No matter what your opinion of Jamie Oliver is, you can’t deny his impact on the culinary world. He’s changed the way people cook and think about food. When he burst into the scene with his show the Naked Chef, he introduced young men into the kitchen, showing them that cooking was cool.
Oliver’s recipes are stripped down and simple but that doesn’t mean that they taste bland. In fact, that’s the reason why he’s one of the popular cookbook authors around. His recipes are easy to follow, and while the dishes maybe a bit plain, they’re always flavorful.
These days, you’ll find Oliver engaged in the good fight to fix the food system. His list of campaigns, among them, the food revolution to improve the school food and his most recent, halving childhood obesity by 2030, is long and defines his mission in the next years. That means, a new cookbook won’t probably be on the horizon yet, but in the meantime, he’s got lots of bestselling ones on Amazon.
Here are my top pics for the best Jamie Oliver cookbook.
If you're looking for something more specific, don't worry. There are plenty of options out there, including cookbooks for beginners and delicious baking cookbooks.
Table of Contents
- The Best Jamie Oliver Cookbooks
- 1. Cook with Jamie: My Guide to Making You a Better Cook Hardcover
- 2. Jamie's Food Revolution: Rediscover How to Cook Simple, Delicious, Affordable Meals Paperback
- 3. 7 Ways: Easy Ideas for Every Day of the Week [American Measurements] Hardcover
- 4. 5 Ingredients: Quick & Easy Food Hardcover – Illustrated
- 5. Veg: Easy & Delicious Meals for Everyone Hardcover – International Edition
- 6. Jamie's Ministry of Food: Anyone Can Learn to Cook in 24 Hours Hardcover
- 7. Jamie Oliver's Comfort Food: The Ultimate Weekend Cookbook Hardcover
- 8. Save with Jamie Shop Smart, Cook Clever, Waste Less Hardcover
- 9. Jamie's 30-Minute Meals Hardcover
- 10. Super Food Family Classics Hardcover – International Edition
- Top Pick
The Best Jamie Oliver Cookbooks
- Cook with Jamie: My Guide to Making You a Better Cook Hardcover
- Jamie's Food Revolution: Rediscover How to Cook Simple, Delicious, Affordable Meals Paperback
- 7 Ways: Easy Ideas for Every Day of the Week [American Measurements] Hardcover
- 5 Ingredients: Quick & Easy Food Hardcover – Illustrated
- Veg: Easy & Delicious Meals for Everyone Hardcover – International Edition
- Jamie's Ministry of Food: Anyone Can Learn to Cook in 24 Hours Hardcover
- Jamie Oliver's Comfort Food: The Ultimate Weekend Cookbook Hardcover
- Save with Jamie Shop Smart, Cook Clever, Waste Less Hardcover
- Jamie's 30-Minute Meals Hardcover
- Super Food Family Classics Hardcover – International Edition
1. Cook with Jamie: My Guide to Making You a Better Cook Hardcover
This cookbook features 175 recipes that are simple and accessible but fully packed with flavor. Each dish was developed to emphasize freshness and convenience so that even newbies won’t find it difficult to do.
The recipes are written in a conversational style and focuses on general cooking directions rather than strict instructions These are classic recipes that have been updated and are accompanied with photos. There are sections in the book that cover basic kitchen skills like how to clean lobster or how to make homemade pasta.
Readers love his authentic approach to cooking. They also found the hints and information at the start of each chapter very helpful. One noted that his elaborate explanations on meats, Italian cooking and how to buy and choose fish were very instructive.
2. Jamie's Food Revolution: Rediscover How to Cook Simple, Delicious, Affordable Meals Paperback
This is an intermediate level cookbook that presents simple and healthy dishes that are affordable and don’t require a microwave.
The recipes are written in a conversational manner which helps simplify the process and make them less intimidating to an occasional cook. There are photos throughout, both of the prepping process and the finished dish. Each recipe uses a reasonable amount of ingredients that are easy to source from your local grocery store. The recipes also come with suggestions for what sides can be paired with the dish.
Readers liked this book for the versatility of the recipes. They can be easily adapted for allergen-free cooking. In the Salads section, Oliver teaches you the general rules so that you can make your own salad creation. One reader liked the Dessert section because the recipes use a lot of healthy ingredients instead of processed ones.
3. 7 Ways: Easy Ideas for Every Day of the Week [American Measurements] Hardcover
In this cookbook, Oliver highlights seven ways to cook 18 ingredient staples and how to use no more than eight of them in a dish. There are 120 new and tasty recipes in this collection, with at least 70% of them comprising of everyday meal staples.
Book sections are categorized into 16 ingredients but there is also an index of food types like Fakeaways, one pots, traybakes, simple pastas, salads, soup, and sandwiches. Recipes are written concisely and each one is accompanied by beautiful photographs.
Home cooks loved this book for focusing its recipes on frequently used meats, fish, and vegetables. It’s useful for a week of meal planning. One also liked how the cookbook also highlights the use of herbs and spices to provide maximum flavor for each dish.
4. 5 Ingredients: Quick & Easy Food Hardcover – Illustrated
This cookbook simplifies cooking even more by featuring recipes that only use five ingredients. There are 130 new recipes here, ranging from salads, pasta, meat, and vegetables to desserts.
The recipes are written simply and are easy to make. Each one is laid out on a page. There are two pictures per recipe; one is a snapshot of the ingredients, placed beside the recipe on the left page, while a full color and full page photograph of the dish occupies the right hand page.
Readers found this design format to be helpful in identifying recipes that they can make. They also liked that the recipes come with nutritional info.
5. Veg: Easy & Delicious Meals for Everyone Hardcover – International Edition
In this book, Oliver presents vegetarian dishes that are simple and tasty but also inventive. There’s a lot of variety in the recipe collection, from main meals to brunches and snacks.
Recipes are easy to follow with measurements that use the metric system. There’s also nutritional info provided. Most of the dishes use dairy and egg products but Oliver offers a list of suggestions on how to adapt them for a vegan eater.
Readers liked how the recipes are not too complex or too simple. If you’re looking for delicious recipes for an occasional vegetarian dish in your meal planning, this book will be useful for you.
6. Jamie's Ministry of Food: Anyone Can Learn to Cook in 24 Hours Hardcover
The premise for this book is that anyone can use small basic ingredients and combine them creatively to make several different dishes. A lot of the recipes in this book are about everyday recipes like spaghetti, roast dinners or pies so this should be familiar for any home cook.
Readers like it because the basic instructions are helpful and there are some good ideas on how to plan your healthy meal. The recipes are easy to follow and are written with clear instructions. One reader liked the cookbook because it’s simple but comprehensive and the recipes are interesting and delicious. This is a good entry-level cookbook for any newbie.
7. Jamie Oliver's Comfort Food: The Ultimate Weekend Cookbook Hardcover
If you’re looking for comfort food for the weekend or special occasions, this book features Oliver’s take on all-time favorites, and also introduces cherished dishes from countries around the world.
Recipes are user-friendly and use ingredients that are easy to obtain from your grocery store. Each one comes with a short note on the history behind the dish, as well as inside tips for short cuts and how to make the dish successful. Samples of the recipes include moussaka, delicate gyoza with crispy wings, steaming ramen, katsu curry, super eggs benedict, scrumptious sticky toffee pudding, and tutti frutti pear tarte tatin.
Readers like the recipes’ humble and simplistic approach to making these classic dishes. By using lots of jarred sauces, one can work with a few ingredients and yet still come out with a flavorful and quick dish. Consider this as a guide to making comfort food the practical and easy way.
8. Save with Jamie Shop Smart, Cook Clever, Waste Less Hardcover
In this cookbook, Oliver shows you how to cook smartly by saving time and preventing food waste. Drawing on his knowledge, he shows you how to make better choices by buying economically and efficiently.
The recipes are written clearly but since this edition is published in the UK, they all use metric measurements. There’s a lot of cooking tips all over this book which should be handy especially if you’re thinking about cooking a large batch and don’t want to waste food.
Readers liked his practical ideas for using left-overs. One liked how he doesn’t use technical culinary terms in his book. Another liked that he’ll give you options for expensive items and more reasonably priced substitutes.
9. Jamie's 30-Minute Meals Hardcover
This cookbook shows you how to make quick meals by being organized and focused in the kitchen. There are 50 new meal ideas in this book which range from main course recipes with side dishes as well as puddings and drinks.
Recipes are stripped down and come with suggestions on how to use your time to prepare each dish so that a full meal can be ready in a short time. One must at least have some basic cooking skills when using this book because, as one reader noted, some recipes omit timing and techniques. Measurements are also in metric.
Readers liked the book mainly for its useful organizing tips. One also liked the gorgeous photos that accompany the recipe. What newbies can take away from this book is how to develop their own personal routine towards making a complete and healthy meal.
10. Super Food Family Classics Hardcover – International Edition
This cookbook is a companion to Jamie’s Super Food cooking show which showcases recipes that are healthy for family meals.
There’s a good variety of easy and quick recipes here, along with elaborate ones. Some of these will use ingredients that may not be available in local grocery stores but in general, most are easy to source.
There’s nutritional info included for each recipe, along with the number of vegetables and fruit portions per dish. There’s also a section that’s full of advice on cooking with kids and how to incorporate more healthy fiber into the family diet.
Top Pick
COOK WITH JAMIE: MY GUIDE TO MAKING YOU A BETTER COOK
If you follow Oliver on his cooking shows and want a cookbook that gets you started just right, this book is the one to get. It teaches you all the important things about food-how to take advantage of the seasonality of produce, along with how to prepare, cook, and store it.
The recipes are written in very casual and easy-to-follow style and are accompanied by amazing photos. It also highlights the use of fresh, healthy ingredients and the dishes turn out to be hearty and unpretentious meals. There’s also both vegetarian and meat options that should suit just about anyone.
Readers said that they liked this book because it encourages “intuitive techniques” which means the recipes allow you to play around and give the dish your own personal twist.
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