I’ve been sharing lots of my favorite, easy pantry meals here on the blog lately, but it dawned on me that I should also share what to have on hand to actually make those recipes! Cue me writing down an epic list of pantry staples…. Ever since our kitchen renovation was completed, I’ve kept a fully stocked pantry… probably because we have one now. We still shop for fresh ingredients when necessary. Plus, my veggie garden has been very bountiful. A well-stocked kitchen will help you cook whatever you’re craving, especially since we’re all staying home more and more. Without further ado, here’s my list of pantry staples that I always keep on hand!
My (Long) List of Pantry Staples That I Always Keep Stocked + How I Use Them!
In our house, we eat a lot of international foods. That means Mediterranean, Japanese-inspired, Thai-inspired, Greek recipes from my family, and Latin-inspired are just a few of our faves. A lot of the ingredients listed here are versatile and can work for a variety of cuisines, so I tried to share how we typically use each. I hope this helps to inspire some experimentation in your own kitchen! Here’s my list of my favorite pantry staples that I always keep on hand:
Sauces & condiments
- Korean Gochujang — I am so obsessed with this sweet and (slightly) spicy red chili paste and use it alllll of the time
- Soy sauce
- Mirin — another obsession of mine for that umami flavor that you know and love from Japanese cuisine
- Oyster sauce
- Fish sauce
- Sriracha
- Furikake seasoning — so good for topping ramen, salads, and eggs
- Dijon mustard — great for salad dressing, sandwiches, and even to make roast chicken
- Peanut butter & almond butter
- Tahini
- Hot sauce — I always keep Tapatio and Cholula on hand
- Local honey
- Mayonnaise
- Ketchup
- Relish
Canned goods
- Coconut milk (full fat)
- Curry paste — I like this set of 3 different versions (green, yellow, and red)
- Peeled tomatoes — perfect for homemade pizza sauce, pasta sauce, or soups
- Tomato paste
- Garbanzo beans/chick peas
- Black beans
- Cannelloni beans/white kidney beans
- Anchovy filets — for when you’re craving caesar salad
Boxed and jarred foods
- Stock or bullion cubes — usually I have at least 10 boxes of chicken stock on hand (if I haven’t made my own and frozen it), but I was actually out when I took these photos! I use it for literally everything from braising to soups to risotto to making simple quinoa. It adds more savory flavor to everything.
- Almond milk, unsweetened
- Marinated artichokes — the core ingredient of my fave pantry pasta recipe
- Capers
- Olives — my fave are Kalamata, but I also keep tons of different varieties on hand
- Roasted red peppers
- Dried cranberries & cherries — a yummy salad topping or a way to add a touch of sweetness to braised chicken
- Enchilada sauce
- Salsa — usually I make our salsa from scratch, but it’s always good to keep at least one on hand, just in case
- Sundried tomatoes in olive oil — sooo good on a sandwich
- Bread and butter pickles
- Luxardo cherries — for cocktails or the perfect tiny sweet treat
Dry goods
- Dried pasta in any shape — I like to keep fettuccine, orzo, gnocchi and rigatoni on hand
- Rice — jasmine rice is what we use the most often, but I also love basmati and a special Carolina rice friends gave us after traveling
- Quinoa
- Rice pilaf — honestly, I’ve never been able to make a version that’s better than the boxed kind, so I just use that and try to find one with the least amount of weird ingredients
- Ramen noodle soup — you don’t have to use these according to the packaging! I use the noodles without the spice mix for my own version of ramen or even a really yummy crunchy salad recipe from Chrissy Teigen’s Cravings.
- Nuts & seeds — almond slivers, sunflower seeds, pecans, dry roasted peanuts, cashews. I use these in pretty much every salad and as a garnish for curries… basically anything that needs some crunch
- Sundried tomatoes
- Crackers
Oils & Vinegars
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Coconut oil
- Avocado oil
- Sesame oil
- Clarified butter/ghee
- White wine vinegar
- Rice vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Apple cider vinegar — I shared 5 benefits of using this ingredient here
Meat & other proteins
I didn’t take photos of meat for this list of pantry staples because, well, raw meat isn’t exactly the most appealing to look at!
- Ground pork
- Ground beef
- Bone in, skin on chicken thighs and drumsticks
- Chicken breasts — great for kabobs, soups or fajitas and tacos
- Steaks — I like to use flank and NY strip
- Salmon filets
- Shrimp
- High protein tofu — I discovered this at Trader Joe’s a few months ago and I’m obsessed.
- Tuna fish in a can
- Bacon
- Pancetta
- Cured meats — great for a cheese board, but also nice to have cubed in a salad or on top of a pizza
Dairy
I know dairy doesn’t necessarily go in the pantry since it requires refrigeration, but I felt like it was important to keep that as part of this list so you get a full picture of what I keep on hand.
- Half and half
- Unsalted butter
- Greek yogurt
- Icelandic style yogurt
- Everyday cheeses — parmesan, mozzarella, feta, gruyere
- Fancy cheeses — usually an aged cheddar, goat cheese, bleu
- Eggs
Would you be interested in seeing how I keep my spice drawer stocked and what my must-haves are for seasonings?? I can totally put that post together for you if you want! Let a comment and let me know what you think of my pantry essentials list + if you think I should adding anything else.
Looking for more pantry and kitchen essentials? Check out these posts, too:
- My FULL Kitchen Tools Source List
- 5 Cookbooks Everyone Should Own
- Tour Our Kitchen + 5 Small Kitchen Organization Tips (video)
