30 Easy and Delicious Hanukkah Recipes That Are Absolutely Worth Making

    Crispy latkes, chocolate babka, and slow cooker brisket that basically makes itself.

    Hannah Loewentheil
    by Hannah Loewentheil

    BuzzFeed Staff

    Whether or not you celebrate Hanukkah, we can all agree that it's a pretty excellent culinary holiday. After all, for an entire eight days you're supposed to indulge in gloriously fried foods. So if you're looking for some recipe inspiration, here are some Hanukkah recipes to try out this year.

    YouTube / Via youtube.com

    1. Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken

    Apricot glazed chicken thighs in a slow cooker.
    Dinner Then Dessert / Via dinnerthendessert.com

    You can find this sweet-meets-savory chicken dish on the table for just about any Jewish holiday. Chicken thighs cook in the slow cooker in a mixture of onion soup mix, apricot preserves, French dressing, and thyme. It's only a few ingredients, but it packs tons of flavor.

    Recipe: Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken

    2. Sweet Potato Latkes

    The Wimpy Vegetarian / Via thewimpyvegetarian.com

    Replace Russet potatoes with sweet potatoes for a modern take on classic pan-fried latkes.

    Recipe: Sweet Potato Latkes

    3. Homemade Applesauce

    Spend With Pennies / Via spendwithpennies.com

    Three ingredients is all you need for this sweet and tangy homemade applesauce: apples, cinnamon, and sugar.

    Recipe: Homemade Applesauce

    4. Matzo Ball Soup With Chicken Meatballs

    A bowl of soup with thin, long noodles, chicken meatballs, matzo balls, and carrots in chicken broth.
    Foodie Crush / Via foodiecrush.com

    The ultimate comfort food, matzo ball soup is called Jewish penicillin for a reason. This version calls for homemade chicken meatballs instead of more classic shredded chicken breast.

    Recipe: Matzo Ball Soup With Chicken Meatballs

    5. Za'atar Roasted Chicken Breast

    Skillet Za'atar Roasted Chicken Breast.
    The Mediterranean Dish / Via themediterraneandish.com

    This spiced skillet chicken recipe is so much easier and quicker than roasting a whole bird, but it's still so moist, juicy, and full of flavor.

     Recipe: Za'atar Roasted Chicken Breast

    6. Sweet Noodle Kugel Muffins

    A muffin tin filled with individual noodle kugel muffins.
    Kosher in the Kitch / Via kosherinthekitch.com

    These sweet and tender egg noodle muffins get their flavor from cinnamon, sugar, applesauce, and pineapple juice. Baked in muffin tins, they're a perfectly shareable appetizer.

    Recipe: Sweet Noodle Kugel Muffins

    7. Easy Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

    A bowl of creamy chicken noodle soup with carrots, celery, and herbs.
    Salt and Lavendar / Via saltandlavender.com

    Chicken noodle soup gets a decadent upgrade worthy of the holiday table thanks to a little bit of cream and flour. It's coziness in a single bowl.

    Recipe: Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

    8. Homemade Hummus

    A bowl of hummus with vegetables for dipping.
    Carlsbad Cravings / Via carlsbadcravings.com

    Be warned: once you make this creamy hummus from scratch, it's nearly impossible to go back to the store-bought kind. And once you've got the basic recipe down pat, you can add anything from beets to roasted red peppers to jazz up this party dip.

    Recipe: Homemade Hummus

    9. Slow Cooker BBQ Beef Brisket

    Life in the Lofthouse / Via life-in-the-lofthouse.com

    The hardest thing about making brisket is having the patience to wait and let it get nice and tender. Thanks to your handy slow cooker, that's easier than ever. Just cover beef brisket in your favorite bottled BBQ sauce and some spices and let dinner cook itself.

    Recipe: Slow Cooker BBQ Beef Brisket

    10. Challah Grilled Cheese

    Challah grilled cheese filled with gooey, melted cheese.
    The Food Charlatan / Via thefoodcharlatan.com

    Buttery, eggy, moist challah bread is the perfect vessel for gooey grilled cheese. Try it once, and you'll never go back.

    Recipe: Challah Grilled Cheese

    11. Barley Risotto with Mushrooms

    Barley risotto with mushrooms and thyme.
    Seasons and Suppers / Via seasonsandsuppers.ca

    Hearty and heart-warming, this warm mushroom and barley salad is a perfect veggie side dish for whatever else you're serving.

    Recipe: Barley Risotto with Mushrooms

    12. Crispy Potato Latkes With Smoked Salmon

    A plate of crispy potato latkes topped with sour cream, smoked salmon, and chives.
    Domestic Gothess / Via domesticgothess.com

    A little dollop of sour cream and a slice of smoked salmon turns your average potato latkes into an elevated, crowd-pleasing appetizer. Make these for Hanukkah...or any day.

    Recipe: Crispy Potato Latkes With Smoked Salmon

    13. Roasted Carrots with Honey and Garlic Yogurt Sauce

    Roasted carrots with yogurt sauce.
    Pinch of Yum / Via pinchofyum.com

    A drizzle of honey, a handful of crushed pistachios, and a dollop of garlicky Greek yogurt sauce turns ordinary roast veggies into a crave-worthy side.

    Recipe: Roasted Carrots with Honey and Garlic Yogurt Sauce

    14. Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken Thighs

    The Food Cafe / Via thefoodcafe.com

    Crushed tomatoes, pineapple, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, hot sauce, and some spices form a delightfully balanced sauce that's equally sweet and tangy.

    Recipe: Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken Thighs

    The View From Great Island / Via theviewfromgreatisland.com

    You can replace potatoes with just about any shredded veggie to make crispy latkes. In this case, beets give veggie pancakes a bright pop of color and, paired with horseradish crème fraîche, a unique and irresistable flavor.

    Recipe: Beet Latkes with Horseradish Crème Fraîche

    16. Truffle Oil Potato Kugel

    Coffee and Champagne / Via coffeeandchampagne.com

    Potato kugel is probably the comfort food you never knew you needed in your life. It's basically a potato and egg noodle casserole, baked with creamy cottage cheese, sour cream, butter, and scallions. If you don't have truffle olive oil, don't worry: it will still taste incredible.

    Recipe: Truffle Oil Potato Kugel

    17. Roasted Tomato Soup with Ricotta Matzo Balls

    A bowl of tomato-based soup with three fluffy matzo balls topped with fresh herbs.
    Little Ferraro Kitchen / Via littleferrarokitchen.com

    While not necessarily traditional, these fluffy ricotta matzo balls in tomato-based broth tastes almost like matzo ball soup and lasagna soup had a baby.

    Recipe: Roasted Tomato Soup with Ricotta Matzo Balls

    18. Garlic Rosemary Slow Roasted Salmon

    Slow cooked salmon in a baking dish.
    Dishing Out Health / Via dishingouthealth.com

    Slow roasted a salmon fillet at a low temperature pretty much ensures you don't overcook it. The end result is flaky, juicy, and perfect for pairing with potato latkes.

    Recipe: Garlic Rosemary Slow Roasted Salmon

    19. Crispy Smashed Potatoes

    The Modern Proper / Via themodernproper.com

    Recipe: Crispy Smashed Potatoes

    20. Pizza Latkes

    A baking sheet lined with latkes topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.
    My Name is Yeh / Via mynameisyeh.com

    I'm just wondering why didn't I think of this sooner...

    Recipe: Pizza Latkes

    21. Roasted Butternut Squash and Leeks with Orange Tahini Sauce, Walnuts, and Za’atar

    Roasted Butternut Squash and Leeks with Orange Tahini Sauce, Walnuts, and Za’atar
    A Beautiful Plate / Via abeautifulplate.com

    The flavors in this veggie side dish are so complex, it would be hard not to fall in love at first bite.

    Recipe: Roasted Butternut Squash and Leeks with Orange Tahini Sauce, Walnuts, and Za’atar

    22. Jewish-Style Fried Artichokes

    Deep fried artichoke hearts with lemon on a plate.
    Italian Food Forever / Via italianfoodforever.com

    Perhaps the most delicious way to eat artichokes, the hearts are deep fried until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, then they're drizzled with salt and lemon juice.

    Recipe: Jewish-Style Fried Artichokes

    23. Homemade Challah Bread

    House of Nash Eats / Via houseofnasheats.com

    Challah bread is easily one of the most wonderful things on the planet. Enriched with eggs and olive oil, it's light and moist, yet rich and buttery at the same time. Plus, you get to make French toast with the leftovers.

    Recipe: Homemade Challah Bread

    24. Air Fryer Latkes

    Diethood / Via diethood.com

    These potato latkes get outrageously crispy, but there's absolutely no deep frying required. It's a Hanukkah miracle!

    Recipe: Air Fryer Latkes

    25. Chocolate Babka

    A chocolate babka sliced to reveal a moist brioche loaf with chocolate swirls.
    Baking a Moment / Via bakingamoment.com

    Making babka from scratch requires some time and effort, but if you're looking for a baking project to keep you busy and yield incredible results, this is the one. It's soft brioche bread filled with dark chocolate swirls, all topped with chocolate streusel crumble.

    Recipe: Chocolate Babka

    26. Greek Orange Honey Cake With Pistachios

    Greek Orange Honey Cake With Pistachios
    The Mediterranean Dish / Via themediterraneandish.com

    A trio of surprising ingredients — olive oil, Greek yogurt, and cream of wheat — make this honey cake so incredibly light and airy.

    Recipe: Greek Orange Honey Cake With Pistachios

    27. Jelly Donuts (Sufganiyot)

    Three jelly-filled donuts topped with powdered sugar.
    Pretty Simple Sweet / Via prettysimplesweet.com

    The Israeli take on deep-fried donuts called sufganiyot are filled with sweet jelly and dusted with powdered sugar. You'll want these on your holiday table.

    Recipe: Jelly Donuts (Sufganiyot)

    28. Marshmallow Dreidels

    Several chocolate covered marshmallow dreidels with pretzels.
    The Domestic Rebel / Via thedomesticrebel.com

    An adorable, edible project to make with kids, these tasty chocolate and marshmallow dreidels call for just five ingredients.

    Recipe: Marshmallow Dreidels

    29. Apple Bundt Cake

    I am Baker / Via iambaker.net

    Grab some Granny Smiths from your local farmer's market and turn them into a seasonal bundt cake.

    Recipe: Apple Bundt Cake

    30. Homemade Rugelach

    Sally's Baking Addiction / Via sallysbakingaddiction.com

    You can make rugelach with anything from raspberry jam to melted chocolate, but this recipe calls for a simple cinnamon sugar filling. Oh, and these homemade cookies are easy enough for even novice bakers.

    Recipe: Homemade Rugelach

    What are you making for Hanukkah this year? Share in the comments below!