The best recipes you can cook in BOTW

One of the major components in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is cooking. Combining the right ingredients can not only give you a leg up against tough enemies, but can also keep you safe in certain weather conditions, or even boost your stamina to make it easier to reach certain locations. However you use cooking, you’re encouraged to experiment with combining ingredients found around the world of Hyrule. There are dozens and dozens of recipes to choose from — most of which give you some kind of benefit.

But which recipes are the best? In this list, we’ll show you the 10 best recipes, along with what makes them so great, and the locations of their ingredients. These are the best BOTW recipes.

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How to cook recipes in Breath of the Wild

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Before actually getting to the list of recipes, you should be aware of how to cook them. As with many mechanics in Breath of the Wild, the game doesn’t necessarily do a great job of explaining how to cook and combine materials.

To start, you’ll need a pot, which are found around the world, usually at main hubs like Kakariko Village or by stables. Our go-to is always the pot at Outskirt Stable, but you can use whichever you like. To cook items in the pot, you’ll need to first ensure that the pot is lit with a fire underneath. You can light it with a fire arrow, or by using a torch. Remember, if it’s raining outside, you won’t be able to light the pot (so sleep and come back later if this is the case). Once the pot is lit, go into your Inventory and into the Materials submenu.

Here, you’ll be able to hold up to five items by pressing X on them. After you’ve selected the items you’d like to hold, exit the Inventory and walk up to the pot. If the pot is lit, it’ll allow you to press A to cook. And that’s all there is to it!

Many recipes will give you temporary buffs, but keep in mind that buffs do not stack with one another, so it’s best to just consume one at a time. It’s also a good idea to add more of a certain ingredient to a recipe to increase its effectiveness. For example, when making the Hearty Fried Wild Greens recipe, use four Hearty Radishes instead of three to gain extra health (three will still work, but it won’t be as effective as using four). As you play, we recommend picking up everything you come across, as you’ll likely come across useful ingredients for recipes.

Unless noted otherwise, the ingredients below can typically be found in multiple locations and often spawn randomly. If you aren’t having luck finding them in one spot, try another.

Hearty Fried Wild Greens — Health recovery

What it does

“Restores your health and temporarily increases your maximum hearts. A basic vegetable dish made by sautéing fresh wild plants.”

There are less powerful versions of this recipe that can be made with fewer Hearty Radishes, but if you use four, you’ll gain 17 additional temporary hearts. This is a great meal to keep in your back pocket for those sticky situations — whether you’re up against a boss or Lynel.

Recipe

Four Hearty Radishes — Found in the forest to the south of Wetland Stable (east of Central Hyrule)
One Big Hearty Radish — Also found in the forest listed above.

Enduring Steamed Meat — Stamina boost

What it does

“Restores and overfills your Stamina Wheel. This meat dish has been wrapped in fragrant leaves and steamed to preserve its moisture.”

Use this dish to gain 10 hearts and an entire additional temporary Stamina Wheel — perfect for climbing tall structures or swimming for long distances.

Recipe

One raw meat — Obtained from hunting any mammal in the open world. These are plentiful and can be acquired from deer or cows.
Three Endura Carrots — Located to the south of Hyrule Ridge (on the northwestern side of the map) close to Rutile Lake. Look for it around the trees in this area.

Energizing Meat and Seafood Fry — Stamina recovery

What it does

“Instantly refills some of your Stamina Wheel. A filling dish made by cooking fresh seafood and meat together.”

You’ll want to use this one to replenish your stamina and health. This particular dish grants you five hearts and three Stamina Wheels.

Recipe

One raw meat — Found from most mammals across Hyrule.
Three Staminoka Bass — Can be obtained from the bodies of water around West Necluda (the southeastern portion of the map), at Hyrule Field (center of the map), or sold by the Traveling Merchant, Bugut, at Dueling Peaks Stable around 4:00 p.m.

Chilly Meat and Mushroom Skewer — Heat resistance

What it does

“Grants mid-level heat resistance. A filling dish made by grilling various mountain ingredients with meat.”

Want to explore some of the hotter areas of Hyrule? Use this recipe to gain six hearts and medium heat resistance for over 10 minutes.

Recipe

One raw meat — Gathered from various mammals around Hyrule.
Four Chillshroom — Found among the trees in Hebra Mountains (northwesternmost portion of the map). Look for the blue chilis to the northeast of the Hebra Plunge body of water.

Spicy Meat and Mushroom Skewer — Cold resistance

What it does

“Grants mid-level cold resistance. A filling dish made by grilling various mountain ingredients with meat.”

The Spicy Meat and Mushroom Skewer is basically the opposite of the Chilly Meat and Mushroom Skewer. Instead, it grants you over 10 minutes of cold resistance.

Recipe

Four Sunshrooms — These are located in the hotter areas of the map, like by Death Mountain. Specifically, we had luck finding a ton of them by the burnt trees to the east of Gut Check Rock (located to the north of Death Mountain).
One Raw Gourmet Meat — Finding Raw Gourmet Meat is tough, but we were able to gather one from the bears in Hickaly Woods (found to the southeast of Dueling Peaks in West Necluda). We advise you to save when you get to Hickaly Woods, before you take out a bear, and then reload the save if you don’t get the item you’re looking for. Other players reported finding Raw Gourmet Meat in the northwesternmost portion of the map in the colder areas, but we couldn’t verify that.

Electro Meat and Mushroom Skewer — Electricity resistance

What it does

“Grants high-level electricity resistance. A filling dish made by grilling various mountain ingredients with meat.”

Use this recipe when exploring areas that have a high degree of electricity. The Electro Meat and Mushroom Skewer will grant you high-level electricity resistance for over 10 minutes — great for those sections with lots of rain and lightning.

Recipe

One raw meat — Gathered from various mammals around Hyrule.
Four Zapshrooms — Located by trees in the Rok Woods, found in Deep Akkala (the northeasternmost spot on the map, to the east of Death Mountain).

Hasty Elixir — Speed boost

What it does

“Grants a high-level haste effect, which boosts your movement speed while running, swimming, or climbing.”

This elixir is excellent for those in a hurry. Use the Hasty Elixir for a high-level speed boost for over five minutes — which will help you out when traversing the world more quickly.

Recipe

Four Hot-Footed Frogs — These creatures are found around bodies of water, but we found an abundance of them around Ludfo’s Bog in Hyrule Ridge (western side of the map, just west of Central Hyrule).
One Keese Wing — This material is found by defeating Keese, flying creatures that resemble bats. You can find them in caves or in various places at night. There are swarms of them in the aforementioned Ludfo’s Bog in Hyrule Ridge close to where the Hot-Footed Frogs spawn.

Sneaky Steamed Meat — Stealth boost

What it does

“Grants a high-level stealth boost. This meat dish has been wrapped in fragrant leaves and steamed to preserve its moisture.”

Use this recipe to grant 10 hearts and a high-level sneak boost for over eight minutes! This is great for getting around enemies undetected.

Recipe

One raw meat — Gathered from various mammals around Hyrule.
Four Silent Princess flowers — These are most easily found at Rutile Lake to the south of Hyrule Ridge (on the western side of the map, west of Central Hyrule). Fast travel to the Mogg Latan Shrine to get here quickly.

Mighty Monster Stew — Attack boost

What it does

“Grants a high-level attack-power boost. Meat and seafood simmered in monster extract. A savory dish despite its ingredients.”

Consume the Mighty Monster Stew to gain nine hearts and high-level attack-power boost for 10 minutes. Use this when facing off against bosses, Lynels, or other formidable foes.

Recipe

Three Mighty Porgy — These are found in the oceans of Hyrule, like the Necluda Sea or Lanayru Sea. We found lots of them by Cape Cresia in the Necluda Sea (southeast portion of map by Eventide Island).
One Monster Extract — This can only be found by purchasing it for 9 Mon from Fang and Bone, the traveling shop run by Kilton. Initially, you can find the shop at Skull Lake, but afterward, the shop moves around and can be visited at night only. We like visiting the Fang and Bone location to the south of Lantern Lake, which is right by Kakariko Village. Remember, Fang and Bone doesn’t take rupees like normal shops — but instead uses Mon.
One Raw Prime Meat — This is a special meat that can be gathered from various mammals in cold locations. Snowcoat Foxes and wolves tend to drop this material, as well as bears. We recommend farming the bears he bears in Hickaly Woods (found to the southeast of Dueling Peaks in West Necluda).

Tough Salt-Grilled Fish — Defense boost

What it does

“Grants a high-level defense boost. A simple dish made by rolling a whole fish in natural rock salt before grilling it.”

Cook and consume this dish for eight hearts and a high-level defense boost for over four minutes. You’ll want to use this when facing off against powerful enemies that deal high damage.

Recipe

Four Armored Porgy — These are found in the same areas as the Mighty Porgy, located in the oceans of Hyrule. Look for them in the waters of the Necluda Sea or Lanayru Sea. Again, we had luck by Cape Cresia in the Necluda Sea (southeast portion of map by Eventide Island).
One Rock Salt — These are found by mining ore by caves. Can also be obtained from the Marot Mart in Zora’s Domain, the Goron Gusto shop in Goron City, and the Stall in Gerudo Town.