This article is part of a directory: Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Complete Guide & Walkthrough
Table of contents

Highlights

  • Cooking in Breath of the Wild is a crucial part of the gameplay, as it provides valuable boosts and healing effects to aid players in their journey.
  • Combining ingredients with the same effect in cooking amplifies that effect, making it important to experiment with different combinations for maximum benefits.
  • Even if a cooked meal or potion is not needed, it can often be sold for a decent price, so players should always sell rather than discard to maximize their resources.

Gamers don't need to play The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for long before they realize how important it is to keep a good supply of consumable items in their inventory. Carrying a full stock of the game's many types of arrows, hoarding a healthy supply of apples to feed horses, and having enough wood to complete key side-quests are all essential. But of the numerous types of consumables, the meals and elixirs that Link can cook and eat are the most important.

Many items in Breath of the Wild can be sold for a high price or be used to upgrade Link's gear. The elixirs, however, will give him the extra status enhancements that can help him dominate any fight. And the meals can save his life when things go bad quickly. This is why every player needs to know the best BOTW recipes for these valuable, edible assets. After all, raw ingredients can go to waste if eaten as they are, and it's only via cooking that players can enhance their heart values and have the edge in battle!

Updated January 18, 2024 by Ivan Abadier: Whether players are returning to the beloved classic, or are just getting into this masterpiece of a game, cooking is a crucial part of the journey. From extremely useful boons and bonuses to healing and sustaining, players will be eating a lot on their way to saving Zelda.

Cooking is almost always the better option when consuming food in the game, and takes little to no effort. Even a simple prepared meal is much better than just devouring a small truck full of apples.

A Basic Overview Of Cooking In BOTW

Breath of the Wild Cooking Overview

Cooking is a new mechanic to the Legend of Zelda series in Breath of the Wild. By combining monster parts, animal parts, herbs, mushrooms, gems, and other craftables in a pot, Link can create potions and meals to aid his quest to defeat Calamity Ganon. It's a satisfying system that changes a lot about the way a player goes about their journey.

To cook, players must find a cooking station out in the world – and there's no shortage of these stony fires in Hyrule. Up to five ingredients can be used when cooking new BotW recipes, and mix-and-matching ingredients with different effects tend to yield multi-effect consumables.

Some important tips to keep in mind include:

  • Combining more ingredients with the same effect amplifies that effect. For example, using two fairies in a Fairy Tonic heals more hearts than just using one.
  • Sometimes Link can create something inedible, like when combining monster parts with non-compatible ingredients. Hey, everyone's had kitchen experiments go wrong now and then.
  • Ingredients are sorted by type in Link's inventory, naturally separating non-compatible parts from one another.
  • Some meals don't need to be cooked at all. For example, killing an animal with a flame weapon creates the fully cooked version of their dropped item.
  • Even if the player isn't going to use a cooked meal or brewed potion, they can often be sold for a decent price. Don't discard anything; sell it instead.

1 Baked Apple

The Reliable Classic

Apple and Baked Apple
  • Apple

Most people would scoff at the idea of a Baked Apple being a valuable recipe since it's the simplest thing players can make in the game. All players need to do is place an apple near a fire source, and voila — they've already made this so-called "dish" with minimal effort. However, this lack of effort is exactly why the Baked Apple is such a useful source of health to have in the game.

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After all, unlike Tears of the Kingdom, players can only cook food at pre-ordained cooking stations in the game. As a result, if players lack any food but have a wealth of apples with them, then the Baked Apple is a great way to ensure that players have some way to enhance the healing properties of the basic ingredients they have in a pinch.

2 Spicy Mushroom Skewer

A Great Cold Mitigator

Tears of the Kingdom Spicy Mushroom Skewer
  • Sunshroom

There are many mushrooms with important properties that players will find in the game, with each type of mushroom being fairly helpful in its own right. This makes it important to hoard as many of these unique mushrooms as possible so that players can whip out a helpful dish in no time at all.

The Spicy Mushroom Skewer is an especially helpful meal that players can make if they want to brave the cold environments in Breath of the Wild without wearing the appropriate clothing. The best version of this dish can be made by loading a pot with Sunshrooms, which can be pretty effective for obvious reasons.

3 Monster Cake

It's Better Than It Sounds

Monster Cake
  • Monster Extract
  • Cane Sugar
  • Goat Butter
  • Tabantha Wheat

While on paper, making a cake out of recently slain monster parts might not seem like such a great idea, this is actually a great recipe to have on hand. On top of healing, it does boost all other stats by 5%, which could help out in a pinch.

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The cake is made in a Cooking Pot by combining all the ingredients and is also affected by various special ingredients, such as the Swift Carrot. It is important to note, however, that due to the Monster Extract, effects could be a little randomized.

4 Chilly Mushroom Skewer

A Simple, Warm Treat

Tears of the Kingdom Chilly Mushroom Skewer
  • Chillshroom

Since there are mushrooms in Breath of the Wild that can combat the cold, it's only a given that the opposite is also true. There are many Chillshrooms that players can gather up in the game and dunk into a pot to make a Chilly Mushroom Skewer that does precisely what most people would expect.

The health provided by this food item isn't all that substantial, but most people won't mind if they just need something to help them resist the scorching heat that can debilitate Link in Breath of the Wild. That being said, if players still want this recipe to heal a lot of health, then tossing a Hylian Shroom or two into the bowl is always an option.

5 Gourmet Meat & Seafood Fry

Restores Health With An Added Bonus

Gourmet Meat and Seafood Fry
  • Raw Gourmet Meat or Raw Whole Bird
  • Any Seafood

This is a surprisingly simple dish, but incredibly “satisfying.” It’s great to restore some health, and using a special fish will also add another bonus on top. Players should be careful though, not to combine two “special” ingredients, as they will cancel each other out.

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Players can combine the ingredients in a Cooking Pot, to grant them this flavorful dish. While Surf and Turf usually do look quite a bit different, the game’s recipe is nonetheless great to have at hand.

6 Creamy Heart Soup

A Great Boost With Accessible Ingredients

Creamy Heart Soup in Breath of the Wild
  • Any radish
  • Hydromelon
  • Voltfruit
  • Fresh Milk

Any kind of food that gives additional hearts is always sought after by players for how useful it can be. Such is the case with the Creamy Heart Soup, which can replenish Link's hearts and also give an extra boost to his health in the process.

The Creamy Heart Soup can be made by combining a hydromelon, a voltfruit, fresh milk, and a hearty radish for that extra health bonus. Players who want Link to get even more of a health boost with this dish should use a big hearty radish instead if they've happened upon this valuable ingredient in their travels.

7 Clam Chowder

An Oceanic Delight

Cooking pot in Breath of The Wild
  • Hearty Blueshell Snail
  • Goat Butter
  • Fresh Milk
  • Tabantha Wheat

It's great to make food items in Breath of the Wild that aren't just a random mix of ingredients. After all, there are several unique recipes that Link can learn about by finding cookbooks or talking to the residents of this ruined world.

One particularly delectable recipe that Link can cook up is Clam Chowder, which can be made by mixing fresh milk, tabantha wheat, goat butter, and a hearty blueshell snail in a cooking pot. It's a great dish that Link can use to get a health boost along with some extra hearts in the process too.

8 Seafood Curry

A Dish With Diverse Benefits

Link standing in between King Rhoam and a Cooking Pot in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
  • Hearty Blueshell Snail or any Porgy
  • Hylian Rice
  • Goron Spice

Seafood Curry is a pretty delectable recipe that players can cook up in Breath of the Wild. The best part of this dish is that it's pretty malleable and can be used to give a wealth of benefits to Link if need be.

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The two main ingredients in this dish are Goron spice and Hylian rice, with the other ingredients depending on whether players want this dish to give more hearts, boost their attack, or bolster their defense. Players should mix either a hearty blueshell snail, a mighty porgy, or an armored porgy to get their respective benefits.

9 Salmon Risotto

A Reliable Way To Restore Hearts

Cooking pot on fire in Breath of the Wild
  • Hearty Salmon
  • Rock Salt
  • Hylian Rice
  • Goat Butter

The fact that Link can cook up a Salmon Risotto in the game is pretty neat and shows just how in-depth the cooking in Breath of the Wild is. He may be on a quest to save the world, but that shouldn't stop Link from enjoying the finer things in life.

To make this dish, Link needs to cook up a hearty salmon, Hylian rice, goat butter, and rock salt together. It's a fun dish to make in Breath of the Wild as long as players have the required ingredients.

10 Seafood Fried Rice

Easy, Filling, And Incredibly Versatile

Link cooking in Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
  • Hearty Blueshell Snail or any Porgy
  • Rock Salt
  • Hylian Rice

Seafood can be used to great effect in Breath of the Wild if players mix the right ingredients. Link can make a plate of Seafood Fried Rice that tastes great and gives a wealth of benefits based on what the player adds to this dish.

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The main ingredients for this dish include Hylian rice and rock salt. On top of this, players can add either a hearty blueshell snail, a mighty porgy, or an armored porgy to enjoy their respective benefits.

11 Hasty Fruit And Mushroom Mix

A Quick Boost To Have In A Pinch

Link cooking in The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild
  • Fruit
  • Rushroom

Moving around in Breath of the Wild is pretty fun in its own right, but there are times when players wish that they could move faster than what the game allows them. This is where the Hasty Fruit and Mushroom Mix recipe in BotW comes into the picture, allowing players to gain a temporary speed boost that lets them zoom through Hyrule at their pace.

Players need to mix any fruit they have with a Rushroom to create this simple yet useful dish. Moving around quickly is a bonus in every situation, with this fast movement speed also aiding in combat as well!

12 Hearty Fruitcake

Good With Pretty Much Anything

Link making a meal in Breath of the Wild
  • Tabantha Wheat
  • Cane Sugar
  • At least two different fruits from Hearty Durian, Apple and Wildberry
  • At least one Hearty ingredient

The Fruitcake is one of the most flexible BotW recipes that players can make. Not only is the base fruitcake pretty great in its own right, but the nature of this food item can change based on which fruit Link uses in his cooking.

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The Hearty Fruitcake is made by combining an apple or a wildberry, a hearty durian, wheat, and cane sugar. Combining all these ingredients in a cooking pot leads to the creation of this dish, which maxes out the hearts of Link while also giving him additional health to make tougher fights easier to deal with.

13 Hearty Veggie Rice Balls

Incredibly Strong, While Being Very Easy To Make

Hearty Veggie Rice Balls in Breath of the Wild
  • Hyrule Herb
  • Hylian Rice

Combing any kind of vegetable with rice in a cooking pot leads to the creation of Veggie Rice Balls in Breath of the Wild. In fact, players don't even need to use vegetables, with both herbs and flowers being enough to make this dish!

If players want to make a hearty variation of this dish, then they need to mix either a Hearty Radish or its bigger variant with Hylian Rice in a cooking pit to make this dish. Link replenishes all his health and gets some extra yellow hearts, too, with the Big Hearty Radish being the most optimal ingredient to make the best version of the Hearty Veggie Rice Balls.

14 Fairy Tonic

They Just Help Make It

Breath of the Wild Cooking Fairy Tonic
  • Fairy
  • Any gem, animal, or monster part

Fairy Tonic is one of the best recipes BotW has to learn early on, thanks to its relative ease of crafting and its powerful healing effect. By combining a fairy with either a monster part, Guardian part, animal part, or a type of gemstone, Link will create a potion with a basic restorative effect that gets more powerful the more fairies are used.

The Fairy Tonic, contrary to popular belief, doesn't involve actually cooking the fairies. That would be barbaric. Instead, fairies fly away after the meal has been prepared, implying that Link only needs their essence, dust, or whatever fairies leave behind.

15 Hasty Elixir

A Necessary Help, With So Much To Do

Breath of the Wild Cooking Hasty Elixir
  • Hightail Lizard
  • Hot-Footed Frog
  • Monster Parts

The Hasty Elixir is a cooking recipe all players should learn if they want to get around the world of Hyrule faster. By combining the parts of a fast creature, like the Hightail Lizard, with monster parts, Link will create a long-lasting potion that increases his speed when running, swimming, or climbing.

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The Hasty Elixir does not reduce the depletion of Link's stamina as he performs these activities, though, so it's still necessary to pay attention to the stamina wheel. Otherwise, Link might find himself falling off of a cliff that the player thought he could scale at this higher speed.

16 Spicy Elixir

A Must-Have On A Journey

Screenshot of cooking item from Breath of the Wild
  • Summerwing Butterfly and/or Warm Darner
  • Monster Parts

Keeping a supply of various elixirs is essential for any player who wants to survive and thrive in Hyrule and its fascinating locales. They give powerful boosts to Link's stats and abilities, and the Spicy Elixir is one of the most valuable. Many of the mountainous regions in Hyrule are too cold for Link to traverse without facing the threat of being frozen. Drinking a Spicy Elixir is a quick and easy way to avoid an icy death.

To make a Spicy Elixir, the player must cook either a Sizzlefin Trout, Summerwing Butterfly, or a Warm Darner with any monster part. To make the strongest version of this or any elixir, the player will want to use a mix of the creature ingredients. This will also increase how long any elixir's effect will last.

17 Tough Mushroom Skewer

It Helps To Be Prepared

Screenshot of cooking item from Breath of the Wild
  • Ironshroom

No matter how good a player is, Link will need to be ready to take a hit on occasion. To survive a savage blow from powerful enemies such as the fierce Lynels or the intimidating Guardians, it's a good idea for the player to prepare some meals that will give Link some much-needed durability, making it one of the best BOTW recipes.

That is where the Tough Mushroom Skewer proves to be a perfect option. By cooking multiple Ironshrooms together, the player can net a valuable meal that both restores some hearts and offers a defense boost. Since Ironshrooms are plentiful and easy to find throughout Hyrule, it's a simple matter to casually collect them while exploring and cook a bunch at once.

18 Electro Elixir

Great For Rainy Days

Screenshot of cooking item from Breath of the Wild
  • Thunderwing Butterfly
  • Electric Darner
  • Monster Parts

In certain environments and when battling specific enemies and bosses, being able to defend Link against electricity is an invaluable ability. The paralyzing effects that electricity can have on him are often devasting, and they can leave him vulnerable to additional attacks. By using an Electro Elixir, the player can make things fairer for the hero.

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The Electro Elixir is made by cooking monster parts with any creature that offers shock resistance, such as the Electric Darners or Thunderwing Butterflies. After consuming this elixir, Link will still take damage from electric strikes, but the amount of damage and the overall effect will be much less crippling.

19 Enduring Fried Wild Greens

Stamina Management Is No Joke

Screenshot of cooking item from Breath of the Wild
  • Endura Carrot

Many players, especially ones new to the game, will often focus on and stress about how many hearts Link has. However, they should also be careful not to ignore the importance of having enough stamina. A bunch of hearts won't do Link much good if he's too exhausted to run from danger or climb a large cliffside. This is why players should increase their stamina with Spirit Orbs, but they should also carry meals that will give Link an extra boost of energy.

Cooking the Enduring Fried Wild Greens is a simple process. All it takes is a single Enduring Carrot. One of these meals will restore some hearts while also filling Link's Stamina Wheel and giving him bonus stamina. If the player cooks more carrots together, the amount of hearts and extra stamina provided will increase, making it one of Breath of the Wild's best recipes to learn for its simplicity.

20 Chilly Elixir

Great Protection From The Heat

Screenshot of cooking item from Breath of the Wild
  • Cold Darners and/or Winterwing Butterflies
  • Monster Parts

In the reverse situation for the Spicy Elixir, there are times when the player needs to protect Link from the harsh heat of more arid locations, particularly the Gerudo Desert. When the sun is at its zenith, the desert can become scorching and quickly sap Link of his health.

To counteract this, the best option the player can use is to keep a stock of Chilly Elixirs. These elixirs, made from cooking any creature or plant with heat resistance (such as a Chillwing Butterfly or a Cold Darner) along with one monster part, will keep Link cool and protected as he treks across the desert sands.