The 10 Best Cooking Shows on Netflix

From the best in baking to eating healthy, Netflix has something for everyone

By
Kayla Dube
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Kayla Dube
Writer and Lifewire Technology Review Board Member
  • J. Everette Light Career Center
Kayla Dube has 4+ years' experience in videography and filmmaking. She frequently works in production with indie film companies.
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Updated on August 26, 2022
Reviewed by
Jessica Kormos
Jessica Kormos
Reviewed by Jessica Kormos
  • Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
Jessica Kormos is a writer and editor with 15 years' experience writing articles, copy, and UX content for Tecca.com, Rosenfeld Media, and many others.
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Cooking shows have long been a popular form of entertainment, and over the years many different types have come to fruition within this genre. Whether you want to watch cooking competitions, see how professional chefs create their delicacies, or want to learn the ins and outs of cooking yourself, there's something for everyone.

Netflix provides a huge library of cooking shows for anyone to enjoy, and this list will showcase some of the best ones you can watch right now.

01
of 10

Chef's Table (2015): Best Look Inside The Mind Of a Chef

Netflix chef's table
  • IMDb Rating: 8.5/10
  • Genre: Documentary
  • Starring: Ruth Reichl, Massimo Bottura, Francis Mallmann
  • Directors: Clay Jeter, Brian Mcginn, Andrew Fried, etc.
  • Rating: TV-MA
  • Seasons: 6

Each episode of Chef's Table invites you into the world of a chef who has made a significant impact on the culinary world. You learn their motivations, philosophies of life, and what makes them the best at what they do.

The show was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award from 2015-2019 for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series. It's a great look into how those with innovative mindsets and genius creativity operate, as well as seeing just how much they will sacrifice to pursue their passions.

02
of 10
Netflix Million pound menu
  • IMDb Rating: 6.6/10
  • Genre: Food & Travel TV, Reality TV
  • Starring: Fred Sirieix, Matthew Hawksley, David Page
  • Directors: Ollie Elliot, Aoife Carey, Adam Jarmain
  • Rating: Not Rated
  • Seasons: 2

Million Pound Menu has a concept similar to the television show Shark Tank. Investors in Britain are presented with restaurant ideas from participants, and it's up to them to prove to the investors that the restaurant can work. The participants are given the ability to set up pop-up restaurants for a couple of days, and during that time the investors decide if they want to move forward with their ideas.

This show is fun to watch, to see how different restaurant ideas would pan out when executed in real-world conditions. It also gives an interesting glimpse into the business side of running a restaurant, an aspect that's usually given little attention.

03
of 10

Somebody Feed Phil (2018): Best Feel-Good Food Tours

Somebody Feed Phil
  • IMDb Rating: 8.2/10
  • Genre: Docuseries, Food & Travel TV
  • Starring: Phil Rosenthal
  • Rating: TV-14
  • Seasons: 5

This lighthearted series brings viewers all around the world with the show's host, Phil Rosenthal, to discover and eat food from each famous destination. Phil is accompanied by a local guide in each destination who shows him the best meals around the area.

Phil travels to popular cities which are well-known for their great food, including Bangkok, New Orleans, Venice, New York City, Seoul, and plenty more.

04
of 10

Street Food: Best Look Into Local Cuisines

street food
  • IMDb Rating: 7.9/10
  • Genre: Documentary
  • Starring: Phillip Hersh, Caitlyn Elizabeth, Chawadee Naulkhair
  • Rating: TV-G
  • Seasons: 2

Street Food is a show that goes where the true soul of any country's food lives—on the streets. The first edition of this show covers the food of Latin America, as well as Asia. In each episode, you get to see both how the delicious food is made as well as the hard work that goes into making it.

While many food and travel shows tend to gloss over the lives of street food vendors, this show dives into what goes on behind the scenes and how they make the food that is so beloved within their countries.

05
of 10

Cooked With Cannabis: Most Buzz-Worthy Cooking Competition

cooked with cannabis
  • IMDb Rating: 6.6/10
  • Genre: Reality TV
  • Starring: Kelis, Leather Storrs, Flula Borg
  • Rating: TV-MA
  • Seasons: 1

With legalization coming now to many states in the U.S., and the true synergy present between cannabis and food, a show that combines the two is a no-brainer. In the competition, each participant is to create a three-course meal consisting of a starter, main entree, and dessert. In each course, they need to incorporate cannabis in some way.

This show is a fun look at what the future of food could look like as America adopts legalization. The focus of this show is creativity, and you're bound to get the munchies seeing what these chefs come up with.

06
of 10

The Final Table: Most Worldly Cooking Competition

final table contestants
  • IMDb Rating: 7.6/10
  • Genre: Reality TV
  • Starring: Andrew Knowlton, Monique Fiso, Mark Best
  • Rating: TV-PG
  • Seasons: 1

The Final Table is a show bringing together food from all across the globe. Each contestant is there to represent their respective country and create food that wows the judges. Each episode takes place in a different country, and it's up to the contestants to come up with the best food based on the country's cuisine.

The judges for each episode hail from the country in question, and they eliminate teams as each round goes by. This show is both suspenseful yet fun and a great look at how different people relate to food.

07
of 10

The Great British Baking Show: The Best British Baking Show

the great british baking show
  • IMDb Rating: 8.6/10
  • Genre: Reality TV
  • Starring: Paul Hollywood, Mary Berry, Mel Giedroyc
  • Rating: TV-PG
  • Seasons: 5

If you want a cooking competition show that will leave you feeling good, The Great British Baking Show is a great choice. The judges have great chemistry as well as individual character and really make the show a fun one. And, of course, there's plenty of banter among contestants as they race to bake the best goods.

With 5 seasons available of The Great British Baking Show, you'll have plenty to binge-watch for some time, and that's not even counting the Holidays specials.

08
of 10

Baking Impossible: The Most Innovative Baking Show

baking impossible
  • IMDb Rating: 7.0/10
  • Genre: Game Show, Reality TV
  • Starring: Justin Willman, Andrew Smyth, Hakeem Oluseyi
  • Rating: TV-PG
  • Seasons: 1


This isn't your typical baking show. In each episode, contestants are presented with some outrageous tasks that must be done all with baked goods. Examples of this include creating boats, robots, mini golf courses, and more. Baking Impossible really takes the concept of a baking competition to the next level, truly testing the chops of each baker involved.

It also inevitably makes for some hilarious outcomes, but you'll be on the edge of your seat to see what works and what doesn't.

09
of 10

Iron Chef: The Most High-Stakes Cooking Competition

iron chef hosts
  • IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
  • Genre: Game Show, Reality TV
  • Starring: Kristen Kish, Alton Brown, Andrew Zimmern
  • Rating: TV-G
  • Seasons: 1

Iron Chef is a long-running cooking competition series, and now has a place on Netflix as an original series with Iron Chef: Quest For An Iron Legend. Each contestant is matched up to specially chosen "Iron Chefs," who are masters at what they do. The contestant competes with the Iron Chef to see if they can win the judge's favor and become an Iron Chef themselves.

This is a very fun, and very suspenseful cooking show, and the host and judges really make the show what it is. Whether you're an Iron Chef fan or have never watched the show, this new Netflix Original is worth a try.

10
of 10

Salt Fat Acid Heat: The Best Look Into Cooking Science

salt fat acid heat
  • IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
  • Genre: Docuseries, Food & Travel TV
  • Starring: Samin Nosrat
  • Rating: Not Rated
  • Seasons: 1

Samin Nosrat is the host of this show, which is based on her book of the same name. In it, she travels to different areas across the world to showcase each important aspect of cooking; Salt, Fat, Acid, and Heat. Each episode shows how these factors play a role in creating dishes, and where they can be found around the world.

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