Food TikTok has developed a life of its own, allowing a larger audience to experience cuisine from around the world. Younger users on the platform are learning how to cook from these bite-sized video recipes, while a wider audience is looking to it for menu inspiration. TikTokers are also keen to recreate trending recipes and share their clips.
Have you ever wondered which trendy recipes hold up in real life? From creative to outrageous, here are the viral TikTok food trends you have to try at least once, and three you should avoid at all costs.
There’s a good reason that crispy garlic parm accordion potatoes are such a hit on TikTok. They’re baked until the outside is golden and crispy and every bite is packed with flavor. If you want a side dish with extra crunch, skewer the potatoes before cooking them. There’s a bit of a learning curve to this recipe when learning how to correctly slice the potatoes, but once you’ve perfected it, you’ll be looking for any excuse to make a batch.
If you’ve fallen out of love with avocado toast, why not try pesto eggs ? Simply fry an egg in the pesto of your choice, and once it’s cooked, layer it on a slice of your favorite toasted bread along with some ricotta and sliced avocado. Finish with a drizzle of warm honey and a sprinkling of chili flakes for a restaurant-quality breakfast any day of the week.
Much like pesto eggs, this trendy TikTok sensation is touted as an alternative to avocado toast. Made with toast slathered in ricotta and topped with anything from thinly sliced prosciutto to fresh berries, it’s a dish that anyone could make with ease. It even caught the attention of Lizzo, who made two versions using vegan ricotta: one topped with sauteed cherry tomatoes and arugula, and the other with a drizzle of honey.
Although spicy vodka pasta originated on Gigi Hadid’s Instagram story, TikTokers eagerly shared their takes on the recipe. Essentially, it’s a dish more commonly known to Italian food aficionados as penne alla vodka minus the pancetta. It’s uncomplicated yet elegant, perfect for a hearty weeknight meal or when you want to impress guests at your next dinner party.
Looking for a new way to prepare corn on the cob? TikTok trends suggest that you make corn ribs. Take your corn and cut each cob into quarters lengthwise, then brush them with a mixture of olive oil and an assortment of spices including chili powder and smoked paprika. Whether baked, grilled, or air-fried, they’re a delicious complement to any meal or even a main barbecue dish for the vegetarians and vegans in your life.
Chances are that even if you’re not a TikTok user, you heard about the baked feta pasta craze. Originally created in 2019 by Finnish food blogger Jenni Häyrinen, it was so popular on TikTok that it caused shortages of the brined Greek cheese in several countries around the world. The foolproof recipe requires only a few ingredients besides feta, including whole cherry tomatoes, garlic and fresh basil, and it’s ready in under 30 minutes.
Sometimes referred to as the unofficial dish of Texas, chile con queso is a staple everywhere from diners to baby showers across the state. This TikTok recipe elevates the Tex-Mex favorite by not only adding chorizo, jalapenos and an assortment of cheeses to the usual Velveeta and Ro-Tel base, but it’s also cooked to perfection on a grill or in a smoker. Serve the dip with tortilla chips as an appetizer at your next family barbecue, or head outdoors and fire up the grill whenever you have a craving.
For a healthy breakfast that tastes as decadent as a dessert, custard toast is the TikTok recipe trend for you. Making it even more of a must-try is the fact that you only need a few ingredients. The custard is made with Greek yogurt, egg and either maple syrup or honey. You then place the mixture atop slices of thick-cut bread before popping the toast into the air fryer. Customize it with almost anything your heart desires, like sliced strawberries, a handful of blueberries or even chocolate chips.
Ways to hack ramen are all over TikTok, but this viral recipe for soy sauce noodles combines Shanghai noodles, green onion, red chili pepper and bean sprouts in a savory sauce. If you wish, a protein like egg, chicken or tofu can be added in with ease. It’s a dish that’s so easy to make that even the most inexperienced home chef will get it right on the first try. Plus, it’s ready in 15 minutes.
There are many reasons why you should avoid this recipe from a TikToker named “butterrgirll,” besides the obvious health-related issues that can come with eating an entire stick of butter. The butter is wrapped in Fruit Roll-Ups before it’s frozen overnight and served out of the freezer so it’s crunchy. To make it even more offensive, it’s served with a dipping sauce made from vinegar and Tajin.
Since instant mashed potatoes already exist, a TikTok recipe that transforms Pringles into a hot side dish doesn’t make sense. Not only does it call for boiling whole potato chips in water, you then have to strain the “mashed potatoes” out of the liquid. The final product doesn’t look appetizing, either, with its runny consistency.
If the ingredients for a dish are mixed by hand directly on the surface of a countertop with the intention of everyone digging in family-style, do yourself a favor and skip the recipe. There’s one TikTok account that’s notorious for creating these monstrosities, likely for the shock factor, but people are definitely trying them out, including a recipe for mac and cheese and another for spaghetti and meatballs. They not only look unappetizing, but I have questions about hygiene as well.
