The 5 Top Trending Recipes of 2021, According to Google

Google released its annual "Year in Search," sharing the top trending terms of 2021. The data covers all categories, from celebrities to news stories. The most popular search of all in the United States? The NBA. In the food space, the top search should come as no surprise to social media users: "TikTok pasta."

While there are many pastas on TikTok, the search is likely referring to the viral tomato and feta cheese pasta that blew up on the app this summer, which actually led to feta cheese shortages in parts of the world.

To organize the data, Google ranks terms that had the highest spike this year compared to the previous year. (It makes perfect sense that we were on TikTok a lot more this year.) Below are the top five trending recipe searches.

1. TikTok pasta

Okay, okay, we don't have the exact viral TikTok recipe on our website (The Washington Post has a great version), but we do have this absolutely lovely, simple sheet-pan baked chicken pasta with feta and tomatoes. So, think of it as an upgrade, with extra protein.

F&W Recipe: Sheet Pan Baked Chicken, Feta, Tomatoes, and Kale with Pasta

2. Bacon jam

Brightened by apple cider vinegar and tomatoes, our bacon jam adds sweet, tart and smoky flavors to just about anything. Smear it on toast or serve layered in a grilled cheese sandwich.

F&W Recipe: Bacon Jam

3. Birria tacos

Claudette Zepeda's birria tacos continue to be one of the most popular recipes on our site, and for good reason — they're perfect. (If you're feeling creative, you can even stuff birria into fluffy bao like Zepeda does.)

F&W Recipe: Birria Tacos

4. Crockpot chicken

We love a good slow cooker chicken dish, and there are seemingly an infinite number of options. One of our favorites is this sweet-smoky slow-cooker barbecue chicken.

F&W Recipe: Slow-Cooker Burnt Honey Barbecue Chicken

5. Hamantaschen

This delicious three-cornered pastry is traditionally associated with the Jewish holiday of Purim, and they're often filled with preserves, honey, and/or poppy seeds.

Recipes: 8 Recipes That Prove Hamantaschen Are the Best Kind of Cookie