Cooking in Breath of the Wild requires holding ingredients over an open flame until the cooking animation finishes. If you want to know how to cook on Breath of the Wild, you have come to the right place. This guide will teach you everything from basic recipes to advanced techniques for surviving Hyrule.
You will learn how to make meals that restore health, grant temporary buffs, and even sell for rupees. The cooking system is simple once you understand the rules. Let us get started.
How To Cook On Breath Of The Wild
To cook, you need a cooking pot. These are found near stables, villages, and enemy camps. You can also drop ingredients into hot springs or volcanic water, but that is not true cooking. Use a pot for best results.
Stand next to the pot and open your inventory. Hold up to five ingredients. Close the inventory and press A to cook. The animation plays, and you get a dish. That is the basic method.
Finding Cooking Pots
Cooking pots are everywhere. Look for them in these locations:
- Stables: Every stable has a pot outside
- Villages: Kakariko, Hateno, and others have pots
- Enemy camps: Bokoblin camps often have pots
- Shrines: Some shrines have pots nearby
You can also carry a portable pot. Buy one from a merchant or find it in the world. Drop it anywhere to cook.
Ingredient Basics
Ingredients fall into categories. Each category adds a specific effect:
- Hearty: Full health recovery plus extra hearts
- Energizing: Restores stamina
- Enduring: Full stamina plus extra
- Spicy: Cold resistance
- Chilly: Heat resistance
- Electro: Shock resistance
- Mighty: Attack up
- Tough: Defense up
- Hasty: Speed up
- Sneaky: Stealth up
Mix ingredients from the same category for stronger effects. Mixing different categories cancels all effects. You get a plain dish.
Essential Cooking Techniques
Master these techniques to make the best food in Hyrule. Each method has its own use case.
Single Ingredient Cooking
Cook just one ingredient to see its base effect. This is useful for testing. For example, cook a single Hylian Shroom for a simple health restore. Cook a Hearty Radish for full health plus extra hearts.
Single ingredient dishes are weak. They are good for early game when you have few ingredients. Save your best stuff for multi-ingredient recipes.
Five Ingredient Cooking
Use all five slots for maximum effect. This is the most efficient method. For example, cook five Hearty Durians for a dish that gives 20+ extra hearts. That is enough to survive any fight.
Five of the same ingredient gives the strongest effect. Mixing similar ingredients also works. Five Mighty Bananas give a level 3 attack boost for 4 minutes.
Status Effect Cooking
Status effects last longer when you use more ingredients. Duration is based on the number of ingredients, not the type. Use five ingredients for maximum duration.
- Pick a status effect ingredient (like Spicy Pepper)
- Add four more of the same or similar
- Cook for a long-lasting buff
You can also add a monster part to extend duration. Dragon parts add 30 minutes. Star fragments add 10 minutes. Use these for long hunts.
Elixir Brewing
Elixirs are different from meals. They use monster parts instead of food. Combine a monster part with a status effect critter (like a Hot-Footed Frog) to make an elixir.
Elixirs are good for buffs that last a long time. They do not restore health unless you add a hearty ingredient. Use them for exploration.
Advanced Cooking Strategies
Once you know the basics, use these strategies to optimize your cooking. Save ingredients and time.
Bulk Cooking
Cook large batches of simple dishes. Use common ingredients like apples or mushrooms. These are easy to find and restore small amounts of health. Cook 20-30 at a time for a steady supply.
Bulk cooking is great for early game. It saves time and ensures you never run out of food. Store them in your inventory for emergencies.
Buff Stacking
You can only have one food buff active at a time. Eating a new dish replaces the old one. Plan your buffs carefully. Use a defense dish before a big fight. Use a speed dish for running away.
Buff stacking does not work with food. However, you can stack food buffs with armor effects. For example, wear cold resistance armor and eat a spicy dish for extreme cold areas.
Selling Cooked Food
Some dishes sell for high prices. Cook five of the same high-value ingredient for the best profit. Prime Meat and Gourmet Meat sell well. Cook them into skewers for extra rupees.
Here are the best dishes to sell:
- Meat Skewer: Five Prime Meat sells for 120 rupees
- Seafood Skewer: Five Porgy sells for 150 rupees
- Fruit Pie: Five Apples sells for 60 rupees
Selling food is a good way to make money early on. Save your rare ingredients for personal use.
Common Cooking Mistakes
Avoid these mistakes to save ingredients and time. They are easy to make but easy to fix.
Mixing Effects
Never mix different status effects. Cooking a Mighty ingredient with a Tough ingredient gives a plain dish. You waste both ingredients. Stick to one effect per dish.
If you accidentally mix effects, eat the dish anyway. It still restores health. But the buff is lost.
Burning Food
Do not drop ingredients directly into fire. They burn and become Rock Hard Food. This restores only a quarter heart. Use a cooking pot instead.
Burning is a common mistake. Always use a pot for proper cooking. If you see smoke, you are doing it wrong.
Overcooking
You cannot overcook food in Breath of the Wild. The cooking animation always finishes correctly. However, you can cancel the animation by moving. This wastes the ingredients. Wait for the animation to finish.
Best Recipes For Survival
These recipes are proven to work. Use them for different situations. They are easy to make with common ingredients.
Hearty Meal
- 1 Hearty Durian
- 4 Any ingredients (or more durians)
This dish gives full health plus 4 extra hearts. It is the best healing food in the game. Hearty Durians are found in the Faron region.
Stamina Dish
- 5 Endura Carrots
- Or 5 Stamella Shrooms
Full stamina restore plus extra. Use this for climbing mountains or swimming across lakes. Endura Carrots are found in the Great Plateau.
Attack Boost
- 5 Mighty Bananas
- Or 5 Mighty Thistle
Level 3 attack boost for 4 minutes. Use this before fighting Lynels or Guardians. Mighty Bananas are found in the Faron region.
Defense Boost
- 5 Armored Porgy
- Or 5 Ironshroom
Level 3 defense boost for 4 minutes. Use this for exploring dangerous areas. Armored Porgy are found in the ocean.
Cold Resistance
- 5 Spicy Peppers
- Or 5 Sunshrooms
Level 2 cold resistance for 10 minutes. Use this for Hebra Mountain or Gerudo Highlands. Spicy Peppers are common in the Great Plateau.
Heat Resistance
- 5 Hydromelons
- Or 5 Chillshrooms
Level 2 heat resistance for 10 minutes. Use this for Gerudo Desert or Death Mountain. Hydromelons are found in Gerudo Town.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I cook without a pot?
No. You need a cooking pot to make proper meals. Dropping ingredients in fire burns them. Use a pot every time.
What is the best food for healing?
Hearty Durian dishes are the best. They give full health plus extra hearts. Cook five for maximum effect.
How do I make elixirs?
Combine a monster part with a critter. Use a status effect critter for buffs. Use a hearty critter for health.
Can I stack food buffs?
No. Only one food buff can be active at a time. Eating new food replaces the old buff. Stack food with armor instead.
What happens if I mix effects?
You get a plain dish with no buffs. The ingredients are wasted. Always use ingredients from the same category.
Cooking in Breath of the Wild is a skill you improve with practice. Start with simple dishes and work up to complex ones. Use this guide to master the system. You will never go hungry in Hyrule again.
Remember to always carry a variety of ingredients. Collect everything you see. Cook in bulk for emergencies. And never mix effects. Follow these rules, and you will be fine.
Now go out there and cook something amazing. Hyrule is waiting for you.