Personal Chef Recipes (Top 5 Most Loved Recipes)

As a personal chef, it’s key to have recipes that are simple, quick and pack a punch of flavor that knocks your clients off their feet. That’s how we keep the ones who hire us gathered around their respective kitchen tables and enjoying our delicious food with their families. I’ve been a personal chef for over eight years, and during that time I’ve acquired a repertoire of incredible recipes that wow my personal chef client's week after week. Keep scrolling to find some of the personal chef recipes that you should try out for yourself!

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With personal chef recipes, it's crucial to store meals properly for optimal freshness. Make sure your clients have the best meal experience possible and check out my top recommendations for meal prep storage containers.

and lastly.....

Check Out My Top 10 Favorite Websites for Personal Chef Recipes (in no particular order):
NYT Cooking
Recipes | Good Food
Epicurious
Budget Bytes
Cookie and Kate
smitten kitchen
Bon Appétit
FeelGoodFoodie
The Woks of Life
RecipeTin Eats

Salsa-Braised Chicken Tacos with Cilantro Lime Slaw

This meal couldn’t get any easier. Add chicken, salsa, and a taco seasoning packet (optional) or your choice of spices to a baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for a couple hours until the chicken is tender and pulls apart easily. The salsa bakes down into a flavorful sauce that takes no time to prepare. For the slaw, be as creative or straightforward as you like. You can make a simple slaw with a pre-cut bag of coleslaw or broccoli slaw, chopped cilantro, and a mayo-lime dressing. Or, make a jicama slaw to add in uncommon vegetables to your client’s diet. This meal is great for families with kids. The chicken can be frozen if your personal chef client doesn’t eat the meal right away. The salsa-braised chicken can be used in many different dishes like Cheesy baked enchiladas (another recipe my clients love), Mexican Tortilla Soup, or White Chicken Chili. The options are endless!

Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup with Lemongrass and Ginger

Many personal chef clients love a variety of ethnic cuisines. It’s also true that many clients like to play it safe with their menus. I’ve found that even my clients with very traditional palates absolutely love this Thai soup. Make sure you prepare a high-quality white basmati or jasmine rice to go alongside with it. I like to keep the chopped cilantro on the side with a small piece of paper towel tucked in the package to help prevent wilting. This way if the soup sits in the fridge for a few days, the cilantro doesn’t turn black and make the soup unappealing. I like to keep lime or lemon wedges on the side so each member of the family can customize their soup to their taste preference. If your client doesn’t like shrimp, sub it out for chicken. If your client is vegetarian, omit the shrimp or substitute tofu and mushrooms. There is an excellent vegan version of fish sauce available for those who need it.

Tasty Turkey Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries

Okay, I have to admit that ground turkey is one of my least favorite meats to work with. I find the flavor to be a bit “off” unless there’s a good sauce around it. But being a personal chef isn’t about cooking only the food that I love, it’s about making my clients happy and making meals that they love and feel good about eating. A lot of people want to eat less red meat and opt for turkey instead. I fully support that decision! These turkey burgers are AH-MAZING, even for someone who may be hesitant to try ground turkey. Red meat lovers and conscious eaters alike enjoy these burgers. Heck, even kids love these burgers. And of course, you can substitute Impossible ‘meat’, ground beef, or even pork in this recipe. The ketchup and worcestershire sauce keep the meat super moist and the sugar in the ketchup creates a beautiful char even if you aren’t using a grill. Actually, I recommend against using a grill as these burgers are a bit loose.

One note that I’ll add is that sometimes I get ground turkey that is more wet than usual. In this case, I dial back on the ketchup and worcestershire sauce so that the burger holds together better. I might even add a touch of breadcrumbs to help me out if I’m having trouble with the consistency. Use a nonstick pan and don’t use too much oil, otherwise the burger sticks and falls apart when you try to flip it. The original recipe is great for those who avoid gluten! I love pairing these turkey burgers with a simple sweet potato fry and any toppings the client wants (buns, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, etc.). You could even get fancy and make a chipotle aioli. But remember, keep your client in mind and choose sides that they will appreciate.

French Toast with Butter Rum Apples

I created this recipe for my personal chef client who was recovering from major surgery. One of the most important things you can do for someone who is recovering from surgery is make sure they get enough calories! Protein is very important as well. But if the client isn’t eating enough calories, their body can’t sufficiently use the protein anyways. So calories first, baby! French toast reheats really well in a regular toaster (I learned from my client) and the butter rum apples are amazing with vanilla ice cream or plain yogurt. You can sub plums, pears, or any other seasonal fruit for the apples. I like to do a mix of fruit, too.

There is a special place in my heart for french toast because it was a meal my dad made for us when we were growing up. Breakfast, lunch or dinner- we always requested his french toast! Somehow he knew how to keep it from getting soggy. My trick to keep the french toast from having wet spots is to use brioche bread (this is my favorite brand) and very quickly dip the bread into the egg-milk mix. Please, give this one a try and let me know what your personal chef clients think. 

Italian Meatballs and Spaghetti

Alright, now I’m really giving away all of my secrets. But really, who doesn’t love a good spaghetti and meatballs? It’s a classic dish that parents and kids alike will enjoy. And trust me, they do. Add a simply roasted side vegetable like broccoli, zucchini or green beans. This meal quickly becomes a favorite of my personal chef clients and they request it almost monthly. If your clients don’t eat red meat, you can substitute ground turkey or Impossible meat. The key here is to not use marinara sauce, but pureed tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, or tomato passata. The simple sauce is flavored by the leftover bits of meat after searing the meatballs. I really like making my own garlic bread and leaving it for my personal chef client to bake with the meal. Wrap the garlic bread up in foil and leave some baking instructions. it only takes 15-20 minutes in the oven and creates such a fresh and delicious result for the entire meal!