8 Best-Selling Quick Cooking Books Millions Love

Recommended by experts Kathryne Taylor, Tieghan Gerard, and Molly Yeh, these best-selling Quick Cooking Books offer proven recipes and strategies for busy cooks.

Updated on June 24, 2025
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There's something special about books that both critics and crowds love—especially in quick cooking, where time is precious and flavor is king. Millions turn to these carefully chosen cookbooks for recipes that cut down prep and cook time without sacrificing taste or nutrition. Quick Cooking isn't just a trend; it's an essential skill for modern kitchens, delivering satisfying meals fast.

Experts like Kathryne Taylor, author of Love Real Food, discovered The Well Plated Cookbook as a trusted resource for busy home cooks seeking healthy meals that don’t waste ingredients. Tieghan Gerard, the New York Times bestselling author of Half Baked Harvest, turned to her own cookbook's simple, flavorful recipes to ease weeknight stress. Meanwhile, Molly Yeh praises approachable, balanced dishes that keep cooking fun and accessible, embodying the spirit of quick cooking.

While these popular books provide proven frameworks and recipes, readers seeking content tailored to their specific Quick Cooking needs might consider creating a personalized Quick Cooking book that combines these validated approaches. Such customized guides can help you focus on your unique preferences, skill level, and goals for even faster, more satisfying cooking.

Best for healthy quick meals
Kathryne Taylor, author of Love Real Food, highlights how Erin Clarke’s cookbook aligns perfectly with the needs of busy home cooks who want healthy, approachable recipes. She praises the book’s thoughtful design that avoids leftover waste and offers seasonal flexibility, noting, "Fans of the Well Plated blog appreciate Erin’s warm, encouraging voice and foolproof, comforting-yet-lightened-up recipes." This recommendation resonates strongly given the cookbook’s popularity among those seeking nutritious meals that fit hectic lifestyles. Additionally, Tieghan Gerard, New York Times bestselling author, emphasizes how the book makes it easy for families and busy individuals to enjoy wholesome home cooking.

Recommended by Kathryne Taylor

Author of Love Real Food

Fans of the Well Plated blog appreciate Erin’s warm, encouraging voice and foolproof, comforting-yet-lightened-up recipes. The Well Plated Cookbook is Erin’s most thoughtful and thorough recipe collection yet. She ensures that you're never left with a random half-cup of leftover beans and guides you to adjust the recipes to suit your season or pantry. The Well Plated Cookbook will become an indispensable resource in your kitchen.

The breakthrough moment came when Erin Clarke, known for her healthy-eating blog Well Plated, compiled over 130 recipes that cleverly lighten classic comfort foods without sacrificing flavor. You learn how to transform everyday ingredients into fast, nutritious meals with techniques like using single ingredients in multiple inventive ways, such as Sweet Potato Boats 5 Ways. The book also guides you on practical meal planning, avoiding leftover waste, and adapting recipes seasonally with Market Swaps. If you want approachable, budget-friendly cooking that satisfies picky eaters and fits into busy schedules, this cookbook offers straightforward methods that keep you coming back to the kitchen.

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Best for easy comfort food lovers
Tieghan Gerard is a food photographer, stylist, recipe developer, and cookbook author known for her blog Half Baked Harvest, which features a blend of savory, sweet, healthy, and indulgent recipes. Her belief that every diet should include a little chocolate reflects the balance she brings to cooking. This book captures her knack for creating approachable, flavorful dishes that fit into busy lifestyles, making it a practical choice if you want to enjoy cooking without the hassle.
2019·288 pages·Quick Cooking, Easy Cooking, Food, Cooking, Comfort Food

What started as a passion project for Tieghan Gerard blossomed into a resource for anyone seeking quick, satisfying meals without fuss. Drawing on her experience as a food photographer and stylist, she offers over 125 recipes that simplify cooking with fewer ingredients, meal-prep strategies, and options for Instant Pot and slow cooker use. You'll find recipes ranging from Cardamom Apple Fritters to Slow Roasted Moroccan Salmon, blending comfort with efficiency. This book suits home cooks pressed for time who want to serve impressive, flavorful dishes with minimal stress.

New York Times Bestseller
Named One Of The Best Cookbooks Of The Year By BuzzFeed And Food Network
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Best for personal cooking plans
This AI-created book on quick cooking is tailored to your specific kitchen challenges and cooking goals. By understanding your background, skill level, and the particular obstacles you face, this personalized guide crafts a cooking experience that fits your lifestyle and preferences. It focuses on practical, efficient recipes and techniques to help you prepare meals faster without sacrificing taste or quality. Personalization here ensures you learn exactly what you need for quicker, more enjoyable cooking in your own kitchen.
2025·50-300 pages·Quick Cooking, Time Saving, Recipe Selection, Ingredient Prep, Kitchen Efficiency

This tailored book explores proven quick cooking methods designed to match your unique kitchen challenges and preferences. It covers efficient recipes and practical techniques that focus on saving time without compromising flavor or nutrition. By tailoring the content to your background and goals, this guide examines the intersection of popular cooking wisdom with your specific culinary interests, helping you master the art of fast, satisfying meals. The personalized approach reveals how to navigate your kitchen environment, ingredient availability, and skill level to optimize cooking speed and enjoyment. Whether you're juggling busy days or seeking streamlined meal prep, this book offers a focused learning experience that addresses your specific needs and fosters confident, quick cooking.

Tailored Guide
Speed Optimization
1,000+ Happy Readers
Best for Whole30 lifestyle cooks
Danielle Walker, acclaimed author of Against All Grain and a trusted voice in healthy cooking, highlights how this book transforms your weeknight routine by proving you don’t need hours to prepare nourishing meals. Her endorsement resonates deeply with busy households seeking balance between health and time management. She notes, "You don’t have to spend hours in the kitchen to feed your family healthy, home-cooked meals. These simple but delicious recipes will stay in your weeknight rotation long after your Whole30 is over." This straightforward approach aligns with readers looking for quick, wholesome meals without fuss. Alongside her, Jen Hatmaker praises the book for its ability to make you feel vibrant and well, emphasizing how the recipes support both body and soul during Whole30 challenges.

Recommended by Danielle Walker

New York Times bestselling author, Against All Grain

You don’t have to spend hours in the kitchen to feed your family healthy, home-cooked meals. These simple but delicious recipes will stay in your weeknight rotation long after your Whole30 is over.

Melissa Hartwig Urban, co-founder of the Whole30 program and a six-time New York Times bestselling author, channels her experience into this collection of 150 fast and approachable recipes designed to support the Whole30 lifestyle without sacrificing flavor or time. You’ll find meals that fit into busy schedules—think skillet dishes, sheet-pan suppers, and no-cook options—that can be prepared in 30 minutes or less using accessible ingredients. The book offers practical kitchen hacks that help you save time and money while sticking to Whole30 principles, making it suitable whether you’re new to the program or a seasoned participant. It’s a straightforward guide for anyone wanting to maintain healthy eating habits amid a hectic life.

New York Times Bestseller
Author of 6+ New York Times Bestsellers
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Best for Instant Pot beginners
Jeffrey Eisner is a multiple-time #1 bestselling author whose debut cookbook became one of the most sold during the 2020 pandemic when home cooking surged. His trusted recipes, showcased on his Pressure Luck Cooking website and YouTube channel, earned him national and international television appearances. Eisner develops and tests his recipes in both rural and urban settings, bringing practical expertise to this Instant Pot cookbook. This volume offers clear, photograph-rich guidance that makes pressure cooking approachable for all skill levels, reflecting Eisner’s commitment to helping you achieve spectacular results with ease.
2020·272 pages·Quick Cooking, Easy Cooking, Pressure Cooking, Step By Step, Instant Pot

What started as Jeffrey Eisner's passion for making pressure cooking accessible transformed into a visual feast of 100 recipes supported by over 750 step-by-step photographs. Drawing from his experience running the Pressure Luck Cooking website and YouTube channel, Eisner breaks down the Instant Pot into approachable, enjoyable cooking—no exotic ingredients or complicated techniques required. You learn precise, reliable methods for dishes ranging from Mac & Cheese to Bananas Foster, making it ideal if you want confidence and clarity in your quick-cooking repertoire. This book suits anyone eager to master instant pressure cooking with straightforward guidance and guaranteed results.

#1 National Bestseller
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Best for Mediterranean Instant Pot recipes
America’s Test Kitchen is well-known for its top-rated television shows with over 4 million weekly public television viewers, bestselling cookbooks, magazines, websites, and a cooking school. Their deep expertise in culinary testing and recipe development shines through in this Instant Pot cookbook, which makes Mediterranean-style cooking accessible and straightforward. Driven by the popularity of both the Mediterranean diet and the Instant Pot appliance, this book delivers a unique blend of healthful eating and convenience that fits right into your kitchen routine.
2019·192 pages·Quick Cooking, Mediterranean Cooking, Easy Cooking, Diet, Instant Pot

When America's Test Kitchen took on the challenge of blending the Mediterranean diet with the Instant Pot, they created a cookbook that simplifies healthy cooking without sacrificing flavor. You'll find 95 recipes designed to be ready in under an hour, focusing on vegetables, grains, seafood, and beans—all staples of the Mediterranean diet. The book shows you how to use the Instant Pot to effortlessly prepare dishes like Lamb Meatballs with Couscous or Braised Whole Cauliflower with North African Spices, turning complex meals into manageable one-pot wonders. If you want to embrace nutritious eating with minimal fuss and maximum taste, this book offers clear guidance tailored to your busy lifestyle.

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Best for personal cooking plans
This AI-created book on quick cooking is written based on your current cooking skills and the specific areas you want to improve. By sharing your background, interests, and goals, you get a tailored guide that focuses exactly on what you need to master fast, delicious meals. Personalizing the content means you avoid irrelevant information and jump straight into practical techniques that fit your lifestyle and tastes. This makes learning quick cooking more effective and enjoyable.
2025·50-300 pages·Quick Cooking, Meal Planning, Time Management, Simple Recipes, Ingredient Prep

This personalized quick cooking book explores a step-by-step plan designed to help you master fast, flavorful meals within one month. It covers essential techniques for preparing delicious dishes efficiently, focusing on your interests and cooking background to ensure a tailored learning experience. Through a carefully crafted approach, the book examines ways to combine time-saving methods with tasty results, addressing your specific goals for quick meal preparation. By focusing on your unique needs, this tailored guide reveals how to streamline your cooking process without sacrificing quality or enjoyment, making the journey to rapid, satisfying dinners both accessible and engaging.

Tailored Guide
Rapid Meal Planning
1,000+ Happy Readers
Best for Mediterranean weeknight cooks
Christopher Kimball's Milk Street has reshaped how home cooks approach bold, simple recipes by exploring global techniques and flavors. His experience leading Milk Street and commitment to accessible cooking inspired this collection of Mediterranean meals tailored for weeknight efficiency and healthful eating.

Christopher Kimball's "Milk Street: Tuesday Nights Mediterranean" invites you into the vibrant world of Mediterranean cooking with recipes designed for busy weeknights. Drawing on his extensive experience leading Milk Street, Kimball offers 125 dishes that blend bold flavors with simplicity, many ready in under 25 minutes. You'll learn to harness pantry staples in creative ways, explore techniques like fennel-steaming salmon or making green shakshuka, and organize meals by how quickly you want to cook. This book suits home cooks eager to bring healthful, direct, and flavorful Mediterranean meals to their table without fuss or elaborate prep.

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Best for quick healthy cooking
Eat to Live Quick and Easy Cookbook stands out in the quick cooking category by combining health-focused recipes with simplicity, making nutritious eating accessible for busy lives. Dr. Joel Fuhrman, a New York Times best-selling author, offers 131 easy-to-prepare dishes that prioritize weight loss and blood pressure control without complex steps or hard-to-find ingredients. This book addresses the common obstacles of time and uncertainty about healthy cooking, offering a practical resource for anyone seeking to improve their diet efficiently. Its proven appeal lies in delivering tasty, guilt-free meals that fit seamlessly into everyday routines.
2017·304 pages·Quick Cooking, Healthy Cooking, Easy Cooking, Weight Loss, Blood Pressure

After analyzing the challenges busy people face in maintaining a nutritious diet, Dr. Joel Fuhrman developed this cookbook to simplify healthy eating without sacrificing flavor or ease. You’ll find 131 recipes designed for quick preparation that focus on weight loss and blood pressure control, emphasizing nutrient-dense ingredients accessible from any grocery store. The book teaches practical meal ideas that fit into hectic schedules, helping you create satisfying dishes that support long-term health. Whether you’re managing chronic conditions or simply want to eat better without spending hours in the kitchen, this collection offers straightforward guidance and variety.

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Best for foundational cooking skills
Mark Bittman is an acclaimed author with over thirty books to his name, including the #1 New York Times bestseller VB6. His impressive track record includes six James Beard Awards and four IACP Awards, underscoring his authority in food writing. Driven by a desire to make cooking accessible, Bittman crafted this book to teach fundamental techniques through detailed photos and clear instructions, helping you gain confidence in the kitchen regardless of your experience level.

Mark Bittman, a celebrated food writer with over thirty books and multiple James Beard Awards, uses his decades of culinary experience to demystify cooking fundamentals in this book. You’ll find clear guidance on essential techniques like dicing vegetables, roasting meats, and preparing basic soups and salads, all supported by 1,000 step-by-step photos that make even complex steps approachable. The book’s special sections, such as “How to Cook Any Grain” and “5 Rules for Buying and Storing Seafood,” offer practical insights that sharpen your cooking intuition. Ideal for those new to the kitchen, it offers a solid foundation without overwhelming you with unnecessary complexity.

New York Times Bestseller
Six James Beard Awards
Four IACP Awards
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Proven Quick Cooking Methods, Personalized

Get proven quick cooking strategies tailored to your unique kitchen and lifestyle needs.

Time-saving techniques
Flavorful recipe ideas
Customized meal plans

Trusted by thousands of quick cooking enthusiasts worldwide

Quick Cooking Mastery Blueprint
30-Day Quick Cooking System
Quick Cooking Foundations Code
90-Day Quick Cooking Success

Conclusion

This collection of eight best-selling Quick Cooking books reveals clear themes: practical efficiency, accessible healthy options, and reliable techniques that have been embraced by millions. If you prefer proven methods with broad appeal, starting with The Well Plated Cookbook or Half Baked Harvest Super Simple offers flavorful, fast meals. For validated approaches integrating diet plans, combine The Whole30 Fast & Easy Cookbook and Eat to Live Quick and Easy Cookbook.

If mastering kitchen fundamentals excites you, How to Cook Everything provides a strong foundation. Alternatively, you can create a personalized Quick Cooking book to blend proven methods with your unique lifestyle and tastes. These widely-adopted approaches have helped many readers succeed in crafting quick, nourishing meals that fit their busy lives.

Frequently Asked Questions

I'm overwhelmed by choice – which book should I start with?

Start with The Well Plated Cookbook if you want healthy, approachable recipes for busy weeknights. It balances flavor and nutrition well, making it approachable for most cooks.

Are these books too advanced for someone new to Quick Cooking?

No, books like How to Cook Everything and The Step-by-Step Instant Pot Cookbook are designed for beginners to build skills while cooking efficiently.

Do I really need to read all of these, or can I just pick one?

You can pick one that fits your style—like Half Baked Harvest Super Simple for comfort food or Mediterranean Instant Pot for healthy one-pot meals—without reading them all.

Which book gives the most actionable advice I can use right away?

The Step-by-Step Instant Pot Cookbook offers clear, photo-guided recipes that make it easy to start cooking quick meals immediately.

Are any of these books outdated given how fast Quick Cooking changes?

No, these books remain relevant due to their focus on timeless techniques and adaptable recipes that suit today's busy kitchens.

Can personalized Quick Cooking books complement these expert picks?

Yes! While these expert books provide proven recipes, personalized Quick Cooking books tailor advice to your unique needs and goals, enhancing your cooking journey. Explore personalized Quick Cooking books here.

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