Cooking shows are amazing and it’s not just the food porn that we love. We happen to be on earth during a wildly culinary-centric time, with some truly magical dishes being conjured up by some very talented people. All this leads to some entertaining viewing.
That’s just the surface. The shows span the spectrum, from competitive bouts full of drama to deep dives into cuisines and gastronomical history. They give us a peek into the lives of Michelin star chefs, sommeliers, and other top minds in the industry. So, get your snacks and fall cocktails ready and set yourself up for a good foodie binge.
These shows also inspire. No, we can’t all be David Chang, but we can all cook a little better and a little more inventively. These best cooking shows light the fire under our collective feet, persuading us to throw on the apron more and try to really nail that chicken piccata or Cioppino recipe. But let’s let the shows do the talking (and stomach growling). Here are the best food shows on Netflix at the moment.
2 Seasons
Genre
Documentary
Cast
Latif Nasser, Casey Cox
Two seasons deep, Rotten explores the, well, rotten side of food production. In season one, you can find explorations of garlic, honey, milk, and more. Season two tackles a new set of topics, including avocados and sugar. This isn’t a feel-good series, but it is worth a watch. You’ll feel disgusted at times, angry at others, and most likely you’ll not ever look at the foods you eat the same ever again.
2 Seasons
Genre
Documentary
Cast
Gustavo Arellano, Mauricio Pimentel, Cecilia Ramírez Romo
Created by
Pablo Cruz
It has the word taco in it, do we really even need to say more? We don’t, but we will. Taco Chronicles is a Spanish-language series from Netflix that looks at, you guessed it, tacos. Each episode explores a different type of taco. From how it’s made to its cultural import, you get a firsthand view of one of the best meals on the planet. Like many food-related shows, be ready, because it’s going to make you very, very hungry. Like, very hungry.
2 Seasons
Genre
Documentary
Cast
Jon Favreau, Roy Choi
Created by
Jon Favreau
The beginnings of The Chef Show stretch back to 2014 when Jon Favreau met Roy Choi during the filming of Favreau’s movie Chef (Choi was a consultant). This meeting, we can assume, created a lasting friendship based on a mutual love of food. In The Chef Show, Favreau and Choi explore just how much fun it can be to cook with friends. From celebrity chefs (pitmaster Aaron Franklin) to film celebrities (Bill Burr), the duo behind the show cook, eat, and in the process learn more about how food brings people together.
1 Season
Genre
Reality
Cast
Leather Storrs, Kelis
Created by
Rik Reinholdtsen
The past decade has brought about some subjectively crazy new laws and legalizations around the country and now the world. The topic at hand? Cannabis legalization. Since the legalization of recreational cannabis started in Colorado almost 10 years ago, more states have jumped on board and adapted their culture to it. This all eventually ends up with cannabis cooking shows, bringing culinary talents to a brand new challenge we never thought we would see: Cook something delicious using the elating effects and flavors that cannabis has to offer. Multiple shows now follow this new trend but this one is a favorite that features fun guests and delicious delicacies.
The Manual streaming roundup
6 Seasons
Genre
Documentary
Created by
David Gelb
If you checked out our list of the best food documentaries on Netflix, then the creator of Jiro Dreams of Sushi and Chef’s Table, David Gelb, is no stranger. Gelb considers Chef’s Table, a series that follows one world-famous chef per episode, the sequel to Jiro. The methods and approaches of Magnus Nillson (also profiled in Mind of a Chef), Grant Achatz, Christina Tosi, and many more are all put on display across the series. All it takes is a few minutes of Massimo Batturo in the pilot episode to get fully hooked.
1 Season
Genre
Documentary
Cast
David Gelb, Brain McGinn
Created by
David Gelb
Street Food is a new project from the filmmakers behind Chef’s Table. Lovers of Chef’s Table get a bit of a different view in this series. Instead of the finest of fine dining establishments around the world (and the chefs that command them), Street Food looks at, well, street food. From roadside stands to markets brimming with locals-only cuisine, each episode explores the experiences in culinary greatness that are feasted upon by countless people every day. In the collection’s first installment, Street Food Asia takes audiences through a nine-episode journey, touring a different Asian country each session. Street Food Latin America, released in 2020, introduces viewers to the vibrant food culture of Oaxaca, Mexico; Salvador, Brazil; Buenos Aires, Argentina, and other Latin American destinations. This is one of the best travel shows on Netflix and one of the best travel shows streaming overall.
1 Season
Genre
Reality
Cast
Andrew Knowlton
A Netflix original, The Final Table is a competitive cooking show that spans the globe. The competition involves 12 pairs of chefs from around the world, all fighting to earn a place at the Final Table, and features a veritable who’s who of famous chefs. Those chefs include Grant Achatz (U.S.), Enrique Olvera (Mexico), Clare Smyth (U.K.), Andoni Aduriz (Spain), Helena Rizzo (Brazil), Vineet Bhatia (India), Carlo Cracco (Italy), Yoshihiro Narisawa (Japan), and Anne-Sophie Pic (France). Each episode focuses on one country’s national dishes and features a variety of celebrity critics and ambassadors. Teams are eliminated until just the finalists reach the finale. The Final Table is presented by Andrew Knowlton (James Beard Award-winning writer and editor-at-large for Bon Appétit).
6 Seasons
Genre
Reality, Family
Cast
Jacques Torres, Nicole Byer
Nailed It! has, in its first six seasons, developed a cult-like following. Whether you like the game-show format, the wit of host Nicole Byer and her co-pilot in culinary misery, Jacques Torres, or the train wreck that is amateur bakers believing they are better than everyone else, there’s a little something for everyone on this show. After the show’s widely receptive debut, it has since branched out to a number of spin-offs like Nailed It! Mexico, Nailed It! Spain, Nailed It! Germany, and Nailed It! Holiday. For its fifth season, titled Double Trouble, Nailed It! contestants will compete in teams of two in what promises to be double the fun.
5 Seasons
Genre
Animation, Comedy, Drama
Cast
Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, Ai Kayano, Maaya Uchida
Created by
Shun Saeki, Yuto Tsukuda, Yuki Morisaki
You may be wondering to yourself, how can anime on Netflix be considered a cooking show? Food Wars! is not your average everyday anime series, it’s a full-on cooking saga that just so happens to be animated. The story follows a young chef who finds himself being admitted to a prestigious culinary academy that settles disputes through food wars. The actual recipes and techniques used in the show are pretty solid overall, and you may find yourself trying some of them.
1 Season
Genre
Documentary
Cast
Samin Nosrat
Salt Fat Acid Heat is based on (and hosted by) James Beard Award-winning author Samin Nosrat. The four-part series is based on Nosrat’s book of the same name and will see the host travel to California mainstay restaurant Chez Panisse as well as restaurants in Japan, Mexico, and Italy. In each episode, Nosrat explores what good cooking is through a lens that investigates the fundamentals needed to create a good meal. This is the first process-based cooking show on Netflix, and it’s quickly becoming a favorite among the food-minded.
2 Seasons
Genre
Documentary
Cast
David Chang, Peter Meehan, Aziz Ansari
Ugly Delicious is celebrity chef David Chang’s exploration of foods from across the globe that are — if you couldn’t tell from the title — often overlooked. Along the way, he’s got a who’s who of celebrities joining him to eat, discuss, and delve into what makes good food good while also investigating how food can be used as a tool for cultural change. If you’re a fan of Anthony Bourdain’s temperament and approach, then Ugly Delicious will be right up your alley.
7 Seasons
Genre
Reality
Cast
Mary Berry, Paul Hollywood, Mel Giedroyc
Highlighted by delightful British accents and lovely tarts/pies, The Great British Baking Show is anything but competitive in a great sense. Got a sweet tooth? This is absolutely the right show for you to binge with three different editions adding up to 14 seasons total.
1 Season
Genre
Documentary
Cast
Michael Pollan
Created by
Alex Gibney, Michael Pollan
In this documentary series, Michael Pollan (who has shown up in practically every food documentary and show about how we could be doing the whole “good human stewards of the earth” thing better, in addition to penning a series of bestselling books on the topic of food) sets out on a quest to see just exactly how the act of cooking transforms both foods on the physical level and the world that we as people build around food. Pollan bakes, brews, and braises his way to a higher level of culinary and cultural knowledge.
Genre
Documentary
Cast
Oscar Bopp, Luis Caporossi, Vicente Cohn
In the self-describing Netflix documentary film Todo Sobre el Asado (All about Asado), we look at an examination of Argentina’s culture which, as you learn in this film, has a lot to do with barbecue cuisine. Delving into flavor, tenderness, choice cuts, and cook timing, this contemporary group of artisans will throw you into their world of meat, proving that barbecue is not simply a method of cooking — it’s a lifestyle.
1 Season
Genre
Reality
Netlix’s newest food program focuses on some of the best bartenders in the land (yes, cocktails constitute as food). Watching these folks assemble drinks is plain wondrous and will make you want to elevate your home bar game. From infusions and unexpected combinations to crazy spins on classic recipes, this show has it all. Oh, and it’s a competition, so there’s built-in tension and watchability, big time.
That should keep you satiated for a while. While we’re on the topic of food, check out the best cookbooks and the best slow-cooking kitchen essentials as well. Happy cooking (or watching)!
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