Milk Street's Best Game Day Recipes

Garlic-Lemon Grass Chicken Wings

The best chicken wings in the world have a bright, Vietnamese glaze—close to nước chấm and nothing like spicy goop. OR These zingy chicken wings are everything buffalo is not: crispy-crusted, fresh-flavored, coated in sweet-tart glaze.

By Courtney HillApril 17, 2023

Oven-Fried Potato and Cheese Tacos Dorados

These crispy oven-fried tacos are loaded with cheese and potatoes, with a kick from pickled jalapeños and chipotle.

By Laura RussellNovember 16, 2022

Nagoya-Style Fried Chicken Wings (Tebasaki)

Nagoya, in central Japan, is the epicenter of tebasaki, or Japanese fried chicken wings. Though Furaibo is credited for creating tebasaki back in the 1960s, our recipe attempts to re-create the wings offered at Maka Maka Honten. We slick them while pi

By Milk StreetNovember 14, 2025

Pizza with Pepperoni, Mozzarella and Hot Honey

These pizzas feature a combination of salty, spicy, tangy and sweet flavors. Pepperoni is the type of chili-spiked salumi that’s easiest to find, but if you can get hot capicola or hot soppressata, they’re also fantastic. Pickled peppers bring vinegar

By Courtney HillSeptember 27, 2024

Beer Cheese

Beer cheese, also known as pub cheese, comes in different forms—it might be spreadable like whipped cream cheese or a warm, creamy dip like Swiss fondue. We use sodium citrate, a salt that’s a key ingredient in the production of processed cheese, to k

By Milk StreetFebruary 1, 2024

Pizza Without a Crust

The notion of pizza senza crosta, or “pizza without a crust,” comes from cookbook author Rolando Beramendi. We loved the idea of marrying two crowd-pleasers, namely pizza and dip, to create a family-style dish served directly from the skillet. Our ver

By Hisham Ali HassanSeptember 8, 2025

Eight-Ingredient Beef and Bean Chili

Pull together a flavor-packed weeknight chili with just eight ingredients and a few tricks.

By Diane UngerNovember 15, 2022

Slab Pizza with Sausage, Chard and Onion

This slab-style pizza boasts a pillowy, focaccia-like dough topped with garlicky tomato sauce, crisp sausage and silky sautéed greens. A flavorful cheese blend brings everything together. We recommend provolone and Asiago for their slightly funkier no

By Courtney HillAugust 21, 2024

Black Beans with Bacon and Tequila

Tequila complements the smokiness of the cured meat, while chipotle chilies add spice.

Charred Guacamole (Guacamole Tatemado)

A trip to Mexico City revealed that when it comes to guacamole, anything goes. We saw it garnished with peanuts, flavored with all manner of herbs, even studded with seafood. We like the butteriness of avocado paired with smoky notes, so we created th

By Courtney HillApril 28, 2025

Cuban-Spiced Burgers

Partially freezing the ground beef before mixing in the spices helped prevent the meat from becoming compacted during mixing and shaping. But it's still important to use a light touch when handling the beef. The burgers can be cooked immediately after

By Diane UngerJune 5, 2017

Three-Cheese Pizza

This is the simple and classic cheese pizza. We use a quick, no-cook tomato sauce and a mixture of three cheeses for full flavor. Straining the sauce after pureeing removes excess moisture that otherwise would prevent the crust from crisping.

Pizza with Salami and Smoked Mozzarella

This focaccia-like salami pizza, inspired by Sicily and Rome’s pizza al taglio, comes together easily on a weeknight with store-bought dough and a sheet pan.

Garlic-Rosemary Burgers with Taleggio Sauce

These deeply savory burgers were inspired by a recipe by Ignacio Mattos, chef of Estela in New York and author of a book by the same name. Mattos uses fish sauce as a seasoning for steak, but we opted for similarly salty and umami-rich Worcestershire

By Courtney HillApril 8, 2019

Green Pozole with Chicken

A reader favorite, one commenter writes that this pozole “has a ton of flavor for not much work, my kind of recipe.”

Thai Corn Fritters with Sweet Chili Sauce

Sweet, fresh corn kernels punctuate these crispy-crusted fritters, with rich savoriness that pairs perfectly with tangy, sweet, finger-licking chili sauce.

By Courtney HillJune 11, 2021

Parmesan and Herb Turkey Burgers

Mayonnaise and plenty of herbs turn ground turkey into moist and flavorful patties in this take on the classic burger. For our panade—a hydrating binding mixture of dairy and breadcrumbs—we use creamy mayonnaise and crisp panko along with fresh mint,

Honey Sage Turmeric Wings

This recipe was originally published on "A Brown Table." We love that the wings are baked—not fried—which makes them great for a crowd. We also love the layers of flavor between the caramelized honey and blistered, sage-crusted skin, and the fresh sag

Japanese Fried Chicken (Karaage)

This chicken boasts tangy, bright flavors and delicate crispness, thanks to a quick ginger-spiked marinade and seasoned cornstarch coating. “I can finally bring fried chicken to the table that makes my family's eyes roll in delight!" one reader writes

By Diane UngerApril 10, 2017

Traybake Tacos al Pastor

We’ve moved tacos al pastor off the spit roast and onto your baking sheet. Well-marbled boneless pork shoulder turns crisp and succulent in a high-heat oven, then gets drenched with a sweet-and-spicy chili blender sauce. To simplify prep, buy fresh pi

By Courtney HillJanuary 31, 2025

Japanese Chicken Meatballs

The secret to tender, flavorful chicken meatballs

Tlayudas (Oaxacan Quesadillas)

When a taco won't satisfy your appetite, reach for a hefty tlayuda: Oaxaca's pizza-format tortilla topped with melty cheese, meat, beans, chilis, and fixings galore.

By Diane UngerApril 8, 2019

Salami and Cheese Stromboli

Stromboli is an Italian-American invention said to have been created in Philadelphia in the 1950s, but the dish takes its name from an island off the coast of Sicily. Like the calzone, it’s a sort of portable pizza—fillings are enclosed in dough and b

By Rose HattabaughSeptember 12, 2024

Spiced Potato Wedges with Pickled Peppers

To make these oven-fried potato wedges, smoky and earthy spices are combined with cornstarch, creating a flavorful coating. The starchy mixture becomes golden-brown and crisp in the oven, while the potatoes’ insides roast until perfectly tender. The f

By Dimitri DemopolousOctober 17, 2023

Indonesian-Style Corn Cakes or Fritters

In Indonesia, we learned to make light, airy corn fritters from plump kernels of fresh corn, shallots and chilies, all held together with only eggs and flour. A food processor makes quick work of prepping the batter. As for cooking, you have a couple

By Courtney HillJuly 30, 2024

Malaysian-Style Grilled Lemon Grass Chicken (Ayam Percik)

In her kitchen in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, home cook Annie Zainal Abidin taught us her method for making ayam percik, or chicken seasoned with turmeric and lemon grass and finished with a subtly tangy-sweet but rich coconut sauce. We learned there are

By Rose HattabaughJune 27, 2024

Shrimp and Cheese Tacos (Tacos Gobernador)

If you think seafood and cheese don’t mix, this recipe will change your mind. Tacos gobernador, or “governor’s tacos,” are a modern Mexican classic said to have originated in the state of Sinaloa. A blend of shrimp and melty cheese is tucked inside to

By Laura RussellNovember 15, 2022

Charred Zucchini Dip with Tahini and Lemon

This velvety, creamy-charred dip is a relative of the better-known baba ghanoush.

By Hisham Ali HassanJune 25, 2024

Instant Pot Carnitas with Pickled Onions

For our Instant Pot version of Mexican carnitas, we either pressure-cook or slow-cook chunks of pork shoulder with spices and aromatics. We add only a small amount of water to the pot so when the cooking is done, the liquid already is rich and meaty.

By Elizabeth MindreauJune 21, 2024

Spicy Harissa Dipping Sauce

Use this sauce any time you’d reach for ketchup.

Arrabbiata Slab Pizza

This slab-style pizza features a puffy, crisp-bottomed, focaccia-like crust and a spicy, garlicky tomato sauce inspired by pasta all’arrabbiata. We like mild, buttery fontina cheese for the way it counters the intensity of the sauce, but if you want b

By Courtney HillDecember 2, 2024

Puerto Rican Slow-Roasted Pork (Pérnil al Horno)

How to get tender, slow-roasted pork that's juicy on the inside, with shatteringly crisp skin? We found a two-step method.

By Diane UngerApril 24, 2024

Tacos al Pastor

Our no-fuss riff on this Mexican street food staple relies on your oven's broiler to mimic the effect of a spit roast.

Soaked-and-Seared Eggplant Pita Pockets with Tomatoes and Tahini

You’ve brined birds, but what about eggplant? Brining chunks of eggplant in acidulated water seasons the eggplant throughout and prevents it from turning mushy. The pieces also absorb water, reducing oil absorption. To top it off, we make a simple tom

By Courtney HillJanuary 28, 2025

Grilled Mustard-Herb Potato Salad

Tender-yet-crispy grilled potatoes get a double dose of flavor with handfuls of fresh herbs and grainy mustard.

By Courtney HillMay 15, 2024

Shrimp Tostadas with Orange and Avocado

These tostadas are all about contrasts—in flavor and texture, as well as color. Gently poaching the shrimp keeps them plump and tender, and using a skillet ensures quick, even cooking. We use extra-large (size 21/25) shrimp so there are fewer to peel

By Hisham Ali HassanAugust 12, 2024

Potato-Stuffed Naan

In Lahore, we learned to make a fluffy, chewy, crispy potato-stuffed naan in a massive tandoor oven. This is our quick, oven-free shortcut.

By Courtney HillApril 5, 2024

Upside-Down Cambozola Tarts with Hot Honey

These savory upside-down tarts, with a hot honey flourish, are so much better than cheese and crackers.

By Milk StreetNovember 27, 2023

Lacquered Pork Ribs with Hoisin, Honey and Five-Spice

These addictive, salty-sweet pork ribs were inspired by char siu, a popular style of Cantonese barbecued meat often made with long, thin strips of pork shoulder. To season racks of baby back ribs, we combine hoisin, honey, soy sauce, fresh ginger and

By Diane UngerOctober 27, 2023

Peperoncini and Cheese Pizzas with Garlic-Herb Oil

By Erika BruceApril 24, 2024

Roasted Potatoes with Gouda and Thyme

Cheese baked until crisp enhances a simple roast of potatoes and shallots, adding texture and savory richness. Aged Gouda has rich, nutty, butterscotchy notes; manchego is similarly nutty but with some tanginess and subtle sharpness. Both are deliciou

By Rose HattabaughOctober 17, 2023

Garam Masala-Spiced Smashed Potatoes

Crisp on the outside and creamy inside, these smashed potatoes feature garam masala, an Indian spice blend that often contains fennel and cumin. We also add whole fennel and cumin seeds for texture. To boost flavor, we make a tarka, or a fat and spice

By Malcolm JacksonOctober 18, 2023

Three-Seed Beer Pretzels

These soft pretzels offer a chewy, salty crust and soft, slightly sweet interior. Dark, sticky barley malt syrup supplies earthy sweetness and contains enzymes that help the pretzels develop a rich, golden hue. Look for it where you’d find molasses, w

By Courtney HillSeptember 26, 2024

Baked Ricotta with Sautéed Leek, Walnuts and Dill

This dip gets rich complexity from a trio of cheeses—ricotta paired with mozzarella for gooeyness and Parmesan for sharp, nutty notes. The cooking starts on the stovetop, finishes in the oven and the dish is brought to the table in the same skillet. I

By Kevin ClarkSeptember 19, 2024

Lebanese Flatbreads with Tomatoes, Za’atar and Sumac

These savory flatbreads are Middle Eastern in origin, but we learned about them in São Paulo, Brazil, where they’re called esfihas (sometimes spelled esfirras). The breads were introduced to Brazil by Arab immigrants, particularly from Lebanon and Syr

By Diane UngerOctober 7, 2024

Twice-Baked Potatoes with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Gouda

Our riff on twice-baked potatoes is inspired by Irish colcannon and French pommes de terre braytoises, which flavors potatoes with Dijon and tangy crème fraîche. We opted for more readily available sour cream and chose Brussels sprouts instead of colc

By Hisham Ali HassanAugust 16, 2024

Skillet-Toasted Beef-Stuffed Pitas (Arayes)

The Levantine favorite called arayes are pita breads stuffed with spiced ground beef or lamb, then pan-fried or griddled until the meat is juicy and the bread is crisp. We season the meat with baharat, a Middle Eastern spice blend. If you can’t find i

By Hisham Ali HassanSeptember 20, 2024

Tarte Flambée (Flammekueche)

Tarte flambée, also known as flammekueche, is an onion and bacon-topped flatbread from the Alsace region of northeastern France. Its name translates as "flamed tart," which hints at its method of preparation. The tarts traditionally were prepared as a

By Rose HattabaughSeptember 12, 2024

Pizza with Cherry Tomatoes, Mozzarella and Basil

By Chris KimballSeptember 19, 2024

Feta and Pistachio Dip

This simple dip comes from Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer, cookbook authors and the duo behind London’s popular Honey & Co. restaurants. They credit their head chef, Deniz, for the recipe, which is a version of Turkish girit esmesi, a feta and nut

By Rose HattabaughDecember 22, 2025

Pissaladière

French Provençal pissaladière is a flatbread-like savory tart featuring a thin crust topped generously with onions that are slow-cooked until jammy and sweet, plus briny black olives and umami-rich anchovies. Diminutive Niçoise olives are the traditio

By Rose HattabaughSeptember 11, 2024

Pizza with Ricotta, Zucchini and Mint

The bright, summery flavors of this pizza are a nice change from rich, cheesy, tomatoey pies. Be sure to choose medium-sized zucchini or summer squash—that is, one that weighs no more than about 8 ounces. Its texture will be more tender and its core w

By Courtney HillSeptember 11, 2024

Oven-Stewed Mexican Pinto Beans

To make these simple, satisfying stewed beans, we borrowed a lesson we learned in Mexico City from chef Eduardo García of Máximo Bistrot. We simmer onion and garlic into the beans for foundational flavor, then at the end stir in a sautéed mix of aroma

By Courtney HillJanuary 11, 2025

Japanese-Style Chicken Meatballs

“Perfect recipe!” wrote one reader of our savory-sweet chicken meatballs, based on Japanese tsukune.

By Courtney HillJanuary 11, 2022

Homemade Flour Tortillas

Soft, supple and with a satisfying chew, homemade flour tortillas taste far better than store-bought brands and don’t take a lot of effort or time to make. Lard is traditional in flour tortillas; many supermarkets sell non-hydrogenated lard, packed in

By Rose HattabaughOctober 23, 2024

Moroccan Chicken Skewers

These broiled chicken skewers are finished with the juice of charred lemon halves that have been drizzled with honey, along with a sprinkle of fresh herbs. Cilantro, flat-leaf parsley or mint are good choices, alone or in combination.

Skillet Spanakopita

We love spanakopita—Greek spinach and feta pastry pockets—so much that we turned it into a skillet-sized brunch dish. OR We took spanakopita—the popular Greek spinach-and-feta-stuffed triangle—and expanded it into an abundant, skillet-filling course.

By Courtney HillApril 20, 2022

Oven-Fried Sweet Chili Chicken Wings

No more dull, one-note wings! These easy, Thai-inspired sweet chili wings build layers of sweet and spicy, tangy and garlicky flavors, with just a couple ingredients.

By Milk StreetFebruary 1, 2024

Spiced Lamb Burgers with Feta and Tahini Sauce

Milk Street Facebook Community member Jennifer Wozniak of Flint, Michigan, drizzles tahini onto lamb burgers that she spices up with sumac, cumin and red pepper flakes. She then serves the burgers topped with feta cheese and sandwiched in brioche buns

Georgian Cheese Bread (Khachapuri)

We adore Georgia's staple snack—a bread boat made of a plush, yeasted dough that’s easy to tear and dip into an abundant filling of creamy cheese.

By Erika BruceFebruary 1, 2024

Colombian Avocado Salsa (Ají de Aguacate)

In this Colombian version of guacamole, fresh chilies add brightness and piquancy that contrast with the cool richness of the avocados. Anaheims are large green chilies with a only a touch of spiciness; the heat here comes from the habañero. If you pr

Miso-Gochujang Pulled Pork

These mouthwateringly savory-sweet and zingy pork sliders let a couple high-impact ingredients do all the work.

By Diane UngerDecember 10, 2018

Orange–Guajillo Chili Pulled Chicken

Chilorio, a pulled pork from the Mexican state of Sinaloa, inspired this dish, but instead of pork, we use faster-cooking boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Fresh orange juice amplifies the fruity notes of the guajillo chilies while giving the sauce a

Moroccan Ginger-Lemon Chicken Skewers

These chicken skewers reflect the bright, many-layered flavor complexity of Moroccan cuisine—with a short ingredient list.

By Diane UngerJune 5, 2017

Harissa Hot Wings

We up the game on crowd-pleasing Buffalo-style hot wings with a Middle Eastern makeover.

Central Mexican Guacamole

Ditch the lime juice and garlic! Simple flavors hit all the right notes in our authentic, no-fuss guacamole recipe.

By JM Hirsch & Diane UngerFebruary 1, 2017

Creamy Whipped Hummus with Fried Chickpeas

American supermarket hummus tends to be a sad imitation of the hummus eaten in Israel. There, it is eaten warm and has a smooth, almost sour cream-like consistency. That’s because it is made from freshly cooked, still-hot chickpeas that are pureed for

By Diane Unger & JM HirschJune 4, 2018

Mexican Sweet Corn Cake

This super versatile reader favorite makes a light and sweet breakfast, dessert, or anytime snack. And it's made in a blender!

By Calvin CoxMarch 25, 2020

Whipped Feta Dip

Processing the feta and cream cheese before adding the remaining ingredients was the key to a light, whipped texture. We liked garnishing with mint, olive oil and pepper flakes. The feta can be refrigerated for up to a week. Use as a dip for crudite,

By Elizabeth GermainOctober 16, 2017

Turkey Meatballs in Tomato-Chipotle Sauce

Albóndigas en chipotle, or meatballs in chipotle sauce, is a Mexican classic. We use ground turkey (dark meat is best for flavor and texture, but white meat works, too), and we bind it with both breadcrumbs and pepper jack cheese. Additional cheese go

By Diane UngerApril 7, 2020

Singapore Chicken Satay

In Singapore, satay—thin strips of boldly seasoned and skewered meat—is cooked quickly over long beds of hot coals. And it is flipped frequently to ensure even cooking and plenty of delicious charred bits at the edges. It typically is served with a th

By Diane UngerMay 28, 2018

Black-Eyed Pea and Sweet Potato Stew (Ndambe)

A light and hearty vegetarian stew packed full of depth and flavor.

By Courtney HillDecember 10, 2018

Fig, Blue Cheese and Prosciutto Pizza

This pizza is defined by a balance of sweet, savory and salty—provided by a classic combination of fresh figs, prosciutto and blue cheese. The prosciutto becomes crisp and adds a welcome textural contrast. If possible, use a good, aged balsamic vinega

Refried Beans

Pinto beans were slightly sweeter and creamier than black beans, but both work in this recipe. Though we loved the rich flavor lard gave to the beans, olive or vegetable oil worked, too. For a smoother texture, process the beans longer after removing

By Diane UngerJune 19, 2017

Piri Piri Chicken

Piri piri can refer to a finger-staining chili pepper sauce—usually spiked with garlic, sugar and plenty of cayenne, lemon and paprika—or to whatever the sauce douses. Its origins are Portuguese, but today it is found in South Africa, Mozambique and N

Thai Grilled Pork Skewers (Moo Ping)

These marinated skewers, coated in an umami-rich mixture of fish sauce, brown sugar and aromatics, are based on Thailand’s street food grilled over hardwood charcoal.

By Dawn YanagiharaApril 8, 2019

Greek Bean and Avocado Salad

This hearty salad was inspired by one we tasted in Athens. To help the canned beans take on bold flavor, we heat them in the microwave, then toss them with oil, vinegar and aromatics. As they cool, they better absorb the seasonings.

Beer-Braised Short Ribs (Costolette di Manzo Brasate alla Birra)

The bones in the short ribs add great flavor to this dish; however, you could also make it with big chunks of beef chuck. If you do, reduce the initial cooking time of the meat by about half. The pestata of almonds and porcini does double duty here, a

Toasted Tacos with Adobo Beans and Cheese

At Restaurante Bar Fernando, a casual eatery in Nayarit on the west coast of Mexico, we tasted simple bean- and cheese-filled tortillas, folded in half and lightly charred. The tacos are a typical side to pescado zarandeado, seasoned fish slow-cooked

By Courtney HillFebruary 1, 2023

Carne Adovada

We found that 3 ounces of New Mexico chilies—the widely available medium-hot chilies grown in the state—and 3 ounces of fruity, mildly smoky Mexican guajillos gave us just the right flavor. If guajillos are hard to find, another 3 ounces of New Mexico

By Diane UngerAugust 7, 2017

Lemon-Lime Lacquered Grilled Chicken (Inihaw Na Manok)

Lemon-lime soda takes center stage in this succulent Filipino grilled chicken, lacquered to perfection for a sweet and savory BBQ twist.

By Laura RussellJune 3, 2019

Turkish Meatballs with Lime Yogurt Sauce

There are many variations (and spellings) of kofta across the Middle East and North Africa, but essentially they’re seasoned patties, often made from ground lamb or a blend of beef and lamb. It’s the rest of the world’s answer to the Italian meatball.

By Diane UngerApril 20, 2017

Refried Bean and Cheese Tostadas

Here’s a great way to throw together a quick dinner with lots of flavor and texture using just a handful of basic ingredients. We use the oven to crisp corn tortillas into tostadas, a technique that requires less oil than pan-frying and allows you to

By Rose HattabaughNovember 16, 2022

Pork and Chorizo Stew with Peppers (Carcamusa)

Carcamusa, a Spanish tapas dish, traditionally calls for three different types of pork—fresh pork, cured ham and chorizo—all simmered with seasonal vegetables in tomato sauce. To simplify our weeknight version, we skipped the ham and opted for jarred

Indian-Spiced Pork Burgers

These flavor-packed burgers are a spin on a chouriço-like spiced pork sausage from Goa in southern India. They're especially delicious topped with yogurt, torn fresh mint leaves and thin slices of cucumber or tomato.

By Diane UngerJune 3, 2019

Chili Verde Turkey Tacos

When you reach the last bit of leftover turkey, these green turkey tacos are a welcome quick and light lunch. Fragrant cumin, tart tomatillos, and pickled jalapeños—plus lots of lime—bring just-right zinginess to rich turkey meat.

By Diane UngerOctober 8, 2018

Ancho Chili Soup

Ancho Chili Soup

By Courtney HillOctober 8, 2018

Green Chili Sauce

This sauce is spicy and sharp on its own, but a spoonful stirred into a serving of soup provides the perfect flavor accent. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Refried Black Beans

This recipe takes a full pot of cooked black beans and turns them into full-flavored refried beans; make sure you save the cooking liquid when draining the beans. We prefer the rustic, slightly coarse texture of beans mashed by hand, not pureed in a b

By Courtney HillApril 7, 2020