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Our 21 Best Hanukkah Recipes to Build the Ultimate Holiday Menu

Fire up the candles and the stoves on this Festival of Lights

By SAVEUR Editors

Updated: December 12, 2019

Hanukkah may be called the Festival of Lights, but for us, it’s also about an opportunity to fry our dinner: potato latkes (topped with some chopped liver, perhaps?), donuts, and even some Yiddish schnitzel for lunch. But yes, there’s more than fried food to appreciate on this holy day, which is why we’ve also rounded up our favorite challah, kugel, and rugelach—traditional and otherwise. With our best Hanukkah recipes, we’ve got you covered for all eight days of the holiday.

Potato Jalapeño Latkes — These are classic latkes, grated potatoes bound with matzo meal and egg, but the simple addition of jalapeño adds a new kick to an old Jewish classic. Medina serves his jalapeno latkes with a tangy, cooling horseradish cream. Get the recipe for Potato Jalapeño Latkes »Matt Taylor-Gross

Latkes with Chopped Liver and Pickled Onions — Noah Bernamoff of Mile End Deli and Black Seed Bagels in New York City tops crispy latkes with chopped liver, fried duck eggs, and pickled onions. Get the recipe for Latkes with Chopped Liver and Pickled Onions »Marcus Nilsson

Chicken Schnitzel Sandwich — This sandwich is Mile End Deli's Eli Sussman's fun take on the fried chicken classic; the horseradish cream offsets the bitterness of the radicchio and the richness of the schnitzel nicely. Get the recipe for Chicken Schnitzel Sandwich with Horseradish Cream and Radicchio »Farideh Sadeghin

Rugelach — These airy pastries have a dainty elegance due to their flakey cream cheese dough and compact crescent shape. Get the recipe for Rugelach »Noah Fecks

Brisket and Potato Kugel — This hearty meat and potato casserole is perfect for a nontraditional Passover main. Get the recipe for Brisket and Potato Kugel »Matt Taylor-Gross

Nutmeg Doughnuts — Buttermilk gives these old-fashioned cake doughnuts their tangy appeal; a dusting of sugar and freshly grated nutmeg adds a spicy crunch. Get the recipe for Nutmeg Doughnuts »Todd Coleman

Sweet Noodle Kugel — Kugel—the creamy egg noodle casserole that's a staple of Jewish holiday cooking&dmash;gets a Midwestern topping of cornflakes in this Thanksgiving side dish. Get the recipe for Sweet Noodle Kugel »Ariana Lindquist

Challah — This eggy, yeasted bread is a welcome addition to any spread. Get the recipe for Challah »Landon Nordeman

Chinese Rugelach — Classic sweet rugelach get a Chinese twist with a filling of chestnuts, goji berries, and Chinese five-spice powder. Get the recipe for Chestnut and Goji Berry Rugelach »Matt Taylor-Gross

Jelly-Filled Donuts (Berliners) — If piping the jelly into these donuts proves challenging, use a paring knife to hollow out the side of the donut, making a cavity for the jelly. Get the recipe for Jelly-Filled Donuts (Berliners) »Todd Coleman

Apricot and Currant Chicken — The apricots and currants used in this dish add just the right amount of sweetness. Get the recipe for Apricot and Currant Chicken »Farideh Sadeghin

Crispy golden lakes with creamy mashed potato filling — A creamy mashed potato filling is coated in instant mashed potato flakes and potato starch before being pan-fried to a flawless golden crust. Get the recipe for Modernist Latkes »Helen Rosner

Classic Latkes — Learn how to make our classic latkes. Author Joan Nathan, from whom this recipe is adapted, likes hers with applesauce; we find them equally delectable with sour cream. Alternating between onion and potatoes when grating keeps the potatoes from darkening. Get the recipe for Classic Latkes »Matt Taylor-Gross

Shtetl Toast — Gribenes, the deeply-flavored result of cooking chicken skin and onions down in fat—a byproduct of rendering schmaltz—is perfect fodder for schmearing on this crostini from Wise Sons Jewish delicatessen in San Francisco. Get the recipe for Shtetl Toast »Matt Taylor-Gross

Plate of Kiddush cookies — Embellish these soft, buttery cookies with rainbow sprinkles, melted chocolate, powdered sugar, or all three. Get the recipe for Kiddush Cookies »D.J. Costantino

braised brisket — This traditional Jewish brisket is braised in an aromatic tomato-based chicken broth, and tastes even better the day after you've made it. Get the recipe for Classic Jewish Brisket »Matt Taylor-Gross

Moroccan Carrots with Aleppo Pepper and Mint — The dressing for this cumin-spiced salad is made from the carrots' cooking liquid, which concentrates into a sweet syrup when reduced. Get the recipe for Moroccan Carrots with Aleppo Pepper and Mint »Neal Santos

Red Roast Chicken with Lemon and Garlic — Paprika lends to the burnished skin and earthy sweetness of this roast chicken, its flavor brightened with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Set on a bed of pearl onions, carrots, garlic, fennel, and zucchini, the vegetables soak in all the bird's juices as it roasts. Get the recipe for Red Roast Chicken with Lemon and Garlic »Farideh Sadeghin

Carrot and Pistachio Salad — Carrots are roasted before being topped with crunchy pistachios and a sweet fig vinaigrette in a simple salad from Eli and Max Sussman's Classic Recipes for Modern People (Olive Press, 2015). Get the recipe for Carrot and Pistachio Salad »Matt Taylor-Gross

Aunt Gillie's Matzo Ball Soup — Chicken soup may or may not be a cure-all for physical and psychic ills, but if you add a few matzo balls it definitely becomes a deli classic. This recipe, from Gillie Feuer of Long Island, New York, was a tightly held secret, until we pried it loose. The key? Lots of veggies, and her light and floaty dumplings. Get the recipe for Aunt Gillie's Matzo Ball Soup »Laura Sant

Whitefish Guacamole — Avocado is an unlikely but delicious pairing for smoked whitefish, and this guacamole is a smokier, creamier spin on classic whitefish salad. Get the recipe for Whitefish Guacamole »Matt Taylor-Gross

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