Getting Started

Welcome to the Recipe API documentation. This API gives you access to over 50,000 recipes and ingredients through a simple REST interface.

1. Create an Account

Sign up at recipeapi.io to create your account. All paid plans include a 10-day free trial with full access.

2. Get Your API Key

Once logged in, head to your Dashboard and generate an API key. All keys use the following prefix:

sk_live_

caution

Keep your API key secret. Do not share it publicly or commit it to version control.

3. Make Your First Request

Include your API key in the Authorization header:

curl "https://recipeapi.io/api/v1/recipes" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_live_..."

If everything is set up correctly, you'll receive a JSON response with a list of recipes.

4. Try the Query Builder

The dashboard includes an interactive Query Builder that lets you visually construct API requests, test them in real time, and see results as cards or raw JSON — no code required.

1. Go to your Dashboard
2. Click the Query Builder tab
3. Select an endpoint (/recipes, /recipes/random, /ingredients)
4. Set your filters (cuisine, difficulty, meal type, dietary tags, prep time, calories...)
5. Hit Run Query and see the results instantly

It's the fastest way to explore the API and understand the available data before writing any code.

5. Explore the API

Check out the API Reference to learn how the API works and discover the available resources.