | Robin, Mail, 7 Friendship Hearts | Pumpkin x1 Milk x1 | 300 g |
| Super Meal | Kent, Mail, 7 Friendship Hearts | Bok Choy x1 Cranberries x1 Artichoke x1 | 220 g |
| Cranberry Sauce | Gus, Mail, 7 Friendship Hearts | Cranberries x1 Sugar x1 | 120 g |
| Stuffing | Pam, Mail, 7 Friendship Hearts | Bread x1 Cranberries x1 Hazelnut x1 | 165 g |
| Farmer’s Lunch | Farming Level 3 | Omelet x1 Parsnip x1 | 150 g |
| Survival Burger | Foraging Level 2 | Bread x1 Cave Carrot x1 Eggplant x1 | 180 g |
| Dish O’ The Sea | Fishing Level 3 | Sardine x2 Hashbrowns x1 | 220 g |
| Miner’s Treat | Mining Level 3 | Cave Carrot x2 Sugar x1 Milk x1 | 200 g |
| Roots Platter | Combat Level 3 | Cave Carrot x1 Winter Root x1 | 100 g |
| Triple Shot Espresso | Buy From Stardrop Saloon for 5000 g | Coffee x3 | 450 g |
| Seafoam Pudding | Fishing Level 9 | Flounder x1 Midnight Carp x1 Squid Ink x1 | 300 g |
| Algae Soup | Clint, Mail, 3 Friendship Hearts | Green Algae x4 | 100 g |
| Pale Broth | Marnie, Mail, 3 Friendship Hearts | White Algae x2 | 150 g |
| Plum Pudding | The Queen of Sauce 7 Winter, Year 1 | Wild Plum x2 Wheat Flour x1 Sugar x1 | 260 g |
| Artichoke Dip | The Queen of Sauce 28 Fall, Year 1 | Artichoke x1 Milk x1 | 210 g |
| Stir Fry | The Queen of Sauce 7 Spring, Year 1 | Cave Carrot x1 Common Mushroom x1 Kale x1 Oil x1 | 335 g |
| Roasted Hazelnuts | The Queen of Sauce 28 Summer, Year 2 | Hazelnut x3 | 270 g |
| Pumpkin Pie | The Queen of Sauce 21 Winter, Year 1 | Pumpkin x1 Wheat Flour x1 Milk x1 Sugar x1 | 385 g |
| Radish Salad | The Queen of Sauce 21 Spring, Year 1 | Oil x1 Vinegar x1 Radish x1 | 300 g |
| Fruit Salad | The Queen of Sauce 7 Fall, Year 2 | Blueberry x1 Melon x1 Apricot x1 | 450 g |
| Blackberry Cobbler | The Queen of Sauce 14 Fall, Year 2 | Blackberry x2 Sugar x1 Wheat Flour x1 | 260 g |
| Cranberry Candy | The Queen of Sauce 28 Winter, Year 1 | Cranberries x1 Apple x1 Sugar x1 | 175 g |
| Bruschetta | The Queen of Sauce 21 Winter, Year 2 | Bread x1 Oil x1 Tomato x1 | 210 g |
| Coleslaw | The Queen of Sauce 14 Spring, Year 1 | Red Cabbage x1 Vinegar x1 Mayonnaise x1 | 345 g |
| Fiddlehead Risotto | The Queen of Sauce 28 Fall, Year 2 | Oil x1 Fiddlehead Fern x1 Garlic x1 | 350 g |
| Poppyseed Muffin | The Queen of Sauce 7 Winter, Year 2 | Poppy x1 Wheat Flour x1 Sugar x1 | 250 g |
| Chowder | Willy, Mail, 3 Friendship Hearts | Clam x1 Milk x1 | 135 g |
| Fish Stew | Willy, Mail, 7 Friendship Hearts | Crayfish x1 Mussel x1 Periwinkle x1 Tomato x1 | 175 g |
| Escargot | Willy, Mail, 5 Friendship Hearts | Snail x1 Garlic x1 | 125 g |
| Lobster Bisque | The Queen of Sauce 14 Winter, Year 2 Willy, Mail, 9 Friendship Hearts | Lobster x1 Milk x1 | 205 g |
| Maple Bar | The Queen of Sauce 14 Summer, Year 2 | Maple Syrup x1 Sugar x1 Wheat Flour x1 | 300 g |
| Crab Cakes | The Queen of Sauce 21 Fall, Year 2 | Crab x1 Wheat Flour x1 Egg x1 Oil x1 | 275 g |
| Shrimp Cocktail | The Queen of Sauce 28 Winter, Year 2 | Tomato x1 Shrimp x1 Wild Horseradish x1 | 160 g |
| Ginger Ale | Buy From Dwarf Shop in Volcano Dungeon for 1000 g | Ginger x3 Sugar x1 | 200 g |
| Banana Pudding | Buy From Island Trader for Bone Fragment x30 | Banana x1 Milk x1 Sugar x1 | 260 g |
| Mango Sticky Rice | Leo, Mail, 7 Friendship Hearts | Mango x1 Coconut x1 Rice x1 | 250 g |
| Poi | Leo, Mail, 3 Friendship Hearts | Taro Root x4 | 400 g |
| Tropical Curry | Buy From Ginger Island Resort for 2000 g | Coconut x1 Pineapple x1 Hot Pepper x1 | 500 g |
| Squid Ink Ravioli | Combat Level 9 | Squid Ink x1 Wheat Flour x1 Tomato x1 | 150 g |
That’s everything you need to know about how to cook in Stardew Valley!
Have any input or suggestions for this guide? Let us know in the comment section below.
