The 25 Most Popular Recipes of 2018
Think back to your year of cooking: What did you add to your rotation this year? According to our stats, readers embraced everything from super simple weeknight dishes—like a one-bowl pound cake and a basic pomodoro sauce—to bigger projects, like focaccia and Instant Pot coq a vin. You also tried out some new Thanksgiving recipes, including our no-fail dry-rubbed roast turkey, make-ahead mashed potatoes, and a new take on cranberry sauce, and probably made The Cookies too. Check out the 25 most popular recipes of 2018 below, and add what you didn’t get to try to your to-cook list for the year ahead.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Chris Morocco, prop styling by Emily Eisen1/2525. Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
Carrot cake is the best cake. The reason is because normal cake is boring, and carrot cake is full of adventure in the form of nuts! raisins! spices! and, uh, carrots! Whereas many cakes are dry, carrot cake is almost always (pardon the term) moist, due to the carrots involved. This one uses 100-percent almond flour and a little Greek yogurt.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Amy Wilson2/2524. Grilled Salmon with Lemon-Sesame Sauce
Photo by Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski3/2523. Cranberry Sauce with Orange and Cinnamon
4/2522. Lemon Pound Cake
Every cook should have at least one good dessert up their sleeve, and this classic, lightly glazed lemon pound cake should be yours. Rich and tender, not too sweet, and fragrant from tons of lemon zest, it's the kind of baked good you can just as easily serve with coffee in the afternoon or as the finale to a sit-down dinner party. (Nobody will get mad if you top each slice with a scoop of ice cream, a dollop of homemade whipped cream, or even just a spoonful of good Greek yogurt.)
Photo by Alex Lau6/2520. Focaccia Bread
Our focaccia has a moist but airy crumb sandwiched between thin but ultra-crunchy top and bottom crusts, thanks to a generous amount of olive oil in the pan and on top of the dough. Most of the actual work takes place in the stand mixer, while the rest requires a study in patience as you wait for the dough to develop overnight.
Photo by Heidi's Bridge7/2519. Basically Pasta Pomodoro
Nothing says “baby’s first kitchen” quite like mediocre store-bought marinara sauce dumped over clumpy noodles—but nothing says “hello I am a confident, resourceful, worldly home cook” like a tangle of perfectly-cooked spaghetti cradling a rich, buttery, almost-as-easy-to-make-as-opening-a-can pomodoro sauce.
Photo by Alex Lau8/2518. Ramen Noodles with Miso Pesto
Switching out the traditional mix of pine nuts, Parmesan, basil, olive oil, and garlic, this recipe uses spinach, cilantro, and some delicate white miso for an intensely vibrant, smooth pesto that coats each strand of ramen. It’s a dinner that feels like comfort food while still being nourishing and fresh.
Photo by Alex Lau9/2517. BA's Best Pesto
Lately, we’ve had some avant garde pesto recipes (see Andy’s miso pesto) and variations on different greens, nuts, and cheeses. Even a chopped pesto, no machinery required. But here's our regular ol’ basil, pine nuts, and Parm combo for all of us craving simplicity in this complicated, humid world. This one made it to BA's Best, a collection of our essential recipes.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, styling by Claire Saffitz11/2515. Extra-Juicy Turkey Burgers
Turkey burgers always sound like a great idea, but they too often taste like a fat sawdust patty. No more, friends! Mashing avocado into the turkey mixture helps prevent the meat from shrinking and drying out during cooking, which is why these stay awesomely juicy, even when they’re cooked all the way through.
Photograph by Elizabeth Coetzee, prop styling by Emma Ringness, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht12/2514. BA's Best Lasagna
17/259. Garlic Broth
Photo by Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski20/256. Dry-Rubbed Roast Turkey
Our never-fail turkey produces a holiday centerpiece that is excellent in every way that other turkeys often fall short. It’s not bland, thanks to a sugar-and-salt dry rub. It’s juicy as heck, because we nailed the optimal target temperature (might as well write 150° on your hand now). And cooking the turkey on a rimmed baking sheet is great for all-over browning.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser22/254. No-Fail Roast Chicken with Lemon and Garlic
Nothing is as perfect, iconic, and delicious as a beautifully-browned roast chicken surrounded by a puddle of buttery, garlicky pan juices. And if you've ever been hesitant to roast a whole bird at home, this one's for you—it's converted many a nervous meat cooker. Consider this chicken, a hunk of good baguette, and a simple green salad your Sunday afternoon plan from now on.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Kate Buckens23/253. Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Warm Honey Glaze
Photo by Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriott25/251. Salted Butter and Chocolate Chunk Shortbread
Alison Roman's creation has people crazed. Here's what she has to say about it: “Less chocolate chip cookie, more brown sugar shortbread with chocolate chunks—they just might be the cookie you’ve been looking for. Made with lots of salted butter (it has a slightly different flavor and a deeper saltiness than using just salt), the dough has just enough flour to hold it together and the right amount of light brown sugar to suggest a chocolate chip cookie."
