Recipe Management
Last updated: 2026-10-23
Learn how to create, edit, organize, and find your recipes in momoChef. This guide covers everything you need to know about managing your recipe collection.
Creating Recipes
There are several ways to add new recipes to your collection.
Manual Entry
To create a recipe from scratch:
- Click Add Recipe
- Select Create from Scratch
- Fill in the recipe details (title, description, servings, times)
- Add your ingredients — each gets its own row
- Add the cooking instructions
- Optionally add tags, a photo, and nutrition information
- Choose a book and click Save Recipe
Import from URL
Save time by importing recipes from your favorite websites:
- Click Add Recipe
- Select Website URL
- Paste the recipe URL
- Click Import
- Review the parsed draft and make any edits
- Choose a book and save your recipe
Tip: Our parser works with most major recipe sites. If an import doesn't work perfectly, you can always edit the recipe afterward.
Import from Photo (Premium — see pricing)
Upload a photo or scan of a recipe from a cookbook or recipe card (JPEG/PNG/PDF, up to 10 MB):
- Click Add Recipe
- Select Photo / Scan
- Upload the photo
- Our AI will extract the text and parse it into ingredients and instructions
- Review and save
Bulk Import
Moving from another recipe app? Import all your recipes at once:
- Import from Paprika and Pepperplate, plus standard JSON/CSV exports from most apps
- Upload PDF, ZIP, JSON, CSV, or Markdown files — multi-recipe files open a picker of everything found
- Bulk-import CSV, JSON, Markdown, or ZIP in Settings → Data
See our Recipe Import guide for detailed instructions.
Editing Recipes
To edit an existing recipe:
- Navigate to the recipe you want to edit
- Click the Edit button (pencil icon)
- Make your changes
- Click Save
Edit Any Field
You can modify any part of a recipe:
- Title and description
- Servings, prep time, and cook time
- Ingredients (add, remove, or reorder)
- Instructions (add, remove, or reorder steps)
- Tags and categories
- Photo
- Nutrition information
- Notes and tips
Recipe Books and Organization
Keep your recipes organized with recipe books. Think of them as folders or collections for grouping related recipes.
Creating a Recipe Book
- Go to Recipes in the sidebar
- Click + New Book
- Enter a name and optional description
- Upload a cover image (momoChef styles the rest automatically)
- Click Create
Free accounts can create up to 3 personal books; Premium is unlimited.
Adding Recipes to Books
When viewing a recipe, click Add to Book to add it to one or more recipe books. A recipe can be in multiple books at once.
Book Types
- Personal Books: Private books only you can see
- Shared Books: Invite friends and family to collaborate
- Public Books: Share your collection with the momoChef community
Tip: Create books based on how you cook: "Weeknight Dinners," "Holiday Baking," "Kid-Friendly," etc.
Tags and Categories
Tags help you find and filter recipes quickly. Add multiple tags to each recipe for flexible organization.
Adding Tags
When editing a recipe, add tags in the tags field:
- Type a tag name and press Enter to add it
- Click an existing tag to remove it
Tag Ideas
- Cuisine: Italian, Mexican, Asian, Mediterranean
- Meal Type: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snack, Dessert
- Dietary: Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Keto
- Occasion: Quick, Holiday, Party, Comfort Food
- Main Ingredient: Chicken, Beef, Seafood, Vegetables
- Cooking Method: Slow Cooker, Instant Pot, Grill, Oven
Filtering by Tags
On the Recipes page, click any tag to filter your recipes. Pick multiple tags to see recipes matching any of them.
Search and Filtering
Find any recipe instantly with powerful search and filtering options.
Quick Search
Use the search bar at the top of any page:
- Search by recipe name
- Search by ingredient
- Search by tag
- Results appear as you type
Advanced Filters
On the Recipes page, use filters to narrow down results:
- By Book: Show only recipes in a specific book
- By Tags: Select one or more tags
- By Time: Recipes under 30 minutes, 1 hour, etc.
- By Dietary: Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-Free, etc.
- By Ingredient: Find recipes containing specific ingredients
Sorting
Sort your recipe list by:
- Newest First
- Oldest First
- Title (A-Z or Z-A)
- Highest Rated
- Quickest
Scaling Recipes
Need to cook for a crowd? Scale any recipe to change the serving size.
How to Scale
- Open a recipe
- Find the serving size selector
- Adjust the number of servings up or down
- All ingredient quantities update automatically
Smart Scaling
momoChef intelligently scales ingredients:
- Quantities are converted to appropriate units (e.g., 8 tbsp becomes 1/2 cup)
- Fractions are used for easy measuring (1/2, 1/3, 1/4)
- Numbers inside the instructions scale automatically too — double-check cook times for very different batch sizes
Tip: Scaling works best with recipes that have proper ingredient parsing. If scaling seems off, check that ingredients are formatted correctly.
Unit Conversion
Convert between different measurement units with ease.
Available Conversions
- Volume: cups, tablespoons, teaspoons, ml, liters, fluid ounces
- Weight: ounces, pounds, grams, kilograms
- Temperature: Fahrenheit, Celsius
How to Convert
Set your unit system once in Settings > Preferences > Recipes, and every recipe displays in it — metric or imperial.
Setting Your Preference
- Choose Metric or Imperial as your default
- All recipes use your preferred units
- You can optionally convert imported recipes to your units (toggle in the same place)
Related Topics
- Recipe Import - Import recipes from URLs, photos, and files
- Sharing & Collaboration - Share recipes with friends and family
- Cooking Mode - Use recipes while cooking
- Meal Planning - Add recipes to your meal plan
Keep them organized
Importing is step one. For a filing system that survives hundreds of recipes — buckets, tags, and a weekly review — read How to Organize Your Recipes.