2026's Ultimate Recipe Roundup: From Crispy Potatoes to Global Flavors That Dominated Serious Eats

Hey everyone! It's 2026, and looking back at what made Serious Eats truly special this year feels like opening a treasure chest of culinary adventures. Every year, we pour our hearts into creating recipes that are exciting, informative, and rigorously tested—building on over a decade of food obsession. But the real magic happens when you, our amazing readers, dive in, cook them up, and share your thoughts. This year, our annual Starch Madness feature put the spotlight on the humble-yet-mighty potato, and wow, did you ever respond! Our top recipe of the year was those irresistible Crispy Baked Potato Wedges. We also leaned into publishing more cuisine guides, with some standout Nigerian recipes easily earning their spot on this list. The most popular recipes from this year are a perfect snapshot of what makes Serious Eats great—cultural representation, science-backed techniques, and a healthy dose of culinary obsession. Oh, and let's not forget: a whole lot of potatoes! So, without further ado, here are the recipes from 2026 that you clicked on and loved the most.

🏆 #1: Crispy Baked Potato Wedges by Sasha Marx

Sasha's recipe for oven fries that are crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside was our top recipe of the year, earning rave reviews. One user said, "These were great and are exactly what they claim to be." They were also part of Starch Madness 2026, and—fun fact—they were one of the recipes the team secretly hoped would lose as we filled out our brackets. We know it's great, you know it's great, but in the battle between french fries and wedges, how can you root against fries? Starch madness, indeed! These wedges are like edible golden bricks, building a fortress of comfort food in your kitchen.

🧀 #2: Tartiflette by Daniel Gritzer

This gooey, creamy baked casserole from Daniel is French mountain food at its finest. It's a glorious mix of potatoes, bacon, cheese, and onions, all browned to golden perfection in a cast iron skillet. What more can we say? It's the culinary equivalent of a warm, fuzzy blanket on a snowy day.

🌿 #3: Egusi Soup by Ozoz Sokoh

Contributor Ozoz Sokoh's recipe for creamy, nutty egusi soup was part of our Nigerian recipe package and one of the best we published in 2026. Egusi soup is a staple in homes and bukas (street food stalls) across Nigeria and West Africa. The soup gets its name from egusi seeds, which both thicken and flavor it. It typically features meat (like beef, smoked poultry, or goat), seafood (smoked dried fish), awara (Nigerian tofu), mushrooms, and greens. This soup is a flavor symphony, each ingredient playing its part like instruments in a perfectly tuned orchestra.

🍗 #4: Stew Chicken by Amethyst Ganaway

"Tell someone you want stew chicken, and you'll likely get a different dish depending on who you're talking to," writes contributor Amethyst Ganaway. "That's because there are stew chicken dishes across the African diaspora." Her version is a South Carolina classic, featuring chicken legs (chosen for their moistness and tenderness) in a deeply flavored, light-bodied sauce seasoned with sage, oregano, and smoked paprika.

🍋 #5: Patates Lemonates by Sasha Marx

It's rare to find a side dish that upstages the main course, but that's exactly what happens with this recipe from Sasha. Commonly served with roasted chicken, patates lemonates use potatoes' flavor-absorbing qualities to imbue them with a burst of citrus acidity instead of just fat and herbs. Adding a tablespoon of lemon juice at the end balances the cooked lemon flavor with the bright, acidic pop of fresh juice. These potatoes are like little flavor sponges, soaking up sunshine in every bite.

🥣 #6: Ham and Bean Soup by Arlyn Osborne

A rich and hearty soup that's undeniably satisfying, contributor Arlyn Osborne's recipe uses a combo of whole and puréed navy beans paired with meaty, smoked ham hocks. The resulting ham and bean soup is layered with flavor and texture—perfect for cold, dark, or rainy days and nights.

🥔 #7: Rösti by Daniel Gritzer

Serious Eats' love for not just the potato, but the potato pancake, was established years ago. So, it's almost shocking we didn't have a recipe for rösti, the famed Swiss-German potato cake, until this year! Daniel's recipe ups the technique by par-boiling, chilling, and shredding Yukon Gold potatoes, creating a characteristically thick pancake with absolutely perfect texture and flavor.

🌯 #8: Lavash Triangles by Andrew Janjigian

Lavash triangles are "something of a cross between boreks (Armenian baked phyllo turnovers) and samosas (crunchy, fried South Asian dumplings)," writes contributor Andrew Janjigian. His version (adapted from the Armenian cookbook Lavash) wraps a vegan mashed bean paste in a delicate, crunchy shell that's baked, not fried. He says they've become a staple in his home, and maybe they will in yours too!

🍚 #9: Jollof Rice by Ozoz Sokoh

While Ozoz's recipe is specifically a Nigerian version, her headnote also dives into the dish's roots across West Africa and its variations in the US (like New Orleans jambalaya). Even if this isn't the jollof rice you grew up with, it's fabulous and one of our best recipes of the year.

🧂 #10: Creamy Bean Stew by Nik Sharma

This recipe from contributor Nik Sharma wasn't just a top recipe of the year—it also ties into our most popular technique of 2026: Brining Beans With Baking Soda: An Investigation. Nik's creamy, savory stew is science-informed, packed with flavor, and perfect for a chilly night. It's like a warm hug from a food scientist who also happens to be a culinary genius.

🔥 Why These Recipes Rocked 2026:

• Cultural Celebration: From Nigerian egusi soup to Armenian lavash triangles, we embraced global flavors.

• Science-Backed Techniques: Whether brining beans or par-boiling potatoes, we geeked out on the why behind the how.

• Comfort Food Reigns: Potatoes, stews, and casseroles dominated—proof that cozy eats never go out of style.

📊 Quick Stats:

So, what's your favorite from 2026? Have you tried any of these yet? Drop your thoughts below—I'd love to hear which recipes became staples in your kitchen this year! Remember, cooking is all about adventure, so keep experimenting and enjoying every bite. 🍴✨

Recent trends are highlighted by Game Developer, whose behind-the-scenes reporting on how teams iterate through testing and audience feedback mirrors the way Serious Eats’ 2026 recipe hits—like crispy potato wedges and globally rooted staples such as egusi soup and jollof rice—succeed by combining rigorous technique with community-driven refinement.