19 of Our Favorite Passover Recipes to Serve at Your Seder

Including traditional and modern takes on Jewish holiday dishes like matzo ball soup, brisket, gefilte fish, and crisp salads.

matzo ball chicken broth soup — Credit: Sidney Bensimon

One of the oldest holidays, Passover is also among the most sacred for the Jewish community. Our Passover recipes include traditional and modern takes on Jewish holiday dishes like matzo ball soup, brisket, gefilte fish, and crisp salads that are suited to the traditional Passover meal, the Seder.

The Seder is centered around several symbolic foods. The bitter herbs on the Seder plate symbolize the bitterness of slavery. Haroset, a mixture of apples or other fruit mixed with nuts and spices, is usually served as a condiment; it signifies both the hardships of enslavement and the sweetness of liberation. Matzo, an unleavened flatbread, replaces bread since yeasted or fermented foods are not allowed during Passover.

Ahead, see our best Passover recipes for your Seder.

01 of 19

Wine-Braised Brisket

Hanukkah Brisket — linda xiao

A few classic ingredients—mustard, lemon, and dry white wine (not the usual red)—give brisket a lively spring flavor that's just right for Passover.

02 of 19

Classic Latkes

classic latkes — Julia Gartland

Though latkes are typically a Hanukkah treat, they also make a perfect accompaniment to the Seder meal. We use potato starch rather than flour in these potato latkes. It makes them Passover-friendly and also gives them a better texture.

03 of 19

Salt-and-Pepper Matzo

passover salt-and-pepper matzo — Chris Simpson

For a five-minute passover side, brush matzo with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, sumac, and thyme. Bake until warmed through, then serve.

04 of 19

Lemon Horseradish Sauce

lemon horseradish sauce in blue bowl — Julia Gartland

Here's a quick, no-cook sauce to serve with gefilte fish or a roast entrée.

05 of 19

Salmon and Cod Gefilte Fish

salmon and cod gefilte fish — Chris Simpson

Our modern take on the Passover classic that is gefilte fish transforms this often divisive dish into elegant quenelles. The egg-shaped bundles are made with salmon and cod rather than the traditional carp or pike.

06 of 19

Herb-Coated Beef Tenderloin with Roasted-Garlic Aioli

passover herb-coated beef tenderloin with roasted-garlic aioli — Chris Simpson

Our herb-coated beef tenderloin is the easy and delicious Passover entrée your holiday table deserves. It's served with a make-ahead creamy garlic aioli that can't be beat.

07 of 19

Test Kitchen's Favorite Matzo Ball Soup

matzo ball chicken broth soup — Sidney Bensimon

A classic, our favorite matzo ball soup uses an enriched homemade broth that simmers for hours, producing a rich base. Each portion stars one big, fluffy dumpling.

08 of 19

Braised Chicken With Lemon, Olives, and Potatoes

overhead view of lemon chicken skillet on a dark surface — Johnny Miller

This easy braised chicken dish makes a change from that Passover favorite, brisket. It uses chicken thighs and requires just 10 minutes of prep.

09 of 19

Roasted Beets With Orange and Thyme

Roasted Beets with Orange and Thyme Video

Sweet and earthy, this easy side dish of roasted beets makes a colorful addition to the Passover table. The beets are tossed in honey, orange juice, red-wine vinegar, and fresh thyme before serving.

10 of 19

Haroset-Braised Short Ribs

Johnny Miller

You can braise these short ribs up to five days in advance. Cook the apples and carrots in the spiced Manischewitz braising liquid just before serving, then finish with toasted walnuts and fresh parsley.

11 of 19

Potato Kugel Gratin

Johnny Miller

This riff on kugel, a traditional Ashkenazi dish, swaps the usual egg noodles for russet potatoes. The casserole gets its glorious golden-brown crust from matzo meal (and a few minutes of broiling).

12 of 19

Olive-Oil Mashed Potatoes

Mike Krautter

This silky mash proves you don't need to load potatoes with heavy cream to make a delicious dish. The flavor of good extra-virgin olive oil and sautéed garlic and rosemary complements the russet potatoes.

13 of 19

Herb Relish (Schug) and Matzo

Stephen Kent Johnson

Although the bitter herb at the Seder table—meant to symbolize the bitterness of slavery—is often horseradish or romaine lettuce, in the Sephardic (or Mediterranean) Jewish tradition, it can also be an assertive green, one with bite. That's why we've included a herb relish made with parsley and cilantro, as well as a salad composed of escarole, radicchio, and frisée, served with matzo.

14 of 19

Haroset-Stuffed Hens With Gravy and Sweet Potatoes

Stephen Kent Johnson

A mixture of apples or other fruit, nuts, and spices, haroset signifies both the hardships of slavery (its texture evokes the bricks and mortar used by the Israelites) and the sweetness of liberation. While it's commonly served as a condiment (much like chutney), here we use it to flavor the stuffing tucked into Cornish hens.

15 of 19

Matzo Spinach Lasagna

Burca Avsar

Matzo stands in for the noodles in this unleavened lasagna. Parmesan, lemon zest, and nutmeg perk up the ricotta filling while fresh lemon juice peps up the frozen spinach. The resulting layered dish is irresistible.

16 of 19

Arugula Salad With Radishes and Caper Vinaigrette

Maura Mcevoy

Arugula and radishes symbolize the traditional bitter element on a Seder plate in this simple salad. The elegant dish gets an extra-green glow from celery and parsley leaves and a tangy punch from a lemon-caper vinaigrette.

17 of 19

Tzimmes

Tzimmes with sweet potatoes, dried apricots, and prunes

This delicious stew—appropriately named tzimmes (Yiddish for "a big fuss")—is a Passover tradition. Our version gets its dulcet flavor from sweet potatoes, dried apricots, and prunes.

18 of 19

Matzo-Ball Soup With Leeks

Kate Mathis

Seltzer and baking powder keep the matzo balls nice and fluffy, while schmaltz (chicken fat) adds richness to this take on the Passover classic.

19 of 19

Braised Brisket With Carrots, Garlic, and Parsnips

brisket with carrots

Garlic pulls double duty in this brisket recipe—it's minced for the braising liquid and roasted whole to serve alongside the meat. A bevy of vegetables—parsnips, baby carrots, and red pearl onions—round out the platter.

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