Our 10 Most Popular Recipes of 2020

From main dishes to sweet treats, here are the recipes Food & Wine readers loved the most this year.

If anything good came out of 2020, it was the things that came out of our ovens. We'll never forget the banana breads, sourdough loafs, and ambitious roasts we prepared to stave off anxiety during a year we are now desperate to leave behind.

If you plan to stay busy with cooking projects this winter, as we do, we rounded up the most popular recipes we published this year, from birria tacos to creamy crab carbonara.

1. Birria Tacos

Birria Tacos Recipe
Greg Dupree

Claudette Zepeda's take on succulent, tender birria tacos was the most clicked-on recipe we published this year, and for good reason: They're perfect.

Get the recipe.

2. Hong Kong Milk Tea Tiramisu

Hong Kong Milk Tea Tiramisu Recipe
Chelsea Kyle

Top Chef All-Stars winner Melissa King uses a concentrated powdered black tea to add complexity to this rich, subtly sweet tiramisu.

Get the recipe.

3. Summer Crab Carbonara with Lemon and Capers

Summer Crab Carbonara with Lemons and Capers Recipe
Michael Piazza

This creamy, bright take on carbonara was our unofficial dish of the summer, all thanks to Best New Chef Douglass Williams.

Get the recipe.

4. Lemon Blueberry Cake with Lemon-Zest Glaze

Blueberry Lemon Cake Recipe
Caitlin Bensel

We like to eat this rich treat for breakfast, but it also makes an indulgent dessert.

Get the recipe.

5. Honey Pepper Coconut Shrimp

Honey Pepper Coconut Shrimp Recipe
Photo by Greg DuPree / Prop Styling by Christine Keely / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer

Although his breading technique at Rocky's Hot Chicken Shack in Asheville is a closely guarded secret, chef Rich Cundiff shared this riff on his coconut shrimp exclusively with Food & Wine.

Get the recipe.

6. Brown-Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland

Melting butter in a skillet until it's golden brown and nutty lends these chewy cookies an irresistible depth of flavor.

Get the recipe.

7. Northern Standard

Northern Standard Cocktail Recipe
Carey Jones

This full-flavored, Manhattan-like cocktail got one of our writer's through this year: "I dream of returning to my favorite seat at the bar, in the far-right corner by the fireplace, the best spot for people-watching and gossiping with the bartenders. Until then, I'll make my Northern Standards at home. They'll get me through like they always do."

Get the recipe.

8. One-Pot White Wine Pasta with Mushrooms and Leeks

One Pot White Wine Pasta Recipe
Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland

If there was ever a year we needed one-pot recipes, it was 2020. This rich, earthy pasta is the perfect low-lift weeknight dinner.

Get the recipe.

9. Venetian Shrimp Polenta

Venetian Shrimp Polenta Recipe
Victor Protasio

David McCAnn recreated one of the best meals he's ever eaten—schie con polenta in Venice—so we can all enjoy it at home.

Get the recipe.

10. Potato Bacon and Cheddar Tart

Potato Bacon and Cheddar Tart Recipe
Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Make sure to save the extra bacon drippings for toast, basting roasted chicken, or for making cornbread.

Get the recipe.

Was this page helpful?
Related Articles