Bizarre Food Combinations That Are Actually Delicious

It isn’t just pregnant women who crave bizarre food combinations. Many of us have our own strange food combos that we just can’t live without. Sriracha and peanut butter? Broccoli and Cheetos? Some bizarre food combinations make the tastiest treats.

We rounded up some of the strangest but most delicious food combinations with chef-approved recipes for you to try. Don’t be afraid to get a little weird. These food combos are strangely addicting.

1.) Sriracha and Peanut Butter

Bon Appetit/Danny Kim

Give peanut butter a savory update by ditching jelly for sriracha! This bizarre food combination is extremely addictive and, like sriracha alone, is good on so many things. Use it as a savory toast topper or drizzle it on chicken and noodle dishes for a spicy Thai-style peanut sauce. Here’s an easy recipe using this bizarre food combo from Bon Appetit.

Recipe: Peanut Butter Sriracha Toast

Ingredients

• Peanut Butter
• Slice of toast
• Sliced scallion
• Fresh cilantro leaves
• Sriracha
• Fresh lime juice
• Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon)

Directions

1. Spread peanut butter on a slice of toast.

2. Top with sliced scallion, fresh cilantro leaves and sriracha.

3. Finish with lime juice and flaky sea salt.

4. Enjoy!

2.) Avocado and Chocolate

California Avocado Commission

Here’s a bizarre food combination perfect for anyone who’s lactose-intolerant or vegan. You can use avocado instead of heavy cream to make a dairy-free and delicious chocolate mousse. The strong flavor of dark chocolate masks the taste of the avocado, which mainly just lends its creamy texture to the dessert anyway.

This food combo is also full of nutrients! Dark chocolate and avocados are loaded with healthy fats, antioxidants and anti-inflammation properties.

Recipe: Creamy Vegan Avocado Chocolate Mouse

Ingredients

• 2 ripe avocados, pitted and peeled
• 1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup milk of choice (use canned coconut milk for ultimate creaminess)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp. sweetener
• Pinch of salt
• Raspberries or mint leaves for garnish

Directions

1. Microwave chocolate chips in 20-second intervals, stirring occasionally until melted. Then, add all other ingredients.

2. Blend all ingredients together. Start with 1/4 cup of milk and add up to 1/2 cup until desired consistency is reached.

3. Refrigerate in an airtight container until chilled.

4. When ready to serve, top with raspberries, nuts, and mint.

5. Enjoy your creamy, healthy-dessert win.

3.)  Broccoli and Cheetos

Saveur Magazine

Cheetos and broccoli?! It’s a surprisingly delicious food combination. Broccoli and cheese make a classic casserole and vegetable dish. Using Cheetos as a topping adds a tasty texture and crunch.

Chef Craig Koketsu from NYC’s Park Avenue Winter combined this bizarre food combo into a mouthwatering dish for Saveur Magazine.

Recipe: Broccoli with Cheetos

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3 tbsp. minced garlic
• 2 tbsp. minced shallots
• 6 whole black peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cups grated aged Gouda
• ¹⁄₂ cup grated Parmesan
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 1 ¹⁄₄ lb. (about 2 large heads) broccoli, cut into small florets, stems cut crosswise into ¹⁄₄″ slices
• 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. crushed red chile flakes
• 2 cups original Cheetos, crushed by hand

Directions

4.) Olive Oil and Ice Cream

New York Time Cooking

You can find this bizarre food combination at a lot of ice cream shops in NYC and LA. It was originally made famous by Mario Batali’s restaurant Otto.

Olive oil over vanilla gelato makes for a delicious, cold, creamy treat. The flavor of the olive oil adds a subtle savory taste to sweet gelato without overpowering it. Try making it at home or pick some up at Otto.

Recipe: Olive Oil Gelato

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. water
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• Large pinch salt
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. olive oil

Directions

1. In a medium-size saucepan, stir together the sugar, water, milk, and salt and heat until bubbles form around the edge of the pan. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks until frothy. Continue beating whilst pouring in the combined liquids in a thin stream, then return the mixture to the pan. Carry on stirring with the pan over a low to moderate heat until the custard thickens to a loose custard sauce consistency or reaches 185 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. (Take your time and take the pan off the heat, if needed, because you don’t want to scramble the egg).

2. Immediately pour the custard into a bowl and set the bowl in an ice water bath. Stir until the mixture is cool. Transfer to a lidded container, and refrigerate overnight.

3. Whisk in 1/4 cup olive oil in a thin steady stream — the mixture should thicken and turn smooth. Taste the mixture and decide if you want to add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil — the oil flavor will become more prominent as the ice cream ages, so keep this in mind.

4. Churn in anice cream maker following manufacturer’s instructions. Eat right away, or transfer to a container and freeze until ready to eat.

5.) Pomegranate and Steak 

Food52/Phylis Grant

Upgrade steak (or any meat!) with a sweet and savory pomegranate sauce. The bizarre combination of fruit over meat actually works really well in some recipes. Case in point: Ever tried pork and apples?

Pomegranate juice can be used to make a molasses-like marinade, and the seeds are delicious sprinkled on top of cooked meat as a garnish. Try this food combo with this tasty recipe from Food52.

Recipe: Pomegranate Flank Steak

Ingredients 

• 1 1/2-pound flank steak
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, for seasoning meat
• A few turns black pepper
• 2 anchovy fillets, packed in oil
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 large shallot, finely diced (about 1 tablespoon)
• 2 tsp. honey
• 3 tbsp. pomegranate molasses
• 1 tbsp. balsamic reduction (or regular balsamic vinegar)
• 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 3 tbsp. red wine (any kind)
• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt, for the marinade
• 3/4 cup pomegranate arils

Directions 

1. Remove flank steak from the fridge. Unroll it onto a cutting board with the long edge towards you (think of it like a landscape photo). Find the grain (the linear marbling of the meat). It runs along the length of the longer side. Find a sharp knife, and score the meat for optimum absorption of marinade and to prevent curling under high heat. To do this, cut super shallow (less than 1/16-inch deep) vertical lines from top to bottom, about every 2 inches or so, against the grain, all the way across. Flip over and do this on the other side. Season the flank steak with salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. With a mortar and pestle, make a smooth paste out of the anchovies and garlic (this takes some elbow grease). Whisk in shallots, honey, pomegranate molasses, balsamic reduction, red wine vinegar, red wine, olive oil, and salt. Put the flank steak in a wide, shallow dish, and pour the marinade over it. Press in with your hands. Flip over. Press in with your hands. Flip over again. Cover dish with saran wrap. Place in the fridge. Marinate for at least an hour or up to 24 hours.

3. Take steak out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Adjust your oven rack so that the meat can be a few inches from the flame.

4. Turn on your broiler. Place your broiling or roasting pan in the oven to get it nice and hot. (I use one with two levels, allowing the juices to drip down into a tray below. But this is not necessary.) Lift up the steak and allow the marinade to drip back down into the dish. Scrape as much of it off as you can with a spatula or your hands. Place meat on a separate plate. Open the oven and place flank steak on the hot pan.

5. The flank steak will cook very fast — usually 2 to 3 minutes per side is just right for rare. 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium rare. But don’t trust me! Trust yourself! Take it out before you think it’s done. Cut it open and take a peek. It will continue to cook quite a bit out of the oven. I almost always cook it a bit too much. So learn from me. Remove from heat and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes. Makesure your plate or cutting board can catch the precious juices.

6. Place marinade in a medium-sized pot. Pour in any juices that have drained off of the broiled steak. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Turn down to medium. Reduce until almost half of it is gone and it starts to thicken. Stir every 30 seconds or so to make sure nothing is burning on the bottom. Turn off heat. Stir in pomegranate arils. Taste. Adjust seasoning. Spoon sauce over the top of the flank steak. Let it sit for a few more minutes. A surprising amount of the sauce will seep into the steak. Slice thinly, at an angle, against the grain. Serve.

Into purple ketchup? Then you’ll love reading up on these other bizarre condiments!