To cook food in Project Zomboid, you need to have an item of food and use either a Microwave, Oven, or a Campfire for cooking it. You will also need to have a piece of cookware in order to cook and prepare specific recipes.
If you use an object such as a Microwave or Oven for cooking food, you will need to first turn it on. To turn on an oven or microwave in Project Zomboid, first right-click the object and then click the turn on option.
Screenshot by Pro Game Guides
After turning a Microwave or Oven on, you will then need to right-click the microwave or oven again and find an option called settings. Clicking settings will then reveal a menu tab, as shown below.
Screenshot by Pro Game Guides
The menu tab above allows you to set temperature and even a timer to let you know when an item of food is done cooking. But if you want to start cooking whatever recipe they are after, they will need to change the temperature setting to a certain level.
Once the temperature setting is changed, the food item will start cooking. At this stage, it is essential to keep an eye on whatever is cooking, or it will become burnt. If food becomes burnt, it will give a high happiness loss when consumed.
Screenshot by Pro Game Guides
That said, Ovens and Microwaves are not the only ways to cook food. Campfires and even Grills can also be used to cook food, but instead of requiring power, they just need a fuel source.
In short, if youwant to use a campfire for cooking, they will need a fuel source and a method of starting a fire. Here’s a list of everything that can be used to start campfires in Project Zomboid.
All items that can light a Campfire in Project Zomboid
- Notched Wood + Sturdy Stick or Tree Brach
- Books, Magazines, Newspaper, Journal, Paper + Lighter or Matches
- Sheets, Ripped Sheets + Lighter or Matches
- Gas Can + Lighter or Matches
All items above combined with a lighter or match can start campfires in Project Zomboid, and once a fire is light, it can then be used to cook food.
To cook food in a lit campfire, open its inventory and then place a food item inside it. Once the food is placed inside the campfire, wait for it to cook, then remove it before it gets burnt like an oven or microwave.
How to make cooking recipes in Project Zomboid
To make cooking recipes in Project Zomboid, you will need to gather various cookware items in the game. Certain cookware items are required to make specific recipes, and some will require a certain cooking skill level or a skill magazine.
That said, once you have a piece of cook ware, you will often need to first prepare a recipe by adding raw food to a empty cookware. After preparing food using cookware, it can then be cooked using a heat source.
- Cooking Pot – Used to make Stews, Pots of Soup.
- Frying Pan or Griddle Pan – makes Stir-Fry.
- Roasting Pan – Makes roasted food.
- Baking Pan – Can make pies, etc.
- Muffin Baking Tray – Makes muffins.
- Bowl – Can makes bowls of pasta, soup, stew and rice.
The cookware above all can be used to create different types of food recipes in Project Zomboid, and so if you want to make a specific recipe, you will need to hunt down the right cookware.
If you are curious about the kinds of recipes you can make in Project Zomboid, we put a list below of some of the basic ones in Project Zomboid.
| Recipe | What you Need |
|---|---|
| Stew | Cooking Pot + Meat or Vegetable + Oven, Campfire, etc. |
| Pot of Soup | Cooking Pot + Can of Soup + Oven, Campfire, other Heat sources |
| Roast | Roasting Pan + Meat + Oven, Campfire, other Heat sources |
| Stir-Fry | Frying Pan, or Girdle Pan + Meat or Vegetable + Oven, Campfire |
| Pasta | 10 Pasta + Cooking pot with water + Heat source, then add Vegetables or Meat. |
| Burrito | Tortilla + Meat or Vegetable, Rice, Beans, etc + Heat source |
| Taco | Taco Shell + Meat or Vegetable, Rice, Beans, etc + Heat source |
| Muffins | Muffin Baking Tray + 2 Eggs + 2 Vegetable Oil + 5 Milk + Sugar + 2 Flour + Heat Source |
| Pie | First Pie Dough + Baking Pan + Rolling pin, then add Meat or Vegetables. |
There are a ton of other recipes, if you want to know what they are, look under the crafting menu under cooking in-game.
Where and how to find Cooking Recipes in Project Zomboid
Certain recipes in Project Zomboid will need to first be unlocked by reading a certain magazines in the game. Luckily players can find these magazines in gas stations, homes, book cases and in locations regular magazines.
Screenshot by Pro Game Guides
But for the best luck finding these recipe magazines, you will need to search mail boxes. You can also start the game with a few recipes unlocked if you choose the chief occupation. The reason is that the Chief starts with +3 cooking and knowledge of advance cooking recipes.
For more guides on Project Zomboid, we at Pro Game Guides have you covered with an ever-expanding roster of guides!
Keyword: How to Cook Food in Project Zomboid and make Cooking Recipes