Write your recipe down, making careful notes as you go. Include every step of the process involved in making the recipe.
Search the Internet to see whether your recipe has already been published. While a simple ingredient list or formula for a recipe can't be copyrighted, a series of instructions can. Before you sell a recipe for publication, you need to insure that it is uniquely yours.
Consider a copyright for your recipe. Get instructions on how to copyright your recipe at the U.S. Copyright Office website. (See Resources)
Decide where you want to sell your recipe for publication. You can sell your recipe for publication in a cookbook, a magazine, a local newspaper or to an online website. You can also submit your recipe to a recipe contest, from which the winning recipes are generally published.
Send your recipe to the appropriate place. Take care to follow the publication's instructions. If you haven't heard back within 2 months, consider finding another publication for your recipe.