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 October 02, 2024, by Gerardo Molina: Breath of the Wild is arguably one of the most completed games of the last decade. Not only does it feature a vast open world full of friends, foes, and tons of mysteries to uncover, but it also has a wide variety of ingredients to take advantage of as Link travels through the Kingdom of Hyrule.
Learning the different recipes in the game is not only recommended to make the most out of every ingredient, but also to ensure that players are always carrying exactly what they need to face any dangers they may encounter throughout their adventures. While some recipes are complex and require various ingredients, others are extremely simple, consisting of only a couple of elements.
A Basic Overview Of Cooking In BOTW
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
Tough Meat-Stuffed Pumpkin
A Wonderful Meal That Is Both Healing And Toughening
- Any meat
- Fortified Pumpkin
The Tough Meat-Stuffed Pumpkin is a restorative recipe that heals some of Link’s Heart Containers and also grants the Tough effect, which temporarily boosts defense. How long the Tough effect lasts depends greatly on how Link cooks this recipe, so results may vary. Preparing this recipe is very simple, as all that’s required is any type of meat, a fortified pumpkin, and, of course, somewhere to cook both ingredients.
It’s also possible for Link to add other Though ingredients, such as an Ironshell Crab, to intensify the effect and prolong the duration of the Tough effect.
2
Enduring Mushroom Skewer
A Welcome Boost In Stamina And A Hearty Health Replenishment
- Raw Meat or Raw Bird Drumstick
- Endura Shroom
Few items in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild are as complete and versatile as the Enduring Mushroom Skewer. This item helps restore Link’s Health by replenishing 10 Heart Containers. In addition to this, the wonderful recipe also increases Link’s Stamina Gauge temporarily.
Making this recipe is also very simple, as all that’s required is Raw Meat or a Raw Bird Drumstick and an Endura Shroom. That, along with a heat source where Link can cook the ingredients, will provide players with a great snack to increase their chances of survival.
3
Baked Apple
The Reliable Classic
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.
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.
4
Hasty Veggie Rice Balls
A Healthy Snack For the Road
- Swift Carrots and/or Swift Violets
- Hylian Rice
- Rock Salt
Rice balls are great because they are accessible at any stage in the game. Rice is available in many places, and it only takes some rock salt and almost any herb, vegetable, or flower to make a great dish.
The Hasty version can be a lifesaver in certain situations, such as certain shrines or outmaneuvering a large group of opponents. Swift Violets are preferable to use since their effect is stronger than that of Swift Carrots. Cooking during the Blood Moon can also enhance the effect.
5
Hearty Mushroom Omelet
A Great & Helpful Meal
- Hearty Truffle and/or Big Hearty Truffle
- Bird Egg
- Goat Butter
- Rock Salt
While the basic version of an omelet is great, the mushroom version does come with more benefits. It can also be made into different boosted versions.
The Hearty version restores all of Link’s hearts, as well as adding additional yellow hearts on top of that. It is a great meal for any boss battles, difficult exploration areas, or even basic roaming. The Hearty Truffles can be found in the Great Hyrule Forest and Hyrule Field. They can also be purchased from the Spore Store and the East Wind, or from the traveling merchant Cambo.
6
Electro Steamed Fish
Defend Against Pesky Lightning Strikes
- Hyrule Bass
- Electric Safflina
OR
- Voltfin Trout
- Hyrule Herb
Steamed fish is another easy recipe to make, requiring just one fish and one herb. As with many other dishes, there are different variations based on the fish and the herb. The Electro variant will provide a bonus to electricity resistance, which can be great against specific enemies or during a storm.
There is plenty of Electric Safflina in the Gerudo Desert, and it is quite easy to collect in batches. Players can catch the Voltfin Trout in Tabantha Frontier, Hyrule Ridge, or Zora River.
7
Mighty Mushroom Risotto
A Sophisticated, Empowering Dish
- Razorshrooms
- Hylian Rice
- Goat Butter
- Rock Salt
The list of ingredients is almost identical to the Mushroom Omelette. Players will just need to swap out the eggs for rice. It’s a great way to boost various stats, as the version will depend on the kind of mushroom used for cooking.
Razorshrooms will provide the Mighty variant, which raises Link’s attack power. This can be incredibly helpful to use before a tough fight. Razorshrooms can be found in the Great Hyrule Forest and on the Tabantha Frontier. Players can also purchase them at the Spore Store or from Ardin in Gerudo Town.
8
Spicy Mushroom Skewer
A Great Cold Mitigator
There are many mushrooms with important properties that players will find in the game. 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 effective for obvious reasons.
9
Monster Cake
It’s Better Than It Sounds
- Monster Extract
- Cane Sugar
- Goat Butter
- Tabantha Wheat
On paper, making a cake out of recently slain monster parts might not seem like such a great idea. However, is actually a great recipe to have on hand. On top of healing, it also boosts all other stats by 5%, which could help out in a pinch.
The cake is made in a Cooking Pot by combining all the ingredients. It 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.
10
Chilly Mushroom Skewer
A Simple, Warm Treat
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.
11
Gourmet Meat & Seafood Fry
Restores Health With An Added Bonus
- 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.
Players can combine the ingredients in a Cooking Pot to create 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.
12
Creamy Heart Soup
A Great Boost With Accessible Ingredients
- 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 on their travels.
13
Clam Chowder
An Oceanic Delight
- 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 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.
14
Seafood Curry
A Dish With Diverse Benefits
- Hearty Blueshell Snail or any Porgy
- Hylian Rice
- Goron Spice
Seafood Curry is a delectable recipe that players can cook in Breath of the Wild. The best part of this dish is that it can be used to give a wealth of benefits to Link if need be.
The two main ingredients in this dish are Goron spice and Hylian rice. The other ingredients depend 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.
15
Salmon Risotto
A Reliable Way To Restore Hearts
- Hearty Salmon
- Rock Salt
- Hylian Rice
- Goat Butter
The fact that Link can cook up a Salmon Risotto 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.
16
Seafood Fried Rice
Easy, Filling, And Incredibly Versatile
- 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.
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.
17
Hasty Fruit And Mushroom Mix
A Quick Boost To Have In A Pinch
Moving around in Breath of the Wild is 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, aiding in combat as well!
18
Hearty Fruitcake
Good With Pretty Much Anything
- 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.
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.
19
Hearty Veggie Rice Balls
Incredibly Strong, While Being Very Easy To Make
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. Both herbs and flowers are 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. The Big Hearty Radish is the most optimal ingredient to make the best version of the Hearty Veggie Rice Balls.
20
Fairy Tonic
They Just Help Make It
- 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.