13 Show-Stopping Savory Rosh Hashanah Recipes to Welcome the New Year

Fill your holiday table with these delicious, eye-catching recipes.

By
Rabi Abonour
Rabi Abonour is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Rabi Abonour
Rabi Abonour is a planner specializing in transportation, but has also been a photojournalist, writer, and editor for several online and print publications.
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Published September 16, 2025
Overhead view of leg of lamb sliced

Serious Eats / Jen Causey

Rosh Hashanah isn't necessarily a time for culinary innovation—your family has probably been eating the same things for years. But food is a huge part of the holiday, so it's worth putting some thought into what you make. That could be as simple as a truly moist and tender braised brisket (yes, it's possible!) or a loaf of eggy homemade challah. But you could also try mixing things up—think smoked brisket rather than braised, or Tuscan-Jewish fried chicken instead of roasted. However you like to eat on the Jewish New Year, we've got you covered.

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  • Crown Roast of Lamb With Couscous Stuffing and Pistachio-Mint Sauce

    A crown rack of lamb on top of couscous on a white plate.
    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    Lamb is a classic Rosh Hashanah centerpiece, and the most impressive centerpiece is undeniably a crown roast. The roast's shape makes it easy to overcook, though—the best way to get it right is to start it at a low temperature, then finish it at a high temperature to brown it, a technique otherwise known as the reverse sear. Serving some sort of stuffing in the roast is a good idea, but be sure to cook it separately so that everything heats up to the proper degree.

  • Slow-Roasted Boneless Leg of Lamb

    Overhead view of leg of lamb sliced

    Serious Eats / Jen Causey

    This aromatic roast lamb yields a perfectly medium-rare, rosy result from edge to center. Cooking at very low temperatures, followed by a blast of high heat, creates the ultimate contrast with pink meat that extends from edge to edge and a crisp, brown crust. It also enhances tenderness.

  • Jewish-Style Braised Brisket With Onions and Carrots

    2016-040-12-jewish-brisket-daniel-gritzer-6-2.jpg
    Serious Eats / Daniel Gritzer.

    Most of us settle for tender and dry brisket, although most of us are also in extreme denial about this. This recipe yields braised brisket that's both tender and moist, served in a thick, comforting sauce of carrots and onions.

  • Sous Vide Smoked Brisket

    20160801-sous-vide-brisket-guide-35.jpg

    Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

    If you're comfortable throwing tradition to the wind, consider replacing the braised brisket with a Southern-style one. This recipe allows you to recreate a smoked brisket even when it's too cold to fire up the smoker—we cook the meat sous vide with pink salt and liquid smoke to simulate the smoking process. You can then finish in a smoker or just use the oven.

    Continue to 5 of 13 below

  • Perfect Roast Chicken

    Side view of a roast chicken

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    You can't go wrong with a juicy, tender roast chicken. Here, a dry-brine method fully seasons the chicken, allowing the skin to dehydrate and improve browning and crisping during cooking.

  • Lemon-Marinated Tuscan-Jewish Fried Chicken

    20150709-tuscan-fried-chicken-vicky-wasik-5.jpg

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    Fried chicken is a significant part of the Tuscan-Jewish culinary canon. It's a brilliant preparation, and incredibly simple: The chicken is marinated with lemon juice and garlic, then battered and fried in a simple dredging of flour and beaten egg, the bright citrus cutting through all those juicy, meaty, greasy layers, balancing it all out.

  • Whole Roasted Fish With Fresh Herbs and Lemon

    Two whole roasted daurade (orata) sit in a platter with some lemon wedges and parsley garnishing the plate
    [Image: Vicky Wasik].

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    Fish heads are a traditional part of the Rosh Hashanah meal, so if you've never tried cooking a whole fish before, this is a good time to start. It's easier than you might think, and the results are superb, since the skin protects the meat and makes it extra tender. The best way to flavor a whole fish is to stuff the body cavity with aromatics—here, we go with fresh herbs, garlic, ginger, and lemon.

  • The Best Matzo Ball Soup

    Overhead view of matzo ball soup

    Serious Eats /Morgan Hunt Glaze. Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen

    People have fierce loyalties when it comes to matzo ball recipes, and ours offers different options to cater to every preference. By adjusting the amount of seltzer, baking powder, and/or beaten egg white, you can end up with dense sinkers, pillowy floaters, or anything in between.

    Continue to 9 of 13 below

  • Stovetop Tzimmes

    Overhead view of Stovetop Tzimmes With Carrots and Raisins

    Serious Eats / Fred Hardy

    The classic accompaniment to braised brisket, tzimmes too often suffers from mushy texture and oversweetening. This version, made with carrots, onions, and golden raisins, is more balanced. It gets much of its bright, sweet flavor from fresh orange juice, with just a touch of honey added; spices like cardamom and cinnamon bring the dish more depth.

  • Braised Leeks With Lemon and Parsley

    Overhead view of finished leeks plated on a blue platter

    Serious Eats / Fred Hardy

    These tender braised leeks need nothing more than a squeeze of lemon, some chopped parsley, and a drizzle of olive oil to finish.

  • Beet and Wheat Berry Salad With Pickled Apples and Pecans

    20161107-beet-salad-vicky-wasik-5.jpg

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    This make-ahead wheat berry salad combines two different symbolic Rosh Hashanah foods: beets and apples. We use every part of the beets, roasting the bulbs and sautéing the greens. The apples are quick-pickled in white wine vinegar to give the hearty salad a little acidity.

  • Challah

    Entire loaf of plain woven challah on a plate, surrounded by smaller plates, salt, honey and a cup of tea

    Serious Eats / Debbie Wee

    It's just not Rosh Hashanah without a loaf of challah. Of course, good challah might be widely available in stores near you, but this recipe is easy enough for beginner-to-intermediate bakers, and richer than anything you'll find at the local bakery.

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  • Sweet and Punchy Honey-Roasted Carrots

    A dish of roasted carrots topped with herbs and a glaze

    Serious Eats / Morgan Hunt Glaze

    These sweet, savory carrots are sure to brighten up your dinner plate. Tossing the carrots with a combination of honey, butter, miso paste, ground ginger, and sherry vinegar before roasting creates their incredible sweet and savory flavor.

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