Fridge recipe finder: turn what's in your fridge into dinner

A 3-minute how-to · Chef AI

You open the fridge. Half a lemon, a wilting bunch of parsley, an almost-empty tub of yogurt, two eggs, leftover rice. There's a meal in there somewhere — you just can't see it. That's exactly what a fridge recipe finder is for.

What is a fridge recipe finder?

It's a tool that looks at the ingredients you already have and suggests dishes you can actually make tonight — no extra shop, no food waste. Chef AI does this from a single photo of your fridge or pantry shelves.

How to use Chef AI's fridge recipe finder

1. Open the scanner. Go to Scan your fridge.
2. Take a photo of your shelves. Open the fridge door, push things to the front so labels and shapes are visible, and snap one clear photo. Pantry, vegetable drawer, leftovers container — anything counts.
3. Let Chef AI read the shelves. In a few seconds it lists every ingredient it can identify, from the obvious (eggs, butter, onion) to the easily-missed (half a lime, jar of capers).
4. Pick a dish. Chef AI suggests a handful of real meals you can make with what's there — a 15-minute pasta, a one-pan traybake, a quick rice bowl. Tap one and you get the full recipe: ingredients, step-by-step method, and chef's tips.

Tips for better results

• Good light beats a good camera. Open the door fully so the inside is lit.
• One shelf at a time works better than a single wide shot when the fridge is full.
• Mention staples in your prompt. If the photo can't see your pantry, type "I also have rice, olive oil, soy sauce" before generating.

What's in my fridge — recipe finder for leftovers

Leftovers are where this shines. Roast chicken carcass + half a cabbage + cold rice becomes fried rice. Wilting herbs + a lemon + yogurt becomes a green sauce that rescues anything. Chef AI keeps ingredient overlap high, so most of the recipe is already in your kitchen.