The concept of fast food originates from the English term “fast food” – quick food – as it is precisely food that is quick both to prepare and eat. Additionally, fast food is often inexpensive and can be eaten without cutlery, so it’s no surprise that it has become very popular at a time when many people have busy lives and often need to find something simple to eat on the go.
Fast food is also often called “junk food” – bad food – because it contains a lot of fat and salt and not many important nutrients.
However, many of the most popular fast food dishes can also be easily made at home, and then it doesn’t need to be either quick or unhealthy.
Slow Fast Food
Even though ordering fast food is quick, it can take more time to make it yourself. On the other hand, you get the joy of eating the indulgent food when it’s completely fresh, and perhaps even reduce its indulgence a bit.
For example, it can take quite a long time to make your own falafels because the chickpeas need to soak for a day, but in return, it’s both a delicious and healthy side to the classic fast food pita.
Another fast food classic that takes some time to make yourself is the British fish’n’chips. The batter you need to fry the cod in has to chill for an hour before it’s ready for the fish and deep frying. But if you know how to plan a little ahead, an hour is worth the wait when you’re ready to enjoy the super crispy fish afterward.
Healthy Junk Food
If you want to find healthier alternatives to junk food, the first thing to look at is the ingredients you use. If you ensure that you use good ingredients, your junk food will likely be both tastier and healthier than what you can buy at various fast food restaurants.
A quick and popular snack like sausage rolls can, for example, be made a lot healthier if you bake them with a coarser dough, just as you can also increase the healthiness by baking coarser pizza dough and burger buns.
When you make a burger, you can also get a much tastier patty if you use dry-aged meat and add more fresh vegetables. In this way, you can achieve full fast food satisfaction without feeling like you’re just eating “junk.”
You can see our collection of Junk Food de Luxe recipes here:
Burger
- Beef sandwich. See a recipe here, here and here.
- Homemade Big Mac burger. See a recipe here.
- Brioche burger buns. See a recipe here, here, here and here.
- Burger buns. See a recipe here and here.
- Pork roast sandwich. See a recipe here.
- Burger. See a recipe here, here and here.
- Bacon cheese burger. See the recipe here.
- Pulled Chicken Burger. See recipes here and here.
- Falafel burger. See a recipe here.
- Chicken burger. See the recipe here.
- Lamb burger. See the recipe here.
- Gluten-free lamb burger. See the recipe here.
- Meatball sandwich. See the recipe here.
Side Dishes
- French Fries. See a recipe here, here, here.
- Curly fries. See a recipe here.
- Beignet batter. See a recipe here and here.
- Beer batter. See a recipe here.
- Mozzarella sticks. See a recipe here.
- Polenta Fries. See a recipe here, here and here.
- Chili cheese tops. See a recipe here.
- BBQ sauce. See a recipe here.
- Homemade tortilla chips. See the recipe here.
- Fried onions. See a recipe here and here.
- Remoulade. See a recipe here.
- Hot dog buns. See the recipe here.
- Panisse. See a recipe here.
- Chips. See a recipe here, here, here, here and here.
- Carrot chips. See a recipe here.
- Pork rinds. See recipes here, here and here.
- Barbecue marinade. See the recipe here.
- Homemade ketchup. See the recipe here.
- Homemade Heinz ketchup. See the recipe here.
Quick Dishes
- Cowboy toast. See the recipe here.
- Gourmet hot dog. See the recipe here.
- Roasted hot dog. See the recipe here.
- Mac & Cheese. See the recipe here.
- Sausage rolls. See a recipe here and here.
- Croque Madame. See a recipe here.
Pita/Pizza
- Pizza. See a recipe here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.
- Pizza dough. See a recipe here, here, here, here, here, here and here.
- Gluten-free pizza. See the recipe here.
- Pita with falafel. See a recipe here, here and here.
- Pita bread with filling. See a recipe here, her and here.
- Pita bread. See recipes here and here.
Fish/Seafood
- Shooting star (fish dish). See a recipe here and here.
- Fish n’ chips. See recipes here, here, here
- Fish cakes with remoulade and root vegetable fries. See the recipe here.
- Haddock with beer batter and cornflakes. See the recipe here.
- Fried crab claws. See the recipe here.
- Gluten-free fish filet. See the recipe here.
- Fish nuggets. See the recipe here.
Everything Else
- Fried chicken. See the recipe here or here.
- 1/2 grilled chicken with crinkle fries. See the recipe here
- Asian hot wings. See the recipe here.
- Buffalo wings. See the recipe here.
- Crispy chicken wings. See the recipe here.
- Chili cheese tops. See the recipe here.
- Classic hot dog with everything. See the recipe here.
- French hot dog de luxe. See the recipe here.
- Steak sandwich. See the recipe here.
- Homemade hot wings. See the recipe here.
- Fried Chicken. See a recipe here and here.
- Pulled Chicken. See the recipe here.
- Pulled Pork. See a recipe here, here, here, here and here.
- Cauliflower kebab. See the recipe here.
- Homemade nachos. See a recipe here.
- Homemade shawarma. See the recipe here.
- Mac and cheese. See a recipe here and here.
- Spare ribs. See a recipe here, here and here.
- Spring rolls. See a recipe here.
- Dumplings. See a recipe here.
- Vegetarian dish with celery steaks, remoulade, and parsnip fries. See the recipe