How to use the recipe search

How to get the best from our recipes

• Sugar is granulated unless stated in the recipe
• Eggs are always large unless stated in the recipe
• Spoon measurements are level unless stated

Most of our recipes can be scaled up or down to suit the number of people you are cooking for. Be aware of a few key points, though:

• When cooking smaller quantities, be careful the dish doesn’t dry out. Using smaller pans will help with this and you may need to add a little extra liquid. Cooking times may be slightly shorter than in the original recipe.
• When cooking larger quantities, increase the cooking time appropriately and check carefully that the dish is thoroughly cooked before eating.
• When adding herbs and spices, taste carefully and regularly.

How to use the Quick recipe search

Type in up to three ingredients (or a recipe name or chef name) into the text box on the 'Search recipes' page, then hit 'Search' (or your 'return' key). You can type in more than three ingredients, but the results are optimal when using three ingredients or fewer. Picking an unusual word will narrow down the number of results you get.

There is no need to separate search terms with commas or semicolons, although the results will not be adversely affected if you do.

You can also choose chefs and television programmes from the dropdown menus as part of your search. Select the 'Healthier option', 'Quick' or 'Vegetarian' options by clicking on the box to the left of the term.

NB: Searches are NOT case sensitive. All letters, regardless of how you type them, will be understood as lower case. For example, searches for "Satay Chicken Salad", "satay chicken salad", and "sATAY cHICKEN sALAD" will all return the same results.

How to use the Advanced recipe search

You can access the Advanced recipe search from the 'Search recipes' page. This section gives a far greater range of options and search terms. The more you choose, the fewer the recipes you will receive.

The search will save your selections - remember to deselect search terms you no longer want to use each time you submit a new search.

For best results, choose your keywords wisely. Here are some points to keep in mind:

• Be specific and try the obvious or unusual first. If you're looking for a recipe with 'parmesan' write in 'parmesan' rather than just 'cheese'.
• You can search by either recipe title or main ingredient. It is advisable not to search for more than three main ingredients because it may slow your search.
• When searching for ingredients that are two words use " " to link the words together. Eg "cherry tomatoes" or "wild rice".
• Searches are NOT case sensitive. All letters, regardless of how you type them, will be understood as lower case.
• Check your spelling if you don't get any results back. To narrow your search, you can use the 'Search within results' box at the bottom of the results page or choose one of the 'Refine by' options on the results page.

How to use the Recipe browser

If you're looking for inspiration, you can browse BBC recipes according to your needs using the Recipe browser 'accordions'. (This section can also be accessed by following the 'Refine your search' link in the 'Browse recipes' section below the Quick search box.)

The Recipe browser accordions group recipes by main ingredient, chef, BBC programme, dietary requirements, type of cuisine, course, season or cooking method. Clicking on one of the categories will cause it to expand, revealing more options that will help you to refine your search. Click the title of the category again to hide the options.

How to search for recipes from TV programmes

The easiest way is to find a recipe from a specific programme or celebrity chef is to select the programme or chef name from the relevant drop-down menus and click 'Search'.

Can't find the recipe you want?

If you haven't found the recipe you want, you can return to the Search recipes page by clicking on the 'Go back' button at the top of the results page.

Back to Recipe finder.