Our 25 Most Popular Recipes of the Year So Far
Weeknight wins again with easy recipes like hoisin noodles, lemon-pepper chicken and honey garlic shrimp leading the pack.
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Time is a weird thing. It’s been more than six months since the new year began, but some days it feels like it’s been six minutes, and other days? Six years.
Since Jan. 1, we at New York Times Cooking have published more than 400 new recipes (phew!), and our dear readers have enjoyed cooking and eating all of them. Below are the 25 recipes that they’ve visited again and again and loved most so far. (And here are the top 50.)
25. Roasted Broccoli and Whipped Tofu With Chile-Crisp Crunch
“This was amazingly good, and made for great leftovers as well. It was tasty straight from the fridge.”
Alexa Weibel is a vegetable genius, and this super-smart recipe is proof. Silken tofu and cashew butter are blended until light and fluffy, smeared on a plate, then topped with roasted broccoli and a crunchy mix of chile crisp, panko and cashews for a satisfying 30-minute vegetarian dinner.
Recipe: Roasted Broccoli and Whipped Tofu With Chile-Crisp Crunch
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24. Crispy Chicken With Lime Butter
“Said it before and I’ll say it again, Eric Kim never misses. I teach cooking classes and I always recommend his recipes and book. This came out perfectly.”
This clever recipe from Eric Kim borrows a technique from the chef Paul Bertolli called “bottom-up cooking” in which chicken thighs cook almost entirely on the skin side, resulting in crackly crisp skin. A quick pan sauce of lime juice, maple syrup and butter finishes it all off with a flourish.
Recipe: Crispy Chicken With Lime Butter
23. Lemon-Pepper Chicken Breasts
“This was super easy and punches way above its weight. My family wants to ‘put it in the rotation.’ 5/5.”
Here’s a truth universally known in the food world: People love pretty much any recipe with “lemon” and “chicken” in the title, making this dish from Lidey Heuck a shoo-in for a top spot. Store-bought or homemade lemon pepper seasoning does the heavy lifting, while fresh lemon juice amps it all up.
Recipe: Lemon-Pepper Chicken Breasts
22. Easy Chicken Tacos
“Wow, this was so much tastier than I expected! And I’m from Texas so I know tacos!”
We have a lot of wonderful taco recipes on our site, but there’s something very special about this one from Kristina Felix. Whole boneless chicken thighs are flash marinated in garlic, lime juice, hot sauce and onion powder, seared in a hot pan, chopped into chunks, then simmered in a little water that’s been added to deglaze the pan.
Recipe: Easy Chicken Tacos
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21. Fragrant Coconut Chicken and Sweet Potato
“I never follow exact cooking instructions but did with this one as I was tired and lazy. SOOOO GOOOD!!! Incredibly flavorful and so easy. It will be on repeat.”
Here’s a has-it-all one-pan meal from Kay Chun that can be made with pretty much whatever ground meat is hiding in your freezer.
Recipe: Fragrant Coconut Chicken and Sweet Potato
20. Chicken Stew
“I spotted this recipe early this afternoon and realized I had almost all of the ingredients on hand (yay dried herbs!) to make it tonight. The family vote was unanimous: Winner, winner winter chicken dinner!”
Maybe you aren’t interested in a stew right now, but invest in your future coziness by saving this Dan Pelosi recipe for that first chilly day in October. A half-cup of heavy cream adds richness, but sweet paprika and apple cider vinegar keep it out of nap-inducing territory.
Recipe: Chicken Stew
19. Porcini Ragù
“My 8-year-old son ate three bowls!”
Ixta Belfrage’s recipe harnesses the power of dried porcini mushrooms to make a 45-minute vegetarian ragù that tastes like it’s been simmering for hours.
Recipe: Porcini Ragù
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18. One-Pot Miso-Turmeric Salmon and Coconut Rice
“Excellent! Even my peeps who don’t love salmon raved about this.”
In Yasmin Fahr’s one-pot wonder, nestling a salmon fillet slathered with a miso-turmeric marinade atop pile of spinach and coconut rice creates a sort-of steamer basket, which means the salmon cooks gently and perfectly, and you have only one pot to clean.
Recipe: One-Pot Miso-Turmeric Salmon and Coconut Rice
17. French Lentil Salad
“Absolutely magnificent.”
At home on a picnic table or in a lunchbox, this classic French lentil salad from Lisa Donovan is infused with thyme, rosemary and bay leaf, and dotted with radicchio and carrots. A lemon-shallot vinaigrette and plenty of fresh herbs liven it up. The best part: It gets better as it sits, whether that’s in your fridge or at the potluck.
Recipe: French Lentil Salad
16. Dubai Chocolate
“This is incredible and well worth the effort.”
The pastry chef Caroline Schiff developed our version of the viral chocolate candy bar that’s was inspired by knafeh, a Middle Eastern dessert made with shredded phyllo. Here, a glossy milk chocolate shell is packed with a salty-sweet homemade pistachio cream and store-bought shredded phyllo.
Recipe: Dubai Chocolate
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15. One-Pot Roman Chicken Cacciatore With Potatoes
“Wow!! I made this exactly as written and it is obvious why it has five stars! The fingerling potatoes, sliced as in the picture, came out perfectly. This is a new all-time favorite!”
When in doubt about anything — life, dinner — make chicken and potatoes. This Roman-inspired version from Cybelle Tondu features white wine and vinegar, along with punchy capers.
Recipe: One-Pot Roman Chicken Cacciatore With Potatoes
14. Skillet Gnocchi With Miso Butter and Asparagus
“Of all the NYT Cooking recipes I’ve made over the years, this easily has the best ratio of deliciousness to effort.”
Crispy gnocchi forever. In this 15-minute Ali Slagle recipe, a simple sauce of miso, butter and vinegar coat the gnocchi, asparagus and arugula, but don’t stop there. This recipe invites improvisation. Readers suggest adding radishes, carrots, pepitas, pistachios and more.
Recipe: Skillet Gnocchi With Miso Butter and Asparagus
13. Cottage Pie
“So insanely good. This recipe has an intense depth of flavor and was devoured by my toddlers and my husband.”
Cover anything with a blanket of buttery mashed potatoes, and it’s practically guaranteed to be good. But this rib-sticker cottage pie from Dan Pelosi really delivers. If you don’t have a 10-inch deep dish pan, many readers have baked it in a 9-by-13 baking dish.
Recipe: Cottage Pie
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12. Slow Cooker Garlic Butter Chicken
“Delicious and one to keep in the rotation for sure!”
A slow cooker chicken dish inspired by escargot butter? Mais oui. Sarah DiGregorio tosses boneless chicken thighs, cannellini beans, butter, garlic, parsley, shallot and lemon juice into a slow cooker, then cooks them on low for four hours. Stir in a little sour cream, top with homemade croutons and voilà.
Recipe: Slow Cooker Garlic Butter Chicken
11. Chicken Florentine
“ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!!!!!”
Dan Pelosi’s one-pan version of chicken Florentine, a classic dish of golden-seared chicken breasts draped in a spinach cream sauce, is pretty much perfect. But you can add sun-dried tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms or canned artichokes if you’re feeling adventurous.
Recipe: Chicken Florentine
10. House Dressing
“I have made this dressing three times and our 7-year-old became an instant fan! He will eat almost any vegetable that is slathered in this stuff.”
Readers adore this vinaigrette, which Samin Nosrat adapted from Via Carota, the popular West Village restaurant. Diluting the dressing with a little bit of warm water softens the sharpness of the vinegar so it enhances — not overpowers — almost everything.
Recipe: House Dressing
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9. Spicy, Creamy Weeknight Bolognese
“Fantastico! More to our taste than Bolognese we recently had at a fancy Italian place.”
The surprise ingredient in this speedy Bolognese from Genevieve Ko is a few tablespoons of red curry paste, which gives the dish a complex, long-simmered flavor in minutes. Trust.
Recipe: Spicy, Creamy Weeknight Bolognese
8. Crispy Halloumi With Tomatoes and White Beans
“10/10. This is a simple, yet flavorful crowd pleaser. My toddlers, husband and mother all loved this. I added some zucchini for some extra vitamins.”
This popular recipe may be why halloumi, that perfect salty-chewy cheese, is sold out at my neighborhood Trader Joe’s. In this hearty vegetarian dish from Nargisse Benkabbou, a can of white beans is added to a quick sauce of cherry tomatoes, garlic, honey and oregano. Slabs of halloumi are laid on top, then broiled until crispy and brown in spots.
Recipe: Crispy Halloumi With Tomatoes and White Beans
7. Chicken and Chickpea Tray Bake
“Banging flavor. The mash of tomato and garlic mixed through the other ingredients is just heavenly.”
Everyone loves a sheet-pan meal, and Yotam Ottolenghi’s chicken and chickpea version is a soul-warming delight with the addition of ras el hanout, tomatoes, potatoes and sweet peppers.
Recipe: Chicken and Chickpea Tray Bake
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6. Cottage Cheese Egg Bites
“I just made these. They are really delicious and custardy.”
Everywhere you turn, someone is telling you to eat more protein. These tender “muffins” from Naz Deravian can help you do just that, and enjoy it. Blending cottage cheese with eggs, then baking in a water bath, creates a soft — not rubbery — texture. They also freeze and reheat well for busy mornings.
Recipe: Cottage Cheese Egg Bites
5. Hoisin Garlic Noodles
“Wow, this was good!”
In this 25-minute dish from Hetty Lui McKinnon, a powerful combination of hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil and maple syrup slicks a tangle of noodles for a punches-above-its-weight weeknight meal that you can bolster with tofu, edamame or sliced cooked chicken.
Recipe: Hoisin Garlic Noodles
4. Honey Garlic Shrimp
“This was an honest-to-goodness weekday meal.”
Readers love using affordable frozen shrimp for these glossy, salty-sweet shrimp from Lidey Heuck. Many readers recommend doubling the recipe because it disappears quickly.
Recipe: Honey Garlic Shrimp
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3. Chicken and Red Lentil Soup With Lemony Yogurt
“This was really great. The herbs really brighten things up, and the lemony yogurt is a lovely addition.”
Andy Baraghani’s chicken and red lentil soup will cure what ails you, or at least make you feel better about everything. The quick-cooking red lentils disappear into the broth, which is seasoned with charred onions and six garlic cloves, plus plenty of fresh dill and parsley.
Recipe: Chicken and Red Lentil Soup With Lemony Yogurt
2. One-Pot Beans, Greens and Grains
“This recipe is delicious, and Ali Slagle is a genius.”
Ali Slagle came up with an easy and adaptable way to feed yourself and your loved ones a healthy meal when time and patience are wearing thin. Dark leafy greens, like collards, kale or spinach, cook atop a bed of rice or quinoa, and a can of any old bean, seasoned with garlic and lemon, provides protein and heft.
Recipe: One-Pot Beans, Greens and Grains
1. Smashed Beef Kebab With Cucumber Yogurt
“Make this ASAP! This should not be missed. We loved it so much.”
Zaynab Issa’s quick skillet dinner was inspired by the flavors of kabab koobideh, or grilled kebabs. Large chunks of turmeric-scented ground beef are hard-seared on one side until crisp, then combined with raisins and walnuts and served over a creamy cloud of yogurt, cucumbers, chopped mint and garlic.
Recipe: Smashed Beef Kebab With Cucumber Yogurt
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