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Hanukkah Dinner Ideas
A menu to pick from, from brisket and latkes to sides and doughnuts for dessert.
A real, editable checklist below — tick, tap a line to rewrite, drag to reorder.
Tick the circles, tap any line to change it, drag the dots to reorder.
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Hanukkah lasts eight nights, and Food Network ties the custom of foods fried in oil to the small amount of oil that lasted that long. Both sources return to the same dinner favourites: latkes with applesauce and sour cream, brisket and jelly doughnuts. Food Network's latke board makes about 36 small latkes and suggests kettle chips as a backup, because they go fast. This list covers the dinner table only, not candle-lighting or other observances.
Why these items are on the list
- Beef brisket. Slow-cooked; an Instant Pot version shortens the time and frees the oven for sides.
- Roast chicken with herbs. A rub of fresh herbs, salt and pepper gives crisp skin; add roasted vegetables.
- Roast chicken with apricot stuffing. Make ahead: refrigerate chicken and stuffing separately overnight, then bring to room temperature, stuff and roast.
- Spice-crusted roasted salmon. A lighter option to mix in with traditional dishes, and it feeds a crowd.
- Potato latkes. Whole Foods Market calls it the dish most associated with Hanukkah; serve with sour cream and applesauce.
- Air fryer latkes. Crisp results without a house full of fryer oil smell.
- Muffin tin latkes. Food Network's recipe oven-fries 12 latkes at once with nonstick spray and oil; cleanup is minimal.
- Latke board with toppings. Set out sweet and savory toppings; Food Network's recipe makes about 36 small latkes.
- Kettle chips as backup. Sturdy chips cover the gap when the latkes run out.
- Homemade applesauce. Adding pears brings out the natural sweetness in both fruits.
- Noodle kugel. Sweet or savory; spinach and feta, or mushroom and kale, make a vegetarian side.
- Matzo ball soup. Homemade broth from a whole chicken, vegetables and herbs.
- Oven-roasted Brussels sprouts. Whole Foods Market's recipe uses four ingredients and pairs well with Hanukkah mains.
- Waffled latkes. Regular or sweet potato; top with crème fraîche and smoked salmon for an appetizer.
- Sufganiyot jelly doughnuts. Typically filled with raspberry, strawberry or apricot jam; a baked version is lighter.
- Honey balls. Orange-scented fried dough in warm honey sauce.
- Pistachio-citrus rugelach. Crescents flecked with poppy seeds and lemon zest, finished with pistachios.
- Homemade chocolate gelt. Make the buttons from scratch and top with nuts and dried fruit.
Tick off the dishes as you decide on them and the shopping list almost writes itself. Share the list with a co-host and you can both see which dishes are already taken.
When to use it
Use it while planning the dinner menu, ticking off the main, latkes, sides and desserts as you choose them.