The Rise of Cooking Videos on TikTok and Instagram: A Recipe for Social Media Success
If you’re active on social media, you’ll know that trends come and go, but only a couple are lasting, and have reshaped entire platforms. One of these trends is the explosion of cooking and recipe videos on TikTok and Instagram. What began as a niche interest has now evolved into a massive online movement.
The Ingredients for Success
Let’s go back to the basics: why is this type of content so popular? We’ve found that several factors contribute to the success of food videos:
- Visual Appeal: Both Instagram and TikTok are visual platforms, which is the perfect place for food videos. Vibrant colours, texturues and movements involved in cooking naturally lend themselves to captivating video content.
- Accessibility: Cooking videos online have made cooking more approachable than ever. Whether it’s a quick 15-second recipe or a detailed tutorial, creators, and even chefs, break down complex dishes into easy-to-follow steps. This accessibility attracts a broad audience, from chefs to kitchen newbie’s.
- Cultural Connection: Food is a universal language that goes beyond cultures and borders, and these types of cooking videos offer a glimpse into different cuisines and traditions, allowing app users to explore new cuisines and flavours.
- Short-Form Content: Short, snappy videos are ideal for today’s fast-paced world, where attention spans are limited. These platforms allow creators to present a full recipe in under a minute, making it easy for viewers to watch, engage, and try it themselves.
Interactive and Trend-Driven: The interactive nature of these platforms, especially TikTok, encourages users to participate in food trends and challenges. Whether it’s recreating a viral recipe or adding a personal twist to a popular dish, users are actively involved in the content creation process.

How Brands and Creators Are Leveraging the Trend
For social media agencies, the rise of cooking and recipe videos presents a unique opportunity to engage audiences in different ways. Here’s how brands and creators are successfully tapping into this trend:
- Influencer Partnerships: Brands are increasingly partnering with food influencers and home chefs with big followings on social media. These influencers bring authenticity and trust to brand campaigns, making sponsored content feel more organic and less like traditional advertising.
- User-Generated Content (UGC): Encouraging followers to create and share their own cooking videos using branded hashtags or participating in challenges can increase a brand’s reach. UGC not only boosts engagement but also builds a sense of community around the brand.
- Interactive Campaigns: Leveraging TikTok’s duet feature or Instagram’s collaboration tools, brands can create interactive campaigns that encourage users to engage directly with the content. For example, a brand might launch a “remix this recipe” challenge, where users add their own touch to a basic dish.
- Educational Content: Beyond simple recipes, there’s a growing demand for educational content that teaches viewers cooking techniques and kitchen hacks. Brands that provide value through this type of content can position themselves in such a way that they are able to reach a longer term loyalty from followers.
- Storytelling Through Food: The most successful cooking videos often go beyond the recipe itself, telling a story that resonates with viewers. Whether it’s the history behind a dish, the personal journey of a chef, or the cultural significance of a recipe, storytelling adds depth to content and makes it more memorable.
In conclusion, the rise of cooking and recipe videos on TikTok and Instagram is more than just a passing trend; it’s a huge movement that has reshaped the way we engage with food online. For brands, creators, and social media agencies, this trend offers endless opportunities to connect with audiences, tell stories, and build communities around the universal love of food.