The Best New Food TV Shows Of 2023

It probably won't surprise you a huge amount, but around here, we love food. And the only thing we might love as much as food is TV. So when the two things are combined, it's a match made in heaven. Food TV has been popular in the United States ever since Julia Child first stepped onto our screens with her inimitable blend of entertainment and cooking know-how. Nowadays, it's an industry that's unstoppable. Food Network, arguably the most prominent of the food TV channels, ranked as the most-watched cable channel for women between 25-54 in 2021, and second-highest for women between 18-49, per Discovery. That's a lot of hours spent watching people make delicious food, and we're not complaining one bit.

And as appetites increase while people watch food TV, so do appetites for new programming, something that television executives clearly know well. There's a host of new shows coming to TV screens throughout 2023, and in the hurricane of daily life, it can be easy to miss some awesome shows that you need to watch. That's why we put together the best new food TV shows of 2023, so you can keep up to date with what everyone's talking about.

Any TV show fronted by Food Network legend Alex Guarnaschelli is bound to be worth watching. And "Ciao House" is no exception to that statement. This show takes elements of classic reality TV shows like "Big Brother" and melds them with competitive cooking to make a compelling product to watch.

In the show, Guarnaschelli and chef Gabriele Bertaccini take ten chefs under their wing, who compete against each other while simultaneously living under the same roof. "It's not just a battle of cooking skills, in 'Ciao House' personal dynamics, loyalties and rivalries create the perfect storm to create one of our most exciting series to date," states Warner Bros. Discovery's head of content for food Betsy Ayala, via Discovery Press Web.

Each week, the cooks battle to stay in the competition, creating sumptuous dishes while also expanding their knowledge of Italian cuisine. The overall winner of the eight-week challenge show wins a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to train with some of the best chefs Italy has to offer. Oh, and did we mention that the series is set and filmed in Tuscany? Cue gorgeous scenery, rustic charm, and some truly mouth-watering food.

While it doesn't quite have the user base of Netflix or Amazon Prime, Tubi still has a lot to offer by way of programming. And we're particularly big fans of their food TV offerings like "Kitchen Commando." Made with Gordon Ramsay's production company, "Kitchen Commando" follows former army sergeant and chef Andre Rush in his endeavors to revive down-on-their-luck eateries. The ten-episode series sees Rush, who was a chef to none other than Barack Obama himself, put the owners and cooks in these failing businesses through their paces.

As you might expect from an ex-army professional, Rush's tactics to improve the fortunes of the struggling restaurants go far beyond simply getting them to chop onions better. The employees in these food joints undergo boot camp-style training, complete with press-ups, jogging on the spot, and administering some tough love. But despite the strict approach that Rush takes, his ultimate aim is to get the people he's helping to the finish line and see them turn their businesses around for the better. It's this firm-but-fair attitude, combined with a genuine love of food and the people who serve it that makes "Kitchen Commando" must-see TV.

With a name like "Superchef Grudge Match," you just know this show is going to be watchable. And watchable it certainly is. "Superchef Grudge Match," which is hosted by celebrity chef Darnell Ferguson, is a cooking competition with a difference. Instead of taking cooks that have no previous relationship and pitting them against each other, "Superchef Grudge Match" uses food as a way to settle scores.

Each week, two pairs of chefs that have bad blood with one another have the ultimate cook-off, trying to win over one another through the meals they make. The winners don't just walk home with a smug sense of victory, but with $10,000 in cash. Expect to see Food Network favorites like Jet Tila and Christian Petroni going up against some fellow culinary heavyweights, in a bid to come out on top in each one-hour episode. The popularity of "Superchef Grudge Match" was intense enough that, shortly after premiering in February 2023, the show was picked up for a second season. Apparently, there are even more food feuds that need to be resolved, and we're here for it.

It can be pretty hard to find ways to shake up cooking show formats. You watch someone cook food, they get judged, and they either stay another week or go home. Big whoop. So why is "Pressure Cooker," new to Netflix in 2023, worth a second look? Well, the eight-episode series turns the formula on its head by having chefs not only compete against each other but live together, combining work and downtime in a seriously tense combination.

In each episode, a host of industry professionals face off through a series of specialized cooking tasks, with the ultimate aim of being crowned the best and winning a cool $100,000. Naturally, living together while this happens doesn't exactly make things harmonious, and as temperatures in the kitchen rise, things can heat up in the house, too. To make things even more tense, the chefs serve as judges for one another. While the judging is done blind, it's an all-around recipe for high drama. With drama as delicious as this, who needs food?

We love a good collab, folks. And this one is as good as they can get. "NFL Tailgate Takedown," a new Food Network show for 2023, is a joint venture between the food channel and the National Football League. The show pairs everyone's favorite Food Network chef Sunny Anderson with NFL Legend Vince Wilfork, for one-hour episodes that focus on the top tailgate chefs in America.

Filmed on location, every episode is located at a different NFL stadium around the country. Via a series of different challenges, the chefs featured cook against each other to create delicious game-day dishes, while also showcasing local specialties in their area. Once hosts Anderson and Wilfork weigh in, alongside a panel of food industry judges, one tailgate chef emerges victorious. And their prize? VIP tickets to the game that's due to start shortly after they finish cooking. Talk about an immediate pay-off!

As well as the best seats in the house, the chefs also receive their very own "Yum-Bardi Trophy," and the honor of being a master of their hometown's cuisine. Fans of both football and food are not going to miss this one.

"Worst Cooks In America" is one of the all-time greats of food TV. Over dozens of seasons, chefs Anne Burrell, Robert Irvine, and multiple other pros have dispensed countless pieces of advice to amateur chefs in their bids to achieve greatness. But, as always, we love a new spin on a classic, and "Worst Cooks in America: Viral Sensations" provides just that.

Teaming Anne Burrell with chef Darnell Ferguson, "Worst Cooks in America: Viral Sensations" takes some of the world's best-known viral superstars and tests their cooking skills. Folks who made it big on apps like TikTok and YouTube are here seen trying their hand at Burrell and Ferguson's cooking challenges, some of which are directly lifted from viral trends, like "Cake or Fake." As the novice cooks go through their paces in the kitchen, Burrell and Ferguson keep an eye on their progression, and each week, an unlucky contestant ducks out. Those who can stay continue to face the chef's challenges, even traveling to exotic locations to improve their skills. And if you're wondering why these viral influencers would go through all this, the answer might have something to do with that $25,000 reward for the winner.

José Andrés is one of the most known and well-loved celebrity chefs out there. But although he's been a constant presence on our TV screens for years, he's largely done it solo. With his new show "José Andrés & Family in Spain," however, the chef enlists a little help from his family. Returning to his native Spain, Andrés explores his culinary roots in the program, with help from his three daughters, Lucía, Carlota, and Inés.

Every episode of this show is a deep dive into Spanish food culture, with Andrés and his family traveling around some of the most beloved regions in the country. From the packed streets of Barcelona to the Northwestern Asturian region where Andrés hails from, the cook and his daughters sample traditional dishes and learn all the tricks of how it becomes so delicious. Part road trip, part love letter to Spain, and part investigation into how food can create and deepen bonds, this show is both warm and informative. And, if nothing else, you get to watch endless shots of totally delicious food and beautiful landscapes. Come on, people, what's not to love here?

Of all the cooking shows out there, "Stab That Cake!" might have the best title of them all. This Cooking Channel program is hopping on the very 2023 trend of figuring out whether something is a cake or a real object and, well, making it into quality television. Let it never be said that the future isn't here, folks.

However, while the show might sound gimmicky, it makes for pretty compelling TV. Each week, John Henson and Jocelyn Delk Adams meet a group of enterprising bakers who try to make baked goods that somehow look even more realistic than the items they're modeled on. Once these items are then placed on supermarket shelves, a team of "stabbers" come into the fray. Running through the store, they try to discern where the cake-created item is and stab it with a knife, to win a cash prize. The bakers, meanwhile, watch on, hoping that their creation isn't discovered — and if they get away with it, it's them that walk away with the money. If you thought you had seen it all, wait until you give this show a try.

Not all food TV is quick cuts of chefs running around kitchens, while fearsome judges watch them from on high. Some shows calmly and gently revel in the pleasure of food, and the lives of the people who make them. "The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House," released via Netflix, excels in this. A Japanese series, "Cooking for the Maiko House" follows the lives of Sumire and Kiyo, two teenagers who join a "maiko house," where geishas learn their craft.

Tasked with cooking for the house, Kiyo gets busy in the kitchen. And the result is some the most beautifully-shot sequences of traditional Japanese food you'll likely ever see. From scenes of tending to pickled plums to watching over bubbling pots, "Cooking for the Maiko House" revels both in the craft of making food and in the stories of the house's residence. And, while the show's pace is unhurried, it still has its fair share of drama.

With such a premium showcasing of nutritious cuisine, It's no wonder this Japanese show dazzled critics. "This is a celebration of appetite and nourishment. Food is taken seriously, and good food, made with love and joy, is treated as a balm," TV writer Rebecca Nicholson said of the show, via The Guardian. Sounds like our kinda show.

As the founder of the ultra-popular chain Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers, Todd Graves knows a thing or two about success stories. In "Secret Sauce with Todd Graves," he seeks to not only explore his own path to restaurant stardom but drafts a host of fellow celebrities and public figures to find out what makes them tick. Each episode finds Graves traveling to a different location around the country, enjoying local food spots as he meets with personalities as diverse as Ashley McBryde, Danny Trejo, and Martin Luther King III. All of it comes together to make a show that's partly an exploration of purpose, partly an investigation of the American Dream, and partly a showcase for some incredible cuisine.

While all of Graves' guests get their moment in the sun, leave it to Snoop Dogg to bring maximum amounts of life and joy to the show. Traveling to Inglewood, Graves meets Snoop in the penultimate episode of "Secret Sauce." Their conversation centers around the importance of remembering your roots while looking forward to the future. "Look what we came from, and look what we do," Snoop stated, neatly summing up the entire ethos of the show (via Facebook). 

It can feel like a year hasn't truly started until Gordon Ramsay brings a new TV show to our screens. But with the arrival of "Gordon Ramsay's Food Stars," we can safely consider 2023 in full swing. "Gordon Ramsay's Food Stars" takes the tried-and-tested reality show format of "The Apprentice," with Ramsay placing a personal stake on the future of one of the contestants. In the show, Ramsay works with a group of food entrepreneurs, all competing against each other to win a cool $250,000 of the chef's money. Instead of mere cooking challenges, though, Ramsay puts them through their paces with a series of business tasks to prove that they're not only great cooks, but great moneymakers.

Expect all of the blood pressure-raising antics that come with a show in which people put their livelihoods on the line. Throughout the series, the contestants face giving refunds to displeased customers, questions over their advertising abilities, and naturally, a whole lot of scrutiny on their food. All the while, Ramsay circles like a hawk, with his trademark eye for detail and lack of compromise. If you've ever wanted to see what goes into building a successful food business, this one's for you. ‌

We just love a story about a successful career change, especially when it involves cakes, so consider us sold on "The Cupcake Guys." This Roku Original follows the lives and business endeavors of ex-NFL stars Michael Griffin and Brian Orakpo, and auto lending consultant Bryan Hynson as they make their way in the wild world of cupcake baking. The former football players bring not only their competitive spirit but a clear sense of teamwork to the building of their brand, which has been a clear hit.

In the TV show, "The Cupcake Guys" showcase not just their friendship, but some awesome bakes too — and it's not just cupcakes that these guys are rustling up. It's hard to pick a favorite, but their goat-themed tiered cake has to be right up there. Created for Goat Shenanigans Austin, this cake features the brand's logo with a pastel-blue bottom layer and a cream upper piece. Oh, and if that wasn't enough, there's also room for an edible goat right next to it. Elsewhere, the Cupcake Guys make Vegas-themed cakes, serve up some sprinkle-studded cupcakes, and discuss their family's futures, hopes, and dreams.

With the glamorous lifestyle that comes with being a "Desperate Housewives" star, you might assume that Eva Longoria's seen it all. But in "Eva Longoria: Searching for Mexico," she goes on the hunt for some undiscovered culinary pleasures across the country. Pitched directly to CNN by Longoria herself, who names the country a "jewel of gastronomy" in an interview (via YouTube) the show more than proves her point about Mexican cuisine being diverse, delicious, and culturally rich, and goes far beyond just showing folks how to make the classic dishes.

In "Eva Longoria: Searching for Mexico," Longoria travels across the country, heading from Oaxaca to find out how mole sauce is made, to Guadalajara to investigate the city's food scene. She also finds out how tequila is made, traverses the bustling streets of Mexico City, and samples tasty dishes at every turn. The show is made even more notable when you consider that Longoria was filming it with her 4-year-old son and husband in tow. Altogether, it makes for a show that not only makes us want to order Mexican food right away but gave Longoria a "deeper appreciation for that side of [her] family," and one that she hopes gives viewers a higher amount of respect for the country's incredible food.

Enjoying food in a restaurant is one of life's great pleasures. But enjoying food in restaurants in far-flung locations, combining mind-bending travel and gorgeous cuisine? That's something that can't be beaten. And in "Restaurants at the End of the World," chef Kristen Kish takes us along for the ride. The "Top Chef" winner traverses the globe in this show, trying out some of the world's most far-flung eateries. From restaurants that literally float on water, to a food joint located at a radio station within the Arctic Circle, Kish meets the folks that keep these businesses feeding the folks that need them, and samples the cuisine they dish up.

Kish isn't merely an observer of the action, though. The chef gets stuck into the action in many instances, helping cook and prepare the food that then ends up on the table. In doing so, Kish not only learns more about the local cuisine being made, but she also becomes part of that restaurant's family for a day, proving the power of food to bring people together. This is a truly heartwarming watch, with some eye-popping scenery on display for good measure. ‌

What's better than a classic dish? In the opinion of "Deliciously Twisted Classics," there's only one thing that can improve an all-time classic food: Putting a unique spin on it to revamp it entirely. That's precisely the mission of this show, which seeks to showcase the innovative ways chefs take standard foods and make them exciting. Each week, a gaggle of celebrity chefs and personalities in the food business are given access to the country's most exciting dishes, with chefs Gina Neely, Rocco DiSpirito, and Aarti Sequeira all pitching in on their favorite variations.

What we particularly love about "Deliciously Twisted Classics" is the thoroughness with which it approaches looking at classic food twists. Each episode is centered around a different food style, like soups, sandwiches, and childhood classics, giving space for the chefs to find their favorite takes. Look out for a Peking duck sandwich, some creative takes on fried chicken (including one served bloody mary-style), a French Onion pretzel, and a supersized fortune cookie that'll blow you away. In this show, nothing's off-limits.