63 New Year's Eve Dinner Recipes to End the Year Right

For New Year's Eve, eat and drink what you want. You've got the whole following year to change your ways. These are some of the crowd-pleasing favorites we want to be cooking and eating to bring in a year that's bright with possibility. From roast chicken to bone-in ham, fish chowder to lobster pasta, these dishes will send out the old and usher in the new. But first, go pour yourself one of our best New Year's Eve cocktails. And when you're done, figure out what to make for your end-of-the-year dessert.
Alex Lau1/63Seared Scallops With Brown Butter and Lemon Pan Sauce
One of the easiest, most impressive weeknight dinners we know.
Photo by Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott2/63Slow-Roast Spiced Lamb Shoulder with Sumac Onions
Roasted lamb shoulder that’s meltingly tender and then finished under the broiler until crisp and golden brown.
Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott3/63Set-It-and-Forget-It Roast Pork Shoulder
Scoring the skin isn’t just for looks; it helps the fat render and makes the roast easy to slice.
Laura Murray4/63Shrimp Scampi
This shrimp scampi recipe gets an extra punch of garlicky flavor from a short marinade before cooking. Serve it with bread to sop up the rich pan sauce.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Anderson, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka5/63Brothy Seafood Chowder
The homemade stock makes all the difference in this flavorful, savory, perfectly smooth chowder.
Photo by Chelsie Craig6/63Curry Leaf Popcorn Chicken
These hot little nuggets of chicken are seasoned to perfection and topped with fried chiles.
Christopher Testani7/63Lamb Chops with Greens and Sorrel Salsa Verde
How does a loin chop compare with one from the shoulder or rib? These big guys have a defined fat cap with very tender meat.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou8/63Roast Chicken Legs with Lots of Garlic
And we mean lots.
Photo by Peden + Munk9/63Perfect Porterhouse Steak
With a steak this thick, you need to season liberally; when chef Bobby Flay demonstrated for us, the surface of the meat was virtually white from salt.
Marcus Nilsson10/63Duck Confit With Spicy Pickled Raisins
The best part of making this duck confit recipe? All the rich fat you’re left with. Use it to roast potatoes—it’s an easy way to upgrade a classic. Whatever you do, don’t throw it away (it freezes well).
Alex Lau11/63Seared Boneless Short Ribs with Salsa Criolla
This hot-sweet-smoky salsa transforms quick-seared short ribs into a dinner with complexity.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Megan Hedgpeth12/63Warm-Spiced Saucy Lamb Stew
Harissa and lamb are a fantastic marriage in this hearty stew with minty yogurt.
Alex Lau13/63Pork Chops with Celery and Almond Salad
Rich butter-basted pork offset by a bright, crunchy salad comes together quick and easy.

Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Dana Bonagura15/63Chicken Under a Brick in a Hurry
Getting your chicken super juicy on the inside and extra crispy on the outside requires one simple tool (that’s the brick part) and a few helpful techniques.
Gentl & Hyers16/63Roasted Carrots with Nuoc Cham Dressing
Simple roasted carrots with an addictive creamy dressing. Double this recipe for sure.
Alex Lau17/63Miso- and Mayo-Marinated Short Ribs with Spicy Sauce
Build big flavor quickly with condiments that are already in your fridge.
Photo by Peden + Munk18/63Indian-Spiced Pork Roast with Rosemary and Onions
For the holidays, Meherwan Irani makes this centerpiece-worthy crown roast with black peppercorn, fennel seed, and cumin.
Peden + Munk19/63Leeks in Vinaigrette
Despite being a timeless classic, it’s probably been a while since you made this dish. Entertaining bonus: It gets better as it sits, which means you’ll be rewarded for making it ahead of time.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, styling by Judy Mancini20/63Clam Dip
If what you really want is a delicious clam dip that comes together in less than 15 minutes, this recipe is for you.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Megan Hedgpeth21/63Slow-Cooked Chicken Stew with Kale
A flavorful chicken stew that gets every iota of value from the chicken bones.
Christopher Testani22/63Pomegranate-and-Fennel-Glazed Rack of Lamb
Cut between each bone individually for single chops, or cut into double-rib portions.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Sue Li23/63Roast Fish with Cannellini Beans and Green Olives
This is one of those throw-together dinner recipes that relies on staples like canned beans and lemons; all you have to do is pick up the fish.
24/63Extra-Buttery Mashed Potatoes
Drying the cooked potatoes in the pan means that they'll absorb that much more flavor from your herb-infused dairy. Don't skip this step!
Alex Lau25/63Lamb Meatloaf With Yogurt Sauce
This free-form meatloaf is infused with coriander, cumin, and cinnamon, making it anything but an ordinary weeknight meal.
Christopher Testani26/63Salt-Baked Salmon with Citrus and Herbs
It can be hard to gauge what’s happening under all that salt, but these times are accurate. If your fish is on the smaller side, take it out on the lower end of the range.
Photo by Romulo Yanes27/63Pan-Roasted Brined Pork Chop
Brining these pork chops makes them moist, tender, and seasoned throughout, and the sugar helps create a dark, caramelized sheen.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Spencer Richards, Prop Styling by Dayna Seman28/63Roasted Brussels Sprouts
This is your mainstay recipe for perfect roasted brussels sprouts.
Alex Lau29/63Potato Blinis
These potato blinis are inspired by a Thomas Keller recipe. They're the ideal base for caviar.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Megan Hedgpeth30/63Oxtail and Red Wine Stew
Oxtails contain a ton of collagen, which melts into the stew to create an ultra-rich, ultra-silky texture and flavor.
Cedric Angeles31/63Whole Roasted Cauliflower With Whipped Goat Cheese
Precooking the cauliflower in seasoned poaching liquid infuses it with flavor; roasting makes it crisp.
Alex Lau32/63Bistek With Onion and Bay Leaves
If you trimmed any excess fat off the steaks, render it slowly over medium heat and use in place of the oil.
Christopher Testani33/63Braised Veal Shanks with Bacon-Parmesan Crumbs
There’s marrow in those bones! Scoop out the cooked marrow and whisk it into the braising liquid, or eat it on a crust of bread with salt. You earned it.
Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Andy Baraghani34/63Bejeweled Rice
You can fold all the toppings into the rice and it’ll still be delicious—but you won’t get as much of a wow factor.
Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Kat Boystova35/63BA's Best Linguine and Clams
Clams vary in brininess and the amount of liquid they’ll release during cooking, so you’ll need to adjust the salt and add pasta water accordingly. To prevent the sauce from getting too salty, we recommend a measured amount of salt for the pasta water. If possible, look for an artisanal dried pasta for this recipe—the rougher surface texture will catch the slippery sauce better.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Kate Buckens36/63Charred Brussels Sprouts With Warm Honey Glaze
Roasty, toasty brussels soak up this delicious honey sauce, creating a combo you just can’t beat.
Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott37/63Fennel-Rubbed Leg of Lamb with Salsa Verde
If you want to stuff the roast as pictured, ask your butcher for a butterflied leg, not tied. Double the ingredients for the rub recipe and smear half onto lamb, then roll and tie it, and smear with the rest of the rub before roasting.
Alex Lau38/63Brothy Beans and Farro With Eggs and Mushrooms
Stirring a raw egg yolk into each bowl at the end adds silkiness, heft, and protein.
Christopher Testani40/63Prosciutto, Watercress, and Fontina Toasties
The keys to achieving razor-edged triangles: Let the sandwiches cool slightly, then slice with a serrated knife.
Elizabeth Cecil41/63Herb-Rubbed Cast-Iron Chicken with Pan Sauce
Letting the bird’s skin dry out before cooking is crucial to getting restaurant-worthy crispiness.
Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott42/63Braised Chicken Thighs With Squash and Mustard Greens
Don’t have an acorn squash for this chicken thighs recipe? Use butternut. Not into mustard greens? Use kale, Swiss chard, or spinach.
Chelsie Craig43/63Bucatini with Butter-Roasted Tomato Sauce
Because you need more butter-roasted things in your life.
PHOTO BY ALEX LAU, FOOD STYLING BY REBECCA JURKEVICH, PROP STYLING BY KALEN KAMINSKI44/63Slow Roast Beef
Reverse-searing results in a perfectly cooked roast beef with a mouthwatering crust.

Christopher Testani46/63Horseradish-and-Parsley-Stuffed Rib-Eye Roast
For an instructive primer on how to butterfly your holiday roast, see here.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, styling by Judy Mancini47/63Swordfish Steaks with Olive-Pistachio Sauce and Potatoes
This briny, bright sauce is just what you need to liven up almost any kind of fish.
Photo by We Are The Rhoads48/63Celery Salad with Dates, Almonds, and Parmesan
Sweet from dates, sour from lemon, bitter from celery, and salty from Parmesan, this humble salad manages to get all taste buds firing at once.

Marcus Nilsson50/63Cast-Iron Roast Chicken With Crispy Potatoes
Size matters. This isn't the time for a mammoth Oven Stuffer, nor do we want some petite poussin—a 3½–4-lb. bird has the proportions we're after. When the breasts are roasted to perfection, all that dark meat is on-the-nose-done too.
Peden + Munk51/63“Tandoori” Carrots with Vadouvan Spice and Yogurt
What’s vadouvan, you ask? It’s just one of our new favorite exotic spice blends, a French-Indian formula that includes onion, shallots, and garlic added to a currylike mix.
Photo by Alex Lau, styling by Judy Mancini52/63Fish Tacos al Pastor
Senior editor Rick Martinez looooves tacos al pastor, but on his last trip to Mexico City, he opted for fish tacos al pastor at Contramar. He did not think he could possibly like a fish taco more than a pork one until that moment, hence the origin story of this recipe.
Marcus Nilsson53/63Lamb Shanks with Pomegranate and Walnuts
Like any braised dish, this lamb shanks recipe is better when made one day ahead.
Photo by Laura Murray54/63Steamed Fish in Clay Pot
Angela Dimayuga of Mission Chinese Food likes using whole dried ashwagandha root in this clay pot dinner.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Megan Hedgpeth55/63Ham Hock and White Bean Stew
The ham hock in this stew lends a rich, smoky essence that flavors the beans from the inside out.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Kate Buckens56/63Maiale al Latte (Milk-Braised Pork)
This traditional Italian braised pork roast may not be one of the most photogenic dishes you’ll ever make, but it sure is one of the tastiest.
Photo by Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski57/63Stir-Fried Brussels Sprouts
With this brussels sprouts recipe, get straight to the good stuff: those sweet, bright green, tender-crisp leaves.
Gentl & Hyers58/63Spiced Lamb Hand Pies
If you’re not a lamb person, ground beef will also taste great.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Kate Buckens59/63Party-Ready Pork Roast
Instead of using one larger bone-in pork loin roast, this recipe calls for two smaller ones. This allows for more exposed surface areas, which decreases cooking time and develops a delicious golden brown crust.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski60/63Jerk-Spiced Duck
Duck has an unfair reputation for being fussy, but not this sticky-spiced, finger-licking-good version.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski61/63Pineapple-Glazed Ham
We spiked the glaze for our retro-chic version of 1950s-style ham with hot sauce and apple cider vinegar to cut through the sweetness.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Dana Bonagura62/63Chile-Butter Roast Chicken
There will be lots of delicious pan juices in the baking dish when the chicken is done, which is a great reason to serve this with rice, mashed potatoes, or a batch of polenta.
Alex Lau63/63Black-Eyed Pea Stew with Fried Bread and Salsa Verde
If you don’t want or didn’t have time to soak the black-eyed peas overnight, just power-soak them.
