11 Best Australian Home Cooks to Follow On Instagram
It’s hard to ignore the fact that there’s currently a home cooking phenomenon on Instagram.
Previously dominated by professional chefs working in kitchens decked with the latest and greatest cooking equipment and machines, there’s now a greater desire for recipe developers who can offer a more realistic and attainable approach to cooking.
So, whether you’re looking to put on a vegetarian feast, whip up pasta from scratch, learn how to make and wrap dumplings, perfect the art of meal-prepping or just need quick meals that’ll take less than 30-minutes to make, we’ve rounded up 11 of the best Australian home cooks who are dishing up incredible recipes and sharing genius cooking tips that you need to follow on Instagram. ASAP.
11 Best Australian Home Cooks to Follow On Instagram
1. Sian Regrave
Follow her on Instagram: @sian_redgrave
Not only is Sian an excellent cook, but she’s also a food stylist, recipe developer and proud Bed Threads The Makers alumni. A lot of the inspiration behind her recipes come from her nostalgic childhood memories of her mother and Aunty cooking in the kitchen.
While her food is simple - focusing on fresh, organic and seasonal ingredients - they’re overflowing with flavour and colour.
2. Jessica Nguyen
Follow her on Instagram: @jessica_nguyen
When Nguyen was made redundant from her marketing and PR job just before the coronavirus pandemic hit, she turned to food as a salve. She had always loved cooking, and often shared kitchen content on Instagram, but never professionally or in earnest. Now, fast-forward to 2021 and she boasts over 61k followers on Instagram and has earned the title as the CEO of ‘chilli oil on everything’.
We’ve been lucky enough to have Nguyen share some of her incredible recipes with us as part of our Put on a Spread series, like her vegetarian dumplings and Vietnamese spring rolls.
3. Julia Busuttil Nishimura
Follow her on Instagram: @juliaostro
The Melbourne-based recipe developed is the author of best-selling cookbook Ostro, and is one of Instagram’s most beloved cooks. Her recipes are influenced by her Maltese upbringing and time spent living in Tuscany.
What we love the most about her cooking style is that you won't see the latest appliances or equipment in her kitchen because she simply doesn’t own them. Instead, it’s her retro oven and a wooden spoon and bowl, which do the trick. It’s the kind of cooking where eating from the pot is encouraged.
4. Lia Townsend
Follow her on Instagram: @stories_to_gather
When it comes to creating the perfect tablescape, Lia is the cook to head to for inspiration. The grazing table enthusiast and founder of Stories to Gather, somehow strings together cheese, fruit, nuts and crackers into the most extravagant spreads that will impress even the most critical guests.
5. Khanh Ong
Follow him on Instagram: @khanhong
If you’re not following him already, Khanh will be the man who steals your heart on Instagram. The MasterChef Australia contestant who is known to be a package of unbridled joy, is passionate about creating recipes using aromatic Asian flavours. Khanh will transport you to the bustling streets of Vietnam with his incredibly flavourful recipes - think traditional Vietnemse Nuoc Mam sauce, chili garlic prawns or Bánh tằm xíu mại (pork meatballs with silky rice noodles, punchy nuoc mam sauce, fresh herbs and cucumber - yum!).
If you want more from the iconic cook, he’s also launched his first book A Gay Guy’s Guide to Life Love Food.
6. Anastasia Zolotarev
Follow her on Instagram: @anastasiazolotarev
You may have spotted Anastasia on Season 8 of MasterChef Australia or her recipes on our Put on a Spread series. The Belarus-born food writer and recipe developer moved to Ukraine with her family when the Soviet Union dissolved, before making the tough decision to relocate to Australia for a better life.
Now based in Sydney, her food is inspired by her family’s culture and traditions, with a string focus on homegrown produce.
7. Leah Itsines
Follow her on Instagram: @leahitsines
If you’re looking for simple and healthy meals that don’t skimp on flavour, then Leah is your girl. Her Instagram proves that you don’t have to cut food groups, obsess over calories, or shy away from carbs or fats to stay healthy. Instead, it’s all about using simple and accessible ingredients to make meals that you can enjoy during the week or over a dinner party with friends and family.
Her captions and Instagram Stories are candid and relatable - the kind of content we need to be consuming after a stressful year that was 2020.
8. Jenna Holmes
Follow her on Instagram: @pasta_mama_
More commonly known as Instagram’s Plant Mama - and later Pasta Mama - Jenna is renowned for hosting private Pasta Club feasts. This sensory experience focuses on simple and fresh vegetables (sometimes seafood, too), and of course, lots of wine. Her colourful tablescapes are enough to kick-start those pasta cravings.
9. Charlotte Ree
Follow her on Instagram: @charlotteree
When Charlotte isn’t working her day job as a publicity manager for a book publisher, she’s in the kitchen whipping up the most delectable baked goods.
The Sydney-based baker firmly believes in appreciating the basics when it comes to flavours and baking techniques, perfected by our grandparents. Not only is her Instagram filled with the most stunning food photography, but you’ll also be entertained by her captions, which feature clever puns.
10. Katie Lolas
Follow her on Instagram: @katie.lolas
We all know meal prepping can help save money and time - and if done right, can help keep your health goals on track.
Katie, who has obtained the title of Instagram’s 'Queen of Meal Prep', shares weekly meal prep tricks and hacks with her 163k followers and posts all her recipes on her blog. There, you can find a huge range of recipes from triple chocolate banana bread to vegan brown rice stuffed capsicums and meals that take less than 30-minutes to make.
The Sydney-based food creator just goes to show that eating meal-prepped food doesn’t have to be boring or tasteless.
11. Ashley Alexander
Follow her on Instagram: @gatherandfeast
The self-taught cook has always had a passion for food, so much so that by the time she was 12, she was preparing three course meals with her brother.
Ashley's approach to food is simple: create beautiful dishes that can be served at a dining table and enjoyed over conversation with friends and family. Her recipes are wholesome and nutritious, using natural ingredients and fresh in-season produce to inspire other home cooks to dish up meals that are visually pleasing as well as delicious and nutritious.
Hungry now? Explore delicious recipes from our favourite home cooks here.
