Cooking plays an important role in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom, even more so than BotW. In order to survive against the new Gloom status effect as well as the old ones, increase health and stamina as well as various other buffs, you have to invest time in the cooking mechanics of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom to figure out the best recipes for use in al sorts of situations.
While Zelda TotK allows a lot of creativity when cooking stuff using the materials at hand, knowing the perfect combination to make the best recipes will end up providing even better bonuses.
How to cook in Zelda TotK
Cooking can be done by putting ingredients in a pot or another way by roasting. Roasting can be done by directly setting the ingredient on fire or putting it in a fire. The one thing you need to look out for in Zelda is that when it is raining and the Cooking Pot you are currently using is uncovered, you need to wait until the rain stops so that the fire does not die out.
Sometimes, it also happens that the fire under the pot is unlit. Link needs to light the fire before he can go on to cooking.
Another important update is that one-hit kills have also been removed. This means now it will cost more resources to recover health. Before, you could always die and respawn and have full health. But now it has been made that you survive and endure. At any given instance, you can only carry up to 60 meals in your inventory.
Types of meals
Below is a list of all the meals along with their advantages:
| Hearty Meals | Heart Regeneration |
| Energizing Meals | Stamina boost + Heart Regeneration |
| Enduring Meals | Temporary bonus Stamina |
| Gloom Restoration Meals | Restore Hearts corrupted by Gloom |
| Gloom Resistance Meals | Gloom Resistance |
| Stealth Meals | Increase in Stealth |
| Heat Resistance Meals | Increase survival in Warn Areas |
| Cold Resistance Meals | Increase survival in Cold Areas |
| Fireproof Meals | Fire Resistance |
| Shockproof Meals | Shock Resistance |
| Hasty Meals | Increase Movement Speed |
| Mighty Meals | Attack Boosts |
| Tough Meals | Defense Buff |
| Bright Meals | Link glows (easy to see in the dark) |
Potency and effect duration depends upon the Materials used to prepare them.
Zelda Tears of the Kingdom best cooking recipes
Link doesn’t know every recipe from the start of Tears of the Kingdom. New cooking recipes need to be unlocked as you progress. One way of achieving this is through trial and error; mixing different cooking materials and elixir ingredients together to see what works or by talking to NPCs in the game.
Below are some of the best recipes we have found so far in Zelda TotK:
Best recipes to heal
Hearts are an indication of Health in Zelda TotK. So it is safe to say that the more hearts you have, the better your survival chances are. Below are some meals that can be prepared to Regain Hearts if they are lost in Battle or injured by Fall Damage.
| Meal | Ingredients | Effect |
| Honeyed Apples | Honey and Apples | 7 Hearts Regenerate |
| Hearty Fried Wild Greens | Chickaloo Tree Nuts and Hyrule Herbs | 5 and a half Hearts Regenerate |
| Steamed Mushrooms | 2 Hyrule Herbs, a Hylian Shroom, 2 apples | 7 Hearts Regenerate |
| Steamed Fruit | Fruit and Plant | Hearts Regenerate |
| Meat and Seafood Fry | Meat and Fish | 6 Hearts Regenerate |
| Spiced Meat Skewer | Meat and Goron Spice | Hearts Regenerate |
Best recipes to regen stamina
There is a lot to uncover in this game. In doing so, Link utilizes his Stamina. These meals can help him regain his stamina.
| Meals | Ingredients |
| Crab Stir-Fry | Crab and Goron Spice |
| Energizing Mushroom Skewer | 2 Stambulbs, 2 Skyshrooms, and a Stamella Shroom |
| Vegetable Curry | Carrot, Goron Spice, and Hylian Rice |
Environmental Assisting meals
The environment of Hyrule in Zelda TotK is a harsh one. Link needs multiple abilities to get him through his challenges. Following are some of the meals that can boost his abilities:
| Meal | Ingredients | Effect |
| Pepper Steak | Meat and Spicy Pepper | Cold Resistance |
| Mighty Simmered Fruit | 3 Mighty Bananas | Attack Buff Level 3 for 3 minutes and 20 seconds |
| Chilly Simmered Fruit | 3 Hydromelons | 2 minutes 30 seconds of heat resistance |
| Tough Mushroom Skewer | 3 Ironshrooms | Defence buff Level 3 for 4 minutes and 10 seconds |
| Bright Fish Skewer | 3 Glowing Cave Fish | Glow Level 3 for 10 minutes |
| Warding Meat Skewer | Meat and Dark Lump | Gloom resistance for 3 minutes |
Best Elixirs
Elixirs can be made using a monster part and insects or lizards. They generally have a lower effect than cooked meals. Some of the elixirs are given below:
| Elixir | Ingredients | Effect |
| Chilly Elixir | Blue Butterfly and a Monster Part | Heat resistance |
| Fireproof Elixir | Fireproof Lizard and a Monster Part | Fire resistance |
| Sticky Elixir | Sticky Lizard and a Monster Part | Grip Boost |
| Tough Elixir | Rugged Rhino Beetle and a Monster Part | Defense Boost |
| Energizing Elixir | Restless Cricket and a Monster Part | Stamina Boost |
