What To Watch
18 Food and Cooking Shows You’ll Want to Devour Immediately
They’ll have you hungry for more (episodes).
By Dalene Rovenstine
June 8, 2026
18 Best Cooking Competition Series and Documentaries on Netflix - Netflix Tudum
You don’t have to be a chef to enjoy these TV shows about food — but after watching, they may have you fancying yourself a foodie (or at least wanting to order a delicious dinner).
There’s a little bit for everyone on this list: documentary-style filming of beautiful meals, cutthroat competitions to find the best chef, tours of the US to find the best food, and the most polite cookie challenges you’ve ever seen. (Yes, we’re talking about The Great British Baking Show.) Whether you know how to flambé with the best of them or you use your stove as storage space, these hours and hours of TV will keep you entertained ... and maybe a little hungry.
Barbecue Showdown
If you know — and appreciate — the differences between Memphis style and Kansas City style barbecue, you’re sure to enjoy the cook-offs in Barbecue Showdown. Throughout the three seasons of the reality show, you’ll meet pitmasters with varying experience from across the country. Each season, eight contestants compete through various cooking challenges to determine who is the Barbecue Champion. But this isn’t just about throwing something on the grill: The barbecue experts are judged on their meat’s temperature, smoking abilities, flavor profiles, creativity, and more.
Beat Bobby Flay
Here’s a cooking competition with a household name at the helm. Since 2013, celebrity chef Bobby Flay has invited his fellow culinary artists to beat him at his own game in the appropriately named Beat Bobby Flay. This long-running series invites two talented chefs to go head-to-head in the kitchen before the winner faces Flay one-on-one. Rotating guest judges determine the winners of both rounds, with Flay playfully trash-talking the competition every time.
The Chef Show
Think of The Chef Show as part cooking, part interesting interview. Actor-director Jon Favreau joins chef Roy Choi to welcome a new guest each episode. While cooking something of the guest’s choosing, Favreau and Choi sprinkle them with questions. The show was inspired when Favreau learned how to cook from Choi in preparation for his 2014 film, Chef. Guests throughout the series include Seth Rogen, Sam Raimi, and Gwyneth Paltrow (who made pepper pot soup in a nod to her role in Iron Man, in which she co-starred with Favreau).
Chef's Table: Pizza
Each season of the acclaimed series Chef’s Table explores chefs’ approaches to cooking, and this installment dives into the personalities and philosophies of six pizza chefs around the globe. Serving up slices in locations like Italy, Japan, and Arizona, these six experts will inspire you — and have you craving a pie. (For an even bigger feast, pair it with the season dedicated to noodles.)
Crazy Delicious
Intrepid home chefs reimagine classic favorites in this cooking competition series hosted by comedian and actor Jayde Adams. All six episodes of Crazy Delicious challenge competitors — who range from parents to students to working professionals from across the UK — to concoct the most creative dishes using the edible set dressings. After handpicking carrots, plucking edible flowers from the trees, and harvesting chocolate soil, the competitors craft a variety of show-stopping dishes. They’ve got to impress professional chefs and judges Carla Hall, Niklas Ekstedt, and Heston Blumenthal for a chance to win bragging rights and the prized Golden Apple.
Culinary Class Wars
Popular shows like The Devil’s Plan and Physical: 100 introduced US viewers to the world of Korean reality TV, and Culinary Class Wars turns up the heat by bringing the competition into the kitchen. One hundred chefs assemble to see who will take home the top prize (₩300 million, roughly $220,000). The “class wars” begin in Episode 1 when competitors are divided into “Black Spoons,” 80 chefs who became acclaimed through an atypical route, and “White Spoons,” 20 chefs who received traditional culinary training in fine-dining establishments. The knives are out as each challenge pits the contestants against one another in true dramatic reality-show fashion.
Dinner Time Live With David Chang
Are you ready to make dinner tonight? Renowned chef David Chang has all the ingredients for some delicious experimental dishes you can make right in your own kitchen. And Dinner Time Live gives you a glimpse at what really goes into creating that perfect dish in real time — all the mishaps and problem-solving, without the touch-ups, food stylists, and well-timed camera cuts. Plus, Chang is joined by new guests each episode, so you’ll get to work with some of your favorites, from John Mulaney and Nick Kroll to Steven Yeun and Rashida Jones. Get your apron!
The Final Table
The tried-and-true style of cooking competitions goes international in The Final Table. In this Netflix original series, 12 international teams of two go toe-to-toe to determine the best global chef. Each episode features one of the 12 teams’ home countries with judges representing that nation. (Think Alessandra Ambrosio for Brazil and Hasan Minhaj for India.) Hosted by Andrew Knowlton, The Final Table knocks out one team each week, with a winner chosen in Episode 10.
Fresh, Fried & Crispy
Daym Drops first gained notoriety as a food critic on YouTube with his review of a Five Guys meal. (Fun fact: That video was remixed by the Gregory Brothers, who you may also know for their viral hit “It’s Corn.”) Now Daym hosts Fresh, Fried and Crispy, a show where he travels around the US trying the tastiest fried dishes you could imagine. If you love fried Oreos as much as you love fish and chips, then this is the show for you.
The Great British Baking Show
It’s possible you’ve never heard of The Great British Baking Show, but it’s unlikely. The British baking competition is an international hit — and for good reason. Over the years, viewers have watched amateur bakers go politely head-to-head all while learning what proofing, soggy bottoms, and a tray bake are. Of course, the hopeful Star Bakers are the main attraction, but judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood also keep us coming back for more of their sweet lines about sweet treats. And while Prue is officially leaving the series after nine seasons, there are plenty of exciting moments to come with her successor, Nigella Lawson.
Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend
If you’ve loved the previous iterations of Iron Chef, you’re bound to love Quest for an Iron Legend. Alton Brown returns to host (along with co-host Kristen Kish), and Mark Dacascos serves again as The Chairman. Five new Iron Chefs, including Curtis Stone and Marcus Samuelsson, go head-to-head with challenger chefs in seven episodes focusing on a secret ingredient. In the final episode, the winningest challenger must face off against all five Iron Chefs in order to become an Iron Legend.
Next Gen Chef
Set at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America, Next Gen Chef, hosted by model and restaurateur Olivia Culpo, pits 21 chefs under the age of 30 against each other. These chefs — ranging from rising professionals and CIA alumni to self-taught maestros — are put through a series of grueling tests. They’re judged by Top Chef winner Kelsey Barnard Clark and master sommelier Carlton McCoy, as well as a rotating crew of guest judges. While these skilled foodies may think they’re ready for any culinary quest, only one will be crowned a generational talent and win the $500,000 grand prize.
Salt Fat Acid Heat
Based on her 2017 book of the same name, chef and food writer Samin Nosrat hosts the cooking documentary Salt Fat Acid Heat. This four-part series focuses on what Nosrat suggests are the four components of successful cooking, which are — you guessed it — salt, fat, acid, and heat. To highlight these, Nosrat travels to different locations around the world (Italy, Japan, Mexico, and California, respectively) to see how each element is put to use in local foods.
Snack VS. Chef
Prepackaged foods are the stars of the show in Snack vs. Chef. Each episode, the contestants must re-create a popular snack item, such as Oreos, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, or Fruit Gushers. Twelve chefs start the series, but only one will make it to the end — and snag the $50,000 prize. While re-creating an Oreo might sound like an easy task for a trained chef, it proves to be harder than it sounds: They have only one hour to finish the job. Plus, they have to make all their goodies shelf-stable, just like the real thing. Grab some (already made) snacks, and buckle up for some excitement at the vending machine.
Somebody Feed Phil
Everybody Loves Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal is hungry, and he’s traveling the world to satiate his appetite. For seven seasons, he’s tackled a different city in each episode. While devouring the region’s best foods, he also highlights a local charity or nonprofit. His personality and excitement for food make Phil’s culinary adventures fun to watch, even if you can’t taste the dishes yourself.
Street Food: USA
This isn’t your average hot dog: Street Food explores the cuisine you can find streetside around the globe. For the third season, it hits close to home with six major US cities, including New Orleans, Miami, and New York. Interviews with local casual chefs highlight how important these street food items are to their areas. These aren’t dishes you’re likely to find in a high-end restaurant, but they’ll have you planning a visit, nonetheless. (And for more street food spotlights, be sure to check out Street Food: Asia and Street Food: Latin America.)
Taco Chronicles
Try this on your next #TacoTuesday! An American Mexican documentary series, Taco Chronicles explores the history and culture behind the beloved Mexican street food. Interviews with food writers, taco experts, and street stand owners add to the show’s informative — and delicious — menu.
With Love, Meghan
Ever wonder what a dinner party with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex would look like? With Love, Meghan is your invitation. Across two seasons, Meghan delves into the art of hosting as she shares her personal know-how in the kitchen, garden, and beyond. Try out the recipes and crafts featured in Season 1 before diving into Season 2, which features appearances from talent like Chrissy Teigen, Tan France, and José Andrés.
Additional reporting by Erin Corbett and Caitlin Busch.
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