Recipe cost examples
Template recipes with US average ingredient costs. Pick one as a starting point, replace with your own supplier prices.
Pizza Margherita
Classic Neapolitan pizza with tomato, mozzarella, and basil. Average US restaurant food cost for a 12-inch pie.
Caesar Salad
Restaurant-style Caesar with romaine, parmesan, croutons, and anchovy dressing. Ingredient cost per serving against a typical menu price.
Beef Burger with Fries
6 oz ground beef patty with brioche bun, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and a side of fries. Typical casual-dining food cost.
Chicken Tikka Masala
Indian restaurant favorite - marinated grilled chicken in creamy tomato sauce. Food cost per entrée portion.
Chocolate Chip Cookies (batch of 24)
Classic bakery-style chocolate chip cookies, about 2 oz each. Ingredient cost for a full batch of 24, with the per-cookie cost and typical retail markup.
Pad Thai (Chicken)
Thai restaurant favorite with rice noodles, chicken, peanuts, and tamarind sauce. Food cost per entrée portion.
Sourdough Bread
Artisan sourdough loaf from 1 lb (454 g) of flour, about 800 g of dough. Ingredient cost for home bakers selling at farmers markets, where a plain loaf typically sells for $8-12.
Chicken Wings (10-piece)
Bar-style chicken wings, 10 pieces with sauce and dip. Common pub/sports bar food cost.
Pasta Carbonara
Classic Roman pasta with guanciale, egg, pecorino, and pepper. Italian restaurant entrée food cost.
Fish Tacos (3 piece)
Three corn-tortilla fish tacos with cabbage slaw, crema, and lime. Coastal/Mexican food truck typical food cost.
Tonkotsu Ramen Bowl
Pork-bone broth ramen with chashu pork, soft egg, scallions, and noodles. Ramen shop entrée food cost.
Pulled Pork Sandwich
BBQ pulled pork on brioche bun with slaw and pickles. Food truck and BBQ joint typical food cost.
Blueberry Muffins (batch of 12)
Bakery-style blueberry muffins. Per-batch ingredient cost; typical bakery retail $3-4 each.
Croissant
Classic French laminated butter croissant. Per-unit cost from a batch yield, against a typical bakery price of $4-5.50, and the highest food cost of any baked good on this site.
Philly Cheesesteak
Sliced ribeye, melted cheese, fried onions on hoagie roll. Sandwich shop / food truck food cost.
Bagel
NYC-style boiled and baked bagel, about 4 oz of dough. Per-unit cost from a batch yield, against a typical bakery counter price of $1.50-2.50.
Birthday Cake (8 inch)
Two-layer 8 inch buttercream cake with decoration, serving 12-16. Cottage food and home baker ingredient cost against a typical $50-90 retail price.
Mac & Cheese (single serving)
Restaurant baked mac & cheese with two-cheese sauce (cheddar and Gruyère) and breadcrumb topping. Casual dining side or entrée food cost.
Pan-Seared Salmon Fillet
Restaurant entrée - 6 oz salmon with two sides. Mid-tier dining food cost.
12 oz Ribeye Steak
Steakhouse entrée - 12 oz USDA Choice ribeye with sides. Steak entrées typically run a 33-38% food cost, among the highest on a menu.
California Sushi Roll (8 piece)
Standard sushi-bar California roll. Per-roll ingredient cost; typical retail $7-12.
Breakfast Burrito
Egg, cheese, potato, and protein burrito wrapped in a flour tortilla. Food truck and brunch typical food cost.
Pho Bo (Beef Pho)
Vietnamese rice noodle soup with beef broth, rare beef, and herbs. Pho shop entrée food cost.
Falafel Pita Wrap
Mediterranean wrap with falafel, hummus, vegetables, and tahini sauce. Food truck / fast-casual food cost.
Maine Lobster Roll
Cold lobster meat tossed with mayo, served on a butter-toasted split bun. Premium seafood pushes food cost well above a typical entrée.
Smoothie (16 oz)
Fruit smoothie blend with banana, berries, yogurt, and juice. Smoothie bar / juice shop food cost.
Chicken Caesar Wrap
Grilled chicken, romaine, parmesan, and Caesar dressing in a flour tortilla. Lunch counter food cost.
Vegetable Stir Fry over Rice
Mixed vegetables in stir-fry sauce served over jasmine rice. Asian-inspired vegetarian entrée food cost.
Cinnamon Roll
Bakery cinnamon roll with cream cheese frosting, from a 12-roll batch. Ingredient cost against a typical $4-5 counter price, and the waste that decides whether it is profitable.
Iced Latte (16 oz)
Iced espresso drink with milk, no flavoring. Coffee shop drink food cost; typical retail $4.50-6.
Eggs Benedict (single)
Brunch classic - poached eggs and Canadian bacon on an English muffin with hollandaise. Brunch service food cost.
Kombucha Bottle (12 oz)
Small-batch flavored kombucha. Per-bottle cost including the bottle, cap, and label; typical retail $3-4.50.
Cupcakes (dozen)
Vanilla cupcakes with buttercream frosting, sold by the dozen. Cottage food and home baker batch cost, with the per-cupcake figure and typical retail pricing.
Lasagna (9x13 pan, 12 portions)
Meat lasagna with beef and sausage ragu, ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan, built in a 9x13 hotel pan and cut into 12 portions. Foodservice ingredient prices against a typical restaurant price per portion.
Cheesecake (9-inch)
New York-style baked cheesecake on a graham cracker crust, 9-inch, cuts 12 slices. Ingredient cost at US grocery prices against a typical bakery price for a whole cake.
Chili con Carne (12 oz bowl)
Beef and bean chili served in a 12 oz bowl with cheddar and sour cream. Foodservice ingredient cost per bowl against a typical restaurant price.
Street Tacos (order of 3)
Three carne asada street tacos on doubled corn tortillas with onion, cilantro, salsa, and lime. Foodservice ingredient cost per order against a typical restaurant price.
Fresh Lemonade (16 oz)
Fresh-squeezed lemonade in a 16 oz cup over ice. Ingredient and cup cost at US grocery prices against a typical stand or cafe price.
Banana Bread (9x5 loaf)
Banana bread with walnuts, one 9x5 loaf. Ingredient cost at US grocery prices against a typical bakery or farmers market price per loaf.
Brownies (9x13 pan of 15)
Fudgy chocolate brownies baked in a 9x13 pan and cut into 15 bakery squares. Ingredient cost at US grocery prices, with the per-brownie cost and typical retail price.
Cake Pops (batch of 24)
Cake pops dipped in candy melts with sprinkles, bagged and tied. Ingredient and packaging cost at US grocery prices for 24, with the per-pop cost and typical cottage bakery price.
Glazed Donuts (batch of 12)
Yeast-raised glazed donuts fried at home, a batch of 12. Ingredient cost at US grocery prices, including the frying oil, with the per-donut cost and typical shop price.
Chicken Enchiladas (plate of 3)
Three chicken enchiladas in red sauce with melted cheese, served with rice and refried beans. Foodservice ingredient cost per plate against a typical restaurant price.
Fried Chicken (3-piece plate)
Three pieces of buttermilk fried chicken with coleslaw and a biscuit. Foodservice ingredient cost per plate against a typical restaurant price.
French Macarons (batch of 20)
French macarons with buttercream filling, 20 finished cookies after the usual cracked and hollow shells are culled. Ingredient cost at US grocery prices, with the per-macaron cost and typical bakery price.
Meatloaf Plate
Beef and pork meatloaf with ketchup glaze, mashed potatoes, gravy, and green beans. Foodservice ingredient cost per plate against a typical diner price.
Loaded Nachos (shareable platter)
A shareable platter of tortilla chips with cheese, seasoned beef, beans, pico de gallo, jalapenos, sour cream, and guacamole. Foodservice ingredient cost against a typical bar and restaurant price.
Pancakes (stack of 3)
Three buttermilk pancakes with blueberries, butter, and real maple syrup. Foodservice ingredient cost per stack against a typical diner price.
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Spaghetti in marinara with three beef and pork meatballs, parmesan, and garlic bread. Foodservice ingredient cost per plate against a typical restaurant price.
Tiramisu (9x13 pan, 12 slices)
Classic tiramisu with mascarpone cream, espresso-soaked ladyfingers, and cocoa, made in a 9x13 pan and cut into 12 slices. Foodservice ingredient cost against a typical restaurant price per slice.