Our Favorite Hanukkah Recipes

Gather your family and friends and celebrate the Festival of Lights with recipes for latkes, brisket, rugelach and more.

October 18, 2021

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Braised Brisket with Root Vegetables

This Hanukkah main has it all: beefy, tender brisket with a rich tomato flavor, and flavorful root vegetables braised in red wine and brisket juices.

Get the Recipe: Braised Brisket with Root Vegetables

Spinach and Feta Noodle Kugel

This spanakopita-inspired version of noodle kugel is loaded with spinach, onions, herbs and feta. If you're looking for a new take on a classic holiday dish or a simple vegetarian side, here's your answer.

Get the Recipe: Spinach and Feta Noodle Kugel

Spiced Apple-Pear Sauce

Make your own applesauce to serve with latkes — this one gets pears into the mix, enhancing the natural sweetness in both fruits.

Get the Recipe: Spiced Apple-Pear Sauce

Potato Latkes

It isn't a Hanukkah celebration unless there are hot latkes on the table. This year, try pan-frying the shredded potatoes in clarified butter — it's the key to light, perfectly crisp texture.

Get the Recipe: Potato Latkes

Matzo Ball Soup

A homemade broth prepared with whole chicken, vegetables and herbs is the setting for delicious matzo balls.

Get the Recipe: Matzo Ball Soup

Chicken Soup Knishes with Creamy Gravy

The best thing about my Nana Celie's chicken soup (other than how comforting her house smelled when she had a pot simmering on the stove) was how tender the chicken meat was no matter how long she cooked it. I later learned that her secret was to use only dark meat, which was rendered so silky it practically slipped of the bone in one piece. In this twist on a classic knish, I use only chicken thighs and turn the soup into an uber-chicken-y gravy for dunking. While you can replace the schmaltz with any neutral cooking oil, I strongly recommend sticking with dark meat chicken since white meat will cook up mealy and dry.

Get the Recipe: Chicken Soup Knishes with Creamy Gravy

Slow Roasted Salmon with Sage and Parsley Pistou

Dress salmon in a garlic-sage oil and fragrant pink peppercorns before roasting, then serve it with emerald green pistou sauce, which adds a bright herby flavor and color.

Get the Recipe: Slow Roasted Salmon with Sage and Parsley Pistou

Sufganiyot

Hanukkah is known as the festive of lights, which commemorates the miracle of the small amount of holy oil that lasted the eight days it took for more to be found. During these eight days of Hanukkah it is customary to eat lots of sweet and savory foods fried in oil and there is no better or more delicious way to honor that tradition than by making and eating these sweet, pillowy, lemon-scented sufganiyot, or jelly doughnuts, which are typically filled with raspberry, strawberry or apricot jam.

Get the Recipe: Sufganiyot

Noodle Kugel

Dave's kugel is as delicious as it is dollar friendly.

Get the Recipe: Noodle Kugel

Olive Potato Focaccia with Asparagus Menorah

On Hanukkah, we eat food fried in oil to remember the miracle of a small amount of oil lasting for eight nights when the Jewish people were rededicating the Temple. What better way to celebrate than with an oil-rich olive potato focaccia decorated with a totally edible asparagus menorah?

Get the Recipe: Olive Potato Focaccia with Asparagus Menorah

Potato Latkes

These classic potato pancakes are super crispy on the outside but soft and moist on the inside. Serve them alongside the classic Hanukkah accompaniments of sour cream and apple sauce.

Get the Recipe: Potato Latkes with Spiced Apple-Pear Sauce

Potato-Kasha Knishes

Had enough latkes? Try another delicious Jewish potato dish, the knish.

Get the Recipe: Potato-Kasha Knishes

Latke Hotdish

We love Molly's take on this latke-inspired dish. She says, "Hotdish is such a good holiday food. It's like a hug for your insides." And, we couldn't agree more!

Get the Recipe: Latke Hotdish

Gelt Magic Bars

These sweet Hanukkah treats come together quickly and are easy to transport to a party or school event. The bars are quite gooey so be sure to let them cool completely before cutting. There are a lot of fun holiday sprinkle blends available online or you can make your own.

Get the Recipe: Gelt Magic Bars

Challah Crowns

There's nothing like fresh-baked challah. Shape the loaves into these easy coils if you don't want to bother with braids.

Get the Recipe: Challah Crowns

The Ultimate Braised Brisket

Tyler's recipe for brisket ensures juicy, tender meat bursting with flavor from a long braise with herbs and vegetables.

Get the Recipe: The Ultimate Braised Brisket

Challah French Toast

Ina amps up traditional French toast by using eggy challah bread and an orange and vanilla custard. Serve with real maple syrup for a holiday breakfast.

Get the Recipe: Challah French Toast

Rugelach

Bring some Hanukkah spirit to the holiday cookie swap with Ina's rugelach, filled with brown sugar, cinnamon and raisins.

Get the Recipe: Rugelach

Roast Chicken With Apricot Stuffing

To prepare the chicken in advance, follow paragraphs 1 and 2, then refrigerate the chicken and stuffing separately overnight. Bring to room temperature, stuff and roast the next day.

Get the Recipe: Roast Chicken With Apricot Stuffing

Kugel Muffins

Kugel, or noodle pudding, can be sweet or savory and is typically baked in a large baking dish and served as a side dish during the Jewish High Holidays or at Shabbat dinner on Friday evenings. This recipe is a sweet version, baked up as muffins and perfect for toting to potluck dinners or giving as gifts during the winter holidays. Thinner noodles are easier to scoop into the muffin cups, but if only wide egg noodles are available, simply break them up a bit by gently banging the bag with a rolling pin before boiling.

Get the Recipe: Kugel Muffins

Tyler Florence's Blueberry Blintzes

Tyler Florence fills crepes with a ricotta-lemon mixture and tops them with a fragrant, lush blueberry sauce bursting with the flavor of pie filling.

Get the Recipe: Blueberry Blintzes

Marshmallow Dreidels

The traditional Hanukkah game just got a tasty new twist.

Get the Recipe: Marshmallow Dreidels

Buttered Egg Noodles

Toss al dente egg noodles with butter, parsley, dill and lemon juice for a simple yet splendid side dish. That's just four ingredients for a whole lot of flavor.

Get the Recipe: Buttered Egg Noodles

Horseradish-Crusted Brisket

Celebrate the Festival of Lights with fork-tender brisket, a Jewish classic updated by Food Network Magazine.

Get the Recipe: Horseradish-Crusted Brisket With Carrots

Caramelized Onion and Potato Knishes

As a young girl I was always baffled as to why my grandparents were so fond of knishes--to me, they were too big, too dense and too boring. These are much smaller and lighter, more like fluffy sour cream-and-herb-loaded baked potatoes wrapped in light, flakey pastry dough. For those intimidated by making and rolling out pastry dough, I can assure you that this is the most forgiving, most foolproof dough ever. I've made this recipe on both warm, humid days and cold dry days with nary an issue. Schmaltz lends both depth of flavor and flaky texture, but any neutral oil will work just fine.

Get the Recipe: Caramelized Onion and Potato Knishes

Roast Chicken with Wild Rice Dressing

It's hard to say which part of this dish is best: the wild rice dressing studded with dried fruit or the chicken glazed in orange marmalade and roasted until the skin is extra golden and crispy.

Get the Recipe: Roast Chicken with Wild Rice Dressing

Oven-Fried Latkes

Using the oven to make crisp latkes saves a lot of calories and fat -- and hassle. You can cook a large batch quickly in a very hot oven. Egg white takes the place of a whole egg, keeping the cholesterol low, too.

Get the Recipe: Oven-Fried Latkes

Apple Cider Doughnuts

Doughnuts are a delicious Hanukkah tradition. These are made with fresh apples, then rolled in cinnamon-sugar.

Get the Recipe: Apple Cider Doughnuts

Challah Bread Pudding with Chocolate and Raisins

"This bread pudding is heavenly and sinful at the same time. I use dense, rich challah bread that sets into a creamy soft custard. But it's the chocolate and raisins layered in between the slices of bread that really make the dish," says Dave Lieberman.

Get the Recipe: Challah Bread Pudding with Chocolate and Raisins

Potato Latkes

With a shiny 5-star rating, this is our most-popular latke recipe.

Get the Recipe: Potato Latkes

Brisket with Parsnips, Leeks and Green Onions

Braising hearty and meaty beef brisket for several hours yields succulent, tender results.

Get the Recipe: Brisket with Parsnips, Leeks and Green Onions

Duff's Slightly Adapted Mamo's Potato Pancakes

Duff's cakes may be out there, but he sticks to tradition when it comes to latkes: "My great-grandmother Mamo made the best latkes in the whole world!"

Get the Recipe: Slightly Adapted Mamo's Potato Pancakes

Chard and Caramelized Shallot Noodle Kugel

Cooking the egg custard in a water bath makes this dairy-free savory kugel creamy, soft and silky in texture, a lovely contrast to the golden brown crunchy topping.

Get the Recipe: Chard and Caramelized Shallot Noodle Kugel

Sugar and Spice Doughnuts

It's customary to eat fried foods on Hanukkah to celebrate the oil that burned for eight days. Doughnuts are a favorite fried dessert; serve these sugar-dusted treats piping hot straight from your own kitchen.

Get the Recipe: Sugar and Spice Doughnuts

Parsnip-Potato Latkes With Cinnamon Applesauce

You can fry these latkes up to six hours ahead; put them on a rack on a baking sheet and re-crisp in a 375-degree-F oven before serving.

Get the Recipe: Parsnip-Potato Latkes With Cinnamon Applesauce

Sweet-and-Sour Short Ribs

Beets, carrots and sweet potatoes give succulent fall-off-the-bone short ribs a pop of color.

Get the Recipe: Sweet-and-Sour Short Ribs

Chocolate Chip Challah Bread

You can’t beat a freshly baked loaf of challah — especially when there are chocolate chips folded into the fluffy, buttery bread.

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Chip Challah Bread

Spanolatkes

It wouldn't be Hanukkah without a batch of latkes on the table, and these Greek-inspired "spanolatkes" from the Philadelphia restaurant Estia will go like hotcakes.

Get the Recipe: Spanolatkes

Chicken Liver Crostini

Hard-boiled egg, parsley and radish slices put the finishing touch on these liver-topped toasts.

Get the Recipe: Chicken Liver Crostini

Doughnut Holes With Strawberry

These cinnamon sugar-dusted balls of dough taste even better dipped in a strawberry and elderflower liqueur syrup.

Get the Recipe: Doughnut Holes With Strawberry Syrup

Crispy Potato Cake

Melissa says, "When grated and fried into a potato cake, super cheap potatoes take on an impressive and fancy look that every budget-minded cook can appreciate."

Get the Recipe: Crispy Potato Cake

Fried Pastries with Wine Syrup

Hanukkah celebrates all kinds of fried foods, not just latkes. These fried pastries with a hint of orange are drizzled with a fragrant cinnamon wine syrup and topped with crunchy pomegranate seeds.

Get the Recipe: Fried Pastries With Wine Syrup

Jelly Doughnuts

Homemade dough is fried into little balls and filled with a surprise sweetness. Use a favorite jam or jelly flavor, or make a variety for guests to choose from.

Get the Recipe: Jelly Doughnuts

Smoked Salmon Toasts

Bobby keeps this recipe simple: Top toasted bread with tomato, honey mustard, smoked salmon and fresh dill, and serve for a holiday brunch or as an appetizer.

Get the Recipe: Smoked Salmon Toasts

Veal Shank Paprikash

As the veal cooks, cipollini onions caramelize and lend a sweetness to the meat. Use the leftover juices from the pan to create a sauce to serve with the veal and vegetables.

Get the Recipe: Veal Shank Paprikash

Chocolate Macaroons

Nigella Lawson's chocolate macaroon cookies are chewy, chocolatey and for 54 calories each, are a sweet treat you don't have to feel guilty about.

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Macaroons

New Mexicali Green Chile Cheese Kugel

Roasted chiles give this cheesy kugel a delicious Southwestern edge. And the golden brown cheesy topping studded with artichoke hearts is so irresistible you'll have to go back for seconds.

Get the Recipe: New Mexicali Green Chile-Cheese Kugel

Kugel with Apricot Nectar

You'll want to make this kugel, topped with crunchy cornflakes and laced with apricot-sweetened cream cheese filling, a new Hanukkah tradition. Don’t be surprised when family members start requesting it on the daily.

Get the Recipe: Kugel with Apricot Nectar

Gravlax with the Works

Earn major points with homemade gravlax. Food Network Magazine's recipe flavored with fennel, coriander and grapefruit will go fast at the brunch table.

Get the Recipe: Gravlax With the Works

Rose Jam Doughnuts with Vanilla Glaze and Pistachios

If you're looking for something extra-special to serve during Hanukkah, try Molly's take on doughnuts. She says, “The dried rose petals and colorful pistachios give these doughnuts an extra spark."

Get the Recipe: Rose Jam Doughnuts with Vanilla Glaze and Pistachios

Roasted Capon with Quinoa-Olive Stuffing

Capon is a larger, older chicken often used in Jewish cooking. This Mediterranean-flavored recipe makes a great centerpiece for a Hanukkah feast.

Get the Recipe: Roasted Capon with Quinoa-Olive Stuffing

Matzo Ball Soup

On a chilly December night, what could be better than a steaming bowl of matzo ball soup?

Get the Recipe: Sephardic Chicken Soup with Sofrito and Herbed Matzo Balls

Doughnuts and Chocolate Sauce

Stock up on store-bought doughnut holes, then make your own chocolate dipping sauce.

Get the Recipe: Doughnuts and Chocolate Sauce

Black-and-White Cookies

Try Duff's black-and-white cookies — a New York deli classic — in blue and white for Hanukkah.

Get the Recipe: Duff's Black and White Cookie

On Tonight

Holiday Central

Our Favorite Hanukkah Recipes

Related To:

Braised Brisket with Root Vegetables

Spinach and Feta Noodle Kugel

Spiced Apple-Pear Sauce

Potato Latkes

Matzo Ball Soup

Chicken Soup Knishes with Creamy Gravy

Slow Roasted Salmon with Sage and Parsley Pistou

Sufganiyot

Noodle Kugel

Olive Potato Focaccia with Asparagus Menorah

Potato Latkes

Potato-Kasha Knishes

Latke Hotdish

Gelt Magic Bars

Challah Crowns

The Ultimate Braised Brisket

Challah French Toast

Rugelach

Roast Chicken With Apricot Stuffing

Kugel Muffins

Tyler Florence's Blueberry Blintzes

Marshmallow Dreidels

Buttered Egg Noodles

Horseradish-Crusted Brisket

Caramelized Onion and Potato Knishes

Roast Chicken with Wild Rice Dressing

Oven-Fried Latkes

Apple Cider Doughnuts

Challah Bread Pudding with Chocolate and Raisins

Potato Latkes

Brisket with Parsnips, Leeks and Green Onions

Duff's Slightly Adapted Mamo's Potato Pancakes

Chard and Caramelized Shallot Noodle Kugel

Sugar and Spice Doughnuts

Parsnip-Potato Latkes With Cinnamon Applesauce

Sweet-and-Sour Short Ribs

Chocolate Chip Challah Bread

Spanolatkes

Chicken Liver Crostini

Doughnut Holes With Strawberry

Crispy Potato Cake

Fried Pastries with Wine Syrup

Jelly Doughnuts

Smoked Salmon Toasts

Veal Shank Paprikash

Chocolate Macaroons

New Mexicali Green Chile Cheese Kugel

Kugel with Apricot Nectar

Gravlax with the Works

Rose Jam Doughnuts with Vanilla Glaze and Pistachios

Roasted Capon with Quinoa-Olive Stuffing

Matzo Ball Soup

Doughnuts and Chocolate Sauce

Black-and-White Cookies

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