Sarra Ina Garten Hanukkah recipes bring together her best braised brisket, golden roast chickens, crispy potato kugel, sweet tzimmes, and rich chocolate desserts for a holiday spread that feels both traditional and special. These 20 picks cover mains, sides, soups, and sweets so your Hanukkah table is set from first night to last.
1. Brisket
Slow-braised beef brisket cooked with sliced onions, garlic, crushed tomatoes, beef stock, red wine vinegar, brown sugar, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce until the meat is fork-tender and falling apart in a thick, savory gravy. The long braise turns the onions silky and the sauce deeply rich. About four hours and twenty minutes for the centerpiece every Hanukkah table needs.
2. Whole Perfect Roast Chicken
Golden roast chicken rubbed with melted butter and stuffed with thyme, halved lemon, and a head of garlic, roasted on a bed of onion, carrots, and fennel until the skin is deeply crispy and the meat is impossibly juicy. The vegetables roast in the chicken drippings and become caramelized and sweet. About an hour and thirty-five minutes for the most reliable roast chicken you can make.
3. Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Beef chuck roast seared until brown, then slow-cooked with onions, garlic, carrots, celery, tomato paste, red wine, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, bay leaves, and baby potatoes until everything is meltingly tender. The slow cooker does all the work while you focus on the rest of the holiday. About eight and a half hours hands-off for a warm, savory main that feeds the whole family.
4. Beef Tenderloin With Gorgonzola Sauce
Roasted whole beef tenderloin rubbed with olive oil, salt, and pepper, sliced and drizzled with a creamy sauce made from heavy cream, crumbled Gorgonzola, and a pinch of nutmeg. The sharp, tangy cheese sauce against the buttery pink meat is a stunning pairing. About 40 minutes for an elegant Hanukkah main when you want something fancier than brisket.
5. Lamb Chops in Oven
Herb-rubbed lamb rib chops seasoned with garlic, rosemary, thyme, Dijon mustard, lemon zest, and lemon juice, then roasted until golden on the outside and juicy pink inside. The aromatic herb crust adds a fragrant, savory layer to the tender lamb. Done in just 27 minutes for a quick, impressive Hanukkah main that looks like it took real effort.
6. Engagement Roast Chicken
Stuffed with halved lemon, a head of garlic, and fresh thyme, rubbed with melted butter, and roasted on a bed of sliced onion until the skin is deeply golden and crispy while the meat stays moist and flavorful. Named for its reputation as the dish that inspired a marriage proposal. About an hour and twenty-five minutes for a roast chicken with a story behind it.
7. Potato Kugel
Shredded russet potatoes and grated onion mixed with beaten eggs, flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and vegetable oil or schmaltz, baked until the top is deeply golden and crispy while the inside stays dense, savory, and tender. The edges get especially crunchy and are the best part. About an hour and twenty minutes for the Hanukkah side dish everyone reaches for first.
8. Tzimmes
Sweet potatoes and carrots cut into chunks, tossed with dried apricots, golden raisins, orange juice, honey, melted butter, cinnamon, and optional walnuts, then baked until the vegetables are soft and caramelized and the fruit is plump and sticky. The honey and orange juice create a warm, fragrant glaze. About an hour and fifteen minutes for a traditional sweet side.
9. Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes
Creamy Yukon Gold potatoes boiled until soft, then mashed with buttermilk, butter, salt, and pepper until smooth and fluffy with a subtle tang from the buttermilk that keeps them from tasting heavy. Optional chives or parsley add a fresh finish. About 35 minutes for a mashed potato that pairs with every main on the Hanukkah table.
10. Smashed Potatoes
Yukon Gold potatoes boiled until tender, then roughly smashed with butter, warmed half-and-half, salt, and pepper for a rustic, chunky side with a buttery richness and bits of potato skin mixed throughout. The texture is somewhere between mashed and roasted and more interesting than either. About 35 minutes for an easy, crowd-pleasing potato side.
11. Glazed Carrots
Tender carrot coins simmered in water with sugar and butter until the liquid reduces into a glossy, sweet glaze that coats each piece. The carrots stay bright orange and slightly firm while the glaze gives them a warm, buttery shine. About 25 minutes for the simplest, most elegant vegetable side on the holiday table.
12. Root Vegetable Gratin
Layered thin slices of sweet potatoes, Yukon Golds, parsnips, and turnips baked in a mixture of heavy cream, milk, garlic, grated Gruyère, and Parmesan until bubbly, golden, and melted together into one rich, creamy dish. Each layer of vegetables softens into the cheesy cream. About an hour and twenty-five minutes for a side that doubles as comfort food.
13. Loaded Potato Soup
Thick, creamy soup made with russet potatoes, onion, garlic, chicken stock, heavy cream, and butter, topped with crispy bacon, shredded cheddar, sour cream, and fresh chives. Every spoonful is warm, rich, and loaded with toppings that make it feel like a meal on its own. About 50 minutes for a cozy bowl to start the Hanukkah dinner.
14. Pan Fried Onion Dip
Caramelized yellow onions cooked slowly in butter and oil until deeply golden and sweet, then folded into softened cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise for a rich, savory dip with real onion flavor in every scoop. Serve it with chips or crackers while the family gathers before dinner. About 40 minutes for a Hanukkah appetizer that everyone hovers around.
15. Chocolate Flourless Cake
Dense, fudgy cake made with bittersweet chocolate, butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and cocoa powder with no flour at all, baking into a truffle-like round with a crackly top and a rich, intensely chocolate center. Dusted with powdered sugar for a simple, beautiful finish. About 40 minutes for a naturally gluten-free Hanukkah dessert that tastes incredibly indulgent.
16. Chocolate Mousse
Silky mousse made from bittersweet chocolate melted with butter, then folded with whipped egg whites, sugar, vanilla, optional espresso powder, and whipped heavy cream into an airy, intensely chocolate dessert that is light and rich at the same time. Only about 15 minutes of active time plus chilling. A make-ahead Hanukkah dessert that impresses without any last-minute stress.
17. Apple Spice Cake
Grated fresh apples folded into a batter of sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, and chopped nuts, baked until deeply golden and fragrant with warm spices. The grated apples keep the cake incredibly moist while the spice blend fills the kitchen with the best smells. About an hour and five minutes for a Hanukkah cake that tastes like fall.
18. Sugar Cookies
Buttery cut-out cookies made with flour, baking powder, butter, sugar, egg, milk, and vanilla, rolled, cut into shapes, and baked until the edges are just golden while the centers stay soft and tender. Sprinkle with sanding sugar or decorate with icing for festive Hanukkah shapes like Stars of David and dreidels. About 20 minutes for a holiday baking project the whole family can join.
19. Brownie Pudding
Gooey, fudgy dessert made with butter, eggs, sugar, Dutch cocoa powder, flour, and vanilla that bakes into a crackly brownie top with a warm, molten pudding layer underneath. Served warm with ice cream or whipped cream for maximum indulgence. About an hour and ten minutes for a chocolate Hanukkah dessert that is dangerously easy to keep eating.
20. Ginger Snap Cookies
Spiced cookies made with flour, butter, sugar, egg, molasses, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and baking soda, rolled in sugar and baked until crackly on the outside and slightly chewy inside. The molasses gives them a deep, warm sweetness while the ginger and cloves add a sharp, aromatic heat. About 20 minutes for a big batch of holiday cookies with a satisfying snap.
