It’s time to break out the menorah—the Jewish Festival of Lights is here! Hanukkah is an eight-day party commemorating the victory of a small group of Jews over Syrian armies in the second century BCE. According to tradition, when the Jews reentered their temple, a single day’s supply of oil burned for eight days and nights, amounting to a miracle. That’s why Jews the world over celebrate the holiday with mounds of oily—ahem, fried—foods both sweet and savory.
Eight nights is barely enough time to make all of our favorite Hanukkah recipes, from classic latkes (topped with chopped liver, perhaps?) to brisket to a boozy Southern riff on sufganiyot. So bust out the cast iron, light the Hanukkah candles, and get that oil nice and hot.
Challah Knots
These fluffy, brioche-like rolls are traditionally served on Jewish holidays, but they’re perfect for any occasion. Get the recipe >
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Zabar's Latkes
Potatoes are hand-grated and shallow-fried to crispy perfection in this recipe from the iconic New York deli. Get the recipe >
Chocolate-Raspberry Babka
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Classic babka gets an update with a double dose of raspberry: A few spoonfuls of jam add a tart edge to the cocoa filling, while a simple syrup infused with fresh berries adds a pink-tinged, lacquered shine to the final loaf. Get the recipe >
Latkes with Chopped Liver and Pickled Onions
What’s better than crispy potato latkes? Crispy potato latkes topped with chopped liver, fried duck eggs, and pickled onions. Get the recipe >
Rugelach
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These flaky pastries made with cream cheese dough ooze with sweet raspberry jam. Get the recipe >
Classic Latkes
This recipe by renowned cookbook author Joan Nathan will hold your hand all the way to crackly latke perfection.Get the recipe >
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Kiddush Cookies
According to The 100 Most Jewish Foods author Alana Newhouse, anyone who’s frequented an American synagogue or been in the past half-century is familiar with kiddush cookies—a motley crew of sweet, pasty mounds, dabbed with chocolate or colored sprinkles—served after Saturday-morning services. This superlative version is cakey, moist, and can be made up to 5 days in advance, just in time for Hanukkah. Get the recipe >
Classic Beef Brisket
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Braised in an aromatic tomato-based broth, this Jewish holiday staple tastes even better the next day, after the flavors have had more time to mingle. Get the recipe >
Edith’s Matzo Ball Soup
In this robust recipe from Edith’s Eatery & Grocery in Brooklyn, a whole chicken simmers with parsnips, kombu, and roasted bones to make a belly-warming broth. Matzo meal dumplings get a surprising, unconventional hug of heat from dried ginger. Get the recipe >
Fried Chicken Schnitzel Sandwich
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At Montreal’s Arthurs Nosh Bar, buttermilk fried chicken cutlets are seasoned with the peppery local steak spice and stacked high on challah toast. Add go-to toppings like honey, crunchy kosher dills, and iceberg lettuce slaw. Get the recipe >
Fried Apple Pies
Use a tart, firm apple variety like Granny Smith, which holds its shape well and releases minimal liquid during cooking, for these golden hand-held treats. Get the recipe >
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Rösti (Swiss Hash Browns)
Rösti and latkes are birds of a feather: they’re both essentially grated and fried potatoes. In the dish's native Switzerland, recipes include bacon, rosemary, caraway seeds, eggs, pasta, cheese, and even coffee, but our favorite version hails from Bern, at Restaurant Della Casa—golden, impeccable, ideal. Get the recipe >
Vanilla-Glazed Yeast Donuts
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The glaze on these airy old-timey donuts is gorgeously shiny thanks to a combination of clarified butter and evaporated milk. Get the recipe >
Churros
These long, fluted fritters—a celebration of oil in their own right—are best served with thick hot chocolate for dunking. Get the recipe >
French Crullers
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Named for their twisted shape, these honeyed donuts get their airy texture from choux pastry—the same basic dough used to make éclairs, cream puffs, and gougères.Get the recipe >
Triple Coconut Donuts
Coconut milk gives these donuts from Seattle's Top Pot donut shop a super-moist interior and a gratifying crust. Get the recipe >
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Sweet Noodle Kugel
Kugel—the creamy egg noodle casserole that's a staple of Jewish holiday cooking—gets a Midwestern topping of crunchy cornflakes here in a welcome departure from tradition. Get the recipe >
Pistachio-Date Rugelach with Rosewater Syrup
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For his Israeli-style rugelach, wunderkind chef Eitan Bernath rolls rich yeasted babka dough around a sweetly spiced pistachio-date filling, then gilds the lily with a drizzle of rosewater honey. Get the recipe >
Sufganiyot with Bourbon-Orange Glaze
Baking powder in the batter makes this donut recipe quicker and easier than old-school yeasted versions; so does a quick drizzle of boozy orange jam (no piping bag needed!). Get the recipe >
Brisket and Potato Kugel
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Who says Ashkenazi-style kugel has to be plain mashed potatoes or egg noodles? The quintessential bubbe meal gets a meaty makeover in this updated recipe. Get the recipe >
Beet Stew with Lamb Meatballs
This traditional Iraqi-Jewish vegetable stew hits complex spice notes, thanks to cumin, coriander, cayenne, and paprika. It’s all spooned over turmeric-infused rice and ground lamb meatballs. Get the recipe >
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Jewish Chicken Foot Fricassée with Meatballs
Everything but the feathers winds up in this frugal, homey braise, brimming with pan-seared offal and matzo-meal meatballs and tempered by a sweet-and-sour tomato sauce. Get the recipe >
Sweet and Sour Potted Meatballs
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Adapted from Arthur Schwartz's Jewish Home Cooking: Yiddish Recipes Revisited, these “potted,” or covered, rice-and-beef chuck meatballs simmer in a citrusy tomato gravy. Get the recipe >
Challah (Braided Egg Bread)
Because no Hanukkah spread is complete without a loaf of the classic braided egg bread.Get the recipe >
Fried Artichoke Hearts with Taratur Sauce
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This flavorful Syrian recipe, in which tender artichoke bottoms are fried and served with an intense, tahini-based sauce, comes from Damascus. Get the recipe >