Although it started out as a simple app for short, music-based videos, TikTok has transformed into something so much more than that. Now a popular global platform where people all over the world share the latest news, set the newest trends, and scroll for hours on end, TikTok is the hottest place to be on the web. So what happens when you combine the massive medium that is TikTok with the world’s shared love for food? Well friends, that’s what we’re looking to explore today - are TikTok food trends actually worth your time?

Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash

When it comes to cooking, let’s be honest, we all love a quick and easy recipe that offers us incredible convenience. Thanks to the current focus on creating ultra-short videos, TikTok, YoutubeShorts, and Instagram Reels all offer us quick opportunities to find seemingly fantastic recipes. But a lot of these clips you see aren’t just “recipes”. In fact, they reflect ongoing trends that millions of viewers partake in. And with TikTok being the ultimate trendsetter, there’s a constant influx of new food trends that seem to cycle around. If the Green Goddess Salad or Grinder Sandwich sounds familiar to you, well, you can definitely thank TikTok for that.

So let’s answer the big question - are these viral TikTok food trends actually any good? Our answer: for the most part, yes. There’s definitely a catch but we’ll discuss that a bit later. Tested by millions of people around the world, it’s safe to say some of the most viral trends/recipes are worth giving a try. Whether it’s learning that shaking garlic around in a jar will get rid of its peel or discovering a delicious, super easy new recipe, there’s a lot to explore in the TikTok realm. If you’re curious as to what some of these popular food trends might be, here are some great examples of viral TikTok food videos that actually taste delicious:

• Baked feta pasta

• Baked oats

• Corn ribs

• Spicy vodka pasta

• Green goddess salad

• Grinder Sandwich

• Sushi bake

• Cloud bread

Photo by Alexander Shatov on Unsplash

The funny thing is, you may not even have realized just how influential these cooking trends are. Making their way into our everyday routine, these viral food trends appear more often than you might think. Appearing as specials in restaurants or even special features in grocery stores, you’ve likely already seen these items on the list floating around. For instance, did you hear that Subway has a Green Goddess Chicken sub now available on its menu? Wonder how they got that idea…

But of course, having a platform this massive and far-reaching has its downsides too. When it comes to creating trends, some creators have resorted to making wacky, unnecessary food hacks and recipes that are simply a waste of our time. Some of these viral trends are even borderline dangerous! One such instance of this was the very concerning trend called “sleep chicken” which was first popularized back in 2022. In this trend, TikTok users recommended dowsing raw chicken in bottles of Nyquil before cooking it. For what reason? We have no idea. But this is the perfect example to demonstrate that you still need to exercise common sense when deciding whether or not to follow a viral trend.

Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash

All in all, TikTok is a great platform that allows people to express their creativity and share useful tools and ideas that most people probably wouldn’t have ever thought of. Food trends are great for TikTok, exposing audiences to a wide range of useful hacks or delicious and easy recipes to incorporate into their daily lives. Of course, no matter what social media platform you browse on, always explore cautiously and follow trends that are safe. With that in mind, go on and scroll through TikTok to find whatever viral food trend you should try next!