Mark your calendar: April 15 marks the start of Passover, and whether you’ve hosted for years or are totally new to the Jewish holiday (which commemorates the Israelites’ liberation from slavery), we’re here to help you plan your menu from dinner to dessert. While observers traditionally avoided all leavened breads during the eight days of Passover (as well as rice, beans, corn and lentils due to a 13th-century prohibition), nowadays, many families permit these to be eaten, but still steer clear of leavened bread and food made with wheat flour, like bread, pasta, cereal and cookies. With that in mind, we’ve rounded up 35 Passover recipes that feature some of the symbolic foods on the Seder plate and popular dishes to serve at your annual family gathering, like brisket, matzo ball soup and flourless cake.
35 Passover Recipes to Put on Your Seder Table This Year
1. Matzo Ball Soup With Chicken Meatballs And Homemade Broth
- Time Commitment: 5 hours and 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, dairy free, low sugar, high protein, one pot
You’ll never look at store-bought soup the same way again. Nix the chicken to make it vegetarian.
2. Jewish Holiday Brisket
- Time Commitment: 3 hours and 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, gluten free, dairy free, high protein, one pot
Unlike Southern brisket, which is typically slow cooked over indirect heat, Jewish brisket is similar to pot roast. It braises in a savory mix of broth, crushed tomatoes and red wine.
3. Flourless Chocolate Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, gluten-free, under 10 ingredients, kid friendly
Avoiding leavened bread unfortunately means baked goods made with wheat flour are off the table. Luckily, this beauty is both decadent and gluten-free.
4. Charoset
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why We Love It: Gluten free, under 10 ingredients, one bowl, no cook, vegan
This sweet salad—made with nuts, apples, cinnamon and wine—is one of the six traditional foods that appear on the Seder plate.
5. Braised Beef Short Ribs In Red Wine Sauce
- Time Commitment: 3 hours and 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, gluten free, high protein, low carb, one pot
Making them yourself > paying a pretty penny to have them catered.
6. Frisée, Radicchio And Escarole Salad With Citrus Dressing
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why We Love It: Gluten free, one bowl, no cook, vegetarian
Helloooo, bitter greens. If your family keeps kosher and is serving meat, skip the feta cheese.
7. 5-ingredient Dark Chocolate Macaroons
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: Gluten-free, under 10 ingredients, dairy-free, one bowl
No flour here. It’s no wonder these low-ingredient coconut treats have become so common for Passover dessert.
8. Lemon And Herb Roast Chicken
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, gluten free, low carb, high protein, under 10 ingredients
Forget the fancy spice rubs. All it takes to make this crowd-pleasing main is butter, lemon and fresh herbs.
9. Matzo Brei
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: Kid friendly, under 10 ingredients, one pan, dairy free
Passover lasts eight days, meaning you’ll have plenty of chances to turn leftover matzo into a ten-minute egg scramble.
10. Slow-cooked Lamb Shanks In Red Wine Sauce
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 50 minutes
- Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, high protein, dairy free, low sugar
The bone is part of the ritual Seder plate because it symbolizes the lamb sacrifice the ancient Hebrews made while fleeing Egypt.
11. Roasted Beets
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why We Love It: Vegetarian, vegan, under 10 ingredients, dairy free, gluten free
Plant-based eaters who don’t consume lamb often swap lamb shank for roasted beets at the Seder, after a biblical commentator suggested it centuries ago.
12. Cauliflower, Pomegranate And Apple Salad
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why We Love It: Vegetarian, dairy free, gluten free
It’s dairy-free, grain-free and complete with nutty tahini-honey dressing.
13. One-pan Roasted Chicken With Carrots
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, one pan, high protein, gluten free, dairy free
Seven ingredients + 30 minutes + one baking sheet = the easiest holiday dinner you’ll ever make.
14. Mayo-free Deviled Eggs
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: Vegetarian, dairy free, gluten free, high protein
Much like in Easter canon, the egg in the Seder represents renewal and spring. Play up its significance by serving these dairy-free deviled eggs made with a secret ingredient: hummus.
15. Whole Roasted Carrots
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: Under 10 ingredients, vegan, gluten free, one pan
Not a fan of tzimmes, aka the Ashkenazi stew made with carrots and dried fruit? We have a savory alternative. Reserve the carrot greens to use as the bitter herb at the Seder.
19. Braised Lamb Shanks With Vegetables
- Time Commitment: 3 hours
- Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, high protein, gluten free, dairy free
Might we suggest serving them over cauliflower rice if you’re strictly adhering to the no-grains rule?
20. Simple Borscht
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: Vegan, gluten free, Instant Pot meal
Mix things up this year by serving beets in liquid form. This soup only takes 40 minutes from start to finish if you have a pressure cooker.
21. Simple Skillet Green Beans
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: Vegan, gluten free, under 10 ingredients, one pan
We have it on good authority that you have nearly every single ingredient in your kitchen right now.
22. Sheet Pan Honey Horseradish Chicken And Asparagus
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, gluten free, dairy free, under 10 ingredients
As an homage to the grated horseradish often used in the Seder, make this 35-minute dish starring creamy horseradish sauce.
23. Bitter Leaf And Orange Salad With Orange Poppyseed Dressing
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why We Love It: Vegan, gluten free, under 10 ingredients
It would pair beautifully with a hearty beef or lamb entrée.
24. Spiced Lamb Meatball And Escarole Soup
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, high protein, gluten free
Lamb and a bitter herb in one bowl? Kudos. What’s even better is that it’ll only take you 45 minutes to whip up.
25. Almond Flour Cake With Lemon
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, kid friendly, special occasion-worthy
Gluten-free? Check. Dairy-free? Check. Effortlessly beautiful? Most definitely.
26. Avocado Deviled Eggs
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, vegetarian, under 10 ingredients
Sorry, mayonnaise. Mustard has it covered with a little help from pickle juice.
27. Chicken Marbella
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, high protein, dairy free
Don’t knock the combo of prunes and capers ’til you try it—they make an epic sweet-and-sour pairing.
28. Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why We Love It: Vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free, under 10 ingredients
Psst: Sweet potatoes make a great substitute for carrots in tzimmes.
29. Radicchio Salad With Endives, Orange And Walnuts
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why We Love It: Vegan, gluten free, no cook, under 10 ingredients
All it takes is whisking a quick maple-citrus dressing together and tossing all the veggies in it.
30. Jelly-glazed Salmon
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, one pan, gluten free, dairy free
This sweet-and-savory main calls on humble grape jelly for its indulgent, sticky glaze. Better yet, the salmon cooks on a single sheet pan alongside Brussels sprouts.
31. Braised Brisket With Potatoes
- Time Commitment: 6 hours and 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, high protein, gluten free, dairy free
Does it get easier than cooking your main and sides together in one pot after a quick browning? We think not.
32. Red Sangria
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, vegetarian, no cook
Pomegranate juice, triple sec and a mélange of fruits unite for a crowd-pleasing sipper all your guests can get behind. Bonus points for using Manischewitz.
33. Grain-free Black And White Cookies
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: Kid friendly, vegetarian, gluten free
These deli delicacies are easier to prepare at home than you think. And thanks to almond and coconut flours, they're totally Passover-friendly.
35. Chocolate-covered Caramelized Matzo S’mores
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, kid friendly, under 10 ingredients
Too cold for a bonfire? Roast your marshmallows indoors on the stove instead.