The 13 Biggest TikTok Recipes Of 2021
While TikTok launched way back in 2016, it came on the scene in a big way this past year. If you're not on TikTok, you've likely heard about this app that is taking the social media world by storm. Yes, the one with all the dancing Gen-Z folks. While you don't need to be a dance aficionado to enjoy TikTok, it is remarkable how our love for short choreographed routines has grown.
In short, TikTok is an app where participants can share and view short video clips. Now, thanks to what are now billions of monthly users (via CNBC), you can find dances, challenges, and hacks of all kinds on TikTok. Of course, when it really comes down to it, the TikTok food accounts are our biggest obsession. These accounts share food hacks, simple meal ideas, shockingly tasty food combinations, and quite a few wonderfully easy recipes.
To that end, in the past year, many food hacks and easy recipes went viral on TikTok. If you missed them, no worries. We've rounded up the biggest and best TikTok recipes of the entire year so you can try them out before 2022 hits.
Folded tortilla hack
This folded tortilla hack seemed to sweep the internet when it originally debuted back in January. While the original ingredients included ground beef, chips, sour cream, lettuce, tomato, and shredded cheese, there's no need to restrict yourself to that list. Many spin-offs showed how this hack could be used in a variety of recipes, from breakfast to dessert.
Regardless of what ingredients you use, the steps remain the same. Start by laying your tortilla out flat. Then, cut a line from the center of the tortilla to the edge, thus creating a little flap. Add your various toppings to the four quadrants of the tortilla. Once the toppings have been loaded, fold the bottom right quadrant over the bottom left quadrant. Then fold it up to the top left. Finish it off by folding it to the top right. Now you will have a four-layer stacked tortilla that you can cook like a classic quesadilla in a pan, but with everything neatly contained!
Salmon rice
We're always a fan of utilizing leftovers in new and exciting ways! With that in mind, this salmon rice bowl that went viral on TikTok solves all of our leftover problems. To make it, flake up your cooked salmon into small pieces. Then, add the rice to the top of the salmon. To heat everything up perfectly, add an ice cube to the rice and cover it with parchment paper before zapping it in the microwave to warm everything up. Add in flavor factors like soy sauce, kimchi, and mayonnaise (we recommend Kewpie for some additional Japanese flavor).
Now, all you really have to do is stir everything together and enjoy your meal. In the original TikTok, user @emilymariko also added in some crispy seaweed for an extra hit of texture and flavor. And there you have it! This is possibly the easiest and most flavor-packed leftover concoction yet.
Air fryer pasta chips
We didn't think pasta could get any better than in its original form. Boy, were we wrong! Thanks to TikTok, we now have air fryer pasta chips. These are made from cooked pasta that's cooked up in an air fryer along with some seasoning and spices. The pasta crisps up into delectable crunchy chips that can be served with just about any dip that strikes your fancy. Just be sure to cook your pasta to an al dente texture before it hits the air fryer. Otherwise, you might end up with broken pasta.
While the original air fryer pasta chips included Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning, dipped in marinara sauce, you should know that this recipe is highly versatile. Other flavor combinations include chili lime, barbeque, ranch, or even sweet cinnamon sugar. Combined with any variety of sweet or savory dips, the possibilities are nigh-on endless.
Baked feta pasta
This baked feta pasta is tasty and simple, just the way weeknight meals should be. While the original TikTok recipe included feta, tomatoes, and pasta, there have been many creative renditions of this dish including other roasted veggies or even other types of cheeses.
Regardless of what ingredients you decide to use, the recipe instructions remain the same. To start you add tomatoes (or other veggies) to a large casserole dish along with a block of feta cheese — don't crumble it up! Drizzle this mixture with olive oil and sprinkle with seasonings. Bake until the veggies are caramelized and the cheese has begun to melt. In the meantime, cook up your pasta.
Remove the casserole dish from the oven, add the cooked pasta to the mix, and give everything a good stir. Make sure to break up the melted cheese to evenly distribute the salty tang of the feta.
Air fryer corn ribs
Yep, you guessed it! We've included another way to use your air fryer. Air fryers have been a popular kitchen gadget for a while now, and we frankly love all of the creativity that came from TikTok using this appliance in unique ways.
This recipe for air fryer corn ribs provides a simple but still unique way to enjoy corn as a side dish. Start by cutting your corn on the cob into four lengthwise pieces, making sure that you do not separate the kernels from the cob. Now you've created little rib-like shapes. Go ahead and season them with olive oil and spices (we recommend a paprika-based mix), toss them in your air fryer, let them cook for a few minutes, and enjoy! While this recipe is ideal for fresh summer corn, we love these air fried corn ribs so much that we would make them all year long.
Pesto eggs
One thing that 2021 needed was a new way to spice up our breakfast routine. Avocado toast, while delicious, was so overplayed that we surely all got sick of it. These pesto eggs swooped in just when we needed them and filled the culinary void.
To make pesto eggs, first pour the pesto into the bottom of a small cast-iron skillet, using the fat of the pesto instead of butter or oil. Then, once the pesto is hot, crack your eggs into it. Allow the eggs to cook, with the whites becoming solid and the yolks just turning firm but not overdone. Then scoop out the eggs from the pan, making sure to also include plenty of pesto. Serve on top of toast for the ultimate breakfast experience.
While you might think you can't get much better than that, TikTok creators have innovated some creative spins of this recipe, like swapping chili oil for pesto. This recipe is perfect for putting your own spin on things!
Ranch dill pickles
Pickle lovers will never forget the creation of this TikTok viral recipe, given how these ranch dill pickles shocked everyone with how easy and delicious a recipe could get.
To make these pickles, simply add a packet of ranch seasoning to a jar of pickle spears, shake, and store in the fridge overnight. By morning, you've got ranch-flavored pickles. Yes, it really is that easy to combine two pretty beloved flavors — briny pickles and savory ranch — into one irresistible snacking package. Now, of course, you can just eat these straight. But if you want to bring in some other flavors, serve these ranch dill pickles on the side of your next lunch sandwich.
Believe it or not, there are people out there that don't like pickles or any briny foods. Luckily, they appear to be in the minority, according to Statista. So, keep those TikTok pickle recipes coming!
Dalgona coffee
We didn't see a lot of beverage trends on social media this year, so this particular recipe hit TikTok fairly unopposed. However, this Dalgona whipped coffee is one of our favorites. What's more, it requires very few ingredients and comes together in mere minutes, making you feel like an accomplished home barista.
The super-popular Dalgona coffee is made from just a few things: instant coffee, sugar, water, and milk. Using a hand frother, whip the instant coffee, sugar, and water in a small cup for five minutes. This may seem excessive, but you will start to notice that the texture of the liquid changes as air is incorporated into the drink. So, be patient and enjoy the mild arm workout! Keep whisking until you see the texture change into a foamy concoction. Once you've achieved that state, add your milk of choice to the whipped coffee and enjoy!
Nature's cereal
Have you heard of the TikTok trend of Nature's cereal? Fresh fruit lovers adore this recipe, which essentially includes a bowl of fresh fruit like pomegranate seeds, blackberries, and blueberries. Then it is topped with coconut water, instead of the more classic cereal topping of milk. Sounds very refreshing for a hot summer morning, especially if you're looking for a new take on breakfast.
This dish is incredibly healthy, providing vitamins, minerals, and even excellent hydration. What a delicious and nutritious way to start your morning. The creator of this viral trend, @natures_food, credits his seemingly never-ending energy to starting his day with a bowl of this delicious and wonderfully simple breakfast. Even musical artist Lizzo got on board and publicly stood by this viral TikTok recipe. We'll tell you one thing: if this fruit bowl is good enough for Lizzo, then it's definitely good enough for us.
Baked oats
We are definitely elevating our breakfast game due to viral TikTok recipes, whether that's ultra-healthy berry bowls or something just a touch more indulgent. Take these baked oats, which come together quickly in a blender, and then cook up in an oven like mini oatmeal cakes. To make them, just add the base ingredients to a blender — those would be oats, banana, egg, salt, honey, and baking powder. After blending these toghther, pour the mixture into individual oven-safe ramekins and bake. You will have a quick, delicious, nutritious breakfast in no time.
One of the best parts of this recipe is its versatility. We'll never get sick of this recipe because you can incorporate so many different flavor combinations into your baked oatmeal, like chocolate chip, lemon blueberry, and, of course, Nutella baked oats. You can even create fun seasonal flavors like pumpkin pie or gingerbread chocolate chip. Get creative and have fun developing flavor combinations that appeal to you and your family.
Carrot bacon
Vegan recipes have grown to be very popular on TikTok, to the point where veggie devotees and dedicated carnivores alike can enjoy these plant-forward recipes. With that in mind, this vegan recipe for carrot bacon blew our minds! While it's not an exact substitute for bacon — it is made from carrots, after all — it is surprisingly very tasty. With all the flavors reminiscent of bacon but practically none of the health concerns, you will surely be obsessed with this nutritious snack. Who wouldn't be?
To make your own carrot bacon at home, start by peeling your carrots into long strips. Then season those strips in a bacon-inspired marinade made of soy sauce, liquid smoke, and plenty of spices. Once the carrots have soaked up all that flavor, bake them in a 400 F oven for about three to five minutes. In just a short time, you will have delightfully crispy carrot bacon slices.
Hot chocolate bombs
While these hot chocolate bombs really aren't that difficult to create, they have a big impact. These spheres contain hot cocoa mix and mini marshmallows. Once you submerge one in hot water or milk, it will break open and release the delicious insides. Give everything a nice stir and you will have some delicious hot chocolate at the ready. If you have kids in your lives, they will surely go nuts for these interactive treats.
To make, coat round silicone molds with a layer of chocolate and freeze. When thoroughly chilled, pop the chocolate out of the molds, then fill one half with hot cocoa mix, mini marshmallows, and anything else your heart desires. To seal, either pipe a small seam of melted chocolate or gently melt the edges of an empty sphere half. Then, gently push it together with a filled half. Give the assembled treat another good freeze before optional decorating. We love topping ours with drizzled chocolate and some festive colored sprinkles.
Pancake cereal
We love pancakes and we love cereal, so why not combine the two? TikTok cereal pancakes are essentially mini pancakes served in a bowl with milk, just how you would eat cereal. It's so brilliant that we wish we came up with the idea.
To start, assemble your pancake batter. Then, heat up a griddle and grease it with either a non-stick cooking spray, butter, or oil. Once hot, add little dollops of batter to create the mini pancakes. The smaller the pancakes, the better, as you can't easily eat a full-sized pancake with a cereal spoon. Once you see the bubbles, give the mini pancakes a flip and cook for a few minutes on the other side. Remove them from the griddle and repeat with the remaining batter. Serve in a bowl with milk. For a more classic experience, you can also eat these beauties with a little syrup and butter.