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20 Easter Appetizers for a Delicious Spring Celebration

7 April 2025 at 17:35
carrot tart on a sheet of parchment paper on a green wooden surface
Serious Eats / Jen Causey

When I was a pastry chef, Easter meant a whirlwind of baking endless bunny- and carrot-shaped cookies, hand-piping marshmallow chicks, and making chocolate and sugar Easter eggs—so, of course, I could always be counted on to bring dessert to any gathering. But truth be told, I would have been equally happy to whip up a savory appetizer or two had I had a few fool-proof, crowd-pleasing recipes in my back pocket—like the ones I've curated below.

These Easter appetizers are light, bright, and highly adaptable for large and small gatherings. You can set them on a buffet or serve them as a starter. I've chosen a tantalizing mix of baked, fried, and chilled options, including easy hors d'oeuvres, creamy dips, picture-perfect savory spring vegetable tarts, and salads. However you celebrate Easter, our favorite appetizers are designed to impress with zero stress.

Asparagus Sheet Pan Tart

Overhead view of serving tart
Serious Eats / Robby Lozano

This easy-to-bake vegetable tart is a verdant ode to spring. We flipped the script by baking slender asparagus and goat cheese underneath the puff pastry, which traps steam to produce perfectly tender, glossy spears fragrant with thyme and lemon zest. Simply invert the golden, flaky, buttery crust onto a cutting board and slice the tart into squares.

Savory Carrot Tart

carrot tart on a sheet of parchment paper on a green wooden surface
Serious Eats / Jen Causey

Carrots are synonymous with Easter and we've come up with an easy and delicious way to showcase them in a savory tart that's a cinch to make. We start with a sheet of store-bought puff pastry, then layer on sliced Brie, a drizzle of zippy honey-mustard, and colorful roasted carrots, and bake until the crust is golden brown and crisp. Served warm or at room temperature, it makes for an eye-catching display on any table.

Herby Lamb Meatballs

meatballs on top of yogurt with fresh herbs and lemon wedges on a platter. Side of sparkling water and green napkin on the side
Serious Eats / Jen Causey

Love lamb but don't feel like roasting a whole leg or rack of lamb for Easter? These tender meatballs will give you the same distinctive rich flavor in juicy bite-size morsels, infused with fragrant spices. A bright, herbaceous feta and yogurt sauce provides a cool counterpoint to their meaty richness.

Caesar Deviled Eggs

Side view of Caesar-ed deviled eggs
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

Whether you use fresh Caesar mayo or mayo flavored with classic Caesar seasoning, there's no denying that the garlicky, peppery, cheesy, and deeply umami flavors of Caesar dressing are made for deviled eggs. All the more reason to make plenty to go around, because they will disappear in a blink.

Creamy Vegetarian Stuffed Mushrooms

Vegetarian stuffed mushrooms on a blue and white platter, on top of a blue and white dyed surface. Serving plated and napkins to the side.
Serious Eats / Morgan Hunt Glaze

Vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike will be clamoring for refills of these spectacular stuffed mushrooms, loaded with cream cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano, chopped mushroom stems, and sun-dried tomatoes—savory, sweet, and umami all at once. High-heat cooking ensures that the mushroom caps don't become soggy and the panko breadcrumb topping stays crunchy. It's a technique also we used for these sausage-stuffed mushrooms.

Croquetas de Jamón

Overhead view of croquetas
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

One of the many delectable things you can make with béchamel sauce is the crispy, creamy, savory Spanish tapa croquetas de jamón, or fried ham croquettes, typically made with a dry-cured ham. Thoroughly chilling the béchamel and ham mixture makes the croquetas easier to form and bread. You can make these well in advance and freeze them until you're ready to fry, so they're ideal for entertaining.

Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp

Bacon wrapped shrimp lined up on a platter, with pink asian inspired fabric, and smaller plates and drinks around the sides
Serious Eats / Robbie Lozano

Bacon-wrapped shrimp is one appetizer that's notoriously challenging to get just right, but after several test runs, we've cracked the code. Dry-brining the shrimp briefly in baking soda ensures a juicy, snappy texture, while partially cooking the bacon before wrapping allows it to fully crisp without the shrimp overcooking. A caramelized hot honey–soy sauce glaze adds a lovely sheen and enticing savoriness.

Crab Rangoon (Crab Puffs) With Sweet and Sour Sauce

Golden, fried crab rangoons on a blue ceramic plate which also holds a small glass bowl of sauce, on a pink stone background.
Serious Eats / Qi Ai

It's not hard to see the appeal of bubbly fried wontons oozing with a molten crab–cream cheese mixture. These wontons are shaped like a four-point star for maximum crunch and easy dipping into the sweet and sour sauce. Either real crabmeat or imitation crab will do since it's really all about the contrast between the slightly tangy creamy filling and crispy puffed wonton wrappers,

Scotch Eggs

Overhead view of Scotch Eggs
Serious Eats / Kevin White

Scotch eggs are classic British pub fare that can also serve as a great appetizer. The ground pork is seasoned with fresh parsley, chives, and thyme to create a flavorful crust. In this recipe, Japanese panko provides a lighter, crispier texture than the traditional breadcrumb coating.

Classic Shrimp Cocktail

Cocktail shrimp with lemon and cocktail sauce on a plate with ice, on a stone background.
Serious Eats / Debbie Wee

You really can't go wrong with a platter of tender shrimp with classic cocktail sauce. For the plumpest, juiciest, most flavorful shrimp, start with a dry brine of baking soda and salt, then cook them in an aromatic broth at a low temperature. Serve the chilled shrimp with your favorite store-bought cocktail sauce, or whip up your own with some ketchup, preserved horseradish, fresh lemon juice, and a few seasonings.

Easy, Cheesy Pull-Apart Garlic Knots

pullinh cheese garlic knot from cast iron pan and small dish of garlic butter on a black and white checkered fabric. 2 green plates and red napkin to the sides.
Serious Eats / Jen Causey

Hand-tied pizza dough is what makes these knots far superior to your basic pull-apart garlic rolls. They have lots of crevices and pockets to capture more of the garlicky seasoned melted butter and cheese—which means double the flavor and ooey-gooey cheesiness. While these are meant to be shared, we guarantee there will be some elbowing and jostling to claim the last piece.

Choreg (Armenian Easter Bread)

A loaf and rolls of braided Armenian Easter bread
Serious Eats / Andrew Janjigian

Slightly sweeter than challah and brioche and intensely aromatic from nigella seeds and mahlab, a spice made from the tiny seeds of the St. Lucy's cherry, choreg has a sumptuously soft, fluffy crumb, eggy richness, and shiny golden crust that makes it a standout on any festive table. Set it alongside a cheese and charcuterie board.

Salmon Rillettes With Chives and Shallots

Salmon rillette in a white ramekin
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Fresh salmon is the base for this sophisticated French appetizer that's remarkably simple to put together. We gently cook the fish so it stays moist and juicy, making it effortless to shred and mix with mayonnaise, sautéed shallots, chives, and seasonings. Serve beside a display of crackers and breads.

Maryland Crab Imperial With Buttery Golden Breadcrumbs

A blue baking dish holding golden brown Maryland Crab Imperial. The bottom left corner of the baking dish shows a metal spoon holding a spoonful of the crab, while on the lefthand side of the image is a light blue ceramic plate holding small pieces of bread, one of which has been topped with the crab.
Serious Eats / Qi Ai

Daniel's recipe for Maryland Crab Imperial has all the flavors and textures of crab cakes without the hands-on work, so it's ideal to make for large gatherings. You can even serve it in individual ramekins as a starter. A generous helping of mayonnaise adds creaminess and transforms the lump crabmeat into a luscious dip, while melted butter enhances the crispiness and flavor of the breadcrumbs.

Roman-Jewish Fried Artichokes (Carciofi alla Giudia)

Fried artichokes and lemon wedges on a black plate
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Springtime is peak season for artichokes and one of the most delicious ways to enjoy them is fried Roman-Jewish style. The two-stage method yields a tender heart and crispy leaves. All they need is a sprinkling of salt while still hot and a squeeze of lemon juice.

The Best Caesar Salad

A composed caesar salad in a ceramic bowl on a white stone background.
Serious Eats / Diana Chistruga

Nothing beats a well-constructed Caesar salad starter. Our rendition of the beloved classic builds on layers of flavor and texture—from the crisp inner romaine lettuce leaves evenly coated in a tangy and umami-packed emulsified dressing to the crunchy croutons baked in garlic-infused oil and shower of salty Parmesan cheese.

Snap Pea and Radicchio Salad With Garlic Yogurt Dressing

Snap pea and radicchio salad served from a wooden platter
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

This vibrant salad is a wonderful study in contrasts: sweet, crisp blanched snap peas, cool tangy garlicky yogurt dressing, and warm, robust radicchio. Charring the radicchio under the broiler caramelizes its sugars and tames its bitterness. A sprinkling of fried sliced garlic leftover from making garlic oil for the dressing adds another layer of flavor and crunch.

Spring Vegetable and Arugula Salad With Labneh and Cucumbers

Spring Vegetable and Arugula Salad with Labneh on a plate with fork
Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

A quick blanch keeps the color of the fava beans, English peas, asparagus, and broccolini vibrant and bright, locking in their flavor and crisp texture. Lemony mustard vinaigrette, peppery arugula, Persian cucumbers, red onion, sunflower seeds, mozzarella, and creamy labneh complement the natural sweetness of the spring vegetables.

Fava Bean Tartine With Goat Cheese and Marcona Almonds

Olive oil drizzled on a fava bean, goat cheese, and marcona almond tartine
Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

Tartine may sound fancier than open-faced sandwich but it's essentially sliced toasted bread topped with minimal ingredients, making it an ideal vehicle to showcase fresh spring produce, such as fava beans. Here, we pair them with crunchy Marcona almonds and a mild goat cheese. A flourish of fresh chervil and drizzle of olive oil and you have yourself a delightful, super quick and easy appetizer.

Asparagus and Tarragon Velouté (Dairy-Free Creamy Asparagus Soup)

Asparagus tarragon soup viewed from the side
Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

For this creamy asparagus soup, we ditched heavy cream in favor of a flour-thickened velouté, which lets the bright vegetal flavor of the asparagus and fennel shine through while still delivering a luscious, velvety smooth texture. Serve this dreamy soup in individual bowls as a starter or as soup shots in little espresso cups.

13 Quick and Easy Chicken and Vegetable Recipes for Winning Weeknight Dinners

31 March 2025 at 20:17
Overhead view of Hainanese Chicken Rice Set
Serious Eats / Fred Hardy

Like many busy folks with packed schedules, I make a point to prioritize easy dinners—and especially love meals that are light on prep but don't skimp on flavor. Usually, this is some variation of chicken and vegetables, as chicken is wonderfully versatile and can be easily paired with whatever ingredients I have on hand. Below, you'll find my favorite chicken and vegetable recipes—including sheet-pan roasted chicken and crispy braised chicken thighs—that make weeknight cooking feel like a breeze.

Pan-Roasted Chicken With Vegetables and Dijon Jus

A white ceramic dish holding pan-roasted chicken and vegetables in jus.
Serious Eats / Mariel De La Cruz

Crackling, crispy-skinned chicken and charred tender vegetables, all made in a single skillet? Sign me up. Deglaze the pan with chicken stock to gather up all the tasty browned bits and chicken drippings, then turn it into a rich, flavorful gravy brightened with lemon and Dijon mustard.

Sheet-Pan Roasted Chicken, Sweet Potatoes, and Brussels Sprouts

Sheet pan of roasted chicken and vegetables on a yellow and brown surface, with red cups and a serving spatula
Serious Eats / Robby Lozano

Sheet-pan dinners are easy to prep and clean up, making them a go-to weeknight meal for many people. For a dinner that pops with both color and flavor, pair bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs with sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, and shallots, then top it all off with a spicy, sweet gochujang mayonnaise.

Sheet-Pan Chicken Thighs With Potatoes, Fennel, and Mustard-Beer Sauce

Chicken thighs with potato-fennel gratin on a white platter
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Juicy chicken thighs, cheesy potato-fennel gratin, and a mustard-beer sauce with just one sheet pan? Yes, it's possible. Arranging the chicken thighs around the baking sheet's perimeter—where the heat is the highest—helps brown and crisp the skin, while also protecting the potatoes and fennel from scorching.

Chicken Souvlaki With Tzatziki Sauce and Greek Salad

Skewers served with salad, pita, and tzatziki sauce
Serious Eats / Julia Estrada

A simple zesty vinaigrette works double-duty as both the marinade for the chicken and dressing for the Greek salad, making this a minimal-effort meal. Pile your juicy, char-grilled pieces of chicken onto a pita with fresh vegetables and garlicky tzatziki sauce, and you'll have yourself a Mediterranean feast.

Takeout-Style Kung Pao Chicken (Diced Chicken With Peppers and Peanuts)

Kung Pao Chicken on a blue dish with spoon
Serious Eats / Melissa Hom

Former editor Kenji's spin on kung pao chicken has everything we love about the umami-packed Sichuan classic: tender marinated chicken, crisp peppers and celery, crunchy peanuts, and fiery chiles stir-fried with a sweet-sour-savory sauce. The best part? It takes just 15 minutes to cook.

Hainanese Chicken Rice Set

Overhead view of Hainanese Chicken Rice Set
Serious Eats / Fred Hardy

The secret to deeply flavorful chicken rice with ultra-tender chicken? Poaching the chicken until each piece registers the ideal temperature on an instant-read thermometer to keep the meat moist, then using that same poaching liquid and any rendered chicken fat to cook the rice and vegetables. Each bite is infused with rich poultry flavor, making it the ultimate chicken dinner.

Chicken Cacciatore With Red Peppers, Tomato, and Onion

 A white oval platter holding chicken cacciatore and a good amount of golden brown sauce. The platter is on a textured grey-blue surface.
Serious Eats / Mariel De La Cruz

Chicken cacciatore has all the flavor and depth of a slow-cooked dish but is ready in a little over an hour. It's totally doable—even on a weeknight. Using thigh and drumsticks ensures the meat stays tender and juicy, and skipping the flour dredge that some recipes call for lets the bright, fruity flavor of the bell peppers and tomatoes to shine through. For a heartier, earthier take on chicken cacciatore, try this version with mushrooms.

Biryani-Style Roast Chicken

Overhead view of Biryani Style Roast Chicken against a blue background
Serious Eats / Kanika and Jatin Sharma

This one-skillet chicken dinner combines everything we love about a gorgeous roast chicken with fluffy basmati rice and a fragrant blend of toasted spices. A generous layering of zucchini, potatoes, and caramelized onion adds texture and makes it a complete meal.

Easy Weeknight Chicken Pot Pie

Baked Pot pie with one serving taken out of skillet and on a plate. Skillet is on a white tablecloth and has serving plates around it.
Serious Eats / Morgan Hunt Glaze

This easy skillet pot pie takes just about 10 minutes to prep and comes together in a single cast iron skillet, making it a meal that's light on both effort and clean up. It's loaded with vegetables and tender chicken, and topped with a crisp, flaky crust. In other words: It's the ultra-comforting meal we all need.

Buffalo Chicken Salad

Overhead view of buffalo chicken salad
Serious Eats / Robby Lozano

For the perfect Buffalo chicken salad, you have to start with the right chicken—in this case, it's boneless, skinless chicken thighs marinated with lemon juice and Frank’s Red Hot. A combination of blue cheese dressing and Buffalo sauce evokes the taste of classic Buffalo wings while crisp, fresh vegetables and creamy avocado provide a cooling counterpart to the hot sauce.

Grilled Lemon-Garlic Chicken and Tomato Kebabs With Basil Chimichurri

Grilled Lemon Garlic Chicken and Tomato Kebabs with basil chimichurri on the side
Serious Eats / Emily and Matthew Clifton

This satisfying weeknight dinner can be prepped in the time it takes to light a chimney of charcoal and preheat the grill. While the grill preheats, you'll marinate the chicken in with garlic, oil, lemon juice and zest, and maple syrup, then make a punchy chimichurri sauce for drizzling over the skewers.

Gỏi Gà Bắp Cải (Vietnamese Chicken and Cabbage Salad)

Overhead view of chicken and cabbage salad
Serious Eats / Vy Tran

This classic Vietnamese salad is ideal for a light supper on a warm night. The combination of tender shredded chicken, crisp cabbage, sweet carrot, pickled onion, fresh herbs, fried shallots, crunchy peanuts, and aromatic dipping sauce offers a delightful mix of textures and flavors in every bite.

Chicken Salad With Avocado, Corn, and Miso Dressing

Overhead view of avocado and chicken salad on a green triangle patterned backdrop
Serious Eats / Victor Protasio

Miso paste, mirin, and ginger give a decidedly Japanese twist to traditional chicken salad. Scallions, fresh corn, and creamy avocado take the place of celery, red onion, and mayo while Japanese mustard and shichimi togarashi add a spicy kick to the dressing.

18 Epic Breakfast Recipes That'll Make You a Morning Person

17 March 2025 at 16:46
stack of banana bread pancakes with butter on top and syrup pouring over them on a white plate
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

On weekday mornings, breakfast typically means something like toast or a bagel that I can eat with one hand in between sips of protein-infused coffee while I work on my laptop. Sadly, working from home doesn't necessarily translate to more time for breakfast (or lunch, for that matter). But on the weekends or on those rare weekday mornings when I actually get up before my alarm, I like to make myself a worthwhile breakfast—by that, I mean something I can sit down and savor.

Below, I've rounded up some of my and the Serious Eats teams' breakfast favorites for those days when we want more than just a quick protein smoothie, a bowl of granola, or toast. You'll find plenty of sweet and savory options—from tender, fluffy pancakes and bakeshop-worthy muffins and pastries to a nostalgic Hong Kong–style breakfast sandwich and regional comfort classics like Cincinnati goetta and Southern red-eye gravy. So, whether you're breakfasting solo or entertaining a group of friends, these 18 breakfast recipes guarantee a happy start to your day.

Hong Kong-Style Breakfast Sandwich

Side view of HK style spam and egg
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

There's no denying the appeal of a well-made, simply constructed breakfast sandwich, which is why this Hong Kong tea café staple of scrambled eggs and savory fried Spam sandwiched between slices of toasted, crustless white bread is such a classic. To achieve the signature silky scramble texture, we whisk a slurry of potato or tapioca starch and half-and-half into the eggs to prevent the egg proteins from binding and cooking too quickly.

Banana Bread Pancakes

stack of banana bread pancakes with butter on top and syrup pouring over them on a white plate
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

While I love a fat slice of banana bread to go with my morning coffee, banana bread in pancake form is simply a chef's kiss. For tender, lofty pancakes with a sweet, robust banana flavor, we mash the banana with an egg to convert the fruit’s starches to sugar and add a bit of buttermilk.

Hong Kong-Style French Toast

Side view of Hong Kong french toast
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

Another Hong Kong tea café breakfast staple with a special place in my heart is this French toast, shallow-fried until golden and crispy on the outside, oozing with peanut butter on the inside, and generously drizzled with sweetened condensed milk. Dried, enriched milk bread is best for soaking up all the egg batter, ensuring a custardy texture and velvety bite.

Apple Pie Pancakes

Stack of apple pie pancakes on white rustic plates, a green checked napkin, and warm drink
Serious Eats / Robby Lozano

For a luxurious breakfast that's perfect for entertaining, these apple pie–inspired pancakes are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser that's also fairly easy to make. We toss grated apples with brown sugar before folding them into the batter, which softens the fruit so it becomes almost custard-like within the pancakes. Pumpkin-pie spice provides a depth of flavor basic apple-pie spice simply lacks.

Goetta (Cincinnati Breakfast Meat Loaf)

A stack of goetta, berries and fried egg on a blue plate. coffee and plate of goetta in the background
Serious Eats / Qi Ai

Like Pennsylvania scrapple, this Cincinnati breakfast staple is a cross between sausage and meatloaf. Though traditionally made with a blend of meat scraps and offal, our version uses bone-in pork shoulder and steel-cut oats for goetta with a deeper flavor and a rich, gelatinous texture. The finished loaf is sliced and crisped slowly in a skillet so the pork and oats caramelize to a crunchy brown finish.

Breakfast Sopes With Refried Beans, Queso Fundido, Poached Eggs, and Salsa

Breakfast sopes on speckled blue plates
Serious Eats/Lorena Masso

Looking for a savory, filling, showstopping breakfast to impress your guests? These crispy sopes are loaded with hearty refried beans smothered in a bacon and fresh chile-loaded queso fundido. Each sope has a perfectly poached egg nestled on top, accented with a spoonful of spicy and acidic xnipec to cut through the richness of the cheese and refried beans. It's a dish with a gorgeous array of colors and it tastes just as beautiful.

Buttermilk Vanilla Waffles

Wedges of buttermilk waffles topped with butter and strawberries and dusted with powdered sugar
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

This remarkable one-bowl recipe produces what I would call the platonic ideal of waffles—eggshell-crisp exterior and incredibly fluffy interior. On mornings when you roll out of bed with a sudden urge to fire up the waffle iron, this is the one you want to make: no whipped eggs, no wet ingredients here, dry ingredients there, no foaming, no folding, and no sifting. Topped with butter, maple syrup, fruit, or even fried chicken, every bite is pure bliss.

Red-Eye Gravy with Country Ham

Country ham slices with red-eye gravy on a blue plate
Serious Eats/Morgan Glaze

Pan-fried country ham and red-eye gravy made from pan drippings and coffee is the kind of rib-sticking "welcome home" breakfast you make for family and friends in the South. Be sure to use bone-in ham slices, which are untrimmed and fattier, so there are enough drippings to make the rich mahogany gravy—and have plenty of fluffy cathead biscuits on hand to soak it all up.

Biscuits and Gravy

Overhead view of biscuits and gravy
Serious Eats / Amanda. Suarez

All you need are a handful of ingredients and a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet to make this Southern breakfast staple. We cook the sausage in its own fat, adding onion to provide a savory counterpoint to the sweet elements in the sausage, and use a ratio of one tablespoon of all-purpose flour to one cup of milk for a thick, homogenous, silky gravy that's perfect for topping biscuits.

Savory Turmeric Masala Oats

Bowl of garnished Savory Tumeric Oats with a hand taking a spoonful of it. Side dishes of yogurt and sliced of lime.
Serious Eats / Shri Repp

To give an otherwise bland morning oatmeal a bold, savory makeover, we turn to tadka—a traditional South Asian cooking technique of frying spices in oil or ghee to release their fragrant flavors—to infused each bite with the earthy flavors of cumin, black mustard seeds, coriander, red pepper flakes, and turmeric. You can add other vegetables along with the tomato and bell pepper, such as mushrooms, carrots, and peas, to give the oats more color, flavor, and texture.

Eggs in Purgatory

Overhead view of eggs in purgatory served out of a skillet
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

Eggs in purgatory, or "uova in purgatorio," is an easy Southern Italian dish that's perfect for breakfast, brunch, or "breakfast for dinner," served with plenty of crusty bread to sop up the spicy tomato sauce. Add the eggs off the heat so they poach at an even rate and use canned whole tomatoes for a consistent, flavorful sauce year-round.

Homemade Beignets

Beignets on a white plate with powdered sugar on it, with a coffee, green and white striped napkin, and a marble surface
Serious Eats / Robbie Lozano

Louisiana-style beignets, like those from the famed Café du Monde in New Orleans, are best enjoyed hot and fresh out of the fryer, liberally doused with powdered sugar. Unlike other beignet recipes, ours is made with bread flour to produce a lighter crumb and open texture and buttermilk to give it a slight tang. Let the dough proof overnight in the fridge to achieve a puffed and airy interior when you fry up the beignets in the morning.

Morning Glory Muffins

Overhead view of glazed morning glory muffins on a white platter
Serious Eats / Jen Causey

Studded with pecans, dried fruit, carrots, apples, and coconut, these hearty breakfast muffins will certainly make your morning glorious indeed. They’re moist and tender, not cloyingly sweet, with wonderful woodsy, spiced notes of cinnamon and ginger. An orange glaze adds a finishing touch that's next-level.

Bostock

Close up of slice of bostock on a blue plate doused in powdered sugar
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

Think of bostock as luxe toast disguised as a French pastry that tastes just like an almond croissant. We slather sliced brioche with fragrant, buttery almond cream, top it with sliced almonds, and bake it until puffy and golden brown. A layer of marmalade between the brioche and almond cream adds a bittersweet citrus flavor.

New Jersey Crumb Buns

Stack of NJ Crumb buns on a plate, with a striped napkin and a white tabletop
Serious Eats / Debbie Wee

Our recipe pays tribute to the hyper-regional New Jersey classic crumb bun, with a tender yeasted dough topped with a soft, cohesive, thick layer of melt-in-your-mouth crumbs. Cut into squares and showered with powdered sugar, these buns will transport you to the Garden State—no Turnpike or Parkway tolls required.

Cheese Danish

Overhead view of cheese danishes on a hexagonal plate against a green background
Serious Eats / Greg Dupree

I would argue that the only Danish worth having with my morning coffee is a freshly baked one, preferably full of buttery, flaky layers—and our cheese Danish delivers on all counts. We streamlined the lamination process, using the rough puff pastry (or blitz puff pastry) method to achieve ultra-flaky layers. We also chill the dough between folds to allow the gluten to rest and give the butter time to become cold again, to produce a finished product infinitely better than any store-bought version.

Cheesy Sausage Breakfast Casserole

Serving of baked casserole square from the side on a plate with a gold fork. Coffee and basket of bigger casserole are in the background.
Serious Eats / Fred Hardy

We love a breakfast dish that can be prepped up to 24 hours ahead. Sauté the sausage and vegetables so they're fully cooked before adding them to the casserole to help remove excess moisture. The addition of shredded Gouda cheese, sour cream, and half-in-half to the eggs makes for a rich custard-like filling.

Make-Ahead Bacon and Cheese Egg Bites

Egg bite on a small plate, with a platter of more bites and a pepper shaker on the side
Serious Eats / Fred Hardy

Who wouldn't want a great, low-effort, perfectly portioned breakfast option that can be easily made in advance at home? For our version of the popular Starbucks egg bite, we employ a similar sous-vide method to cook them at a temperature significantly lower and more stable than baking to produce a silky, custard-like texture. Loaded with savory bacon and nutty Gruyère cheese and cooked in individual mason jars, these egg bites can be enjoyed right out of the jar or popped out onto a plate for serving.

10 Fragrant Basmati Rice Dishes From Around the World

10 March 2025 at 16:57
A plated portain of Biryani on a pale purple plate on a bright blue background
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

Often referred to as the "Queen of Rice" throughout South Asia and the Middle East, basmati rice is revered for its delicate nutty aroma and long slender grains that remain separate and whole when cooked. It has a firm yet fluffy texture, absorbs flavors well, and pairs beautifully with many different dishes. A proper biryani can't be made without it, and don't even attempt golden crunchy tahdig with anything else.

Below, we've rounded up some of our favorite basmati rice recipes that showcase its versatility across a variety of cuisines—including Indian, Persian, Egyptian, British, Nigerian, and Armenian. Whether it's a hearty and comforting standby, a celebratory showstopper, or a light and satisfying meal, these 10 intensely flavorful dishes will make the most out of a bag of basmati rice.

Lamb Biryani With Saffron, Yogurt, and Caramelized Onions

Overhead view of lamb biryani on a white oval platter with a wooden serving spoon
Serious Eats / Qi Ai

This biryani is a celebration of aroma, color, and flavor, with perfectly fluffy grains of basmati rice infused with rosewater, pandan, and saffron and succulent chunks of yogurt-marinated, richly spiced lamb. The dish is all about layering textures and building maximum flavor through techniques like deeply caramelizing onion for the base and garnish.

Vegetable Biryani

A plated portain of Biryani on a pale purple plate on a bright blue background
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

Brightly colored, intoxicatingly aromatic, and intensely flavorful, vegetable biryani takes less time to make than the meat version, so it's ideally suited for weekday meals. As with all biryani, good basmati rice is crucial for perfectly feathery and light individual grains.

Tahdig (Persian Crunchy Rice)

Side angle view of Tahdig arrange on a mound of rice on a blue platter
Serious Eats / Nader Mehravari

Tahdig, that most coveted buttery, golden, crunchy layer at the bottom of a pot of rice, is considered by many to be the jewel of Persian cooking and the source of fierce competition amongst those vying for the biggest piece and home cooks jockeying for bragging rights. For the best results, use an inexpensive heat diffuser or a thick, heavy-bottomed pot, or rotate the pot every 10 minutes, and immediately set the pot of cooked rice in cold water or on a thoroughly wet towel to ensure you don't lose a single bit of the golden brown crust.

Kedgeree (British Curried Rice With Smoked Haddock)

Overhead view of kedegree on a blue plate on a wooden surface
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

Inspired by the South Asian lentil-and-rice dish khichdi, this British recipe combines lightly curry-spiced basmati rice with Scottish smoked fish, jammy boiled eggs, and buttery onions. Toasting the rice in oil for a few minutes before adding the liquid further ensures that the grains of rice remain separate and fluffy.

Nigerian Fried Rice

Finished Nigerian fried rice on a white oval serving platter
Serious Eats / Maureen Celestine

Golden sella basmati, a type of basmati that has been parboiled, is essential for this Nigerian dish that cooks, feels, and tastes like a cross between Indian pilau and Chinese fried rice. The rice is first partially cooked in Nigerian stock to infuse it with savory flavor, then green bell pepper is added at the end of the cooking process to lend a fresh, vegetal flavor.

Koshari (Egyptian Lentils, Rice, and Pasta)

Overhead view of koshari in bowl surrounded by bowls of toppings
Serious Eats / Kevin White

This dish of fluffy vermicelli, rice, tender black lentils, and soft elbow pasta is iconic Egyptian street fare that's bursting with tart and savory flavors and contrasting textures. It's fairly simple to make despite its long list of ingredients. To speed up the cooking time and ensure tender, fluffy grains, pre-soak the rice and lentils.

Nigerian Jollof Rice

Overhead view of Jollof rice on a bright blue plate on top of a yellow table runner next to a glass of water
Serious Eats / Maureen Celestine

The keys to making this seasoned tomatoey West African classic are choosing the right type of rice, in this case golden sella basmati, and slow cooking. Cooking the rice most of the way on low heat allows the grains to absorb the sauce properly, cook evenly, and not burn on the bottom; stirring minimally ensures evenly cooked rice while keeping the grains separate.

Ghapama (Armenian Stuffed Pumpkin)

Overhead view of Ghapama on a purple background
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

If you're looking for a “low effort, high reward” showstopper that’s ideal for serving guests, then this gorgeous honey-butter–glazed pumpkin stuffed with rice, dried fruits, and nuts is it. Parboiled rice guarantees the stuffing cooks through at the same rate as the pumpkin. Brown butter amplifies basmati rice's nutty aroma and adds a complex, savory flavor.

North African Tuna and Rice Salad

Side view of North African Tuna Rice Salad in a white serving dish
Serious Eats / Jillian Atkinson

We've drawn inspiration from North African pantry staples like harissa, preserved lemons, and olives to transform plain leftover basmati rice into a bright salad that's a meal by itself. Meaty tuna, crunchy vegetables, and fluffy rice dressed in a punchy vinaigrette offer a delightful contrast of textures and flavors.

Dosa (Indian Rice-and-Lentil Crepes)

Masala Dosa on a black plate
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Our version of the popular South Asian crepe made from fermented basmati rice and black lentils is crisp, chewy, and light, with a sourdough-like tang thanks to a double fermentation. Dosas are remarkably versatile and can be served with any number of accouterments or fillings, though masala dosa is the most iconic iteration—stuffed with a spiced potato filling and rolled into a log and served with coconut chutney.

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