30 TikTok Food Hacks That Are Total Game Changers

There's nothing quite like the thrill of stumbling across a new life hack that will help make your day-to-day a little easier. TikTok is full of food hacks that are practically guaranteed to change the game in your kitchen. Whether you're tired of feeling like you can never peel an egg without it turning into a frustrating mess or you've been looking for a faster way to cup up grape tomatoes, there's a hack to help you out. 

The best thing about hacks is that they're often easier than you imagined, leaving you wondering why you didn't come up with them yourself. But don't feel bad. These videos tend to go viral because, as simple as the food hacks seem, most people just didn't know. So even if you don't know the first thing about TikTok, be sure to check out these videos and put a few tricks to the test. You could be very surprised.

How many times have you tried to apply plastic wrap to a bowl or pan, only to end up with sheets of the stuff crumpled up and sticking to itself in a million places — but never to the bowl or pan in question? Well, get ready to have your mind blown like TikTok user @officialtiktoknurse did when her aunt let her in on a plastic wrap secret — you're supposed to store it in the freezer. 

When the plastic is cold, it's easier to tear it off the roll and apply it to your pots, pans, and plates without it sticking to itself. Simply separate the piece you want to use and apply it to the item you're trying to cover. As the plastic wrap warms back up to room temperature, it'll soon stick to the item you've covered, rather than itself. 

Peeling fresh garlic is kind of annoying. The peel isn't always easy to separate from the garlic, it can leave a sticky residue, and your hands might smell of garlic for hours. If you use a knife, you still usually need to dig at the edges for a few seconds to pull the garlic away. 

TikTok user @syedakushi has a trick for that. You still end up using your hands to remove the garlic from its "shell," but if you simply pop the cloves in the microwave for 30 seconds first, the peel separates from the clove much more easily. So, the next time you're looking to make an extra garlicky dish, like hummus, garlic bread, or garlic roasted potatoes, add a mere 30 seconds to your prep time with the microwave. You may just end up earning that extra time back when you see how much faster it is to peel your garlic. 

If you love pomegranate seeds but hate the process of separating them from the peel, TikTok user @jenn_kerr_ has a simple solution for you. All you have to do is cut halfway through the pomegranate from the top, then submerge the fruit in a bowl of cold water. There, use your hands to break the pomegranate apart and begin separating the seeds. The skin rises to the surface of the water and the seeds sink to the bottom, making it easy to discard the parts you don't want.

Just like that, you've got all your pomegranate seeds ready to enjoy without staining your hands. The beautiful part of this trick is that, once you've mastered a stain-free peel, you'll be more likely to eat pomegranate more often. Go ahead and bookmark recipes for pomegranate couscous and pomegranate seed guacamole. You know you're ready to try them.

It can be hard to know how to cook your meat just so. When you want a medium steak, but end up with well done, it's disappointing. TikTok user @pierre.le.chef says there's a hack for that. All you need is your own hand. Essentially, when you make an "OK" sign with your thumb and fingers, the resulting "stiffness" of your palm between your wrist and the base of your thumb corresponds with the doneness level of your meat. 

If you make the symbol with your thumb and pointer finger, your palm is the equivalent to rare steak. When you make the symbol with your middle finger, it's like a medium-rare steak. When you use your ring finger or pinkie finger, your palm has the toughness of a medium or well-done steak, respectively. With some practice, you'll be able to compare the "give" of your palm to a perfectly done steak.

Granted, there are lots of ways to slice a watermelon, none of which are particularly hard, but most of them involve using a sharp knife, a time-consuming melon baller, or leave you covered in watermelon juice. So, the next time you're craving watermelon, rinse out an empty, full-size Pringles can and give this hack from @thecrafty.video a try. 

All you have to do to slice perfect circles of watermelon is to slice the ends off of a small watermelon, just enough off to expose the fruit on each side. Then, press the open end of the Pringles can against one side of the watermelon, working it back and forth until it goes all the way through the watermelon. Then, pull the can out and remove the watermelon from the can. You'll have a perfect cylinder of watermelon that you can slice into perfect, single-serving circles.

Get ready to have your mind blown — you've been flipping your grilled cheese sandwiches wrong your whole life. No, really. TikTok user @donnabonnana provides her husband's tip for getting the perfect flip. Instead of lifting the sandwich off the skillet and flipping it over (as would seem normal, but always seems to result in the bread and cheese sliding off-kilter, forcing you to try to "save" the sandwich by quickly putting it back together before the cheese sticks to the skillet), you simply lift the sandwich off the pan with the spatula. 

Then lift the pan, turn it over, and place it on top of the grilled cheese sandwich, pressing the sandwich between the spatula and the pan. From here, turn the spatula and pan back over in unison and place back on the stove. Just like that, you've flipped your grilled cheese without the mess!

This food hack may be hyped as the perfect popsicle drip solution for toddlers, but adults admittedly need this hack, too. Everyone loves a cold popsicle on a hot, summer day, and even if you understand the speed at which a popsicle melts, it's not always possible to keep up with the drips. Not to mention, boozy cocktail popsicles are a summer adult favorite, so popsicles aren't just for kids. 

This TikTok food hack from @tiffanybornejones couldn't be more simple — you catch wayward popsicle drips and keep your hands clean by using a cupcake liner on the popsicle stick. Just cut a slit in the bottom to slide it on the popsicle stick. You can also easily jab the stick through the paper and slide it up to the bottom of the popsicle to create your drip-catcher in practically no time at all. 

Microwave popcorn is an easy snack, right? It takes just a couple of minutes to make, and you can eat it straight from the bag or dump it into a bowl to share. Technically, sharing from the bag isn't hard to do, either, but it's a little less convenient ... unless you know this food hack from TikTok user @momlikeaboss. 

Instead of opening the bag in a vertical position with a relatively narrow opening, she turns the bag on its side and uses a pair of scissors to cut a large hole. This creates a kind of "bowl," making it easier to eat (and share) the popcorn straight from the bag. And again, even though this is pitched as a hack for moms with young kids, you can't claim that this didn't just make your popcorn, wine, and Netflix nights a whole lot better.

Bananas are one of those perennially popular kid snacks that both parents and tots seem to love. But not all little kids are ready to take whole bites out of the bananas. Instead of cutting them into slices, try this hack from @reneemj.miller. Apparently, if you take a banana out of its peel, then place light pressure around the banana as you turn it horizontally, it will split into three equally sized, but smaller logs. 

These pieces are easier for small children to hold and bite into. Plus, if you have a couple of little kids and you don't think any of them will eat a whole banana on their own, this is a great way to get them to share. Once the banana is split, consider smearing a bit of peanut butter on top to add a little extra protein to the snack.

Breakfast sandwiches are pretty easy to make, but usually, they involve cooking all the ingredients separately. TikTok user @foodfafsla22 has a solution for making a decked-out breakfast sandwich all in a single pan. Start by pouring your pre-whisked eggs into a hot skillet. Immediately place your two slices of bread in the still-runny eggs, flipping so the eggs coat both sides of the bread. Let the eggs cook about halfway, then flip everything to cook the opposite side. 

As the second side is cooking, place additional toppings on one slice of the bread. When the eggs have finished cooking, use a spatula to fold the parts of the egg touching the pan over the bread. Then, use the spatula to fold the slice of bread without the additional toppings over the other slice. And just like that, you have a breakfast sandwich ready to go!

Hulling strawberries is a bit of a pain. If you slice the tops off, you're cutting away usable fruit. The berries also end up losing part of their pretty shape, too. Granted, this hack from TikTok user @deanedwardschef on how to hull a strawberry won't be any less time-consuming than slicing off the tops (you still have to hull each strawberry one by one), but you don't lose part of the strawberry shape. Moreover, you're primarily removing the leaves, stem, and the inner white hull. 

Simply take a straw, line it up with the bottom of the strawberry, and twist it around a little bit to start cutting through the fruit. Then press it straight up until the stem pops off. Pull the straw back out of the berry, and your strawberry is perfectly hulled. Bonus eco-conscious points if you use a reusable straw.

Separating egg yolks from the whites isn't necessarily hard, but there's almost always room for error. Now, sure, you can buy egg-separating tools, but why go to all that trouble if you have an empty water bottle lying around? This cool food hack from TikTok user @davidparody1 takes mere seconds to do and is practically foolproof. 

Start by cracking open your eggs and putting them in a bowl or other container, with the whites and yolks together (although be sure to keep the yolk intact). Take the lid off a clean, empty water bottle (the disposable kind). Squeeze the water bottle slightly and place the open end over the yolk in the bowl. Ease up on the sides of the water bottle to release the pressure and the water bottle will suck the yolk up. You can then transfer the yolk to another bowl.

Waffles are good, but cinnamon roll waffles? These TikTok users don't play. When you're looking for a breakfast that could pass as a dessert or vice versa, you need to whip up this genius hack courtesy of TikTok user @fitwaffle. Simply buy a prepared can of cinnamon rolls from your grocery store. But instead of following the directions on the package, cut the dough into six even slices and place them on your waffle iron. 

Cook the slices just as you would regular waffles. When they're done, mix together the icing that came with the package and drizzle over the top. You can enjoy them as-is or amp up the flavor by topping with fresh fruit, sliced almonds, raisins, or even chocolate chips. There's no denying that this is a super-sweet treat, so pair it with coffee or a spicy chai tea to balance out the sweetness.

Put your cake slicers and big kitchen knives away. The next time you need to cut a cake, pull out a package of dental floss (the unflavored kind — you probably don't want to impart any mint flavor onto your cake) to get the job done. TikTok user @inmyseams demonstrates by using a length of floss that's longer than the width of the cake, with enough room left on each side to comfortably hold the ends of the floss in your hands. 

With the floss pulled tight, decide where you want to slice your cake, place the floss over the cake and press straight down with both hands. You'll get a quick and clean slice all the way across the cake. You can use this for rectangular or round cakes, but it's especially handy to get those nice, even triangular pieces when slicing a round cake. 

On the surface, the idea of a toaster quesadilla sounds like a disaster (and a visit from the fire department) waiting to happen. How in the world can you toast a quesadilla without the cheese melting inside the toaster? TikTok user @nomlist has the solution, and it all comes down to folding. To keep the recipe simple, all you need is a large flour tortilla and a quarter cup of the shredded cheese of your choice. 

Place the cheese in the middle, then fold one side over the cheese, followed by the other. Now, take the bottom edge and fold the entire thing in half. This creates sealed ends on three sides. Simply take this "pocket" of cheese and pop it in your toaster (open side up). Put the toaster's temp at medium heat. When it's done, you might need to remove it using chopsticks to avoid burning your fingers. Sit back and enjoy!