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30 Traditional Hanukkah Foods to Complete Your Holiday Dinner
Celebrate the Festival of Lights with these dishes.
The Festival of Lights would not be complete without delicious Hanukkah foods to keep the celebrations going (for all eight nights!). Observed on the Hebrew calendar date of 25 Kislev — Sunday, December 18th this year — the holiday recognizes the rededication of Jerusalem's Holy Temple during the second century B.C. As the story goes, the Maccabees revolted against Greek occupiers and recaptured the temple. They needed to burn a candelabra for eight days in succession in order to rededicate the temple, but they only had enough oil for one day. Miraculously, the candles stayed lit the entire time, which is why we celebrate the "Festival of Lights" today.
Traditional Hanukkah recipes use oil to commemorate that same oil that kept the lights burning, which often means fried food — and lots of it! In the spirit of the holiday, we rounded up our favorite crisp latkes and fluffy, jelly-filled sufganiyot — and because one cannot live off fried food for all eight nights — we also gathered mains like juicy roast chicken, salmon and brisket. Low on time? There are plenty of easy Hanukkah dishes — try our 3-ingredient applesauce — in addition to the more involved projects that are well worth the effort.
Sufganiyot are a traditional Hanukkah dessert, and with a little effort, you can save a trip to the bakery. To save time, prep the dough and let it rise overnight then finish right before serving.
Usually made with poppy seeds, toasted sesame seeds, dried garlic, dried onion and salt, everything spice blend (plus a squeeze of lemon!) provides fast flavor for flaky roasted salmon.
Adding parsnip to the traditional shredded potato gives these latkes an earthy sweetness while matzo meal helps hold it all together. Top with lightly caramelized apples for a classy presentation.
These delicious rolled holiday cookies aren't nearly as difficult to make as they look. Filled with a blend of chopped pecans, apricot preserves and cream cheese, their fruity, nutty flavor will top off any Hanukkah meal.
This sweet casserole uses egg noodles, cinnamon, sour cream and plenty of eggs and butter for a rich side dish that rounds out your Hanukkah table. Not your typical pasta recipe!
No Hanukkah celebration is complete without gelt to trade as you play dreidel. Sure, you can buy some at the store, but they wouldn't be nearly as delicious (or fun to make!).
A twist on the classic dish of tzimmes, this blend of carrots, sweet potatoes, shallots, orange juice and prunes creates a sweet and savory side that you'll want to enjoy all year long. It's also both vegan and parve, so it suits several dietary considerations.
