I Tried 11 Viral TikTok Food And Drink Hacks To See What Actually Works

    Those copycat McNuggets went viral for a reason...

    Hannah Loewentheil
    by Hannah Loewentheil

    BuzzFeed Staff

    I'm going to be totally honest with you: I really don't understand TikTok! In fact, nothing makes me feel more like an old, washed up Millennial than hearing the young Gen Z'ers on the TikTok accounts.

    FOX

    I always though TikTok was just for dancing, but it turns out it's the place to go these days for the hottest new food and drink trends (hello, dalgona coffee). So I did a deep dive into the world of TikTok and found a handful of food-related tricks I just had to try for myself.

    NBC

    Read on to see how 10 viral TikTok food and drink hacks actually work when put to the test.

    But first, a quick note. Most TikTok videos don't include precise ingredient measurements. I guessed the quantities to the best of my ability, and while they probably aren't perfect, I've included them in some recipes below in case you're interested in trying any of these at home.

    Copycat McDonalds' McNuggets

    @nishcooks

    THE coveted MCNUGGETS 💣 ##recipe ##cooking ##mcdonalds ##nuggets ##fyp ##foryou

    ♬ original sound - nishcooks

    What you'll need:

    Ingredients for copycat McNuggets on a countertop including flour, egg, chicken breasts, cornstarch, and spices.
    Hannah Loewentheil/BuzzFeed

    2 chicken breasts, 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup corn starch, two eggs, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder to taste.

    How to make it:

    Hannah Loewentheil/BuzzFeed

    First, dice the chicken breasts into small cubes and pulse them in the blender (I know it sounds totally gross but go with it). Season the chicken with salt and pepper and shape them into little nuggets on a baking sheet lined with aluminum or parchment paper. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for two hours for the chicken to harden.

    Hannah Loewentheil/BuzzFeed

    After about two hours remove the chicken from the freezer. In one bowl, assemble the dry ingredients: flour, cornstarch, onion powder, and garlic powder. In another bowl, mix the wet ingredients: two eggs, cornstarch, and water. Dredge each nugget in the wet ingredients, then the dry, then the wet, and finally the dry.

    Hannah Loewentheil/BuzzFeed

    Heat vegetable oil in a pan until it's sizzling hot and bubbling. Then add the chicken nuggets, making sure they don't touch. Fry for about two minutes on each side until golden brown and super crispy. Transfer to the napkin and then to a plate.

    The result: 🍗🍗🍗🍗🍗/🍗🍗🍗🍗🍗

    Hannah Loewentheil/BuzzFeed

    In the words of my husband, "wow, these really taste similar to McDonald's, except you can tell they're real chicken." These faux-McNuggets were pretty delicious, and the shape, texture, and taste of the breading really resembled the real thing. You might want to invest in a meat thermometer to make sure your nuggets are cooked through before removing them from the frying pan because I cut into one or two that were still a bit raw. You'll also want to add even more salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder than you might think necessary to give the nuggets good flavor. Next time, I can't wait to try a take on this recipe in my air fryer.

    Two-Ingredient Microwave Oreo Cake

    @salt_to_taste

    Oreo Mug-cake. very simple and delicious. try it once and give your feedbacks. Keep smiling 😃

    ♬ original sound - Salt to taste

    What you'll need:

    A handful of Oreo cookies submerged in milk in a mug.
    Hannah Loewentheil/BuzzFeed

    Oreos, your favorite kind of milk, and a microwave-safe mug or bowl.

    How to make it:

    Hannah Loewentheil/BuzzFeed

    Add a handful of Oreos (I used five) to a microwave-safe mug and add milk so the mug is about half full. Use a fork to mash the Oreos until they form a relatively smooth milk-and-cookies paste. Try to get rid of as many cookie chunks as possible. Microwave for two minutes or until the mug cake begins to rise and resembles a soufflé.

    The result: 🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪/🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪

    Hannah Loewentheil/BuzzFeed

    Hello, easiest dessert ever. This Oreo mug cake might not look like anything special, but it tastes delicious and it couldn't be much easier. If you have a package of Oreo cookies lying around, you're half way to dessert. This creation tastes light and fluffy yet super decadent, almost like a chocolate soufflé that comes together in two minutes. If you have ice cream lying around, this baby is begging to be enjoyed à la mode.

    Mini Pancake Cereal

    @melanie_locke

    i’m telling u guys 10/10 recommend!! might even beat normal pancakes ##pancakecereal

    ♬ Day in Paris by llusion - ash_the_dragon

    What you'll need:

    Bisquick pancake mix, milk, and an egg for making batter.
    Hannah Loewentheil/BuzzFeed

    Your favorite store bought or homemade pancake batter, a plastic bag or water bottle for piping the batter, and your choice of milk, maple syrup, butter, or any creative pancake toppings.

    How to make it:

    Hannah Loewentheil/BuzzFeed

    Make the pancake batter and place it in a plastic bag or a squeeze bottle. Heat butter in a nonstick skillet and pour small dots of batter into the skillet. Once they begin to bubble, flip the pancakes and cook the other side. Transfer the mini pancakes to a bowl. You can eat them with milk (like cereal), with butter and maple syrup, or get creative and top them with anything from blueberries and whipped cream to ice cream and sprinkles.

    The result: 🥞🥞/🥞🥞🥞🥞🥞

    A bowl of mini pancake cereal topped with a slice of butter and a drizzle of maple syrup.
    Hannah Loewentheil/BuzzFeed

    What's wrong with a good old-fashioned stack of pancakes? Sure, they're cute, but these mini pancakes require far too much effort for me, and the result is nothing to write home about. Topped with milk, the pancakes get really soggy and topped with butter and maple syrup, they were just fine. Since the tiny pancakes cook quickly, they don't get nearly as fluffy as regular pancakes. Next time, I'll stick with the classic. Read more about mini pancake cereal here.

    One-Pan Breakfast Sandwich

    @aldentediva

    Another breakfast trend going around... ###collegehacks ##CleanFreshHype ##breakfast

    ♬ original sound - aldentediva

    What you'll need:

    Hannah Loewentheil/BuzzFeed

    Two slices of bread, two eggs, cheese (sliced or shredded), butter and any of your favorite breakfast sandwich ingredients like bacon or sausage. Oh, and a nonstick skillet.

    How to make it:

    Hannah Loewentheil/BuzzFeed

    Beat two eggs with a bit of milk, then add salt, pepper, and sliced scallions. Fry some bacon and set to the side. Heat butter in a nonstick skillet and add the egg mixture. Place two slices of bread on top of the eggs and let sit until the eggs are cooked and look like an omelet. Then, flip the eggs and bread in one fell swoop and top with your ingredients like sliced avocado, cheese, and bacon.

    The final breakfast sandwich getting crispy in a skillet.
    Hannah Loewentheil/BuzzFeed

    Fold one half of the bread onto the other egg and bread mixture so it looks like a sandwich. Let the bread toast until it's golden brown, flipping to ensure both slices are crispy. Slice and enjoy.

    The result: 🍳🍳🍳🍳🍳/🍳🍳🍳🍳🍳

    Hands holding a cheesy bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich sliced in half.
    Hannah Loewentheil/BuzzFeed

    I really loved this breakfast sandwich. Not only does it require minimal cleanup since everything is made in a single skillet, but it also comes together in about 10 minutes flat and tastes amazing. The bacon doesn't stay quite as crispy as your typical breakfast sando, but this creation tastes like a breakfast grilled cheese-omelet hybrid, and I'm here for it. You can read all about the folded one-pan breakfast sandwich here.

    What you'll need:

    A bowl of sliced mangos and a mango White Claw in the background.
    Hannah Loewentheil/BuzzFeed

    Your favorite flavor White Claw, a cup of fresh or frozen fruit, a handful of ice, plus any additional alcohol or mixers you want to add.

    How to make it:

    Hannah Loewentheil/BuzzFeed

    Combine fruit (I used diced mango) and White Claw in a blender with ice. If you're feeling frisky you can add more booze like vodka or tequila. You can also add some fruit juice or — like the TikTok user above — ginger ale. I stuck with the basics and used just White Claw and fruit.

    The result: 🥭🥭🥭🥭/🥭🥭🥭🥭🥭

    Two glasses of the mango White Claw slushy.
    Hannah Loewentheil/BuzzFeed

    Is it bad that I could drink this for breakfast? Because I could, in fact, drink this for breakfast. The White Claw slushy was seriously so refreshing. Next time, I would definitely add a bit more booze to take things up a notch, and then it would be a perfect summer cocktail. I used fresh mango because I had it on hand, but I would actually recommend using frozen fruit instead because it would make the slushy a better consistency.

    The Easiest Way To Peel a Mango

    @cencen_wakaka

    cut mango##mango##cut ##fruit

    ♬ 原聲 - Hungry2udelivery

    What you'll need:

    A knife, a whole mango, and a drinking glass on a wooden countertop.
    Hannah Loewentheil/BuzzFeed

    A mango, a knife, and a drinking glass.

    How to do it:

    Hannah Loewentheil/BuzzFeed

    Slice the mangoes into three sections using a knife. Get rid of the section containing the pit and drag the two slices of fruit — skin facing out — against the rim of a drinking glass. The skin will peel right off leaving you with the flesh of the mango.

    The result: 🥭🥭🥭🥭🥭/🥭🥭🥭🥭🥭

    A drinking glass filled with peeled mango slices, ready to eat.
    Hannah Loewentheil/BuzzFeed

    For a hack so simple, this one is a real winner. Mangoes are notoriously one of the most annoying fruits to peel, but this little drinking glass trick made it so easy. My mango was actually a bit under-ripe, but the skin still peeled away with little effort. I would imagine a ripe mango would be even easier to peel this way.

    Fluffy Japanese-Style Pancakes

    @newt

    Fluffy Pancakes hit different doe 🥞😳🥞👌🏼😋 ##fyp ##foryou

    ♬ original sound - newt120

    What you'll need:

    Ingredients for Japanese fluffy pancakes on a countertop including milk, sugar, eggs, flour, vanilla, butter, vegetable oil.
    BuzzFeed

    Three eggs (separated into yolks and whites), 1/2 cup flour, 1 tbsp vegetable oil, a dash of vanilla extract, 1/4 cup milk, 2 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp vinegar, and butter. Oh, and don't bother making these unless you have an electric mixer.

    How to make them:

    BuzzFeed

    Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Keep all the whites, but you'll only need two of the yolks. Add flour, vanilla, milk, and vegetable oil to the yolks and combine into a smooth batter. Add a small amount of vinegar to the bowl of egg whites and mix.

    Hannah Loewentheil/BuzzFeed

    Then, add sugar and use a handheld mixer to whip until stiff peaks form. Then pour the egg whites into the bowl of the yolk mixture and mix together. Using a plastic bag to pipe the batter or just a spoon, place a dollop of the pancake mix on a hot and buttered nonstick skillet.

    Hannah Loewentheil/BuzzFeed

    Flip the pancakes once so that both sides become golden and appear to be cooked. Be careful not to squish the pancakes while flipping so that they maintain their fluffy texture. Transfer to a plate and top with powdered sugar, butter, syrup, or your favorite pancake garnishes.

    The result: 🥞🥞🥞🥞/🥞🥞🥞🥞🥞

    A plate of fluffy Japanese-style pancakes topped with powdered sugar, a drizzle of maple syrup, and sliced strawberries on the side.
    Hannah Loewentheil/BuzzFeed

    I'm giving this hack 4/5 stars because mine didn't come out quite as fluffy as the TikTok pancakes, however, they still tasted pretty damn good. For some strange reason, these Japanese-style pancakes taste more like French toast than traditional pancakes even though there's absolutely no bread involved in making them. They are light and airy and buttery and they truly melt in your mouth. I tried making these once whipping the egg whites by hand, and while I got a serious arm workout, I didn't get anything close to stiff peaks. If you're going to make these, you'll really need some sort of electric mixer. You'll also want to pay close attention to the pancakes while they cook because they don't really bubble up to indicate they're ready to be flipped and they can burn quickly.

    What you'll need:

    A bottle of Tito's vodka, frozen raspberries, a bottle of lemonade, and ice cube molds on a countertop.
    Hannah Loewentheil/BuzzFeed

    1 cup lemonade (I used Trader Joe's!), 1 cup frozen raspberries, and vodka to taste. Plus, you'll need a blender.

    How to make it:

    BuzzFeed

    First, you'll want to freeze the lemonade. I used these jumbo ice cube molds to freeze the lemonade into giant squares. Once the lemonade is frozen, place it in a blender with frozen raspberries and vodka. Blend it all up, adding more ice or lemonade if necessary to reach your desired consistency.

    The result: 🍋🍋🍋🍋🍋/🍋🍋🍋🍋🍋

    Hannah Loewentheil/BuzzFeed, Hannah Loewentheil

    Stop drinking whatever else it is you've been drinking and focus your attention on this frozen raspberry lemonade vodka. This stuff is bonkers delicious. The only problem is you need to be very cautious about how much alcohol you add because I think you could use an entire handle of vodka and still not taste the booze. If you're not a vodka fan, this would taste great with literally any alcohol like gin or tequila, and if you're not drinking alcohol, I'd happily drink a virgin raspberry lemonade slushy any day.

    Three-Ingredient Crème Brûlée

    @shefshaq

    You do NOT need a blow torch. 🔥 ##food ##foodlover ##easyrecipes ##quickrecipes ##foryou ##foryoupage ##fyp ##baking

    ♬ original sound - shefshaq

    What you'll need:

    The ingredients
    BuzzFeed

    Ice cream, eggs, sugar, and oven-safe bowls or ramekins.

    How to make it:

    Hannah Loewentheil/BuzzFeed

    You'll need 1/2 cup of ice cream and one egg yolk for each serving of crème brûlée. Melt the ice cream in the microwave, add the yolk, and stir until combined. Pour the ice cream and egg yolk mixture into ramekins or oven-safe bowls.

    Hannah Loewentheil/BuzzFeed

    Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and add an inch of water to a baking sheet or oven-safe baking dish. Place the ramekins filled with the crème brûlée mixture onto the baking sheet and bake for about 50 minutes. Let the crème brûlée cool to room temperature, then cover it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours.

    Hannah Loewentheil/BuzzFeed

    After two hours, add 1 Tbsp sugar per serving in a sauce pan and stir until melted and caramelized. This step didn't quite pan out for me, but in theory, right after the sugar liquifies and before it begins to burns, quickly add the caramelized sugar to the top of the crème brûlée and serve.

    The result: 🍮🍮🍮/🍮🍮🍮🍮🍮

    Two ramekins filled with the crème brûlée mixture on a countertop.
    Hannah Loewentheil/BuzzFeed

    Turning melted ice cream and egg yolk into a custard-like crème brûlée creation is a pretty neat party trick, but unfortunately I couldn't get the sugar to caramelize and I'm convinced you need a kitchen torch to achieve that crystalized sugar topping. I tried the TikTok method, caramelized the sugar in a sauce pan, and it quickly turned into hard clumps. I also tried a microwave method, but the sugar transformed from golden and honey-colored to completely burnt in a matter of seconds. In the future, I'll eat my ice cream frozen and save the crème brûlée for the professionals.

    Flamin' Hot Cheeto Mozzarella Sticks

    @tinathrillz

    How to make hot cheeto mozzarella sticks##fyp ##food

    ♬ original sound - killtina

    What you'll need:

    Ingredients for Cheeto-crusted mozzarella sticks on a countertop
    Hannah Loewentheil

    1 bag Cheetos (flamin' hot or regular), 1 cup flour, 1 egg, and cheese sticks, plus vegetable oil for frying.

    How to make them:

    Crushed up Cheetos on a plate with two spice jars containing smoked paprika and crushed red pepper.
    Hannah Loewentheil/BuzzFeed

    Start by crushing up Cheetos in a plastic bag until they are more or less crumbs. I could not find flamin' hot Cheetos for the life of me, so I decided to improvise by adding some spices to regular cheetos. It did the trick.

    Hannah Loewentheil/BuzzFeed

    Place flour in one shallow bowl and beat an egg in a second bowl. Working one mozzarella stick at a time, dip the cheese stick in egg then flour then egg then Cheeto crumbs.

    Hannah Loewentheil/BuzzFeed

    I'll confess I strayed from the TikTok instructions here and I have no regrets. Instead of frying the mozzarella sticks in oil, I popped them into my air fryer at 400 degrees F for 5 minutes until the outside was crispy and the cheese was melted.

    The result: 🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀/🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀

    A cheese pull of a Cheeto-crusted mozzarella stick.
    Hannah Loewentheil/BuzzFeed

    Ooooh baby, these were GOOD. I'm a bit of a cheese fiend, so I can't resist a good mozzarella stick and these were next level. The best part is, I'm convinced you could crush up any of your favorite bagged chips — Cool Ranch Doritos, salt and vinegar Cape Cod chips, barbecue Lays, you name it — in order to make some seriously delicious mozzarella sticks. The air fryer method worked like perfection, and the mozzarella sticks got super crispy and melty without any oil!

    The Quickest Way To De-Stem Leafy Herbs

    @foodies

    Tiktok teaches me more than school. ##foodies (via @anet_shevchenko )

    ♬ Tears of Gold - Faouzia

    What you'll need:

    A box grater and cilantro on a wooden countertop.
    Hannah Loewentheil/BuzzFeed

    A box grater and any leafy herbs like cilantro, rosemary, or parsley.

    How to do it:

    A handful of cilantro with its stems thread through a box grater.
    Hannah Loewentheil/BuzzFeed

    Place the ends of the herbs through the box grater and pull to de-stem them. What's left on the top of the box grater are the usable leafy herbs, ready to use in whatever you're cooking.

    The result: 🥬🥬/🥬🥬🥬🥬🥬

    Hannah Loewentheil/BuzzFeed

    This worked fine, but to be honest, I think it's easier to simply de-stem your herbs with a kitchen knife. Threading the stems through the grater took about a minute, whereas with a knife, you can slice off the stems in two seconds. Plus, you don't have to worry about cleaning your box grater.

    And with that, I might finally be able to get behind this whole TikTok thing.

    Hulu