TheMealDB

aid: mealdb
name: TheMealDB
description: TheMealDB is an open, crowd-sourced database of recipes from around the world offering a free REST API with 669
  meals, 927 ingredients, 300+ recipes complete with ingredients, step-by-step cooking instructions, categories, area cuisines,
  and meal images. The API and site will always remain free at point of access; a lifetime supporter upgrade unlocks premium
  V2 endpoints including multi-ingredient filtering, random sets, latest meals, and the ability to add custom meals and images.
url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/mealdb/refs/heads/main/apis.yml
image: https://kinlane-images.s3.amazonaws.com/shared/apis-json/apis-json-logo.jpg
specificationVersion: '0.19'
created: '2026-06-13'
modified: '2026-06-13'
x-source: public-apis/public-apis
x-category: Food & Drink
x-type: open
x-tier: 2
x-tier-reason: free-open-api-with-premium-upgrade
tags:
- Food
- Recipes
- Meals
- Cooking
- Ingredients
- Cuisine
- Open Data
apis:
- name: TheMealDB Recipe API
  description: REST API providing search, lookup, filtering, and browsing of 669 meals across categories, areas, and ingredients.
    Free V1 access uses the public test key "1" in the URL path. Premium V2 access unlocks multi-ingredient filters, random
    sets, latest meals, and custom meal upload for lifetime supporters (£10 one-time).
  humanURL: https://www.themealdb.com/api.php
  baseURL: https://www.themealdb.com/api/json/v1/1
  tags:
  - Recipes
  - Meals
  - Food
  - Ingredients
  - Cuisine
  - REST
  properties:
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://www.themealdb.com/api.php
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://www.themealdb.com/docs_api_guide.php
  - type: OpenAPI
    url: openapi/openapi.json
common:
- type: Website
  url: https://www.themealdb.com
- type: Documentation
  url: https://www.themealdb.com/api.php
- type: Pricing
  url: https://www.themealdb.com/api.php
- type: TermsOfService
  url: https://www.themealdb.com/terms_of_use.php
- type: PrivacyPolicy
  url: https://www.themealdb.com/privacy_policy.php
- type: Plans
  url: plans/mealdb-plans-pricing.yml
- type: RateLimits
  url: rate-limits/mealdb-rate-limits.yml
- type: FinOps
  url: finops/mealdb-finops.yml
- type: X
  url: https://twitter.com/TheAudioDB
- type: Facebook
  url: https://www.facebook.com/TheDataDB/
- type: Discord
  url: https://discord.com/invite/pFvgaXV
features:
- name: Meal Search by Name
  description: Search for meals by full or partial name and return full recipe details including ingredients and instructions.
- name: Browse by First Letter
  description: List all meals beginning with a specified letter for alphabetical browsing.
- name: Meal Lookup by ID
  description: Retrieve full recipe details for a specific meal using its unique numeric ID.
- name: Random Meal
  description: Fetch a single random meal with complete recipe data; useful for "surprise me" features.
- name: Category Browsing
  description: Retrieve all meal categories (Beef, Chicken, Dessert, Pasta, Seafood, etc.) with thumbnail images.
- name: Filter by Ingredient
  description: Return a list of meals containing a specified main ingredient.
- name: Filter by Category
  description: Return a list of meals belonging to a specific category.
- name: Filter by Area / Cuisine
  description: Return a list of meals from a specific geographic cuisine area (Italian, Japanese, Mexican, etc.).
- name: Ingredient Catalog
  description: List all known ingredients with descriptions and images.
- name: Meal Images
  description: Meal and ingredient thumbnails with small, medium, and large size variants appended to the base image URL.
- name: Premium Multi-Ingredient Filter
  description: Filter meals by multiple ingredients simultaneously (V2, supporter key required).
- name: Premium Random Set
  description: Fetch 10 random meals in a single call (V2, supporter key required).
- name: Premium Latest Meals
  description: Retrieve the 10 most recently added meals (V2, supporter key required).
useCases:
- name: Recipe Discovery App
  description: Power a mobile or web recipe finder that lets users search, filter, and browse meals by name, category, or
    cuisine.
- name: Meal Planning Tool
  description: Build a weekly meal planner that suggests random meals and allows filtering by dietary category or ingredient.
- name: Cooking Education Platform
  description: Provide step-by-step instructions and ingredient lists for culinary learning apps and cooking courses.
- name: Grocery List Generator
  description: Extract ingredient lists from meal lookups to automatically populate grocery shopping lists.
- name: Cuisine Explorer
  description: Let users discover meals from specific world cuisines and learn about regional cooking traditions.
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  email: kin@apievangelist.com