Meal prep doesn’t have to feel like a chore because, with a few clever tricks, you can save time, reduce stress, and create delicious meals effortlessly. These 20 cooking hacks are perfect if you’re looking to have more time to enjoy your food and less time stuck in the kitchen.
Batch Roast Vegetables for Easy Sides
Roasting vegetables in bulk is a simple trick that pays off big time during the week, so pick your favourites—think sweet potatoes, carrots, courgettes, or even parsnips—and toss them in olive oil, salt, and your go-to seasonings. Roast them in a hot oven until they’re golden and tender, then let them cool before storing in an airtight container in the fridge.
Freeze Herbs in Oil or Butter
They might be brilliant for flavour, but fresh herbs can wilt in the fridge before you’ve had a chance to use them; instead, to keep them at their best, chop them up and freeze them in ice cube trays with olive oil or melted butter. Once frozen, pop the cubes into a bag or container, and you’ll have perfectly portioned bursts of herby goodness.
Use Parchment Paper to Avoid Messy Cleanup
Nobody loves scrubbing baking trays, which is why parchment paper is a kitchen essential, and by lining your tray before cooking, you avoid food sticking and make cleanup a breeze—just toss the paper away when you’re done. It’s a game-changer for everything, including roasting veg and baking biscuits.
Grate Butter for Easier Baking
Cold butter can be a nightmare to work with, especially when baking, so you should try grating it straight from the fridge. The smaller pieces mix seamlessly into flour, making scones and pastries a doddle to prepare, and not only does this save time, but it also means you’ll get that beautifully flaky texture you’re aiming for without overworking the dough.
Blitz Breadcrumbs in Bulk
An easy way to save money and reduce food waste, and meaning you’ll always have some on hand for a last-minute crunch boost, is turning stale bread into breadcrumbs. It’s so easy—just tear up the bread, throw it into a food processor, and blitz until you get the texture you like.
Cook Pasta in Less Water
Did you know you don’t need to fill a giant pot to cook pasta? Just add enough water to cover the pasta by an inch or so, and you’re good to go—and this method saves time waiting for water to boil and uses less energy, too. Plus, the starchy water you’re left with is perfect for creating creamy pasta sauces, just ladle a bit into your pan to bring everything together.
Peel Garlic in Seconds
Peeling garlic doesn’t have to be a fiddly job, just grab a jar with a lid or a sturdy container, toss in a handful of garlic cloves, give it a good shake, and after about 20 seconds, the skins will loosen. You can then pick out the peeled cloves, ready to use, resulting in a quick and oddly fun way to prep garlic.
Pre-Chop Onions and Freeze Them
Frozen onions means they’ll soften quickly in a pan, and you won’t even notice they were frozen, so it’s one of those hacks you’ll wish you’d tried sooner. Chopping onions every time you cook can get tedious, not to mention the inevitable teary eyes, so you can solve this with this easy pre-chop hack.
Use a Slow Cooker for Overnight Stock
Making your own stock sounds fancy, but it couldn’t be easier with a slow cooker. After dinner, toss your chicken bones or veg scraps into the pot, cover with water, add a bay leaf or two, and let it simmer overnight, then, when you wake up, you’ll have a rich, flavour-packed stock ready to strain and store.
Slice Cherry Tomatoes with a Plate Trick
A lifesaver when you’re prepping a salad or pasta dish and want to speed things up is placing a handful of tomatoes on a plate, popping another plate on top, and gently pressing down to hold them in place. Use a sharp knife to slice horizontally between the plates, and voilà—perfectly halved tomatoes in seconds.
Use Kitchen Scissors for Quick Cutting
Knives are great, but kitchen scissors can be even better for certain jobs, and you can use them to snip herbs straight into a pan, cut bacon into pieces, or even trim dough. They’re incredibly versatile, easy to control, and save on chopping board clean-up.
Marinate Meat in Zip-Top Bags
Give something different a go by using a resealable bag to combine your meat and marinade, then squeezing out as much air as possible before sealing it; the marinade coats everything evenly, and you can even massage the bag to ensure every bit is covered. When you’re ready to cook, simply toss the bag—no washing up required—resulting in an easy way to boost flavour with minimal effort.
Invest in Stackable Containers
If your fridge or cupboards look like a game of Tetris, it’s time to invest in stackable containers because these handy items help you keep things organised and save loads of space. You can see exactly what you’ve got at a glance, and they’re brilliant for storing leftovers, prepped ingredients, or pantry staples.
Pre-Mix Your Spice Blends
Why measure out individual spices every time you cook? Pre-mix your favourite combinations—like curry blends, fajita seasonings, or barbecue rubs—and store them in jars or containers so that when you’re cooking, you can just grab a spoonful and add instant flavour without the faff.
Use Hot Water for Quick Thawing
You no longer have to worry about forgetting to take the chicken out of the freezer when you can put the frozen food in a leak-proof bag and place it in a bowl of hot water (not boiling, as that can cook the edges). It’s a much faster way to defrost than leaving it out on the counter and much safer, too.
Keep Your Cheese Fresher for Longer
Cheese lovers, take note: wrapping your cheese in wax paper or parchment instead of cling film helps it breathe, which means it’ll stay fresher for longer, and you can store it in a slightly open container or the cheese drawer of your fridge to prevent it from sweating and going slimy. It’s a simple switch that makes a big difference, especially for fancier cheeses.
Make Pancake Batter Ahead of Time
A brilliant trick for busy mornings or weekend brunch is mixing pancake batter ahead of time, and letting the batter sit in the fridge overnight so that it actually improves the texture, giving you fluffier pancakes the next day. When you’re ready to cook, just give the batter a quick stir, and you’re good to go.
Chill Your Pastry Equipment
If you’ve ever struggled with sticky pastry, this tip is for you: keep your rolling pin, mixing bowl, and even your hands cool to stop the butter from melting too quickly. Pop your tools in the fridge for a few minutes before starting, and you’ll find your dough is much easier to handle.
Use a Mandoline for Uniform Slicing
While a mandoline slicer might look intimidating, it’s a lifesaver when you need even slices, like when prepping potatoes for a gratin or slicing veg for a salad. This tool gets the job done in seconds, if you just make sure to use the safety guard to protect your fingers, and you’ll be left amazed at how quickly you can slice through your prep list.
Keep a Kitchen Scrap Bag in the Freezer
Instead of binning veg peels, herb stems, and meat bones, save them in a freezer bag, and once it’s full, use it to make a homemade stock that’s packed with flavour. It’s eco-friendly, cost-effective, and surprisingly satisfying to make something delicious from scraps.