How to Get a Recipe from a YouTube Video
Updated · by MealClip
Short answer
Start with the video description (tap "...more"): many YouTube cooks list the ingredients there or link to a written recipe on their website. If they do not, open the transcript ("Show transcript") or paste the video link into MealClip, which watches the video and returns the ingredients and numbered steps.
MealClip's free recipe covers videos up to 5 minutes, which includes every Short; longer videos need Premium.
Find the recipe on YouTube
YouTube gives you more text to work with than any other platform. Check these first.
- 1
Expand the description
Tap "...more" below the video title. Ingredient lists, quantities and links to the written recipe are usually here.
- 2
Follow the link to the creator's website
Bigger channels often keep a printable recipe card on their own site, with exact measurements and notes that never make it into the video.
- 3
Check the pinned comment
Creators sometimes pin corrections, substitutions or the full ingredient list as the first comment.
- 4
Read the transcript
In the description, tap "Show transcript" to read everything that is said, with timestamps. It is available on videos with captions, and it is the quickest way to find spoken quantities.
- 5
Use the chapters
If the video has chapters, use them to jump straight to each step instead of scrubbing through a long tutorial.
Turn the video into a written recipe with MealClip
When the description has no recipe and the transcript is a wall of text, MealClip writes the recipe out for you.
- 1
Copy the video link
Tap Share, then Copy link. Regular youtube.com links, Shorts links and youtu.be share links all work.
- 2
Paste it into MealClip
Open the YouTube recipe converter, paste the link and press Get Recipe.
Open the YouTube recipe converter - 3
Sign in with Google
The first time, continue with Google. No password, and the video you pasted is processed right after you sign in.
- 4
Cook from the recipe
MealClip watches the public video, what is said and what is shown on screen, and returns the ingredients and numbered steps. The recipe stays in My Recipes, with the video linked for the technique.
Have a YouTube link ready?
Get the recipe from a YouTube videoTips for better results
Video length matters on the free plan. The free recipe works with videos up to 5 minutes, which covers Shorts and most quick recipes; long tutorials need Premium. The manual steps above work for any length and are always free.
MealClip never makes up quantities. If the cook never says or shows an amount, the ingredient is listed without one, so check the description for anything missing.
The video has to be public. Private videos cannot be read.
Recipes are written in English, or in Spanish when the video is in Spanish.
Frequently asked questions
Does this work with YouTube Shorts?
Yes. Paste the Shorts link the same way as a regular video. Shorts are well under the 5-minute limit of the free recipe.
Can I get the recipe from a long YouTube video for free?
The manual way is always free: check the description, the creator's website and the transcript. With MealClip, free accounts can convert one video up to 5 minutes long; longer videos need Premium ($2.99 a month or $19.99 a year).
Is MealClip free for YouTube recipes?
MealClip is free to try: sign in with Google and your first recipe is free, from any video up to 5 minutes long. After that, unlimited recipes from videos of any length are part of Premium, which costs $2.99 a month or $19.99 a year. If someone has already turned the same video into a recipe on MealClip, it opens without using up your free recipe.
Do I need the recipe to be in the description?
No. MealClip works from what is said and shown in the video itself, so it works even when the creator never writes the recipe down.