TheMealDB
Random meals with ingredients
Crowd-sourced recipes with free test key `1` in the URL path.
We probe a documented GET and expect 2xx JSON — full uptime and health score. Open provider docs ↗
On our probe schedule. Uptime charts appear after the first check lands.
GET https://www.themealdb.com/api/json/v1/1/random.php
{
"meals": [
{
"idMeal": "52873",
"strMeal": "Beef Dumpling Stew",
"strMealAlternate": null,
"strCategory": "Beef",
"strArea": "British",
"strCountry": "United Kingdom",
"strInstructions": "Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.\r\n\r\nFor the beef stew, heat the oil and butter in an ovenproof casserole and fry the beef until browned on all sides.\r\n\r\nSprinkle over the flour and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.\r\n\r\nAdd the garlic and all the vegetables and fry for 1-2 minutes.\r\n\r\nStir in the wine, stock and herbs, then add the Worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar, to taste. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.\r\n\r\nCover with a lid, transfer to the oven and cook for about two hours, or until the meat is tender.\r\n\r\nFor the dumplings, sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl.\r\nAdd the suet and enough water to form a thick dough.\r\n\r\nWith floured hands, roll spoonfuls of the dough into small balls.\r\n\r\nAfter two hours, remove the lid from the stew and place the balls on top of the stew. Cover, return to the oven and cook for a further 20 minutes, or until the dumplings have swollen and are tender. (If you prefer your dumplings with a golden top, leave the lid off when returning to the oven.)\r\n\r\nTo serve, place a spoonful of mashed potato onto each of four serving plates and top with the stew and dumplings. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.",
"strMealThumb": "https://www.themealdb.com/images/media/meals/uyqrrv1511553350.jpg"
}
]
}curl "https://www.themealdb.com/api/json/v1/1/random.php"const res = await fetch("https://www.themealdb.com/api/json/v1/1/random.php");
const data = await res.json();
console.log(data);import requests
res = requests.get("https://www.themealdb.com/api/json/v1/1/random.php")
print(res.json())/random.phpPROBEDRandom meal with ingredients and thumbnail.
/search.php?s=ArrabiataSearch meals by name.
/filter.php?c=SeafoodFilter meals by category.
/lookup.php?i=52772Meal details by ID.
We probe a documented GET and expect 2xx JSON — full uptime and health score. Export includes every documented route below.
Not tracked yet. Shape-change history starts once this API joins our probe schedule.
TheMealDB: common questions
Is TheMealDB free to use?
Yes — TheMealDB is a free health & food API. Free tier: Free — limits not published. Whether the free tier allows commercial use is unclear — check the provider docs.
Does TheMealDB need an API key?
No — TheMealDB needs no API key or signup. You can call it straight away; rate limits still apply (Unpublished).
Can I call TheMealDB from the browser?
Yes — TheMealDB returns CORS headers over HTTPS, so front-end code can fetch it directly with no backend proxy. Use the fetch snippet on this page, or hit "Run live" to try it now.
Is TheMealDB up right now?
TheMealDB is catalogued but not yet on our probe schedule, so we don't publish a live status for it. Check the provider's own status page or docs for its current state.