25 Recipes From Our Test Kitchen That Have Earned a Perfect, 5-Star Rating

It’s no secret that the chefs and recipe developers in our test kitchen turn out the highest-quality recipes you'll find anywhere — but even we know that calling a recipe ‘the best’ relies, to some extent, on opinion. Some of us prefer chewy cookies, others crave crispy. There are people who put beans in their chili, others who wouldn’t hear of it. The list, of course, goes on and on.

But there are always recipes that rise to the top. Ones where the masses can’t help but agree they check off all the boxes and deserve the title of ‘best’. These are those recipes, both savory and sweet: tested and perfected in the Food Network kitchen, rated and reviewed by Food Network fans — each one earning a full 5 stars.

You can’t go wrong with any of the dishes in this roundup, but this simple baked salmon is a must-try. It has hundreds of reviews and a sparkling, 5-star rating. And it’s not hard to see why — it hits all the right notes: tangy, sweet, savory, a little spicy and crunchy. Cooking a larger piece makes for a nice presentation, too. Topped with buttery golden breadcrumbs and parsley, it's perfect for a weeknight dinner — yet fancy enough to serve to guests.

We have a lot of requirements when it comes to banana bread and we finally created a recipe that ticks all the boxes. It's moist, tender, a little tangy and perfectly sweet — all around our favorite one. The best part is that it's even better the next day (if it lasts that long). Try toasting the bread and slathering with a little salted butter. We're pretty sure you'll never need another banana bread recipe.

This is weeknight comfort food at its finest. We created a homemade sauce that is tangy and flavorful but also quick and easy. We used both ketchup and canned tomato sauce for lots of tomato-y zip and just a touch of brown sugar for a bit of sweetness and slight caramel finish. Green bell pepper is a key addition; it really enhances the other ingredients, elevating the flavor profile into the realm of a true sloppy joe.

We're transporting you to the old-fashioned diner for a plate of fluffy buttermilk pancakes. Our recipe has both baking powder for an airy and light interior and baking soda for that even golden-brown exterior. We love the tang of buttermilk and the richness of butter for an even cakier stack. This recipe is easy enough for a fast breakfast with the kids or doubled for a weekend brunch with friends.

We chose to use chicken leg quarters rather than a whole chicken to make this well-loved soup. It shortens the cooking time without sacrificing any flavor, and the dark meat adds extra depth. Carrots, celery and onion are called for twice in the recipe — first they’re simmered whole along with the chicken and aromatics to create a rich and flavorful broth. After straining them out, sliced vegetables are added to the soup to finish it. Nothing is as simple, comforting and satisfying.

This is the only chocolate cupcake recipe you'll ever need. We love these for their deep, rich chocolate flavor and their moist and springy interiors. Plus, they're the perfect cake base for any frosting.

Our bolognese is rich and meaty, yet surprisingly light on the tomato. Instead, its base is made from a classic combination of wine and milk. The combination of pork, beef and pancetta adds a complex depth of flavor that using one type of meat couldn’t provide. A Parmesan rind is another key ingredient. If you have homemade chicken stock, now is the time to use it. We tried it with boxed broth but weren’t thrilled with the results, so we prefer water instead.

Our classic deviled eggs get their kick from mustard and hot sauce. We like the simplicity of the flavor — it's the perfect recipe to use your imagination and add your favorite toppings or mix-ins.

A slightly lighter version of the all-American classic, this satisfying meatloaf uses chicken broth and soaked panko to stay moist, and a mix of fresh herbs for flavor. It’s the best turkey meatloaf you’ll find!

This is our best version of the classic party dip. It's savory and creamy with a slight tang from sour cream and Parmesan — so hard to resist. We like to use frozen whole leaf spinach and chop it ourselves for more control over the finished texture of the dish.

If you're a peanut butter lover then these chewy cookies with a warm, gooey chocolate center will be sure to satisfy. This recipe makes about 4 dozen, so it's perfect for any holiday or big-batch baking.

Gently poaching chicken breasts in an aromatic broth yields tender morsels for folding into a bright and herby homemade dressing. Serve it solo on a bed of lettuce with sliced tomatoes or in half an avocado. It also makes a killer chicken club sandwich topped with crisp bacon and other sandwich fixings.

Pepper steak is a Chinese-American stir-fry dish that coats tender sliced steak and crisp-tender bell peppers in a deeply savory and slightly sweet sauce. We used flank steak here, but it is equally delicious with skirt or flap steak. No matter the cut, make sure to slice it thinly across the grain to ensure the meat is tender in the final dish. We tested bell peppers cut into a variety of sizes and found that one-inch pieces worked best, yielding peppers cooked to the perfect doneness (not too snappy but not at all mushy).

Brown lentils are the star of this dish. To boost flavor, we used a classic mirepoix — onion, celery and carrot — as well as thyme, bay and oregano for an herby finish. We found the fresh lemon juice and parsley at the end brightened up the soup and added a nice pop of color.

It's the stuff of dreams: a classic sweet and tart dessert with a foolproof meringue topping that won't weep! We use mostly butter in our from-scratch pie dough, but also add a little vegetable shortening as well — we found that this combination creates a crust that is both tender and flaky.

We love this recipe because the chicken breasts, which can often be dry and tasteless, come out so moist and tender. What’s our secret? Seasoning the chicken with salt and pepper 1 hour before cooking ensures that they stay juicy. First the salt draws some moisture from the meat, but then the meat re-absorbs the salty liquid, leading to perfectly seasoned cutlets. And that bright lemony butter sauce? There is enough to serve with the chicken plus a side of pasta or crusty bread.

With relatively few ingredients (none of them being cream), the success of a classic creamy risotto depends largely on technique. We've tested all the methods and narrowed it down to a few easy-to-follow steps that will help you achieve perfectly cooked Italian-style rice every time. This basic recipe is delicious on its own and makes a wonderful base to add your favorite vegetables or protein.

A classic menu item from every great Italian-American restaurant, this shrimp scampi hits all the right notes: buttery, lemony, garlicky. We love it for its simplicity and balance of flavor (copious amounts of butter help, too!). But while it looks and tastes fancy, this dish is actually very easy to make. The white wine sauce gets a spicy finish from red pepper flakes, perfect for soaking up with good crusty bread or cooked pasta.

We’ve created the cheesecake of your dreams: rich, dense and creamy with a buttery, not-too-sweet graham cracker crust. Easy-to-follow instructions ensure a smooth, crack-free top every time.

This sweet potato casserole is sprinkled with a nutty crumb topping to create a pleasantly crunchy contrast to the creamy and soft mashed sweet potatoes down below. The filling gets an extra special pumpkin pie(ish) treatment with brown sugar and vanilla for a deep caramel flavor. (In fact, leftovers can be heated up and topped with a scoop of ice cream just like pie.) Want to make ahead for Thanksgiving or another special holiday? Not a problem. The casserole ingredients can be mixed and transferred to a baking dish. Cover and refrigerate until ready to bake but leave off the topping. Store it separately at room temperature in an air-right container and sprinkle it on right before baking.

Butter chicken originated in a Delhi restaurant when the chef was looking for a way to serve unsold tandoori chicken from the night before. He created a mild tomato curry spiced with cinnamon, cardamom and cloves and finished with butter. It was an instant classic that we love to serve alongside basmati rice and plenty of naan to soak up the fragrant sauce.

In creating this recipe, we tried out many different methods — folding in egg whites, milk versus buttermilk, a yeasted batter. But at the end of the day, this simple dump-and-stir was our favorite by far. Someone in the test kitchen may have even said this was the best waffle they'd ever eaten! The buttermilk makes this waffle ultra-light while the generous amount of butter makes for a super crispy exterior, leaving the inside custardy and soft. Finally, we kept the sugar to a minimum, making these the perfect foil for sweet toppings like maple syrup, berries or jam.

This classic Italian-American dish is a nostalgic reminder of large family dinners of a bygone era. It's the ultimate crowd pleaser. The flavors from the marsala and cremini mushrooms bring a sweet earthiness to the sauce that really elevates simple seared chicken breasts.

We went very classic with this garlic bread recipe — lots of butter and lots of garlic loaded onto warm, soft and pillowy French bread. You could make a light meal by rounding it out with a crisp green salad. Or serve it our favorite way — alongside your favorite red-sauce pasta.