"Chag Pesach Sameach!" or "Happy Passover!"
If you happen to be new to the springtime Jewish holiday or have been celebrating your whole life, you'll quickly learn that Passover often involves some long-established menu items you must have at your Seder dinner table. Chances are, there's a few things you are likely going to be eating all week long (hi, hello matzo), but for everything else, it’s a real mix of what you or your family and loved ones are into. Our 50 Passover dinner recipes includes both classics and innovative recipes so you can truly make the holiday your own.
The term “Passover” refers to the biblical stories of the 10 plagues sent by God to convince the Egyptian pharaoh to “let the Jewish people go” and the eventual exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt. The last of the 10 plagues was the killing of all firstborn Egyptian sons, during which God instructed the Jewish people to slaughter a lamb and mark their doorposts with its blood to instruct the Angel of Death to “pass over” them. After this last plague, the Pharaoh ordered the Jews to leave Egypt. As the story goes, they packed in such a hurry that they didn’t have enough time to even let their bread rise (if you’ve ever made homemade bread, you can imagine), and only were able to bring unleavened, cracker-like bread called matzo with them.
To celebrate this exodus, Jewish people today continue to remove chametz from their diets (and their homes, for some strict households) for the duration of Passover, as well as make sure all other ingredients they’re using are specified Kosher for Passover. Simply put, chametz is basically any leavened flour product like bread, cake, cookies, etc. Traditionally Jewish people also have avoided kitniyot, or legumes (like peanuts, peas, and beans), though recently modern families have begun reintroducing them into their Passover diets. In addition, they must continue to follow general Kosher rules (meat and dairy can’t be eaten in the same meal, though fish and eggs are considered neutral, or pareve; no pork products; etc.) Most families also traditionally make a seder plate full of items that help in the retelling of the Passover story before dinner.
We get it, this might all seem like a LOT. We’ll assume that if you’re keeping strictly kosher, you’ll be aware of Kosher products and the regulations you abide by, and will sub in or out of these recipes as needed. For everyone else, we hope these recipes will help broaden your perspective, and inspire you to try something new. We think the best part about appreciating a culture you’re not a part of is the opportunity to try something new, while also having the flexibility to (respectfully!) not be perfect about it.
No matter what, it’s a great time to avoid processed foods, and you’ll largely find only whole ingredients here. We’ve got options for a seder plate, like homemade charoset (and an egg salad to use up your hard-boiled eggs), as well as many noodle-less, low-carb “pasta” alternatives. Hot tips: make your noodles out of eggs, and turn your matzo into a pastrami-inspired kugel or pizza! A brisket is classic, but we’ve included some other impressive roast meats, like chicken, rack of lamb, and salmon too. Side dishes—like our cranberry apple quinoa salad, our potato kugel, and chicken matzo ball soup—are also represented. End your meal with a creative twist on matzo, like in our matzo icebox cake or our chocolate matzo toffee (we’ve got coconut macaroons, pavlova cupcakes, and a flourless chocolate coconut cake too if you’re SO over matzo by then 😜).
For more Passover inspiration, click here to see how Miayim Bialik gets ready for her (vegan) seder dinner, and here for more Slightly Kosher recipes.
1
Chicken Matzo Ball Soup recipe
A symbolic dish of past hardships, warming matzo ball soup is an essential component of the Passover feast. The time and effort you invest really pays off here; plus, it couldn’t be easier: Throw a few roughly chopped vegetables, a whole chicken or two, some herbs, and chicken stock into a large pot and basically walk away for two hours.
Get the Chicken Matzo Ball Soup recipe.
2
Pavlova Cupcakes With Raspberry Sauce
Pavlovas have a crispy exterior with a soft, marshmallow-like interior, and these mini ones made into cupcakes are ideal for serving to guests. Dollop with a little homemade whipped cream and raspberry sauce for the perfect bite.
Get the Pavlova Cupcakes With Raspberry Sauce recipe.
3
Apple Cider Braised Brisket
Apple cider adds a subtle sweetness to a classic brisket, and after letting it braise low and slow, it will be as tender as possible. Letting the potatoes and carrots cook with the brisket flavors them from the inside out, and the whole dish will be deeply savory.
Get the Apple Cider Braised Brisket recipe.
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4
Pastrami Matzo Kugel
Of all the various kugels (potato and noodle being the most popular), matzo kugel tends to not get any love. This incredibly flavorful Reuben-inspired recipe is here to change all that.
Get the Pastrami Matzo Kugel recipe.
5
Sweet & Sour Braised Red Cabbage
One of our favorite ways to prepare cabbage is to braise it. This mostly hands-off method produces perfectly crisp-tender cabbage, with a TON of flavor.
Get the .
6
Hot Honey Chicken & Brussels Sprouts
Looking to spice up your usual Passover main? Make hot honey chicken and Brussels sprouts. Featuring a simple glaze hacked from a store-bought condiment, this one-skillet meal promises maximum flavor with minimal fuss, and tender chicken with gorgeous golden-brown, shatteringly crispy skin.
Get the .
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7
Chicken Matzo Ball Soup
A symbolic dish of past hardships, warming matzo ball soup is an essential component of the Passover feast. The time and effort you invest really pays off here; plus, it couldn’t be easier. Throw a few roughly chopped vegetables, a whole chicken or two, some herbs, and chicken stock into a large pot and basically walk away for two hours.
Get the Chicken Matzo Ball Soup recipe.
8
Matzo Magic Bars
If you've ever had magic bars (aka seven-layer bars), you know a great dessert doesn't have to be complicated. These matzo-based bars are a genius play on the no-fuss sweet à la cookbook author Molly Yeh, and they're the perfect Passover dessert when you don't have time to make coconut macaroons.
Get the Matzo Magic Bars recipe.
9
One-Pan Coconut-Lime Chicken
We paired quick-cooking chicken cutlets with a spicy-sweet coconut milk sauce that’s out-of-this-world tasty. Tomatoes (and tomato paste) bring it back down to Earth, so you can make this over and over (and over!) again this Passover. Not convinced? Did we mention this comes together in just one pan, in less than 30 minutes?!
Get the One-Pan Coconut-Lime Chicken recipe.
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10
Cranberry Apple Quinoa Salad
We don’t believe in boring salads at Delish, and crunchy apples and tart cranberries bring a lot of life to this one. The slightly sweet and lemony dressing is a delight, so make extra and put it on everything during Passover.
Get the Cranberry Apple Quinoa Salad recipe.
11
Steamed Carrots With Hot Honey Butter
To make this delicious vegetarian side dish, you'll toss a pound of steamed carrots in a slightly spicy honey-butter glaze. Rather than cooking the carrots and the glaze together in the pan, you'll cook the carrots and the glaze separately. Serve these as part of a spring brunch spread or alongside roasted lamb at Passover.
Get the Steamed Carrots With Hot Honey Butter recipe.
12
Feta & Herb Crusted Salmon
For this Mediterranean-inspired dish, you just arrange your salmon on a sheet tray (lined with aluminum foil for the easiest cleanup), sprinkle on the toppings, and bake it for 25 minutes. No flipping, no sticking, and no mess!
Get the .
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13
Roast Chicken
The perfect roast chicken recipe doesn't require a lot of extra ingredients, just some kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Really! That's it. The steps to make this chicken are simple, too: You season the bird, then roast it at high heat until the skin is bronzed and crisp and the flesh juicy. The perfect centerpiece to your Passover dinner, this roast chicken recipe is an absolute must to have up your sleeve.
Get the Roast Chicken recipe.
14
Air Fryer Coconut Macaroons
These are the perfect bite-size treat for any time of day—feel free to skip the chocolate if you want to keep them less sweet. For a pink, raspberry version, smash 1/4 cup fresh raspberries into the foamy egg white mixture with a fork and then toss in the coconut.
Get the Air Fryer Coconut Macaroons recipe.
15
Matzo Pizza
Whether you observe Passover and have leftover matzo to use up or are just looking for a crispy, crunchy, thin-crust pizza, this recipe is going to be a hit. Use this recipe as a guide to whatever flavor combinations you can think of!
Get the Matzo Pizza recipe.
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16
Rack of Lamb
A roasted rack of lamb is the perfect Passover showstopper. Don't forget to make this with enough time to spare—as with other meats, you'll want to let it rest before carving to ensure that all the juices stay locked in.
Get the Rack of Lamb recipe.
17
House Latkes With Horseradish
Though latkes are commonly served with applesauce and plain sour cream, here, they get a flavor-boost with a spicy horseradish and chive sour cream topping, which adds savory depth to each bite.
Get the House Latkes With Horseradish recipe.
18
Feta, Spinach, & Tomato Stuffed Salmon
We're always on the hunt for Passover dinner ideas that can do double-duty as a casual dinner wonder and a seder party stunner, and this stuffed salmon does just that. Oven-roasted salmon is already delicious on its own, but adding a filling made of briny feta cheese, earthy cooked spinach, and savory-sweet cherry tomatoes will take your favorite fish up a few notches.
Get the .
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19
Chicken Marbella
The most signature part of this dish has to be the complex, sweet-briny marinade that flavors our chicken. With prunes, olives, capers, and herbs, this marinade might seem surprising, but trust us—the result is a flavor-packed dish you won't be able to get enough of.
Get the Chicken Marbella recipe.
20
Best Chicken Salad
We'd argue that our balance of add-ins here is the pinnacle, but once you nail the chicken and the dressing, you can feel free to spread your wings and give it your own personal flair.
Get the Best Chicken Salad recipe.
