How to Make Gold in World of Warcraft Selling Cooking Recipes

Players with low or high level characters who don't have a lot of play time are often frustrated with a lack of gold. Gathering and crafting professions often take more time and effort than you have when all you really want to do is play the game. However, gold becomes necessary when it is time for repairs or if you need new gear or gear enhancements. You can earn about 1,000 gold per week by only devoting about an hour's worth of time - not a bad return on investment and it still leaves you plenty of play time!
Note that amounts earned will vary from server to server, but this method has held up for me on 3 different servers with medium, low and high populations. Also note that this article will be largely skewed towards Alliance players, although with a little research, you can use a similar method for earning WoW gold on the Horde side.

Cooking recipes are an easy way to make gold on World of Warcraft. People seek out unusual recipes for many reasons, but mainly because they are necessary for several acheivements. Since many people like to work down a list while doing an acheivement, you can help them out by making these out-of-the-way recipes easy to find on the AH - and turn a tidy profit at the same time. You'll be the one doing the footwork and reaping the rewards for bringing these desirable items to the AH for other players to purchase.

When you go out shopping to stock up on items to sell, be sure to have as much bag space as possible. It's also helpful to have a bank toon - a low level character parked in one of the main cities near the AH and bank - to mail items to so you can buy several recipes at a time to cut down on time spent shopping.

There are recipes on both main continents, but for brevity's sake I'll focus on those found exclusively in Eastern Kingdoms. Below are the recipe names and the approximate location of the vendors that sells them. A low level toon utilizing flight paths will need about an hour to gather up all of the recipes listed; higher level toons with swift flying will be able to do so much faster.

Smoked Bear Meat - vendor at the Inn in Thelsamar
Loch Frenzy Delight - vendor at small hut near lake behind Thelsamar
Beer Basted Boar Ribs - vendor on second floor of Pig & Whistle Tavern in Stormwind
Crocolisk Gumbo - vendor on second floor of Pig & Whistle Tavern in Stormwind
Goretusk Liver Pie - vendor on second floor of Pig & Whistle Tavern in Stormwind
Curiously Tasty Omelet - vendor on second floor of Pig & Whistle Tavern in Stormwind
Murloc Fin Soup - vendor on second floor of Pig & Whistle Tavern in Stormwind
Clam Chowder - vendor on small dock near lighthouse in Westfall
Spiced Chili Crab - vendor on small dock near lighthouse in Westfall
Jungle Stew - vendor at Rebel Camp in Stranglethorn Vale
Filet of Redgill - vendor at far end of the Old Port Authority in Booty Bay in Stranglethorn Vale
Hot Smoked Bass - vendor at far end of the Old Port Authority in Booty Bay in Stranglethorn Vale
Giant Clam Scorcho - vendor at far end of the Old Port Authority in Booty Bay in Stranglethorn Vale
Cooked Glossy Mightfish - vendor at far end of the Old Port Authority in Booty Bay in Stranglethorn Vale

You should purchase as many recipes as you have empty bank or bag space. One trick you can use if you are short on storage space is to buy a dozen of each recipe and mail them to your bank toon. Instead of opening the mail and taking all the items out at once, your bank toon can take them out one or two at a time and list them on the AH. Just remember to use them all in 30 days so you don't lose them in the mail! Happy gold making and good luck!