How do you say recipe in Spanish?

Recipe in Spanish is receta (reh-SEH-tah), a feminine noun, and a recipe book is a libro de recetas or recetario.

Why does receta also mean prescription?

Both a cooking recipe and a medical prescription are sets of instructions, so Spanish uses receta for each, with the medical one being a receta médica.

How do I say the recipe calls for in Spanish?

Use la receta lleva or la receta pide, as in la receta lleva dos huevos, meaning the recipe calls for two eggs.

Spanish vocabulary · Beginner

Recipe in Spanish: How to Say Receta

Written by Sofia Ramirez, Lead Spanish Curriculum Editor · Reviewed May 2026

Receta · noun (feminine) · reh-SEH-tah

Recipe in Spanish is receta, a feminine noun (la receta). The same word means a doctor's prescription, and a recipe book is a libro de recetas or recetario.

Receta is reh-SEH-tah.

Esta receta de paella es de mi abuela.

This paella recipe is my grandmother's.

Recipe in Spanish: Quick Reference

Below are the most common Spanish words for recipe, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.

Spanish	English	Pronunciation	Region / Register
receta	recipe	reh-SEH-tah	Default, widely understood
receta médica	recipe		medical prescription
recetario	recipe		recipe book / collection

How Native Speakers Use Receta

Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.

A family recipe

Esta receta de paella es de mi abuela.

This paella recipe is my grandmother's.

Receta de plus a dish names the recipe.

Following steps

Sigue la receta paso a paso.

Follow the recipe step by step.

Paso a paso means step by step.

At the doctor

El médico me dio una receta para los antibióticos.

The doctor gave me a prescription for the antibiotics.

Receta also means a medical prescription.

Avoid These Mistakes When Using Receta

Confusing receta with recibo

Incorrect: Guarda la receta del supermercado.

Correct: Guarda el recibo del supermercado.

Receta is a recipe or prescription, while a store receipt is a recibo or ticket, so the two should not be swapped.

Wrong gender

Incorrect: el receta

Correct: la receta

Receta is feminine and therefore takes la and una.

Lock in Recipe Vocabulary with the Parrot Method

Why word lists alone don't stick

Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.

See Receta used by native speakers

Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using receta in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Esta receta de paella es de mi abuela. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.

Save, review, repeat, stay consistent

Tap any word to save it. Parrot's spaced-repetition system surfaces it right before you'd forget, no manual flashcard creation. The watch, parrot back, save, review cycle turns recognition into fluency at 2.7x the speed of traditional study.

Common Questions About Recipe in Spanish

How do you say recipe in Spanish?: Recipe in Spanish is receta (reh-SEH-tah), a feminine noun, and a recipe book is a libro de recetas or recetario.
Why does receta also mean prescription?: Both a cooking recipe and a medical prescription are sets of instructions, so Spanish uses receta for each, with the medical one being a receta médica.
How do I say the recipe calls for in Spanish?: Use la receta lleva or la receta pide, as in la receta lleva dos huevos, meaning the recipe calls for two eggs.