Our Best Hanukkah Recipes & Ideas

Crispy on the outside, buttery and tender on the inside.

It’s no secret that one of the best ways to enjoy Brussels sprouts is when they’re deeply crispy and caramelized. While there are several paths that can get you there — including high-heat roasting and air frying — there’s nothing quite like the taste and texture of Brussels sprouts that have been deep-fried.

If you’ve never had a latke, it’s about time we change that. Traditionally served during Hannukah, these crispy fritters — often made with grated potatoes, onion, eggs, and matzo meal — are cooked in an air fryer and are sort of impossible not to love.Traditionally latkes are fried in oil (or chicken schmaltz!), but I wanted to see if I could make them using the wildly popular air fryer. And guess what? It was a smashing success.

More space for toppings.

It's perfect for beginners.

The creamy, crunchy texture is everything.

Brisket is a hearty cut of beef that requires time and technique to tenderize, making it one of the best cuts for braising and slow cooking. While you’ll see beef brisket served as corned beef in the spring and smoked down in Texas, the classic holiday beef brisket is typically braised in a sweet and tangy gravy. (To learn more about brisket and get tips for buying it, check out our brisket for beginners guide.

Shatteringly crisp!

No notes.

It's in the dough.

Bring on the latkes.

Prepare to win the “best guest” award!

The very best gifts are the edible sort!

In America, Hanukkah food typically refers to two things: latkes, Eastern European fried potato pancakes, and sufganiyot, jelly-filled doughnuts that are favored in Israel and increasingly popular here. While very different in composition, what ties these two foods together is that they are fried in oil — a technique that directly connects to the “miracle of the oil” in the Hanukkah story.

If you have any left over, that is.

Inspired by the Korean banchan gamja bokkeum.

Indeed, bagels with cream cheese and latkes with sour cream have a lot in common

Spoiler: they're even better.

One of the foods I most long for from my childhood bopping around Jewish delicatessens in New York and Los Angeles is the humble bowl of matzo ball soup: a mountain of tender dumplings surrounded by rich stock and not much else. As a child I would nibble each tender spoonful, carefully whittling down my knaidel (as “matzo ball” is called in Yiddish). I felt comforted and loved, not from my grandmother’s kitchen, but by those fascinating, mostly ancient servers who dished it up.

This is the one worthy of your holiday table.

Transforms a budget cut into something worthy of a fancy restaurant.

Our love runs deep.

Use this easy-to-follow recipe to create a 3-strand, 4-strand, or 6-strand challah.

It's easy enough to enjoy as an any day side, but elegant enough for your holiday table.

Big, bold flavors without a hint of sweetness.

Decadent, fudgy, and delicious.

This clever twist on the classic cookie is bursting with cinnamon and brown sugar-sweetened pecans.

It's like a big, warm hug.

10 tips from latke field research!

Did we mention it's topped with caramelized onion sour cream?

Yes, definitely latkes, but there are other tasty things, too.

Apple sauce and sour cream still required.

Do yourself a favor and serve it with rice or bread to mop up all the extra sauce.

A delightful take on the classic veggie platter dip.

This crisp, bubbly pitcher drink pairs perfectly with potato latkes.

Every holiday season we ask a few friends to join us here at The Kitchn for a series of guest posts. The topics range from favorite holiday recipes to family memories and traditions. Today’s guest: Jess Thomson of Hogwash. Jess is a friend and terrific writer and recipe developer. She recently published a book on doughnuts, and she brings us this recipe for sufganiyot, those fried, jelly-filled pastries so beloved at Hanukkah.

Not to be rude, but there’s something a little scary about jelly donuts. It’s not the donut part. It’s not even the jelly part, to be frank. I just don’t like surprises in my sweets. Don’t ever hand me a box of chocolates without a very clear map of exactly what’s in there, and at which precise coordinates. Also, I call dibs on anything with pistachio, always.But let’s return to jelly donuts.

It tastes even better on day two.

Try this Hungarian twist on classic kugel this year.

We included the brisket, of course.

It tastes best with latkes, of course.

It breaks all the rules — and yet it totally works.

Use this smart baking trick on any loaf of homemade bread.

The recipe comes from Jewish baking expert Marcy Goldman, so we knew we were in good hands.

She has a clever trick for braiding perfect strands.