A traditional Friday night dinner moves through a few courses: challah after kiddush, a fish starter, soup, a main course with sides, and dessert. Most Shabbat tables are meat meals, so everything served with the main course needs to be meat or pareve. Each recipe below is marked Meat, Dairy or Pareve so you can plan a menu that works together.
Food for Shabbat day has to be cooked before Shabbat begins. That is why dishes like cholent and jachnun cook slowly overnight and are ready for lunch.
Challah and breads
- Irresistible Homemade Challah: A Traditional Ashkenazi Delight (Pareve)
- Spelt Flour Shabbat Challah with a Nutty Depth of Flavor (Pareve)
- Yemenite Kubaneh: The Ultimate Overnight Shabbat Bread That Bakes While You Sleep (Pareve)
- Soft Milk-Free Dinner Rolls (Pareve) – Perfect for Shabbat or Everyday Meals (Pareve)
Fish starters
- Classic Gefilte Fish: A Timeless Ashkenazi Delicacy (Pareve, fish)
- Classic Kosher Gefilte Fish Recipe – Homemade Traditional (Pareve, fish)
Soups
- Comforting Homemade Matzo Ball Soup: A Classic Jewish Delicacy (Meat)
- Classic Jewish Chicken Soup – The Ultimate Comfort Food Recipe (Meat)
- Heartwarming Kosher Chicken Soup Recipe (Meat)
Main courses
- Perfectly Braised Kosher First Cut Brisket (Meat)
- Classic Jewish Brisket: Slow Braised with Caramelized Onions (Meat)
- Classic Jewish Brisket with Onions and Rich Gravy (Meat)
- Exquisite Shabbat Beef Brisket with Onion Gravy and Moroccan Chicken with Olives (Meat)
- Crispy Cornish Hen With Herbs Perfect For Shabbat (Meat)
- Savory Slow Cooker Kosher Pulled Beef: A Shabbat Delight (Meat)
- Harissa-Honey Glazed Lamb Meatballs: Fiery-Sweet Perfection for Your Shabbat Table (Meat)
Sides
- Authentic Tzimmes Sweet Carrot and Honey Stew for Rosh Hashanah (Pareve)
- Delicious Homemade Ashkenazi Kishke (Meat)
- Traditional Ashkenazi Chopped Liver: A Nostalgic Delight (Meat)
Shabbat lunch (cooked before Shabbat)
- Traditional Ashkenazi Cholent: A Hearty Sabbath Stew (Meat)
- Easy Slow Cooker Cholent Recipe Traditional Sabbath Stew (Meat)
- Authentic Israeli Jachnun: A Traditional Shabbat Delight (Pareve)
Menus and planning
- Shabbat Dinner Menu Planner: 5 Complete Friday Night Menus (Meat, fish)
- 5-Ingredient Kosher Shabbat Dinner (Ready in 30 Minutes) (Meat)
Looking for more? Browse all meat, dairy and pareve recipes.
