When we aren’t feeling inspired to get out and cook, we get a spell of melancholy. For all of those occasions, we’ve compiled a list of some incredible competitive culinary shows. Watching these best cooking competition shows on Netflix with mouthwatering meals will undoubtedly leave you inspired and eager to try them out for yourself. So, how about we get started on the list?!

Why should you watch the best cooking competition shows on Netflix?

When you don’t have a chef on hand to prepare a delectable, gourmet meal for you, the next best thing is to watch brilliant (and occasionally not-so-talented) chefs whip up their best appetizing concoctions to satisfy your hunger. And Netflix understands that consumers want to watch culinary and cooking programs online to be inspired for future kitchen exploits while relaxing on their couches.

As a result, they’ve aggregated fantastic food content from other networks while also producing original television shows. Some of these shows are traditional competitions in which chefs or bakers compete for cash prizes, while others are documentary-style investigations of the importance of food in communities and cultures around the world. Regardless, there’s a food show for every taste and interest… and since everyone needs to eat, why not take a break from binge-watching old episodes of “Grey’s Anatomy” and watch the best cooking competition shows on Netflix instead? You should add these films to your must-see list.

Top 10 best cooking competition shows on Netflix

1. Nailed It!

Don’t worry if you’re not a great baker (but want to be), you’re not alone. “Nailed It!” is one of Netflix cooking competition shows that lets inexperienced bakers feel better about themselves. It involves three (usually below-par) bakers competing in two separate tasks to duplicate professional-level pastries and desserts, all for a $10,000 reward. The hosts are generally in fits of laughter when they see the results, with the difficult chore of judging which baker did the best job of reproducing the original item.

While the main host, Nicole Byer, may irritate some viewers, if you can get through an episode, you’ll probably have no trouble stomaching the cheesy jokes in order to see the absurd consequences. While audience ratings on Rotten Tomatoes were a respectable 78 percent, the website’s top critics loved the departure from the typical baking show, giving “Nailed It!” a remarkable 98 percent.

2. Best Leftovers Ever!

Look no further than Netflix’s “Best Leftovers Ever!” for another fun baking competition show similar to (but distinct from) “Nailed It!” Three skilled chefs are given various types of leftovers and are assigned the task of changing them into an altogether new (and elegant) dinner on this show. So whether they get day-old tacos or food from a kid’s birthday party, their culinary skills are put to the ultimate test.

While the show is mostly for entertainment (the winner receives $10,000), it’s also a terrific opportunity to learn how to reuse those leftovers you never know what to do with. Keep in mind that the contestants are all professional chefs, so the repurposed meals they prepare might not be your cup of tea. It is, nonetheless, beneficial for stimulating creative thinking. In addition, the hosts (and contestants) provide advice on rehydrating and reheating meats, masking overpowering seasonings, and even using rice as a topping rather than a starchy base. As a result, you can pick up a few useful hints to use in your own home-cooked meals.

3. The American Barbecue Showdown

With so many baking and general food competition shows on Netflix, it’s good to see a show that’s totally dedicated to a new and specific style of food. And “The American Barbecue Showdown” from Netflix does exactly that. This competition pits eight master grillers against one another in a quest for the title of “best meat.”

Given the popularity of barbecue competitions across the country, Netflix’s decision to focus a show on this Southern classic makes sense. And, because it was launched during the hottest season for barbeque, summer, it swiftly gained traction, becoming one of Netflix’s top summer 2020 titles, with over 800 reviews on IMDb. Of course, it won’t appeal to vegans or vegetarians, but if you like brisket, pulled pork, or a good ol’ hamburger, you’ll be salivating as you watch the pits heat up. Just a heads up: Episode 5 includes “wild meats” such as iguana, raccoon, beaver, and alligator, so it’s not your typical grilling fare.

4. Cooked with Cannabis

So, depending on your own beliefs on marijuana, one of Netflix’s 2020 releases, “Cooked with Cannabis,” may or may not appeal to you. However, if you’ve ever wondered how to put marijuana into an edible form (other than baking brownies), this competition show might be for you. The formula doesn’t deviate too much from other cooking shows on Netflix, so you won’t be surprised to learn that the contestants and judges have been using a lot of marijuana.

According to Mashable, the ensuing stoner humor may not be as amusing to non-stoners as it is to the hosts and contestants. If you’re into weed culture and recent legalizations have made it simpler for you to execute your own cannabis cooking experiments, “Cooked with Cannabis” outperforms Netflix’s last attempt (which is also available to stream), “Cooking on High.” The two shows received 6.6 and 4.9 stars in IMDb viewer ratings, respectively.

5. The Final Table

For celebrity ambassadors, food experts, and the country’s top chefs to judge, twelve pairs of chefs from around the world compete to produce signature dishes from other countries. In each episode, the least successful team is eliminated, and the overall winner receives a coveted position at the table with the season’s nine culinary superstars.

View more: The best food shows of all times for food enthusiasts

6. The Great British Baking Show

One of the most delightful and endearing exports from across the pond (a television phenomenon that rivals the likes of Downton Abbey), The Great British Baking Show is one of the best baking shows on Netflix in which home cooks battle it out to be the Top Baker in each episode. But there are no cutthroat moves here, no knives pointed in competitive frustration—just a lot of delicious baking and a whole lot of British charm.

7. Million Pound Menu

‘Million Pound Menu,’ a mix of non-scripted TV staples food and business, enabling aspiring restaurant owners to pitch their food and business plans to some of the food industry’s most powerful investors. The show is a cross between “MasterChef” and “Dragon’s Den,” with large sums of money available to be spent on the best chefs. The aspiring chefs have three days to make their case, during which time paying clients can sample the dish as possible investors watch. The situation’s genuineness demonstrates the initial baby steps toward the next great thing in the restaurant industry.

8. Sugar Rush

In this cookery contest, teams compete against the clock to produce the best-tasting desserts. In each episode, four teams of bakers demonstrate their culinary prowess by creating cakes and other confections in the hopes of winning the $10,000 grand prize. Candace Nelson and Adriano Zumbo, as well as a panel of guest judges that includes restaurateur Richard Blais and actor Colin Hanks, judge the bakers’ culinary masterpieces and decide who wins the cash prize at the end of each competition.

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9. Cooking on High

“Cooking on High” is a cooking show with a unique feature that sets it apart from others in the genre. The show’s distinctive feature is that each recipe must contain cannabis, in quantities sufficient to get the judges stoned. Each episode sets two chefs against each other in a single round, with the task of preparing a meal based on a specific theme while using the strain of marijuana of their choice. The contender with the highest score receives a golden pot (the kind you cook with). Despite the show’s marijuana-themed theme, the finalists are all professional chefs with experience working as executive chefs and training at Le Cordon Bleu. Josh Leyva, a YouTube sensation, hosts the show, with Ngaio Bealum, a comedian and notable cannabis aficionado, serving as the resident “culinary weed expert.”

10. Zumbo’s Just Desserts

Zumbo’s Just Desserts is a baking reality competition show on the Seven Network in Australia. Adriano Zumbo and Rachel Khoo host the show, which was created by the makers of My Kitchen Rules, with Gigi Falanga as an assistant. In August 2018, a second season was ordered, with Netflix joining as a co-producer. The second season began on November 17, 2019. Falanga was announced as not returning for season two in May 2019.

Now that we’ve reached the end of the best cooking competition shows on Netflix list, all you have to do is start watching them and get ready to be inspired for a live cooking session!