I've Watched Basically Every Cooking Show On Netflix, And Some Are Better Than Others — These 15, However, Are Perfection

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Ya know what there's truly no shortage of in this life? Netflix cooking shows. I mean, type "food" into the search bar, and the results feel pretty never-ending.

Grid of many different food shows popping on a Netflix search
Netflix

Lucky for you, food shows are baaaaasically what I live for. As someone who writes about food and cooks for a living, I take my food content very seriously.

Netflix

When I plop myself on the couch after a long day of work and mindlessly scroll through Netflix to find something to watch, I want to a) be entertained, or b) learn about something I probably wouldn't have investigated otherwise...and in a perfect world, a show will accomplish both at the same time.

I'm happy to report that all the shows in this list fully fulfill one of those two categories — and several hit that sweet spot between both. So whether you're looking to laugh out loud, drool all over your TV, or learn about something altogether extraordinary, I have a feeling you'll find it in one of my all-time favorite Netflix food shows.

1.Salt Fat Acid Heat

A freshly baked focaccia coming out of the oven, while host Samin Nosrat bites into it and smiles while she enjoys it

Type of show: Documentary series

Number of seasons: 1

Netflix

WHY I LOVE IT: When Netflix announced it was adapting one of my favorite "cookbooks" into a limited series, I just about lost my mind — several rewatches later, I can confirm it's still one of the most wholesome and worthwhile cooking shows out there.

2.Nadiya's Time to Eat

Nadiya Hussain from "Nadiya's Time to Eat" talking about her kids demanding pancakes from her on weekdays, and an easy recipe she came up with instead

Type of show: Cooking show

Number of seasons: 1

Netflix

WHY I LOVE IT: Considering she's one of the most beloved Great British Baking Show contestants in the show's history, it's no surprise that Nadiya Hussain's charming, actually helpful, and all-around mouthwatering cooking show is a 10/10.

3.Somebody Feed Phil

Phil in "Somebody Feed Phil" eating street food while telling people on the street, "This is fantastic, people. It's so good!!!"

Type of show: Documentary series

Number of seasons: 4

Netflix

WHY I LOVE IT: In the Bourdain-adjacent world of shows that explore how food, travel, and culture relate to one another, Somebody Feed Phil strikes that perfect balance between "endlessly watchable" and "genuinely informative."

4.Waffles + Mochi

Three screenshots from "Waffles + Mochi" on Netflix, featuring Gaten Matarazzao — from "Stranger Things" — making a Stranger Things-related food pun

Type of show: Family-friendly

Number of seasons: 1

Netflix

WHY I LOVE IT: Waffles + Mochi is truly as heartwarming as it gets, and each and every episode feels like the warmest, coziest hug imaginable. Yes, that's coming from an adult.

5.High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America

Host of "High on the Hog" talking to a woman about okra at a market, saying, "Okra is African, because it made the journey with us"

Type of show: Documentary series

Number of seasons: 1

Netflix

WHY I LOVE IT: High on the Hog takes the standard format of a food-driven docuseries and turns it into an inspiring showcase of the legacy and importance of African cuisine in American food and culture — and it's as visually stunning as it is raw and emotional.

6.The Great British Baking Show

A "Great British Baking Show" host asking contestant Liam if he's ever made a certain element before, and him responded with wide, scared eyes...then laughing hysterically and saying that he's "joking"

Type of show: Competition show

Number of seasons: 9

Netflix

WHY I LOVE IT: Even if cooking competition shows aren't normally your cup of tea, GBBS puts a wholesome twist on a conventional format — and honestly, I dare you not to smile from ear to ear while you watch it. Spoiler alert: It's impossible.

7.Chef's Table

Chef Grant Achatz in an episode of "Chef's Table," saying, "For the first time ever, I think I can be a chef without tasting," pointing to his head and saying, "It's up here," then pointing to his mouth and saying, "It's not here."

Type of show: Documentary series

Number of seasons: 6

Netflix

WHY I LOVE IT: From the highest Michelin-starred highs to the truly unthinkable lows, Chef's Table beautifully captures the inspiring (and occasionally heartbreaking) stories of some of the most talented chefs in the world.

8.Nailed It

Nicole Byer describing a Rapunzel cake as "scary," and that "no one's coming to rescue her" while laughing

Type of show: Competition show

Number of seasons: 6

Netflix

WHY I LOVE IT: Watch it because Nicole Byer might just be the most hilarious TV host ever, or watch it because the baking fails actually make you laugh out loud. Either way, this show is hysterical, joyful perfection.

9.The Chef Show

Tom Holland slurping down an oyster with Jon Favreau and Robert Downey Jr.

Type of show: Documentary series

Number of seasons: 2

Netflix

WHY I LOVE IT: Come for the impressive celebrity guests (read: the literal Avengers) and stay for the hosts' genuine chemistry...in addition to all that mouthwatering food.

10.Taco Chronicles

Caption saying, "It's because it's perfect" over a picture of juicy roasted pork, and a chef exclaiming, "Who doesn't want a taco?" and shrugging while smiling

Type of show: Documentary series

Numbers of seasons: 2

Netflix

WHY I LOVE IT: If you're a taco lover — and really, who isn't — there's a whole lot you probably don't realize about them. Taco Chronicles goes deep into the histories and traditions surrounding some of the most popular ones. Warning: It WILL make you hungry.

11.School of Chocolate

Host Amaury Guichon asking students if they're "up to the challenge," met with blank stares from the contestant...and Amaury responding with, "You should run"
Netflix

WHY I LOVE IT: I can pretty much guarantee you've seen chocolatier Amaury Guichon's mega-viral videos on some form of social media — this competition show builds on that content with a twist that's so refreshingly wholesome.

12.The Final Table

A plate of beautiful food with a judge asking a contestant, "Have you reinvented anything?" and then responding, "No"

Type of show: Competition show

Number of seasons: 1

Netflix

WHY I LOVE IT: It's one part Olympics, one part Iron Chef...but mostly it's just a wildly impressive cooking competition starring mesmerizing chefs from all over the globe.

13.Ugly Delicious

David Chang eating a restaurant and admitting that the service is "bright," with guest Ali Wong. Ali says, "Yeah...like, too bright. Where you worry that the quality is bad. you want them to ignore you!" and David laughs
Netflix

WHY I LOVE IT: As the title suggests, Ugly Delicious focuses on foods from all over the world that are pretty hard to beat when it comes to taste, even if they're not the most aesthetically pleasing. It's witty as hell, and if you ask me, I think the food still looks pretty darn delicious.

14.Street Food: Asia and Street Food: Latin America

Chef talking to the camera, saying, "I am meticulous about every dish that I serve," and then shot of her cooking in a wok over an open flame at a street food vendor, saying she "cooks every dish herself"

Type of show: Documentary series

Number of seasons: 2 separate series

Netflix

WHY I LOVE IT:

15.Fresh, Fried and Crispy

Host biting into a burger and leaning heavily on a table, pausing, and saying, "Me and the burger are having a moment"

Type of show: Documentary series

Number of seasons: 1

Netflix

WHY I LOVE IT: It's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives with ONLY fried food, plus a host that I'd give an A+ to if I could. So basically, it's perfection.

If we missed any of your favorite Netflix food shows, drop 'em in the comments below!