25 Traditional Passover Recipes (2024)

If you’re looking for the best Passover recipes, you’ve come to the right place!

I’ve got everything from sides to Passover cookies and everything in between!

25 Traditional Passover Recipes (1)

WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?

Enter your email below & we'll send it straight to your inbox.

Passover, also known as Pesach, is one of the most important Jewish holidays.

Families and friends gather together and recount the biblical story of Exodus, where Moses led his people out of Egypt.

An essential part of the Passover celebration is food. And these recipes will help you enjoy your food while adhering to tradition.

For 8 days, people avoid leavened bread, cereal, pasta, and cookies.

Instead, traditional dishes, such as matzah, matzo ball soup, and beef brisket, are served.

So no matter what meal you’re planning, try these Passover recipes the next time you gather your family for a seder.

1. Charoset

Any recipe that calls for apples, walnuts, brown sugar, cinnamon, and wine is a recipe I can support.

The trick to turning this recipe into the best charoset recipe you’ve ever had is to chop the apples and walnuts by hand.

It gives the charoset the perfect texture that you can’t get with a food processor.

Additionally, don’t forget to toast the walnuts lightly before adding them. It makes a world of difference.

2. Brisket

Brisket is a traditional Passover dish that tastes great year-round.

As you already know, it takes a while to cook, but nothing beats a flavorful smoked brisket, no matter how long it takes.

All you’ll have to do is trim it, season it, wrap it in butcher paper, and set it on the grill to smoke.

WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?

Enter your email below & we'll send it straight to your inbox.

Once it’s done, it’ll be perfectly seasoned, tender, and juicy.

3. Matzo Ball Soup

Whether you want to make this traditional Jewish soup for Passover, Rosh Hashanah, or a cold, rainy weekend, this recipe is one of the best.

It’s simple to follow, and you can prepare parts of it in advance if you’re crunched for time.

The Matzo balls are light and buoyant and will float gently on the top of your soup.

4. Tzimmes

Tzimmes means “to make a fuss,” and everyone will make a fuss over this beautiful, colorful, slightly sweet Passover side dish at your next seder.

It features root vegetables, including orange yams, white sweet potatoes, and carrots, and dried fruits like apples, prunes, cranberries, and more.

Add a splash of orange juice, a dash of cinnamon, and half a cup of honey, and you’ll have something as yummy as it is gorgeous.

5. Matzo Brei (Fried Matzah)

Matzo Brei is basically scrambled eggs with some fried matzo thrown in for good measure.

You can also make omelet-style or cake-style eggs and matzo, but I prefer mine scrambled.

You can jazz it up a little more by adding cheese, smoked salmon, grilled onions, or your favorite herbs and spices. If you can scramble eggs, you can make this dish.

6. Apple Matzo Kugel

This is an incredible dish, full of sweet, apple-cinnamony goodness. It’s also filled with raisins, dried apricots, butter, orange juice, and brown sugar.

If you’re looking for a delicious dessert that doesn’t contain yeast or any other forbidden ingredients, this is one of the best.

7. Roast Chicken

This is one of my favorite Passover chicken recipes.

It has perfectly crispy skin slathered with mouth-wateringly good garlic and lemon butter. It’s tender, and the inside is moist and unbeatably juicy.

It’s herby, garlicky, and served in its own buttery, liquid gold juices. You’ll never want to prepare chicken in any other way.

8. Homemade Horseradish

“Lookin’ for some hot stuff, baby, this evening!” With this homemade horseradish, you’ll have all the hot stuff you can handle.

With only some peeled and diced horseradish root, water, sea salt, and white wine vinegar, you can make two cups of this yummy horseradish that’ll set your mouth on fire.

Add the vinegar immediately after processing the ingredients if you want a milder version. If you prefer it hot, wait longer before adding the vinegar.

9. Matzo Lasagna

This kosher, vegetarian lasagna is so good; it’s something you’ll want to eat regularly, so bookmark this recipe.

It has all your favorite herbs and veggies in it, including onions, spinach, mushrooms, zucchini, garlic, basil, and more.

Smother it in three different cheeses, and you have a restaurant-worthy lasagna that everyone will love.

10. Pot Roast

I love anything I can throw in a slow cooker and forget about until it’s done. It’s the ultimate in cooking convenience. Plus, pot roast is something homey and comforting.

This one includes carrots, onions, and red potatoes. It’s made with red wine and Worcestershire sauce to give it a unique, savory flavor that the whole family will love.

11. Cauliflower Rice

Although rice isn’t a leavened food, tradition still forbids most families from eating it at their Passover seders, unless, of course, it’s cauliflower rice.

Cauliflower rice is also lighter and healthier than regular rice. It’s perfect for diabetics or those following low-carb or ketogenic diets.

12. Jewish Sweet and Sour Meatballs

If you’re looking for a way to bring a bit of an ethnic flavor to your traditional Passover meal, consider making these sweet and sour meatballs.

They require several ingredients and a little time to get right, but they’re a fantastic treat once finished.

They strike a balance between sweet and tangy that’ll totally delight your taste buds.

13. Baked Salmon

Whether you’re looking for a main dish for Passover or just for tonight’s dinner, baked salmon is a delicious, nutritious, and relatively healthy choice.

Season this one with salt, pepper, garlic, and Italian herb seasoning.

Spritz a bit of lemon juice on it, and garnish it with a lemon slice.

Pop the whole thing in the oven for about 15 minutes, and you’ll have a light but filling dinner entree.

14. Matzo Granola

Granola is a hard thing for many people to give up, so don’t! Just make it from matzo instead.

Throw in plenty of chopped nuts, and add some honey, sugar, coconut, cinnamon, and spices.

Bake it until the matzo dries and the coconut turns golden brown. Let it cool completely so that it’ll crisp up as much as possible.

Then mix in your favorite dried fruits and add it to your yogurt, milk, or whatever else you enjoy with granola.

15. Harvard Beets

Beets must be cooked exceptionally well for me to enjoy them, but I like Harvard beets. (No, I’m not sure exactly why they’re called Harvard beets.)

They’re made with salt, sugar, cornstarch, and cider vinegar, and they look almost exactly like sliced cranberry sauce when done.

They pair well with just about any kind of meat.

25 Traditional Passover Recipes (2)

16. Glazed Carrots

If you’ve ever had glazed carrots from Cracker Barrel, then you’ll love this copycat recipe.

They require only three basic ingredients in addition to the carrots, and the glaze gives them a slightly sweet taste that’ll make you want to lick the bowl clean after finishing them.

17. Horseradish Sauce with Beets

This sauce is the perfect way to add a bit of tang and a lot of heat to any sandwich or protein dish.

Some people use it as a dipping sauce, but it’s hot, and I prefer to add just a little to my food to give it a kick. Trying to dip my food into it would set me on fire.

18. Easy Coleslaw

Coleslaw is always pretty easy to make, but you can make this Easy coleslaw in five minutes or less. It doesn’t get much simpler than that!

You can make homemade coleslaw mix if you like, but it tastes just as good using store-bought coleslaw mix.

All you’ll have to do is make the homemade dressing and mix it up.

Don’t forget to stick it in the fridge for at least a couple of hours before serving it.

19. Passover Popovers

Every time I see a recipe for Passover popovers, I have to play the, “Say that five times fast,” game with the name. It’s just so fun to say.

Luckily, they’re also easy to make, and they taste amazing. They’re soft and moist with pleasing outer crusts that are just exactly as crumbly as they should be.

You can make them roll-shaped, or you can make them more like muffins.

20. Passover Rainbow Cookies

I know what you’re thinking. “But wait! I thought you said there were no cookies for Passover!”

I did say that, and it’s true, but these “cookies” are more like tiny, moist, fluffy layered cakes made from matzo meal.

They’ll be a particular hit with the kids because of their brightly colored centers and the rich chocolate glaze on the top.

21. Moist Passover Apple Cake

Everything you need to know about this delicious dessert is right there in the name: Moist Passover apple cake.

It has a delightful tartness to it thanks to the Granny Smith apples and orange juice.

It’s also sweet, cinnamony, and – as the name says – incredibly moist. Every bite is soft and will melt in your mouth.

22. Cauliflower Chocolate Pudding

Ever wish you could eat something sweet and decadent and have it count towards your daily requirements of fruits and veggies? Now, you can.

This indulgent chocolate pudding is made from cauliflower – yes, cauliflower – and contains 10 pitted Medjool dates, as well.

It’s vegan-friendly and excellent to the last bite.

You can refrigerate any leftovers – yeah, right! – for about a day.

23. Chocolate Matzo Layer Cake

I’m not sure what it is about matzo that lends itself so nicely to making layered sweet treats, but whatever it is, I love it.

This cake is like a mixture between tiramisu and ice-box cake.

It’s sweet, but thanks to the coffee-soaked matzo layers, it isn’t too sweet. Best of all, it’s 100% kosher.

25 Traditional Passover Recipes (3)

24. Macaroons

All you’ll need to make these yummy, chewy coconut macaroons is honey, vanilla extract, shredded coconut, salt, and two eggs.

They take about 10 minutes to whip up and another 15 to cook.

When the coconut turns golden brown, they’re done.

25. Chocolate Covered Matzo

If you’re looking for a lazy Passover dessert that doesn’t take a lot of effort but tastes like a bakery-made delicacy, reach for the matzo, of course.

Then cover it in chocolate. Yep, that’s all it takes. Cover your matzo in a melted butter and sugar mixture. Then put kosher chocolate chips on top of it all.

They’ll melt and cover the matzo in yummy milk and semi-sweet chocolate. Then you freeze the whole thing and break the matzo into smaller, bite-sized pieces.

It’s easy-peasy.

25 Traditional Passover Recipes (4)

25 Passover Foods for a Delicious Seder

If you’re looking for the best Passover recipes, you’ve come to the right place! From brisket to matzo ball soup to kugel, these traditional recipes make for a delicious Seder.

Instructions

  • Select your favorite recipe.
  • Organize all the required ingredients.
  • Prep a Passover dish in 30 minutes or less!
25 Traditional Passover Recipes (5)

Did you like the recipe?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating 5 / 5. Vote count: 3

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

Thanks!

Share on social media:

We are sorry that this post was not useful for you!

Let us improve this post!

Tell us how we can improve this post?

Related posts

17 Best Passover Cake Recipes for Your Seder20 Best Passover Side Dishes (+ Easy Seder Recipes)30 Traditional Passover Desserts17 Best Passover Cookies (+ Easy Recipes)23 Best Passover Appetizers (+ Easy Recipes)

25 Traditional Passover Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Who answers the 4 questions asked at the Passover meal? ›

Traditionally recited at the seder by the youngest child present, the Four Questions, or Mah Nishtanah in Hebrew, ask about certain Passover rituals. Each question and its answer is printed below followed by fun videos your family can use to practice the Four Questions--and their answers--with your children.

What are traditional Passover foods? ›

Traditions among Ashkenazi Jews generally include gefilte fish (poached fish dumplings), matzo ball soup, brisket or roast chicken, potato kugel (somewhat like a casserole) and tzimmes, a stew of carrots and prunes, sometimes including potatoes or sweet potatoes.

What was on the menu for the Passover in the Bible? ›

The Torah's Book of Exodus, Chapter 12, offers one description of the instructions for Passover fare: “The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: [Each household] shall eat [lamb] roasted over the fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs” (Jewish Publication Society translation).

What is the meal during which the Four Questions are asked? ›

One of the main focal points of the traditional Passover seder is the maggid, the telling of the story of the Exodus from Egypt. This story begins with the youngest person at the seder asking the Four Questions (Mah Nishtanah).

What are the four cups of the traditional Passover meal? ›

The first is for Kiddush (קידוש), the second is for 'Maggid' (מגיד), the third is for Birkat Hamazon (ברכת המזון) and the fourth is for Hallel (הלל). The Four Cups represent the four expressions of deliverance promised by God Exodus 6:6–7: "I will bring out," "I will deliver," "I will redeem," and "I will take."

What not to eat during Passover? ›

During Passover, Ashkenazi Jews traditionally stay away from not only leavened foods like bread, namely barley, oats, rye, spelt, and wheat, but also legumes, rice, seeds, and corn. The ban has been in place since the 13th century, but it's always been controversial.

What are the six Passover foods? ›

There are at least five foods that go on the seder plate: shank bone (zeroa), egg (beitzah), bitter herbs (maror), vegetable (karpas) and a sweet paste called haroset. Many seder plates also have room for a sixth, hazeret (another form of the bitter herbs).

What was the Passover meal for Jesus? ›

Jesus and his disciples were celebrating the Passover meal together. As this was the last meal that Jesus would share with his disciples, he took elements of the Passover meal and made them symbols of his death. While they were at the table Jesus made a shock announcement.

What are the 5 grains you can't eat on Passover? ›

Traditionally, the category of forbidden foods on Passover — known as hametz — was defined as the fermented products of five grains: wheat, spelt, barley, oats and rye.

Why is an orange on the seder plate? ›

Many seder plates include an orange, which is attributed to Susannah Heschel, professor of Jewish studies at Dartmouth College. Heschel included an orange in recognition of gay and lesbian Jews, and others who are marginalized in the Jewish community.

What is a good menu for Passover? ›

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.

What kind of bread did Jesus eat? ›

The clergy made unleavened bread, as this was the bread used by Christ; also, it lasted longer and was less crumbly. By the ninth century, unleavened bread was becoming the standard in the Latin rite.

Which cup did Jesus take at Passover? ›

The fourth cup of the Passover meal, the final cup that concludes the meal, the one from which he did not drink. But Jesus would drink the fourth cup: on the cross. Let's look at John's account: “After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, 'I thirst.

Who are the 4 boys in the Passover? ›

The Torah refers to four sons: One wise, one wicked, one simple and one who does not know how to ask a question.

What is the significance of the number 4 in the Passover? ›

From the Four Questions to the Four Sons to the Four Cups of Wine, the number four reminds us of the many different aspects of the story of the Exodus and the journey from slavery to freedom.

What four questions are asked by the oldest person at the table during the Passover Seder? ›

Singing the Four Questions traditionally falls to the youngest child at the Passover Seder. It's a much loved, and sometimes dreaded, tradition. Jonathan Berman was 3 when he first regaled his extended family with the Four Questions at their Seder, the ritual meal at which Jews each year retell the story of Passover.

Why does the youngest child ask the Four Questions on Passover? ›

Answer: Our Rabbis tell us that the reason that it is the youngest who asks the four questions, is so that he/she will remain an active participant in the Seder, for after all – the main idea of this Seder is “Hagada” - to tell over the story of our heritage to future generations.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Catherine Tremblay

Last Updated:

Views: 6528

Rating: 4.7 / 5 (67 voted)

Reviews: 82% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Catherine Tremblay

Birthday: 1999-09-23

Address: Suite 461 73643 Sherril Loaf, Dickinsonland, AZ 47941-2379

Phone: +2678139151039

Job: International Administration Supervisor

Hobby: Dowsing, Snowboarding, Rowing, Beekeeping, Calligraphy, Shooting, Air sports

Introduction: My name is Catherine Tremblay, I am a precious, perfect, tasty, enthusiastic, inexpensive, vast, kind person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.