Mealie MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows LLMs to save recipes directly to your Mealie instance. This server accepts recipes in schema.org/Recipe format and handles the conversion and saving to Mealie automatically.

Features

• Accepts recipes in standard schema.org/Recipe format
• Automatically converts to Mealie's recipe format
• Two-step API workflow (create + update) handled transparently
• Supports ingredients, instructions, nutrition info, and more
• Automatic field normalization (referenceId, display fields, etc.)
• Proper error handling with descriptive messages

Current Limitations

• Categories and Tags: Due to Mealie API limitations, categories and tags are not saved automatically. They must be created manually in the Mealie web UI before they can be assigned to recipes. See CATEGORIES_TAGS_LIMITATION.md for details.

Installation

1. Clone this repository:

cd mealie-mcp

2. Install dependencies:

npm install

3. Build the project:

npm run build

Configuration

Create a configuration file named .mealie-mcp.json in the project directory:

cp .mealie-mcp.json.example .mealie-mcp.json

Then edit .mealie-mcp.json with your Mealie instance details:

{
  "mealieUrl": "https://your-mealie-instance.com",
  "apiToken": "your-api-token-here"
}

Getting Your Mealie API Token

1. Log into your Mealie instance
2. Navigate to /user/profile/api-tokens
3. Create a new API token
4. Copy the token to your configuration file

Note: The server looks for .mealie-mcp.json in the current working directory when it starts.

Usage with Claude Desktop

Add this server to your Claude Desktop configuration file:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mealie": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/mealie-mcp/build/index.js"],
      "cwd": "/absolute/path/to/mealie-mcp"
    }
  }
}

Replace /absolute/path/to/mealie-mcp with the actual path to this project.

Important: The cwd (current working directory) must be set to the project directory so the server can find the .mealie-mcp.json configuration file.

Usage Examples

Once configured, you can ask Claude to save recipes to Mealie:

Example 1: Simple Recipe

Save this recipe to Mealie:

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups chocolate chips

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Mix butter and sugar
3. Add eggs and flour
4. Fold in chocolate chips
5. Bake for 12 minutes

Example 2: Detailed Recipe

Save this pasta recipe to Mealie:

Name: Classic Spaghetti Carbonara
Cuisine: Italian
Category: Main Course
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients:
- 400g spaghetti
- 200g guanciale or pancetta
- 4 egg yolks
- 100g Pecorino Romano cheese
- Black pepper
- Salt

Instructions:
1. Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente
2. Cut guanciale into small pieces and cook until crispy
3. Mix egg yolks with grated cheese
4. Combine hot pasta with guanciale
5. Remove from heat and mix in egg mixture
6. Season with black pepper and serve

Tags: italian, pasta, quick-meals

Recipe Format

The MCP tool accepts recipes in schema.org/Recipe format with the following fields:

Required

• name: Recipe name

Optional

• description: Recipe description
• recipeYield: Number of servings (e.g., "4 servings")
• totalTime: Total time (ISO 8601 duration, e.g., "PT30M")
• prepTime: Preparation time (ISO 8601 duration)
• cookTime: Cooking time (ISO 8601 duration)
• recipeCategory: Category or array of categories ⚠️ Not currently saved (see limitations)
• recipeCuisine: Cuisine type
• keywords: Tags/keywords (string or array) ⚠️ Not currently saved (see limitations)
• recipeIngredient: Array of ingredient strings
• recipeInstructions: String or array of instruction objects
• nutrition: Object with nutritional information
• image: Image URL or array of URLs
• url: Original source URL
• aggregateRating: Rating information

Development

Run in development mode:

npm run dev

Build the project:

npm run build

Project Structure

mealie-mcp/
├── src/
│   ├── index.ts                    # MCP server entry point
│   ├── config.ts                   # Configuration management
│   ├── types.ts                    # TypeScript interfaces
│   ├── converter.ts                # Schema.org to Mealie converter
│   ├── converter.test.ts           # Converter tests
│   ├── mealie-client.ts            # Mealie API client
│   └── mealie-client.test.ts       # Integration tests
├── build/                          # Compiled JavaScript
├── MEALIE_API_STRUCTURE.md         # API format documentation
├── CATEGORIES_TAGS_LIMITATION.md   # Categories/tags limitation details
├── package.json
├── tsconfig.json
└── README.md

Troubleshooting

Error: Config file not found

• Ensure .mealie-mcp.json exists in the project directory
• Check that the JSON is valid
• Verify both mealieUrl and apiToken are present
• If using Claude Desktop, ensure the cwd is set correctly in the config

Error: Failed to create recipe (401)

• Your API token is invalid or expired
• Generate a new token in Mealie at /user/profile/api-tokens

Error: Failed to create recipe (404)

• Check that your mealieUrl is correct
• Ensure the URL does not have a trailing slash
• Verify your Mealie instance is accessible

Recipe created but update failed

• The recipe was created in Mealie but detailed information failed to save
• Check the slug mentioned in the error and manually update in Mealie if needed

Categories or tags not showing up

• Categories and tags must be created manually in Mealie first
• Navigate to Settings → Categories/Tags in your Mealie instance
• Create the categories/tags you want to use
• See CATEGORIES_TAGS_LIMITATION.md for more details

How It Works

The server handles the complete workflow automatically:

1. Schema.org Input: LLM provides recipe in standard schema.org format
2. Conversion: Converts to Mealie's internal format
3. Create: POST /api/recipes with just the recipe name → returns a slug
4. Normalize: Automatically adds all required Mealie fields:
   • Generates referenceId (UUID) for each ingredient
   • Sets display, unit, food, isFood, disableAmount fields
   • Adds title and ingredientReferences to instructions
   • Removes categories/tags (Mealie API limitation)
5. Update: PATCH /api/recipes/{slug} with complete recipe data

If the update fails, the recipe will exist in Mealie with just a name and can be edited manually.

For detailed information about the data structure, see MEALIE_API_STRUCTURE.md.

Documentation

• MEALIE_API_STRUCTURE.md - Detailed explanation of Mealie's recipe format, the data workflow, and known issues
• CATEGORIES_TAGS_LIMITATION.md - Why categories and tags aren't saved and how to work around it

Testing

Run integration tests (requires .mealie-mcp.json configuration):

npm test

Run converter tests only:

npm test -- converter.test

License

ISC

Contributing

Issues and pull requests are welcome!