Leveling Cooking in Wrath of the Lich King Classic is a straightforward process that can provide your character with beneficial buffs and even some gold-making opportunities. This WotLK Classic Cooking leveling guide will show you the quickest and most efficient way to increase your Cooking skill from 1 to 450.
If you’re also looking to level Fishing alongside Cooking, consider using our combined guide for optimal efficiency:
Fishing & Cooking Leveling Guide 1-450
Cooking Trainers
In Wrath of the Lich King Classic, learning Cooking is easier than ever. You no longer need to find and read Cooking books or complete the Artisan cooking quest. Simply visit a Cooking trainer in a major city to learn the profession and advance your skills.
Horde Trainers:
- Bork: Orgrimmar
- Drogar: Thunder Bluff
- Greka: Undercity
Alliance Trainers:
- Aindrea Mead: Ironforge
- Asric: Stormwind City
- Gavin: Darnassus
Cooking Leveling Guide
1 – 40
Craft approximately 60 Spice Bread to reach Cooking skill level 40. This recipe is simple and uses ingredients readily available from vendors near your Cooking trainer.
- 60x Simple Flour
- 60x Mild Spices
Important: Purchase Simple Flour and Mild Spices from Cooking Supply vendors located near your trainer. Avoid buying these common ingredients from the Auction House as they are much cheaper from vendors.
Spice Bread
Alt text: Spice Bread icon, a simple recipe to start your WotLK Cooking journey.
The Spice Bread recipe may turn green before you reach skill level 40, meaning you might need to cook a few extra to reach the desired level.
40 – 65
For this skill range, you can choose from a variety of recipes. Making around 25-35 dishes from the options below should get you to the next stage. You don’t need to stick to a single recipe; feel free to mix and match based on ingredient availability and cost.
| Food | Ingredients | Recipe Source |
|---|---|---|
| Roasted Boar Meat | Chunk of Boar Meat | Trainer |
| Smoked Bear Meat | Bear Meat | Sold by Andrew Hilbert / Drac Roughcut |
| Spiced Wolf Meat | Stringy Wolf Meat | Trainer |
| Brilliant Smallfish | Raw Brilliant Smallfish | Vendors |
| Slitherskin Mackerel | Raw Slitherskin Mackerel | Vendors |
Roasted Boar Meat
Alt text: Roasted Boar Meat icon, a simple cooking recipe using boar meat.
Smoked Bear Meat
Alt text: Smoked Bear Meat icon, a recipe requiring bear meat available from specific vendors.
Spiced Wolf Meat
Alt text: Spiced Wolf Meat icon, a trainer-taught recipe using wolf meat.
Brilliant Smallfish
Alt text: Brilliant Smallfish icon, a fish recipe obtainable from vendors.
Slitherskin Mackerel
Alt text: Slitherskin Mackerel icon, another fish recipe also sold by vendors.
Journeyman Cooking
Once you reach Cooking skill level 50 and character level 10, visit your trainer again to learn Journeyman Cooking.
65 – 110
Continuing to make Smoked Bear Meat is an option, but it will become less efficient around skill level 90. If you choose this route, you’ll need approximately 35 Bear Meat.
For a more diverse leveling experience, aim to craft around 65 dishes from the following recipes.
| Food | Ingredients | Recipe Source |
|---|---|---|
| Boiled Clams | Clam Meat, Refreshing Spring Water | Trainer |
| Coyote Steak | Coyote Meat | Trainer |
| Longjaw Mud Snapper | Raw Longjaw Mud Snapper | Vendors |
| Bat Bites | Bat Flesh | Master Chef Mouldier (Horde only) |
| Strider Stew | Strider Meat | Tari’qa (Horde only) / Easy Strider Living Quest (Alliance Only) |
Boiled Clams
Alt text: Boiled Clams icon, a simple recipe from trainers using clam meat.
Coyote Steak
Alt text: Coyote Steak icon, another trainer recipe utilizing coyote meat.
Longjaw Mud Snapper
Alt text: Longjaw Mud Snapper icon, a fish recipe available from vendors.
Bat Bites
Alt text: Bat Bites icon, a Horde-specific recipe sold by Master Chef Mouldier.
Strider Stew
Alt text: Strider Stew icon, a recipe with faction-specific acquisition methods.
110 – 130
Focus on crafting around 20-30 dishes from the recipes in the table below to progress efficiently through this skill range.
| Food | Ingredients | Recipe Source |
|---|---|---|
| Crab Cake | Crawler Meat | Trainer |
| Dry Pork Ribs | Boar Ribs | Trainer |
| Bristle Whisker Catfish | Raw Bristle Whisker Catfish | Vendors |
| Cooked Crab Claw | Crawler Claw | Kendor Kabonka (Alliance only) |
Crab Cake
Alt text: Crab Cake icon, a trainer recipe using crawler meat.
Dry Pork Ribs
Alt text: Dry Pork Ribs icon, another trainer recipe, this time using boar ribs.
Bristle Whisker Catfish
Alt text: Bristle Whisker Catfish icon, a vendor recipe using catfish.
Cooked Crab Claw
Alt text: Cooked Crab Claw icon, an Alliance-specific recipe sold by Kendor Kabonka.
Expert Cooking
Reaching Cooking skill 125 allows you to learn Expert Cooking from your trainer.
130 – 175
A highly efficient recipe for this range is the Curiously Tasty Omelet. Craft around 50 of these to advance your skill.
- 50x Curiously Tasty Omelet – 50 Raptor Egg
The Recipe: Curiously Tasty Omelet is sold by Kendor Kabonka in Stormwind City (Alliance) and Keena in Arathi Highlands (Horde).
Curiously Tasty Omelet
Alt text: Curiously Tasty Omelet icon, a recipe using raptor eggs, available from vendors.
Alternative Recipes
Explore alternative recipes if Raptor Eggs are not readily available or cost-effective on your server’s Auction House.
175 – 225
Roast Raptor is another effective recipe utilizing Raptor Flesh. Craft around 50 of these to reach the next skill bracket.
- 50x Roast Raptor – 50 Raptor Flesh
The Recipe: Roast Raptor is sold by Hammon Karwn and Keena in Arathi Highlands.
Roast Raptor
Alt text: Roast Raptor icon, a recipe using raptor flesh, also available from vendors.
Alternative Recipes
Consider alternative recipes if Raptor Flesh prices are inflated on your server.
Artisan Cooking
At Cooking skill 225, you can learn Artisan Cooking from your trainer, unlocking the path to higher skill levels.
225 – 250
Choose one of the following recipes and make approximately 25 dishes to advance through this skill range.
- Recipe: Undermine Clam Chowder is sold by Jabbey in Tanaris. If you are in Tanaris, it’s highly recommended to visit Gikkix and purchase all cooking recipes he offers. Note that Undermine Clam Chowder is a limited supply recipe, so you might need to wait for respawn if it’s already purchased, or check the Auction House.
- Recipe: Spotted Yellowtail is sold by Gikkix in Tanaris. While visiting Gikkix, also buy Recipe: Nightfin Soup and Recipe: Poached Sunscale Salmon as they might be useful in the next stage.
- Recipe: Monster Omelet is sold by Himmik in Winterspring at Everlook (inside the inn), or by Malygen (Alliance) / Bale (Horde) in Felwood.
- Recipe: Tender Wolf Steak is sold by Dirge Quikcleave in Tanaris. Again, if you are in Tanaris, consider visiting Gikkix for more recipes.
- Recipe: Filet of Redgill is sold by Kelsey Yance at Booty Bay. He is located inside the large building at the end of the ship dock in Booty Bay, take an immediate left upon entering.
Recipe: Undermine Clam Chowder
Alt text: Recipe Undermine Clam Chowder scroll icon, a limited supply recipe sold in Tanaris.
Recipe: Spotted Yellowtail
Alt text: Recipe Spotted Yellowtail scroll icon, a recipe sold by Gikkix in Tanaris.
Recipe: Monster Omelet
Alt text: Recipe Monster Omelet scroll icon, available in Winterspring and Felwood.
Recipe: Tender Wolf Steak
Alt text: Recipe Tender Wolf Steak scroll icon, sold by Dirge Quikcleave in Tanaris.
Recipe: Filet of Redgill
Alt text: Recipe Filet of Redgill scroll icon, purchased from Kelsey Yance in Booty Bay.
250 – 285
Juicy Bear Burger is a great option for this range. You’ll need to farm Bear Flank, which has a reasonable drop rate from bears in Felwood. Make around 40 burgers.
- 40x Juicy Bear Burger – 40x Bear Flank
The Recipe: Juicy Bear Burger is sold by Bale (Horde) and Malygen (Alliance) in Felwood. Alternatively, you can make Charred Bear Kabobs, with the recipe sold by the same NPCs.
Juicy Bear Burger
Alt text: Juicy Bear Burger icon, a recipe using bear flank, obtainable in Felwood.
Alternative Recipes
Recipe: Nightfin Soup and Recipe: Poached Sunscale Salmon, both sold by Gikkix in Tanaris, are viable alternatives if Bear Flanks are scarce or expensive.
285 – 300
Craft approximately 15 Smoked Desert Dumplings to bridge this skill gap.
- 15x Smoked Desert Dumplings – 15 Sandworm Meat
To obtain the Recipe: Smoked Desert Dumplings, you need to complete two quests in Silithus. Farm 15 Sandworm Meat from Dredge Strikers and Dredge Crushers in Silithus.
Smoked Desert Dumplings
Alt text: Smoked Desert Dumplings icon, a recipe requiring a quest chain in Silithus.
Alternative Recipes
Recipe: Thistle Bear Stew and Recipe: Baked Salmon, sold by Vivianna and Sheendra Tallgrass in Feralas, offer alternative paths if you prefer not to quest in Silithus.
Master Cooking (300-350)
Visit Cooking trainers in Outland to learn Master Cooking. Trainers can be found in Hellfire Peninsula and Terokkar Forest.
300 – 325
Choose one of the following recipes and make around 30 dishes:
Recipe Locations:
- Recipe: Ravager Dog is sold by Cookie One-Eye (Horde) and Sid Limbardi (Alliance) in Hellfire Peninsula.
- Recipe: Buzzard Bites requires a quest chain starting with Legassi in Hellfire Peninsula at coordinates /way 49.2 74.8.
Ravager Dog
Alt text: Ravager Dog icon, a recipe sold in Hellfire Peninsula.
Buzzard Bites
Alt text: Buzzard Bites icon, a recipe obtained through a quest chain in Hellfire Peninsula.
325 – 350
You have three excellent choices for this skill range. Craft around 40 dishes from your preferred recipe:
Recipe Locations:
These recipes are faction-dependent and reputation-gated with the Kurenai (Alliance) or Mag’har (Horde) in Nagrand.
Kurenai/Mag’har Reputation
Alliance characters begin as ‘Unfriendly’ with the Kurenai, requiring some quests to reach ‘Neutral’ to purchase recipes. Horde characters have a similar starting reputation with the Mag’har.
Talbuk Steak
Alt text: Talbuk Steak icon, a recipe requiring Kurenai/Mag’har reputation.
Roasted Clefthoof
Alt text: Roasted Clefthoof icon, another recipe from Kurenai/Mag’har vendors.
Warp Burger
Alt text: Warp Burger icon, the last of the three recipes sold by Kurenai/Mag’har.
WotLK Classic Cooking (350-450)
Travel to Northrend to learn WotLK Classic Cooking from trainers in major zones.
Horde Trainers:
- Rollick MacKreel: Valiance Keep, Borean Tundra
- Orgrimmar: Valgarde, Howling Fjord
Alliance Trainers:
- Brom Brewbaster: Warsong Hold, Borean Tundra
- Anneliese Blake: Fort Wildervar, Howling Fjord
350 – 365
Start your Northrend Cooking journey by making approximately 23 Northern Stew.
- 23x Northern Stew – 23 Chilled Meat
You’ll receive the Recipe: Northern Stew by completing the Northern Cooking quest. This quest is available from Cooking trainers in Howling Fjord and Borean Tundra. You’ll need 4 Chilled Meat to complete the quest.
Northern Stew
Alt text: Northern Stew icon, a recipe obtained from a quest in Northrend starting zones.
365 – 400
For this skill range, craft around 70 dishes from any of the recipes below. The cheapest options are typically Rhino Meat, Worm Meat, Shoveltusk Flank, or Fangtooth Herring, but check your Auction House for the best deals.
Worm Delight
Alt text: Worm Delight icon, a Northrend cooking recipe using worm meat.
Shoveltusk Steak
Alt text: Shoveltusk Steak icon, using shoveltusk flank as ingredient.
Roasted Worg
Alt text: Roasted Worg icon, requiring worg haunch.
Rhino Dogs
Alt text: Rhino Dogs icon, made with rhino meat.
Mammoth Meal
Alt text: Mammoth Meal icon, utilizing chunk o’ mammoth.
Smoked Salmon
Alt text: Smoked Salmon icon, a fish recipe using glacial salmon.
Poached Nettlefish
Alt text: Poached Nettlefish icon, made from nettlefish.
Pickled Fangtooth
Alt text: Pickled Fangtooth icon, using fangtooth herring.
Grilled Sculpin
Alt text: Grilled Sculpin icon, requiring musselback sculpin.
Baked Manta Ray
Alt text: Baked Manta Ray icon, made with imperial manta ray.
400 – 450
Cooking trainers in Northrend will not teach you any further recipes. To reach the maximum Cooking skill of 450, you must purchase recipes from vendors in Dalaran using Epicurean’s Awards.
Visit Derek Odds (Alliance) or Misensi (Horde) in Dalaran. Each recipe costs 3 Epicurean’s Awards.
Epicurean’s Awards
Epicurean’s Awards are obtained by completing daily cooking quests in Dalaran. You will earn 1 Epicurean’s Award per daily quest completed.
Daily cooking quests are offered by Katherine Lee (Alliance) and Awilo Lon’gomba (Horde) in Dalaran.
- You can complete only 1 daily cooking quest per day.
- One random quest out of 5 possible quests is offered each day.
- Requires Cooking skill 350.
- Requires character level 65.
Northern Spices
All recipes from this point onward require at least 1 Northern Spices.
Northern Spices can be obtained from daily cooking quests, purchased from the Auction House, or bought in stacks of 10 for 1 Epicurean’s Award from vendors near the cooking trainers in Dalaran.
Cooking Recipes for 400-450
Below is a list of recipes and their required ingredients. Check the Auction House prices for different meats and fish to determine the most cost-effective recipe for you. Aim to make around 60 dishes to reach skill level 450.
Spiced Mammoth Treats
Alt text: Spiced Mammoth Treats icon, a Dalaran cooking recipe using mammoth chunks.
Tracker Snacks
Alt text: Tracker Snacks icon, made with shoveltusk flank and northern spices.
Blackened Worg Steak
Alt text: Blackened Worg Steak icon, using worg haunch and northern spices.
Critter Bites
Alt text: Critter Bites icon, requiring chilled meat and northern spices.
Hearty Rhino
Alt text: Hearty Rhino icon, made with rhino meat and northern spices.
Cuttlesteak
Alt text: Cuttlesteak icon, using moonglow cuttlefish and northern spices.
Firecracker Salmon
Alt text: Firecracker Salmon icon, made from glacial salmon and northern spices.
Imperial Manta Steak
Alt text: Imperial Manta Steak icon, using imperial manta ray and northern spices.
Poached Northern Sculpin
Alt text: Poached Northern Sculpin icon, made with musselback sculpin and northern spices.
Blackened Dragonfin
Alt text: Blackened Dragonfin icon, using dragonfin angelfish and northern spices.
Spicy Blue Nettlefish
Alt text: Spicy Blue Nettlefish icon, made from nettlefish and northern spices.
Spicy Fried Herring
Alt text: Spicy Fried Herring icon, using fangtooth herring and northern spices.
Congratulations on reaching Cooking skill level 450 in WotLK Classic! If you have any feedback or suggestions to improve this guide, or if you find any errors or outdated information, please send feedback. Your input is valuable!
