Google AI Now Powers Recipe Searches

Google is now including recipes in its AI Overviews, even when the search terms don’t explicitly use the word “recipe” but clearly suggest a cooking-related intent.

This new behaviour indicates that Google’s AI is becoming more intuitive in understanding user needs. For instance, someone searching for “how to make lasagne” may now see an AI Overview even if the term “recipe” isn’t used.

What’s interesting is that when users specifically search with the word “recipe,” Google still tends to show the traditional rich results for recipes, rather than the newer AI-generated summaries.

This shift has been picked up by SEOs across various platforms. Reports have started appearing on social media that recipe-type searches are now triggering AI Overviews more frequently.

Tom Critchlow, a notable figure in the SEO community, shared his observations on LinkedIn, highlighting the changes he noticed while conducting recipe-related searches.

Critchlow noted that these AI Overviews seem to be quite effective, even describing them as “pretty good” in terms of relevance and user experience.

He also suggested that the feature supports his idea that future search results will rely more on personalised recommendations rather than simple rankings.

In his words, each link within the AI Overview is accompanied by a reason to click, which offers users more context and confidence in their choices.

Other SEO professionals in private online communities, including Facebook groups, have echoed these findings, adding weight to the suggestion that this rollout might be more widespread than initially thought.

As AI continues to reshape how content is surfaced, this development highlights a move towards smarter, more intuitive search experiences that prioritise helpfulness over keyword precision.

Is AI Overviews Showing Up For Recipe Queries?

At the moment, AI Overviews do not seem to appear for recipe-related searches that include the word “recipe” itself. This applies whether you’re using a desktop or a mobile device.

When users type in queries that contain the terms “recipe” or “recipes,” the search results continue to display the usual recipe-rich features.

This behaviour remains consistent across different devices, with no notable variation between desktop and mobile platforms.

On the other hand, when a search clearly shows intent to find a recipe but does not include the word “recipe,” the AI Overview appears more frequently.

It seems that Google is distinguishing between direct keyword usage and inferred intent when determining whether or not to show AI-generated summaries.

This shift highlights the growing focus on user intent in search engine responses, particularly with AI enhancements becoming more prominent.

Not Showing Up In Mobile Search

Keyword phrases that activate recipe-related AI Overviews on desktop do not always produce the same outcome on mobile devices. For instance, searching for “Cordon Bleu” on a desktop may display an AI Overview, but performing the same search on a mobile phone might not.

This suggests there may be differences in how Google handles AI-generated summaries across various devices, potentially depending on user interface design or testing preferences.

For content creators in the food blogging space, particularly those focused on recipes, this could have an impact on web traffic.

Bloggers who rely heavily on desktop users may start to notice a drop in traffic as Google’s AI Overviews begin to replace traditional search result layouts.

This decline in visibility could become more pronounced over time, especially as more people turn to AI-powered tools like ChatGPT and Claude when searching for cooking instructions or meal ideas.

As users shift away from clicking through to websites and instead rely on summarised answers, recipe bloggers may need to consider new strategies to retain their audiences.

Whether through optimising content for AI visibility or expanding into video and social media platforms, adapting to this trend will likely be essential.

ChatGPT Shows Recipes For Recipe Queries

Chatbots are designed to produce responses that appear convincing and coherent. Because of this, users may struggle to distinguish between a genuine recipe and one that only sounds authentic.

From personal experience with using chatbots for cooking guidance, their reliability as sources for truly authentic recipes is questionable.

In many cases, the information provided may not follow traditional methods or include accurate ingredient combinations, leading to recipes that feel a bit “off” to experienced cooks.

However, for the average person cooking at home, this might not be an issue. The chatbot-generated recipes typically meet general expectations well enough.

As a result, many home cooks may be unaware that what they’re using isn’t entirely authentic—because it still works and tastes acceptable in most cases.