The 37 Most Popular Recipes From Gourmet
Epicurious launched in 1995 with about 5,000 recipes—digitized by a group of monks in Virginia—and the dream of becoming a go-to resource for home cooks everywhere. Today, across Epicurious and and our sister site, Bon Appétit, we have over 50,000 carefully tested recipes available—including more than 11,000 recipes reprinted from the pages of Gourmet. In this list you’ll find 37 reader favorites—the Gourmet recipes you come back to again and again. You’ll notice some of them have received a little glow-up as we begin to add high-resolution photos to popular recipes that never had them before. Dive into the list to plan your next special occasion dinner—or cozy brunch at home.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Simon Andrews1/37
Chocolate Mousse
Many of the most popular Gourmet recipes are sophisticated sweets, like this luscious chocolate dessert. We promise it's actually not difficult to make: You'll simply heat cream in a small saucepan then whisk into a mixture of egg yolks, sugar, and a pinch of salt. That combination gets warmed over low heat and scented with vanilla, then combined with melted chocolate and freshly whipped cream. You can make this mousse a day in advance—which means it's a great low-stress option for a special dinner.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Ali Nardi2/37
Haricots Verts With Herb Butter
Sometimes it's the simplest sides that make a dinner great. And this one even gives you the option to make the vibrant lemon, tarragon, and parsley butter up to three days ahead. Toss with hot blanched green beans at the last second for an easy, but impressive vegetable dish.
- Photo by Travis Rainey, Styling by Joseph De Leo3/37
Simple Hot Cocoa for One
This simple hot cocoa recipe requires just unsweetened cocoa powder, milk (dairy or non-dairy as preferred), vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, and as much sugar as you like. A flurry of snow outside helps, too.
- Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova4/37
Belgian Buttermilk Waffles With Glazed Bananas
Get your waffle iron ready—these buttermilk waffles are sure to impress, especially with their easy glazed-banana topping.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Simon Andrews5/37
Crisp Roast Duck
It may surprise you how easy it is to make this crispy, tender whole roasted duck, a favorite from the September 2006 issue of Gourmet.
- Photo by Shutterstock6/37
Homemade Dulce de Leche
Drizzle this homemade delight on ice cream, on fruit, on cookies, or on a tart—or simply enjoy it by the spoonful.
- Photo by Andrew Purcell, Prop Styling by Paige Hicks, Food Styling by Carrie Purcell7/37
Leg of Lamb With Garlic and Rosemary
“This recipe is simple and very straightforward. The results are outstanding,” writes Epicurious reader Teslaughter. Other commenters agree that this is a “winning recipe" that's perfect for Easter dinner or any festive meal.
- Photo by Caleb Adams, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell8/37
Cedar-Plank Salmon
Bookmark this salmon recipe for your first backyard barbecue of the spring. The salmon takes on a light, smoky woodiness from grilling on a cedar plank, for a lovely pairing of earth and ocean. “I have made this recipe on numerous occasions,” writes Epi reader Blinet. The results? It's always “a big success.”
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by John Bjostad9/37
Creamy Leek Soup
This creamy leek soup from Gourmet's Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez is velvety but not at all heavy; dolloped with cool, billowy cream, the soup coaxes out the vegetable's most sensuous side. It makes a lovely first course, and gets even better if you prepare it a few days ahead.
- Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova10/37
Cheese Fondue
A touch of cornstarch, helps to keep the cheese and wine from separating in this classic fondue recipe. Not sure what to dip? Cubed baguette is always nice, but fresh fruit works, too, or roasted potatoes, crunchy raw bell pepper, blanched broccoli, or green beans.
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Empanada Dough
Once you've learned to make this basic—but beautifully flaky—empanada dough, there's no reason you can't use it to make any kind of empanada your heart desires.
- Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova12/37
Buttermilk French Toast
You've probably made French toast with eggs and milk—but what if you swapped out the milk for buttermilk? The answer is this subtly tangy take on the classic brunch recipe. Get your maple syrup ready.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by John Bjostad13/37
Double Chocolate Layer Cake
This five-star favorite from the March 1999 issue is the perfect birthday cake. Or the perfect any-day cake.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich14/37
Lemon Curd
This simple lemon curd recipe uses equal quantities of fresh lemon juice and sugar, so that it's bright and tart. Dollop it on yogurt, serve it with scones, or layer onto a cake to bring a bit of sunshine into your winter. If you tire of the classic, remember—you can also make curd from (almost) any fruit.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by John Bjostad15/37
Lemony Risotto With Asparagus and Shrimp
Risotto feels fancy but truly isn't hard to make. This one is brightened with grated lemon zest and sweet spring asparagus.
- Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova16/37
Bouillabaisse
The trick to making great bouillabaisse: focus on finding great seafood rather than finding one specific fish. Don't be afraid of improvising with this recipe, as long as the basic ratios stay the same. Monkfish, turbot, red snapper, striped bass, porgy, grouper, and cod will all work well with whatever shellfish is available.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by John Bjostad17/37
Cream Cheese Pastry Dough
This cream cheese dough works especially well for a savory tart. It's easy, it's flaky, it's been a go-to for readers since 1988.
- Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova18/37
Flourless Chocolate Cake
File this under: classic for a reason. This is the perfect easy chocolate dessert, no matter what you're making for dinner. It keeps for a week, so you can carve off slivers whenever you want one.
- Photo by Caleb Adams, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell19/37
Three Cities of Spain Cheesecake
Food editor emeritus Anna Stockwell declared this cheesecake simply the best of all time. The recipe is so simple you can easily memorize it, and there's no water bath required. The simple sour cream topping adds a touch of tangy flavor (and covers any cracks).
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by John Bjostad20/37
Crème Brûlée French Toast Casserole
This luscious baked French toast doesn't require a kitchen torch—it crisps on top in your oven, and has a rich brown sugar caramel at the bottom of the pan.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by John Bjostad21/37
Sour-Cream Pancakes With Sour-Cream Maple Syrup
Ever find yourself with a cup of sour cream sitting in the fridge? The solution's in this pancake recipe from Gourmet food editor Lillian Chou. These flapjacks get their tender texture from half a cup. But what really makes them special is the rich, tangy topping, which uses up the rest.
- Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova22/37
Panna Cotta
This classic make-ahead dessert can shift with the seasons. Top with berries in summer, supremed citrus in winter, or eat it unadorned whenever you like.
- Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova23/37
Turkey Meatloaf
This flavorful meatloaf gets its moisture from finely chopped cremini mushrooms and milk-soaked breadcrumbs. Brush it with ketchup before cooking—and serve more ketchup on the side.
- Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova24/37
Bourbon Chicken Liver Pâté
Though this pâté can be eaten the day it's made—and it's a particularly perfect partner for slices of baguette and a martini—we find it even more flavorful when made a day or two ahead. If you use several small ramekins instead of a pâté crock or terrine, you may need more clarified butter to seal the tops.
- Photo by Romulo Yanes25/37
Spaghettini with Garlic and Lemon
While many of the most popular recipes from Gourmet were special-occasion meals, this weeknight dinner is also among reader favorites. All you need to make it is pasta, garlic, red pepper flakes, olive oil, lemons, parsley, and salt and pepper.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Ali Nardi26/37
Old-Fashioned Pecan Pie
It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without this pie, which is really loaded with nuts and gets a little verve from orange zest. The filling calls for light corn syrup, which is mostly flavorless and lets the nuttiness of the pecans shine. If you prefer you can substitute an equal amount of dark corn syrup, which gets its darker color and more robust flavor from molasses (brown rice syrup is another great choice).
- Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova27/37
Sticky Rice With Mango
This classic dessert is the ideal way to finish a Thai feast. Fill in the rest of your menu with papaya salad and this fantastic saffron-rubbed chicken. Running short on time? You can also make mango sticky rice in your microwave.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by John Bjostad28/37
Chicken Tagine With Apricots and Almonds
This recipe was inspired by the version served by chef Baija Lafridi at at Jnane Tamsna in Marrakech. If you don't have a 10- to 12-inch tagine, you can cook the dish in a heavy skillet.
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Whole-Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes
A hearty breakfast doesn't necessarily have to require a lot of fuss. These pancakes, made with quick-cooking oats, buttermilk, and whole-wheat flour, require just 20 minutes of active time. Top with berries, bananas, or just maple syrup.
- Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova30/37
Inside-Out German Chocolate Cake
Many beloved Gourmet recipes were reader requests, such as this fantastic chocolate cake from Bridge Street Bakery in Waitsfield, Vermont. The filling is made from sweetened condensed milk that is cooked in a water bath in the oven until it caramelizes. While the milk is baking, you can prepare your chocolate glaze.
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Six-Hour Pork Roast
This juicy boneless pork shoulder, rubbed with a mixture of sage, rosemary, garlic, fennel seeds, white wine, olive oil, salt, and pepper, cooks at 275°F for six hours.
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Perfect Steamed Rice
It's not shocking that readers frequently refer back to this recipe, which yields perfectly fluffy rice every time.
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Cha Gio
These Vietnamese spring rolls, stuffed with bean thread noodles, wood ear mushrooms, grated carrot, and ground pork shoulder, can be assembled (but not fried) and frozen, wrapped well in foil. Thaw in refrigerator before frying. Serve with lettuce leaves, mint, and cilantro for wrapping each crispy bite.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Simon Andrews34/37
Cream of Asparagus Soup (Crème d'asperges)
Asparagus season is one of the many reasons we look forward to spring. This classic French soup is simple to prepare in advance, and a perfect choice for entertaining.
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Chicken Marsala
Transform boneless chicken breasts into a luxurious meal with this sauce made with mushrooms, Marsala, chicken broth, and cream.
- Photo by Romulo Yanes36/37
Lemon Curd Marbled Cheesecake
Cap of your meal with this showstopper, swirled throughout with tangy lemon curd. It's one of our favorite cheesecake recipes of all time.
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Duck a l'Orange
For this rendition of the retro dinner party feast, the Gourmet test kitchen reduced the original quantity of sugar and caramelized it (along with the aromatic vegetables which balance out the sweetness) for a rich sauce with layers of flavor.
By The Epicurious Editors
By Tommy Werner
By The Editors of Epicurious
By Meredith Stettner
By Joe Sevier
By The Editors of Epicurious
By The Editors of Epicurious
By The Editors of Epicurious