料理をする

You just need to pair the noun and the verb. In casual talk, you can even drop the を. So, 料理する works perfectly fine with friends. If you want to be polite, use 料理をします. It is a very flexible 'suru-verb' construction. You can use it as a hobby or a chore.

Use this when describing your daily routine at home. It is perfect for talking about your hobbies during an interview. You can use it when planning a dinner party with friends. If someone asks what you are doing, this is the answer. It works for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even snacks. It feels active and productive.

Don't use it if you are just heating up a microwave meal. That is usually called atatametal (heating up). If you are a professional chef, you might use chouri instead. Avoid using it for very specific actions like 'frying' or 'boiling'. For those, use specific verbs like yaku or yuderu. Also, don't use it for making drinks like tea.

In Japan, there is a big focus on jisui (cooking for oneself). Many people take pride in making their own bento lunch boxes. Cooking at home is seen as healthy and economical. There is a famous saying that the way to a person's heart is through their ryouri. Sharing a home-cooked meal is a sign of deep friendship. It is a core part of Japanese family life.

You will often hear 料理を作る (ryouri o tsukuru) as well. This literally means 'to make cooking' and is very common. Another variation is 自炊する (jisui suru) for cooking specifically for yourself. If you are good at it, people will say you are ryouri jouzu. If you are bad, you might be ryouri nigate. These all revolve around the same basic idea.