The power of social media to influence ... well, just about everything, became clearer than ever in 2024. While there are plenty of reasons to be concerned about TikTok's dominant presence in the cultural conversation, this platform also gave us some viral food trends this year that are fun, accessible and legitimately tasty.
To find the best of the best, we went straight to the people who would know: chefs, recipe developers and marketing pros, all of whom also happen to be TikTok content creators.
When we asked our expert sources to name the best TikTok food trend of 2024, one kept coming up again and again: Logan's Cucumber Salad. For the uninitiated, this trend created by TikToker Logan Moffitt involves a series of recipe videos (all under one minute long) in which Moffitt creates simple salads starring a whole sliced cucumber. His very simple original version called for dressing the cucumber with Asian-inspired ingredients like soy sauce, chili crisp vinegar, sesame oil and MSG, and seasoning the slices with a vigorous shake of the plastic container, but he's since released newer videos that use everything from pickle juice to kimchi to scallion cream cheese to add some extra style to these crunchy green veggies.
Recipe developer and content creator Charlotte Smythe (167,000 TikTok followers) told us that she gravitated toward the Logan's Cucumber Salad trend because these dishes were "easy to make and really customizable." She also pointed out that Moffitt released his first cucumber video in summer 2024, and "we all appreciate fresh no-cook recipes in the summertime. It was the perfect [video] for all of us focusing more on easy, low-effort, high-reward meals."
Courtney Dwyer, the founder of In Your Court Marketing who creates TikTok content for brand clients like Van Leeuwen Ice Cream and F1 Arcade, also credited 2024's wellness trends and focus on affordability for the popularity of Logan's Cucumber Salad. "People are drinking less alcohol now and are seeking healthy food options, and this cucumber recipe fits into that trend and want! Kale has had its day, but now cucumbers are having their moment. It's [also] cheap to make; groceries have become increasingly more expensive and the ingredients for this recipe is relatively affordable for most," Dwyer told us.
A milk chocolate bar stuffed with pistachio cream and shredded phyllo pastry blew up on TikTok in 2024, and because this confection was created by Dubai-based confectioner Fix Dessert Chocolatier, creators and viewers alike dubbed it the "Dubai chocolate bar." Soon, countless cooks and influencers were trying to replicate this eye-catching treat in their home kitchens. But according to Yumna Jawad, the recipe developer and creator behind @feelgoodfoodie (with over 2 million TikTok followers), anyone trying to dismiss the Dubai chocolate bar as a silly social media fad should think twice.
"I've always used shredded phyllo dough for making Lebanese desserts, and the idea of frying it, mixing it with pistachio butter and stuffing it in chocolate was so unique and interesting that I had to try it, and I actually ended up loving it!" Jawad told us. She added that "what I love about this trend is that it really requires only three ingredients and a chocolate mold to make it. Sure, phyllo dough and pistachio butter are not the easiest ingredients to source, but with online sites seeing the increase in demand for these ingredients, I found them pretty accessible." She also mentioned that it's worth seeking these items out at Middle Eastern grocers. "To me, this trend leans into the overall growth and popularity of Mediterranean recipes and [the need for] tiny comforts and little luxuries that are easy to make at home and feel like a small indulgence," she added.
Speaking of Middle Eastern-inspired food items that had a big presence on TikTok this year, Nicola Easterby, the London-based travel expert behind the Polkadot Passport (over 225,000 followers), gave a shoutout to Turkish Pasta, a recipe posted by influencer Anna Paul that now boasts over 18 million TikTok views. This speedy dinner inspired by the flavors of Turkish manti (dumplings) includes pasta, a creamy sauce made with Greek yogurt and minced garlic, browned ground beef with onion and a pinch of curry powder, melted paprika butter and cherry tomatoes, and fresh parsley for garnish.
"People love quick, tasty and healthy recipes, which is why I think this Turkish Pasta took off in the way it did," Easterby said. Another cause for its popularity could be the fact that "food culture is shifting toward people becoming more open to new food combinations and creators developing recipes inspired by cuisines that haven't always been as popular or widespread. The demand for quick and healthy recipes is never going to diminish, but the desire for these [dishes] to be unique is definitely increasing."
A longtime staple at Mexican markets and in restaurant kitchens, Tajin -- a seasoning blend made with dried chili peppers, salt and dehydrated lime -- couldn't be avoided in 2024. "There were a wild amount of Tajin collabs this year, from grocery items such as Hellman's Tajin mayonnaise and Tillamook Tajin beef jerky to fast food such as the Tajin Rebel at Dutch Bros and even a Tajin Smoothie at Jamba. At some point, Taco Bell may see a full blown Tajin menu as well -- one location did test that this year," said Zach Ciampa, a food tester and reviewer whose @snachwithzach TikTok account has over 301,000 followers. This huge bump for Tajin didn't skip TikTok; we saw everything from Tajin pickle shots to Tajin pretzels to Tajin-dusted deviled eggs. "The explosion of Tajin is a great example of how younger generations have embraced more diverse flavors such as spice, particularly those from Latin and Asian cultures. This is largely driven by Gen Z and their quest for more adventurous eats. This will continue in 2025," Ciampa insisted.
Fans of salt and brine found a lot to love in the 2024 food scene as pickles continued their multi-year popularity upswing. But the pickle-related category that saw the most growth this year (on TikTok, at least) just might be pickle brine cocktails. "My favorite TikTok food trend of 2024 is pickle brine cocktails featuring bold and briny twists from pickle martinis to brine-infused margaritas," said Jonathan Tso (@jayteetakesabite), a food and travel creator based in Las Vegas with over 160,000 TikTok followers. Tso sees pickle brine as "a refreshing way to add tangy depth to drinks."
Tso thinks that pickle brine cocktails spoke to 2024 TikTok users because "they strike the perfect balance between nostalgia and novelty. Pickles have always been a comfort food, and this trend takes that flavor profile and elevates it for a more sophisticated audience. Plus, it's highly versatile -- pickled flavors work with pretty much any spirit, allowing for endless creativity. This trend also reflects the overarching trend of embracing bold, unconventional flavors while reducing waste -- pickle brine being a byproduct that's now the star of the show."
Our last top TikTok food trend of 2024 isn't so much a "food trend" as an "organizing trend" that involves food. It's known as "fridgescaping," and it's all about making the interior of your fridge look as pretty and harmonious as possible. Full-scale decluttering, deliberate arrangements and attractive containers for produce all fall under the fridgescaping umbrella.
Ellen Marie Bennett, former chef and founder of the Hedley & Bennett brand of aprons and kitchenware, sees a lot of advantages to this (admittedly precious-sounding) trend. "Our fridges are the one spot in our homes where we often overlook organization and allow to get crazy inside, while in other areas of our home, we prioritize making them look nice and pretty. Even though [fridgescaping is] a bit ridiculous, the chef in me loves it because it gets people to clean out and organize their fridges. There is a level of substance for the decor and organization behind the idea, and I love anything that will get people to want to be in their fridge more because it will make them want to cook more," Bennett explained.