Save Recipe from Instagram Reel: 3 Ways That Work

Option 1: Bookmark and collection

Here is how to set a reel aside for later:

1. Tap the bookmark icon under the reel.
2. Press and hold the icon if you want to add the reel to a collection, such as "Dinner".
3. Later, open your profile and go to your saved posts.

It takes a few seconds. The catch: when you're cooking, you have to find the reel again, play it and pause it. And if the post gets deleted, it disappears from your collection. For tips on keeping saved posts in order over the long run, see collect and organize recipes from videos.

Option 2: Write the recipe down

The most reliable way without an extra app:

1. Tap "more" under the reel and read the full caption. Sometimes the whole recipe is in there.
2. Check pinned comments, too. The ingredient list is often posted there.
3. If the text says nothing, watch the reel and pause as you go, then write down the ingredients with their amounts.
4. Jot down the steps briefly and in the right order.
5. Paste the link to the reel into your note.

With carousel posts, the recipe is often on the slides. A quick look at each slide is usually faster than going through a video. A screenshot of each slide works as a quick backup, but you can't search through screenshots.

Option 3: With zesti

zesti is an iPhone app that turns cooking videos into an illustrated recipe card. In Instagram, tap the share icon and pick zesti in the iOS share sheet. Or copy the link and paste it into the app.

The server pulls the audio and about 20 still frames, reads out the recipe and deletes the video right away. No video is stored. All that's left are the drawn illustrations, which are kept privately for you. Raw data is deleted after 30 days.

The recipe card shows ingredients and steps, has a servings stepper and a cooking mode with one step per screen. When amounts are missing, zesti estimates them and marks them subtly. Times and temperatures that aren't in the reel are left blank rather than made up.

zesti works with public reels, posts, carousels and regular recipe websites. It can't read private posts or anything behind a login, and the app tells you when that happens. On Android there is only the basic app: you share links and import them inside the app.

Common gaps in reel recipes

• Missing amounts. "A splash of cream" isn't a measurement. Add it a little at a time and taste as you go.
• Hidden steps. Edited videos skip soaking, cooling or resting. Read the whole recipe once before you start.
• Substitute ingredients. Creators sometimes use specialty ingredients. Check ahead of time that you have everything on hand.

Which option is right for you?

If you just want to remember a reel for a moment, use the bookmark. If you want to keep a recipe for good, write it down or let zesti transfer it for you. The same idea applies to TikTok, and the details are covered in how to save a recipe from a TikTok video. Once you have a few saved recipes, you can turn them into a plan, as described in how to make a weekly meal plan.