TheMealDB

TheMealDB is a comprehensive online platform offering a vast collection of recipes from around the world with a free API. The API and site will always remain free at point of access.

1 APIs 3 Features

RecipesMealsFoodCooking

APIs

TheMealDB API

Free Recipe API providing access to a crowd-sourced database of meals from around the world. Search by name, category, area/region, or ingredient. Look up full recipes with step...

Collections

TheMealDB API

OPEN

Pricing Plans

Themealdb Plans Pricing

1 plans

PLANS

Rate Limits

Themealdb Rate Limits

1 limits

RATE LIMITS

FinOps

Themealdb Finops

FINOPS

Features

TheMealDB: free public API

Free public meal recipe API. Patreon supporters get premium API key with no rate limits.

Public URL: https://www.themealdb.com/

Use Cases

Recipe App Development

Build meal recipe apps and cooking websites

Meal Planning

Plan weekly meals by category, region, or available ingredients

AI Cooking Assistant

Power AI agents that suggest meals and cooking ideas

Dietary Filtering

Find meals filtered by ingredients, cuisine, or category

Integrations

TheCocktailDB

Sister site providing cocktail recipes from the same provider

Semantic Vocabularies

Themealdb Context

6 classes · 21 properties

JSON-LD

API Governance Rules

TheMealDB API Rules

18 rules · 8 errors 8 warnings 2 info

SPECTRAL

JSON Structure

Themealdb Categories Response Structure

1 properties

JSON STRUCTURE

Themealdb Category Structure

4 properties

JSON STRUCTURE

Themealdb Filter Response Structure

1 properties

JSON STRUCTURE

Themealdb List Response Structure

1 properties

JSON STRUCTURE

Themealdb Meal Structure

16 properties

JSON STRUCTURE

Themealdb Meals Response Structure

1 properties

JSON STRUCTURE

Example Payloads

Themealdb Categories Response Example

1 fields

EXAMPLE

Themealdb Category Example

4 fields

EXAMPLE

Themealdb Filter Response Example

1 fields

EXAMPLE

Themealdb List Response Example

1 fields

EXAMPLE

Themealdb Meal Example

16 fields

EXAMPLE

Themealdb Meals Response Example

1 fields

EXAMPLE

Resources

TheMealDB Spectral Rules

SpectralRules

🔗

TheMealDB Vocabulary

Vocabulary

Sources

opencollection: 1.0.0
info:
  name: TheMealDB API
  version: '1.0'
items:
- info:
    name: Search
    type: folder
  items:
  - info:
      name: TheMealDB Search Meals by Name or First Letter
      type: http
    http:
      method: GET
      url: https://www.themealdb.com/api/json/v1/1/search.php
      params:
      - name: s
        value: ''
        type: query
        description: Meal name to search (e.g. Arrabiata, chicken)
      - name: f
        value: ''
        type: query
        description: First letter to browse meals alphabetically (single letter a-z)
    docs: Search for meals by name using the 's' parameter, or browse meals starting with a specific first letter using the
      'f' parameter.
- info:
    name: Lookup
    type: folder
  items:
  - info:
      name: TheMealDB Lookup Meal Details by ID
      type: http
    http:
      method: GET
      url: https://www.themealdb.com/api/json/v1/1/lookup.php
      params:
      - name: i
        value: ''
        type: query
        description: Meal ID to look up
    docs: Look up the full details of a meal by its ID using the 'i' parameter.
  - info:
      name: TheMealDB Get a Random Meal
      type: http
    http:
      method: GET
      url: https://www.themealdb.com/api/json/v1/1/random.php
    docs: Retrieve a single random meal with full recipe details.
- info:
    name: List
    type: folder
  items:
  - info:
      name: TheMealDB List All Meal Categories
      type: http
    http:
      method: GET
      url: https://www.themealdb.com/api/json/v1/1/categories.php
    docs: Retrieve all meal categories with thumbnails and descriptions.
  - info:
      name: TheMealDB List Filter Values for Categories, Areas, or Ingredients
      type: http
    http:
      method: GET
      url: https://www.themealdb.com/api/json/v1/1/list.php
      params:
      - name: c
        value: ''
        type: query
        description: Set to 'list' to retrieve all categories
      - name: a
        value: ''
        type: query
        description: Set to 'list' to retrieve all areas/regions
      - name: i
        value: ''
        type: query
        description: Set to 'list' to retrieve all ingredients
    docs: List all available categories ('c=list'), areas ('a=list'), or ingredients ('i=list') for use as filter parameters.
- info:
    name: Filter
    type: folder
  items:
  - info:
      name: TheMealDB Filter Meals by Ingredient, Category, or Area
      type: http
    http:
      method: GET
      url: https://www.themealdb.com/api/json/v1/1/filter.php
      params:
      - name: i
        value: ''
        type: query
        description: Filter by main ingredient
      - name: c
        value: ''
        type: query
        description: Filter by category
      - name: a
        value: ''
        type: query
        description: Filter by area/region of origin
    docs: Filter meals by a single ingredient ('i'), category ('c'), or area/region ('a'). Multi-ingredient filtering is available
      to premium supporters.
bundled: true