What to Cook in January
Any list of the best January recipes needs to showcase the warming dishes we crave in colder weather: vegan stews and bright pozole, spiced and simmered lentils and beans, and cozy skillet suppers. After all the elaborate cooking and baking of the holidays, it’s also the perfect time to lean on time- and effort-saving appliances like air fryers and pressure cookers to make weeknight cooking—and even weekend entertaining—simple.
Scroll down to check out our most popular January recipes, plus a few editor picks for the month ahead.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Drew Aichele3/37Quick Chana Masala
Making this chana masala is one of our favorite ways to use a can of chickpeas. In fact, by boiling the chickpeas in their liquid, you're able to mimic the texture achieved by soaking dried beans overnight.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich4/37Pulled Mushroom Tacos With Salsa Guille
Going meatless for the month doesn’t mean skipping tacos. This recipe is one of our favorites out of lots of vegetarian taco options. Top crispy, meaty oyster mushrooms with a peanut-pepper salsa, creamy avocado, and crunchy radish, then devour.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne5/37One-Pot Chicken and Biscuits
This is comfort cooking at its best, formulated for minimum fuss. When you’re done, check out our advice for how to clean your cast iron skillet so that you can keep using it for years to come.
Photo by Andrew Purcell, Food Styling by Carrie Purcell6/37Pozole Verde Con Hongos
The best January soup recipes give you hearty, warming, and flavorful meals. This vegetarian pozole verde relies on mushrooms and hominy for the base—but the fun really comes in when you start garnishing.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich8/37Lemon Curd
Tart and sweet, this citrus curd will enliven your weekend scones, and make every bowl of yogurt one to remember. Once you’ve tried this version, go ahead and experiment with other fruit curds as well.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich9/37Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower
Serve these saucy florets with blue cheese dressing and celery on game night. For the rest of the week, keep it simple with this sauceless version.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton10/37Vegan Chili
Canned kidney beans and black beans make for speedy, stress-free cooking, while bulgur fills out the texture of this meatless chili.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova11/37Turkey Meatloaf
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova12/37Patates Riganates (Greek Lemon Potatoes With Garlic and Oregano)
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton13/37Sri Lankan Cashew Curry
This Sri Lankan curry—which happens to be vegan—calls for coconut milk and cashews, resulting in a phenomenally creamy, cozy dish. Add a squeeze of lime and serve with rice.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kate Buckens14/37Caramelized Onion Pasta
Pasta water and Parmesan strike again in this creamy, caramelized, uncomplicated pasta. Lean into your kitchen staples (butter, olive oil, onions, and garlic) for easy weeknight pleasure.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Drew Aichele17/37Life of the Party
For those aboard the Dry January boat—or anyone who's not drinking alcohol right now—we recommend this fruity, lightly bitter nonalcoholic drink, which demonstrates how great a booze-free cocktail can be.
Photo by Selina Lee18/37Instant Pot Japchae
Making japchae in the Instant Pot is a gamechanger. Feel free to add in whatever veggies you have hanging out in the fridge.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht19/37Galette des Rois
Frozen puff pastry comes to the rescue again and again, saving you time and effort in the kitchen. Use it to make this impressive-looking French dessert for Epiphany or later in the month.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by John Bjostad20/37Creamy Leek Soup
A stalwart in the Gourmet arsenal of recipes, this potato and leek soup delivers warming comfort whenever you need it. While excellent all on its own, and elegant enough to serve at a dinner party, we really can’t wait to dunk in the crispy corner of a grilled cheese sandwich.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell23/37Vegetarian Skillet Stuffed Shells
This one-pan, stovetop-only pasta turns mushroom- and spinach-stuffed shells into an easy weeknight crowd-pleaser.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Susan Ottaviano24/37Simple Roast Chicken
The perfect roast chicken requires little more than a generous dousing of salt and pepper, butter, and a scorching hot oven. Serve with a Caesar salad or simple roasted broccoli.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne25/37Easy Vegan Mac and Cheese
We tried a lot of vegan mac and cheese recipes to find a winner. This fan favorite calls for cashews, miso, nutritional yeast, Dijon, turmeric, and garlic—debunking the notion that vegan mac and cheese needs—or even should use—vegan cheese.
Photo by Eric Medsker26/37Air Fryer Fried Chicken
The crispiest chicken—without hot oil? You can make it happen, armed with the right air-fryer recipes.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Dana Bonagura29/37Oven Risotto With Crispy Roasted Mushrooms
Start thinking of all the things you’ll be able to get done when you’re not standing over a pot, stirring risotto for who knows how long. Clean out the fridge, walk the dog, or just put your feet up and relax.
30/37Minestrone
Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich31/37Hoppin’ John
Delving into a bowl of Hoppin' John at the start of the New Year will either guarantee a year of good fortune or simply fill you with spiced and seasoned black eyed peas. Either way, you win.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne35/37King Cake
Bake this New Orleans favorite at home this year, with the guidance of a pro.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne36/37Cowboy Killer
This cold-weather cocktail, a riff on a riff of a Manhattan, is a wonderful way to drink the scotch you got for Christmas.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne37/37Kung Pao Chicken
You can use boneless, skinless, chicken breasts or thighs in this quick and flavorful stir-fry.
