Recipe card: what it is and what it's for
A recipe card (technical sheet) is the document that standardizes a dish — ingredients, exact quantities, yield, method and cost per portion — ensuring consistent quality and cost control.
What a recipe card is for
It standardizes prep (every cook makes it the same), calculates the dish cost (basis of food cost) and supports pricing and purchasing lists. Without it, cost and quality become guesswork.
- Exact ingredients and quantities
- Cost per portion (food cost)
- Prep standard and yield
Recipe card and COGS
Summing the ingredient cost on the card tells you each dish's cost before it hits the menu. Tied to inventory, the card feeds COGS and flags when cost rises.
FAQ
Is a recipe card just the recipe?
It goes further: it includes exact quantities, yield, cost per portion and a prep standard — not just the steps.
How does a recipe card control cost?
By calculating ingredient cost per portion, it's the basis of food cost and pricing, and signals when an ingredient gets more expensive.