Have you ever come home from work full of intention and motivation to cook dinner at home, only to find an empty pantry and nothing to work with? Sometimes cooking at home sounds totally do-able, but making that extra stop at the grocery on the way home is where I lose steam. Making sure you have a few pantry staples can be that make-or-break factor between whipping up something homemade or grabbing your phone to order from Postmates, yet again.
Stock Your Kitchen: Pantry Staples
This list of pantry staples are the items that I like to keep on hand to help me whip up meals on the fly. They’re basic, versatile ingredients that are used frequently, are usually fairly inexpensive, and have a long shelf life (pantry, refrigerator, or freezer). Your personal list will take shape as you begin to cook regularly and develop favorite recipes or flavors. In the mean time, use this list as a guide for slowly building up your pantry over time. You don’t have to buy everything at once! Buy one or two items, as needed, but always check if you need to restock on these items before you do your weekly shop.
Need ideas for what to make with your pantry staples? Check out these 19 Quick and Easy Weeknight Dinners, designed specifically to use pantry staples and require little planning ahead!
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Dry Goods
Dry goods are usually the least expensive and most versatile ingredients in your kitchen. I like to buy these items from bulk bins, if possible, to cut down on packaging, and because I can buy any quantity needed. If you don’t have fancy containers to store your dry goods, don’t fret. A heavy duty zip top food storage bag will do the job. Just make sure they stay dry, cool, and away from sunlight because flavors and freshness don’t last forever.
- Flour: all-purpose, whole wheat
- Sugar: white, brown, confectioners (powdered)
- Rolled Oats
- Rice: long-grain white, brown, or jasmine rice
- Cornmeal
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Cornstarch
- Dry Beans: black, white (cannellini, navy), kidney, garbanzo
- Lentils
- Pasta
Oils, Vinegars, and Sauces
Oils, vinegars, and sauces are essential to giving life to your food. They add flavor, zing, and can be used to make a million different dressings and sauces that will liven up even the most boring meals. Again, these items are pretty basic and inexpensive, and most have an extremely long shelf life. Don’t worry yourself over buying top quality when you’re just starting out. Until you become more experienced in the kitchen and your taste develop, you may not be able to tell the difference between generic and high end. Stick to what you can afford and I promise you’ll still be able to make good food!
- Oils: vegetable or canola, extra virgin olive oil, toasted sesame oil, non-stick spray
- Vinegar: apple cider, red wine, rice, balsamic
- Soy Sauce*
- Worcestershire Sauce*
- Sriracha*
- Honey
- Mustard*: yellow, Dijon
- Mayonnaise*
- Hoisin Sauce*
- Peanut Butter*
*Refrigerate after opening
Herbs and Spices
Herbs and spices are my arsenal in the kitchen. They can turn boring, flavorless food into a drool-worthy creation. Spices have a fairly long shelf life, especially if kept in an air-tight container, away from heat and sunlight. There is no exact expiration date for herbs and spices, but a good way to determine their potency is to give them a sniff. If you can’t smell your spices, you won’t likely be able to taste them in your recipe, either. For super fresh and affordable spices, look for spices sold in bulk (this is becoming more popular in grocery stores) and check international grocery stores.
This list is highly personalized and will differ greatly depending on what kind of cuisine you like.
- Salt (fine sea salt and coarse kosher salt)
- Whole Peppercorns (with grinder – see photo above, far right)
- Basil
- Oregano
- Thyme
- Cumin
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cayenne Pepper
- Smoked Paprika
- Cinnamon
- Curry Powder
- Chili Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Cocoa Powder
- Vanilla Extract
- Turmeric
Refrigerated Items
Obviously these ingredients don’t have as long of a shelf life as dry goods, but it’s good to keep them on hand.
- Milk: dairy or non-dairy
- Eggs (large)
- Butter
- Plain Yogurt
- Grated Parmesan
- Mayonnaise, Mustard (also listed under sauces)
- Shredded Cheese (can be kept in the freezer for long term storage)
- Tortillas (almost anything can be made into a quesadilla for a quick meal!)
Frozen Items
In lieu of trying to keep a variety of fresh vegetables on hand (keep dreamin’, Beth) I like to keep a variety of frozen vegetables on hand. Frozen vegetables are the next best thing to fresh because they don’t have any extra salt or preservatives added (make sure you’re not getting the kind that come with a sauce). They’re always there ready and waiting to be tossed into a soup, casserole, pasta dish, or even tossed onto pizza, without worry that they’ll go limp and begin to stink up the fridge.
- Spinach
- Broccoli Florets
- Fruit: blueberries, strawberries, peaches
- Shelled Edamame
- Corn Kernels
I also like to make sure I have a little meat stashed in my fridge for quick meals. When I encounter meat sales, I stock up and stash the goods in my freezer for later.
Canned Goods
I don’t use canned goods often, but they’re extremely convenient and usually fairly inexpensive, so they can certainly be a life saver. I try to stick to canned goods with as little additives as possible.
- Tomatoes: paste, diced, sauce, crushed/puréed
- Beans: black, kidney, white, garbanzo
- Pumpkin Purée
- Pasta Sauce (for when there’s no time to make your own)
- Coconut Milk
- Soup Base: I used Better Than Bouillon, chicken, beef, and vegetable. Refrigerate after opening.
So there you have it—my most valuable pantry staples that I rely on to get me through busy days and last minute meal requests. What about you? What have I forgotten? What ingredient can you not live without having on hand at all times?
Share yours in the comments below!
Post originally published 11-19-14, updated 7-5-18.
If I went through my pantry/cupboards/fridge/freezer I’d probably find more, but off the top of my head, I’d add fish sauce, lemon juice, lime juice, corn tortillas, oyster sauce, and dried parsley. (And yeast like Amelia said. The jarred stuff, though, not the packets.) Also, if you’re like me, it never hurts to keep a couple bottles of beer around for chili, bread, etc.
Also onions, potatoes, garlic, and carrots can keep for a very long time under the right conditions. We went two months without being able to eat onions/garlic, and our leftover onions/garlic from before were still perfectly fine. Before that period, I considered onions and garlic to be unquestionably essential. Yellow Onions are fairly inexpensive, as are russet potatoes.
I always have fresh garlic and ginger on hand. For the ginger I found that those tubes of it in the produce section work great. They’re so much easier to use than the roots.
A friend recently told me she peels four heads of garlic then stores them in olive oil in the fridge. A little bit of work that pays off because I am always using garlic and hate peeling it!
I love the storage containers in your picture. They stack so well and look airtight. Where are they from?
I’ve been following you for years now – love your blog!
They are Better Homes and Gardens brand and, from what I can tell, only sold at Walmart. I got a set of four of them for $15! (I searched the internet a while back to see where else I could buy them because I needed more and wanted them to match the few I already had. Couldn’t find the exact set anywhere but in a Walmart store.)
Hi Asha,
The OXO brand of containers looks very similar to these but they are a bit on the pricey side. You can find them in Target, Amazon, etc.
http://www.amazon.com/OXO-5-Piece-Good-Grips-Containers/dp/B00D78X2V6/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1417497039&sr=8-5&keywords=oxo+containers
I personally use the Sistema brand from New Zealand and they work really well and stack great too!
http://www.amazon.com/Sistema-Klip-Shrinkwrapped-Bakery-Set/dp/B005HNXG1K/ref=sr_1_20?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1417497120&sr=1-20&keywords=sistema
At my Whole Foods you can have your containers from home weighed at customer service so that you can fill your container in the store and have the proper weight deducted at the register. You can do this for all the bulk items and even reusable fabric produce bags that I see some people using.
I needed cinnamon today for a recipe and bought some in bulk. It was 7 cents for more than enough for my recipe. My other choice was a small bottle “on sale” for $6. I think I got quite the bargain!
Now I just need to find containers to store my spices in, since I usually buy bulk I don’t have any old containers to use. They’re all in ziplock bags for now lol.
I use pint and half-pint mason jars to store my spices. They get a good enough seal, and it’s easy to get even my tablespoon into the jar.
I don’t know if you have Big Lots stores where you are, but ours regularly carries small glass spice bottles for $1.50 each. If not there, I would try Dollar Tree if that is available to you.
I also use some of the half-pint mason jars like Lemonsharks…particularly for whole spices like cinnamon sticks/cloves/star anise, etc.
If you don’t mind not having matched “jars”, thrift stores often have lots of salt and pepper shakers and those can work for things you use a lot of and want a shaker top.
I buy some herbs and spices from http://www.mountainroseherbs.com and they sell a variety of spice jars. I just purchased a cork top jar for 1.50 and a shaker jar for 1.50 to test – they are great and if you buy a dozen of either the price drops. You do pay shipping though. It is not horrendous at all…just disclosing.
I would add yeast to this list! It’s something that I find myself kneading (you’re welcome) and get frustrated when I don’t have it on hand. Since it keeps so long & is so cheap, it’s another staple! And I also have one of the jars of minced garlic in my fridge that I seem to add to everything. Great list! It’s so magical to me that these simple things can make countless interesting meals.
This is a great list! I just wish I could keep more on hand in the freezer. My freezer is old and food doesn’t tend to keep as long as I’d like in there.
For milk, I started buying organic since it tends to be ultra-pasteurized, so it keeps much much longer. I don’t typically use it often, so that’s been very helpful. More expensive, but I waste much less milk this way.
Same with plain greek yogurt instead of regular yogurt. I noticed it keeps longer, plus more protein!
I like to keep potatoes on hand, especially in the winter. They last a long time when the house is cool, they’re cheap, and I can do tons with them. Also, garlic (I buy the large bag from Costco and lasts months), onions, carrots, and celery. If I don’t use it and they’re starting to go bad, they go in the freezer. But that’s rare.
You may want to look into replacing your refrigerator. The money you’ll save on food, (and very likely on your power bill, too!!) would be well worth the investment. Even better, if you rent, your landlord may take the cost of the fridge off your rent!
My favorite staple tip is that I buy the tubes of tomato paste. They’re found right by the cans in the grocery store, but you can keep it in the fridge forever, and just squeeze out how much you want! They’re a little more expensive up front, but an overall cost savings. I got so frustrated with always buying a can and using a tablespoon and having to throw the rest away.
I just discovered these and I’m in love. So awesome.
LOVE this post and have everything list (gold star for me)
But why oh why are navy beans white?!
Oh – and KOSHER SALT!
And Grapeseed oil!
I moved to Utica NY about 8 years ago. I have fallen in LOVE with what they call either “Double Cut” or “Utica Grind” red pepper flakes. It is AMAZING. It’s red pepper flakes without the seeds, and cut a bit finer. It’s less aggressive than regular red pepper flake, but gives a nice, mellow-ish burn (if a burn may be called mellow). It’s easy to find in the local markets here, but online, I think it’s only at the Avico Spice Co. SO GOOOOOOD.
Almonds!!
As others mentioned garlic and onions…I also keep celery and carrots around. Now I’m inspired to clean out my pantry!
Mirin. It is absolute paradise in almost anything. Soy, mirin, sake mixed, stirred into anything, preferably fried in sesame oil. Try with squash, served over rice and you will be very, very happy.
Who are you, and why have you been going through my cupboards? :)
That’s pretty much what’s in my kitchen.
noodles!
i was out checking the garden this morning after a stormy night, and found several huge leaves of red mustard, a couple of long eggplant, and a handful of green beans–so i picked some green onions and thai basil, because i knew i had noodles! :)
i like the chuka soba for quick cooking, flavor, and availability (here in hawaii).