Hungry for some great culinary entertainment? Here are our picks of the best cooking shows on Netflix.
Netflix is one of the best streaming services precisely because it has a huge library of shows and movies to enjoy, meaning there's usually something for everyone to enjoy: a glance at our round-up of the best Netflix shows proves that.
If you're a foodie, you'll be pleased to know that Netflix caters to you, too! Whether you love whipping up top dishes at home and want some top tips to improve your game, you want to learn about some of the world's most celebrated chefs, or you're just looking for some light entertainment, there's plenty on the menu.
Otherwise, read on to find our picks of the best cooking shows you can find on the service. And if you were wondering, we've only excluded The Great British Baking Show because it's not available in some other regions!
The Best Cooking Shows on Netflix
The Chef Show
- Number of seasons: 2 (split into four volumes)
- Approximate episodes per season: 6-8
- Average episode length: 29-33 minutes
- Find it on Netflix here
In 2014, filmmaker and actor Jon Favreau set out to make a movie about cooking (Chef) loosely inspired by Roy Choi and the gourmet food truck movement. Choi served as an advisor and worked closely with Favreau during production... and this collaboration eventually led to The Chef Show.
This delightful series is all about celebrating food. The pair travel across the US (and beyond) meeting with top stars from all parts of the entertainment world and chowing down on some delicious grub, including dishes suggested by their amazing guests.
Is it Cake?
- Number of seasons: 2 (with a third on the way)
- Approximate episodes per season: 8
- Average episode length: 39-46 minutes
- Find it on Netflix here
Is It Cake? combines the infuriating viral internet meme of online bakers sculpting all kinds of things out of cake... and turns it into a silly but strangely compelling game show.
Presented by Mikey Day, Is It Cake sees a group of top hyper-realistic cake artists being tasked with dreaming up incredible creations, from handbags and sewing machines to gym gear and even famous art pieces to try and fool the panel of judges to try and bag a big cash prize.
Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend
- Number of seasons: 1
- Approximate episodes per season: 8
- Average episode length: 46-50 minutes
- Find it on Netflix here
Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend is the latest iteration of the classic cooking competition. Alton Brown returned to host alongside former Top Chef winner Kristen Kish and The Chairman, aka Mark Dacascos.
Like before, the Netflix iteration sees five "Iron Chefs", including Curtis Stone and Marcus Samuelsson, competing in the kitchen with challenger chefs who are looking to impress the judges and best their celebrity chef counterparts across a series of rounds featuring secret ingredients.
The highest-scoring chef of the competition then gets to face off against all five Iron Chefs to try and bag a Golden Knife and be crowned the Iron Legend. And if one season has you looking for second helpings, Netflix also has several regional Iron Chef spin-offs waiting to be watched, too.
Chef's Table
- Number of seasons: 6
- Approximate episodes per season: 4-6
- Average episode length: 41-58 minutes
- Find it on Netflix here
David Gelb’s award-winning series brings us into the lives (and kitchens!) of some of the most talented chefs from around the world. Unlike some of the other shows on this list,
Chef’s Table isn't as much about the food itself as it is about the people who cook it. Every episode puts one particular chef in the spotlight, delving into their personal history and exploring everything that’s influenced their respective culinary journeys.
Beautifully shot and expertly put together, Chef’s Table has been nominated for (and scooped up) plenty of awards over the years, and it’s easy to see why.
Somebody Feed Phil
- Number of seasons: 7
- Approximate episodes per season: 5-6
- Average episode length: 44-63 minutes
- Find it on Netflix here
Somebody Feed Phil follows Everybody Loves Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal has been traveling the globe and sampling dishes from major cities around the world since 2018.
Phil's passion for food is obvious, and it's part of what makes the show so much fun to watch. Plus, he also spotlights local charities and non-profits along the way, and he's met up with celebrities like Kelly Macdonald, Patton Oswalt and icons from the culinary world, too.
If you enjoy the show, you can uncover some never-before-heard stories from the first four seasons and find recipes for some of the most-requested dishes so you can replicate them at home in the companion cookbook, Somebody Feed Phil: The Book.
Street Food
- Number of seasons: 3
- Approximate episodes per season: 6-8
- Average episode length: 29-32 minutes
- Find it on Netflix here
Street Food zooms in on the amazing eats that you can find by the roadside in and around some of the biggest cities around the world.
The series was dreamt up by the team behind Chef's Table and adopts a similar approach to showing off the dishes and the people who make them. You'll learn about the inspiring stories of plenty of talented street food chefs, their food's origins, and what drives them to do what they do.
To date, Netflix has served up three helpings of Street Food: the first showcased mouthwatering meals from across Asia, the second season teased us with treats from across Latin America, and the most recent brought us beloved bites from across the USA.
Ugly Delicious
- Number of seasons: 2
- Approximate episodes per season: 4/8
- Average episode length: 45-55 minutes
- Find it on Netflix here
Ugly Delicious is a cracking cooking series by restauranteur David Chang and Academy Award-winning documentarian, Morgan Neville.
Essentially, Ugly Delicious is a combination of a travel and cooking show rolled into one. It follows Chang as he journeys around the world to sample foods from different cultures that are not always considered to be fancy.
Each episode of the series focuses on a particular dish of theme and sees the chef hitting up culinary hot spots to taste great food, see how they put their own spin on classic dishes, and unpack their cultural significance through frank, open, and earnest chats with talented chefs and special guests.
If Ugly Delicious leaves you hungry for more, you should also check out Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, another David Chang effort that sees the chef hitting the road with celebrity guests and checking out some of their favorite food spots.
Salt Fat Acid Heat
- Number of seasons: 1
- Approximate episodes per season: 4
- Average episode length: 40-48 minutes
- Find it on Netflix here
In the four-part series Salt Fat Acid Heat, food writer and chef Samin Nosrat explores these four fundamental pillars of successful cooking.
Inspired by Nosrat’s book of the same name, each episode sees Nosrat traveling to a different region to learn about the production of these everyday kitchen elements and how each one of them is used in local cuisine to amplify and improve flavors.
The premise might seem familiar to anyone who watches a lot of cooking shows, but the real stand-out here is Nosrat herself. She serves as a friendly and enthusiastic guide throughout, treating her guests and her ingredients with so much respect.
All of these shows (and more!) are available to stream on Netflix right now.
