29 Hanukkah Dishes to Brighten the Festival of Lights
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Light the menorah, spin the dreidel, and fire up the fryer. From latkes to sufganiyot, so many of our favorite Hanukkah foods are bathed in golden oil, as is traditional for the holiday. But why do we eat fried food for Hanukkah? Well, the story dates all the way back to the 2nd century BC, when the Maccabees reclaimed the Second Temple of Jerusalem. A single day’s supply of olive oil miraculously kept the temple’s menorah lit for eight whole nights (that’s why it’s called the Festival of Lights).
This year, celebrate with our all-star roster of traditional Hanukkah food, plus a few twists. Trade kosher franks for a platter of vegetarian figs-in-a-blanket, which will look right at home next to the bowl of hummus on the appetizer board. We have plenty of schmaltzy mains for you to choose from, like buttermilk fried chicken and a full Hanukkah chicken dinner (psst: it involves a giant latke). Speaking of latkes, no Hanukkah celebration is complete without a batch of crispy, skillet-fried potato pancakes. End the night on a sweet note with fruit- and nut-stuffed rugelach, flourless chocolate cake, or pillowy, jam-filled sufganiyot. Whatever you do, don’t forget the chocolate gelt.
Can’t settle on just one Hanukkah menu? Luckily, you’ve got eight crazy nights. Pro tip: Be sure to set yourself up for frying success ahead of time.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell2/28Strawberry Sufganiyot
Jelly-filled doughnuts, called sufganiyot in Hebrew, are a true hallmark of the holiday, and this recipe is the only one you’ll ever need. Once you master the basic dough, play around with different fillings (try Nutella or vanilla custard) and sugar coatings, but a simple dusting of powdered sugar never disappoints.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell3/28Latkes
For a big batch, grate the potatoes in the food processor to save time, then fry them in equal parts oil and schmaltz for a big boost of flavor. Planning an even bigger party? Fry them on a griddle.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Eliza Mozer4/28Rugelach
A tender cream cheese-based dough meets swirls of fruity, nut-studded filling in this classic Jewish confection. Substitute walnuts for pecans or raisins for cranberries; it’s really up to you. Serve at your holiday feast or keep this recipe on file for your holiday cookie boxes.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Megan Hedgpeth, Food Styling by Liza Jernow7/28Smoked Salmon Tartare
No Jewish holiday is complete without a platter of bagels, and no platter of bagels is complete without smoked salmon. Or in this case, a party-friendly smoked salmon dip that pairs wonderfully with potato chips.
Photo by Andrew Purcell, Prop Styling by Paige Hicks, Food Styling by Carrie Purcell8/28Leg of Lamb With Garlic and Rosemary
Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich9/28Parsnip Confit With Pickled Currants
You might recognize these stalwart root veggies from your matzo ball soup starter pack. Here, we give parsnips the VIP treatment, bathing them slowly in olive oil until supple and tender.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, prop styling by Brian Heiser, food styling by Rhoda Boone11/28Crispy Potato-Leek Kugel
If you just don’t have the patience to stand over the stove, flipping latkes, might we suggest this crispy potato kugel. Not to be confused with egg noodle kugel, this potato casserole happens to be dairy-free (which means it’s kosher for Passover, so bookmark it now).
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Mariana Velasquez12/28"Tzimmes" Chicken With Apricots, Prunes, and Carrots
Inspired by tzimmes, a traditional Rosh Hashanah side dish made with stewed dried fruits and honey, this sweet-and-savory chicken dish features dried apricots and prunes, pleasantly plumped with white wine and schmaltz. It’ll be just as welcome on your Hanukkah table.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Ali Nardi13/28Figs-in-a-Blanket With Goat Cheese
This meatless take on pigs in a blanket will make you forget all about the kosher franks. Sweet figs are a perfect match for sharp, savory goat cheese in this simple appetizer.
Photo by Con Poulos14/28Seeded Challah
Traditionally eaten on Shabbat, this braided bread can be enjoyed at any occasion. This recipe yields three loaves, which means you’ll have one to eat, one to give to the neighbors, and one to save for French toast in the morning.
Photo by Jonathan Lovekin15/28Creamy Hummus
The best hummus starts with dried chickpeas. Don’t try to fight us on this–it’s just a fact. This recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi will be your proof.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Laura Rege16/28Crispy Skin Chicken With Dill and Garlic Sauce
Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Erika Joyce17/28Matzo Ball Soup
Based on the recipe you’ll find on the back of the matzo meal box from Jewish food brand Manischewitz, this soup has a few notable upgrades–like the addition of schmaltz, also known as liquid gold.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Simon Andrews19/28Crisp Roast Duck
Fallen into a roast chicken rut? Climb right out of that hole and into the tender embrace of this crispy-skinned roast duck, which is consistently juicy and even easier to cook than chicken.
Johnny Miller22/28Fried Chicken
If you have time to marinate the chicken in buttermilk overnight, it’ll lock in all that moisture to give you an ultra-juicy bird.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova23/28Flourless Chocolate Cake
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Megan Hedgpeth, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich24/28Confit Turkey With Chiles and Garlic
Photo by Peden + Munk25/28Jam-Filled Challah Doughnuts
This playful take on sufganiyot uses challah dough as the base for pillowy jelly doughnuts. Fill them with Nutella to make babka-inspired doughnuts.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell26/28Lentil and Chicken Soup With Sweet Potatoes and Escarole
Don’t want to roast a whole chicken? Buy a rotisserie chicken and shred it up for this warming, stick-to-your-bones soup that cooks in just half an hour.
