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- This Peruvian chicken changed my life. Then ChatGPT made it even easier.
This Peruvian chicken changed my life. Then ChatGPT made it even easier.
The grocery list hack that saves me 20 minutes every week
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I was standing in my kitchen, phone in hand, ready to text my wife the grocery list for tonight's dinner.
You know the drill: opening cabinets, checking the fridge, typing as you go.
My usual text looked something like this: "Chicken thighs, soy sauce, cilantro, sour cream, jalapeño, lime, garlic, cotija cheese, cumin, paprika, white vinegar, red wine vinegar, oregano, cayenne, olive oil"
Just a jumbled mess of ingredients in whatever order I found them. No organization. No structure. Just chaos in text form.
My wife would take this disaster of a list to the store and ping-pong back and forth across aisles trying to figure out what went where.
Then one day, instead of texting that mess, I tried something different.
I copied the entire recipe—ingredients, instructions, everything—and pasted it into ChatGPT with one simple request:
"Turn this into a grocery list organized by store sections."
Ten seconds later, I had it:
Produce: Cilantro, jalapeño, lime, garlic
Meat: Boneless skinless chicken thighs
Dairy: Sour cream, cotija cheese
Pantry/Spices: Soy sauce, white vinegar, red wine vinegar, olive oil, cumin, paprika, oregano, cayenne
That's it. Clean. Organized. Logical.
My wife flew through the store. Produce section, grab four things. Meat counter, one item. Dairy aisle, two things. Done.
No more confused looks at her phone scanning through a jumbled list. No more backtracking across the store because we forgot something in aisle 3.
Twenty minutes saved. Zero frustration.
And this works for ANY recipe.
The Exact Prompt (And How To Make It Work For You)
Here's what I typed into ChatGPT:
"Turn this into a grocery list organized by store sections: [paste entire recipe]"
That's it. No complicated instructions. No special formatting. Just paste the recipe and ask for organization.
What ChatGPT automatically does:
Groups items by category (produce, meat, dairy, pantry)
Removes duplicates (if garlic appears twice, it only lists it once)
Consolidates measurements (tells you exactly how much you need total)
Separates fresh vs. shelf-stable items
Even suggests substitutions if you ask
The recipe I use this for most? This Peruvian chicken with green sauce. It's become our family favorite—bold flavors, easy to make, and the kind of meal that makes you look like you actually know what you're doing in the kitchen.
The marinade is packed with garlic, cilantro, and soy. The green sauce is creamy, spicy, and addictive. My kids ask for it by name.
But the ingredient list used to intimidate me. Two separate component lists (chicken marinade + green sauce), overlapping ingredients, spices I'd forget about until I was already at the store.
Now? I paste the recipe into ChatGPT before I even leave the house. Organized list in 10 seconds.
Level Up: Advanced Prompts
Once you've got the basics down, here's how to make it even better:
Add what you already have: "Turn this into a grocery list organized by store sections. I already have: olive oil, garlic, cumin, and paprika."
Result? AI removes those items and only shows what you actually need to buy.
Include quantities for meal prep: "Turn this into a grocery list for 3x this recipe, organized by store sections."
Perfect for batch cooking or feeding a crowd.
Get budget-conscious: "Turn this into a grocery list organized by store sections. Suggest cheaper alternatives where possible."
AI might suggest parmesan instead of cotija, or frozen cilantro instead of fresh.
Make it store-specific: "Turn this into a grocery list organized for Trader Joe's/Costco/Whole Foods."
Some stores have unique layouts—AI can adapt.
Why This Works Better Than Apps
I know there are grocery list apps out there. I've tried them. They're fine.
But here's why the AI approach is different:
Apps require manual entry. You still have to type each item, categorize it yourself, remember what you already have.
AI does the thinking for you. Paste recipe, get organized list. No manual sorting. No remembering which aisle has vinegar.
It's flexible. Want to combine three recipes into one trip? Paste all three. Want to remove items you have? Just say so. Apps lock you into their structure.
It works for ANY recipe source. Blog, cookbook, handwritten card from grandma—if you can copy the text, AI can organize it.
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