How to cook in Stardew Valley – best recipes and more

Most of the crops or animal products in Stardew Valley can be used to cook different recipes, which can usually be given as gifts to hungry residents or eaten to refill health or stamina. Unlocking the cooking mechanic doesn’t happen immediately; you have to upgrade your farmhouse for the first time to add a kitchen to your home.

If you’re not sure how to get started cooking in Stardew Valley, here is everything you need to know, including some of the best recipes to create.

How to cook in Stardew Valley

Cooking is initially unlocked with the first farmhouse upgrade, which adds a kitchen to the player’s home. With it, you get access to a fridge and a stove, as seen in the image above. Any ingredients in the fridge or the player’s inventory can be used in to cook. Simply approach the stove and interact with it to bring up the cooking menu.

Recipes must be learned to be made, which can be done by watching The Queen of Sauce on the TV on certain days, reaching higher friendship levels with Pelican Town’s residents, or by leveling up skills. If the player knows a recipe and has the right ingredients, then simply clicking on the item in the cooking menu will make it. No time or stamina is needed.

Best recipes to make in Stardew Valley

Most cooked items will sell for a bit less than their individual ingredients, so don’t expect to get rich through cooking. However, many provide buffs beyond just replenishing health and stamina, which make them valuable items when you’re out exploring Stardew Valley.

• Spicy Eel: Eel (1) and Hot Pepper (1) – This spicy treat will restore 115 Stamina and 51 Health. It will also boost your movement speed and luck, making it more likely that you’ll find the stairs down in the mines. The recipe comes from reaching Heart Level 7 with George.
• Tom Kha Soup: Coconut (1), Shrimp (1), and Common Mushroom (1) – This soup gives you 175 Stamina and 78 Health, as well as upping your farming skill. It also increases your maximum energy by 30. The recipe is received from Sandy upon reaching Heart Level 7 with her.
• Dish O’ The Sea: Sardine (2) and Hashbrowns (1) – This dish ups your fishing skill by a whopping three levels for more than five minutes, making it great to use when you want to spend the day fishing. The recipe is unlocked by reaching Fishing Level 3.
• Miner’s Treat: Cave Carrot (2), Sugar (1), and Milk (1) – This will restore 125 Stamina and 56 Health, but it will also boost your Mining Skill by three and give you a magnetic personality, drawing items in the mines to you from a distance. The recipe is received by reaching Mining Level 3.