How to Find Recipes by Category on Alton Brown's Website

Updated

Go to altonbrown.com and use the COOK section on the homepage. It lists nine recipe categories — Appetizers, Breads, Breakfast, Drinks, Mains, Pantry, Sides & Salads, Soups & Sandwiches, and Sweets — and each one links to recipes in that group. If you already know what you want to make, the SEARCH box is faster than browsing.

Browse by Category

The COOK block appears near the top of the homepage and repeats the same nine categories, so you can pick a course or meal type directly:

Category Use it when you want
Appetizers Small bites before a meal
Breads Loaves, rolls, and baked goods
Breakfast Morning dishes
Drinks Cocktails and other beverages
Mains The centerpiece of a meal
Pantry Staples and condiments
Sides & Salads Accompaniments
Soups & Sandwiches Lighter or one-bowl meals
Sweets Desserts

Selecting a category takes you to its recipe listing, where you can choose a specific dish.

Start From the Featured Recipes

Below the category list, the homepage highlights a THE HITS section with a small set of popular recipes, each tagged by category. Current examples include:

  • Sweets: Mint Chip Ice Cream
  • Mains: Grilled Mahi-Mahi, Ceviche-Style
  • Pantry: Thousand Island Dressing
  • Drinks: Miami Mule
  • Baking: Over the Top Blueberry Muffins

This is useful if you want a proven, frequently viewed recipe rather than scrolling a full category. Note that "Baking" appears as a label here even though the main COOK list uses Breads and Sweets — treat THE HITS as a curated shortcut, not a complete index.

Search for a Specific Dish

If you have a dish in mind, type it into the SEARCH field (labeled "Search for:" with a Search button) and submit. This is the most direct route when you don't know which category a recipe sits in.

Verify You're in the Right Place

After opening a category or search result, confirm the recipe page shows the dish name and its category context. If a search returns nothing useful, go back to the COOK categories and browse the closest match — for example, check both Breads and Sweets for baked items, since the site's labeling isn't perfectly consistent between sections.

Common Snags

  • Category names are broad. "Pantry" covers condiments and staples rather than full meals, so don't expect dinner recipes there.
  • The homepage is the hub. Category links live in the COOK block; the top navigation (Cook, Shop, Blog, News, Videos, About, Contact) is for other parts of the site.
  • Featured recipes rotate. THE HITS changes over time, so a recipe you saw there may later be found only through its category or search.