50 Things You Need To Cook This Year

Aug 04, 2023

Buckle up—2023's bound to be a wild ride.

Ah, 2022: the year of butter boards, negroni spagliatos (with Prosecco), ghost kitchens, and more… We could never have predicted these things, but that's not going to stop us from trying again this year. In addition to curating a list of all the food trends we think will come to pass, we’re also including some we just hope will (like dinner & a show with Harry Styles 😉). There will be overarching trends (nostalgia is IN, spinach is OUT), as well as some specific recipes we’re just discovering ourselves after way too long (guilty!) or that we think just aren't getting enough love (people—it's time to try making your own homemade marshmallows). Buckle up—2023's bound to be a wild ride.

Sentimentality truly is the name of the game this year. We’re seeing the revival and modernization of everything from school cafeteria desserts to vintage dinner recipes, with classic cocktails and nostalgic homemade versions of TV-dinner-style meals in between. And don't worry if you can't cook, boxed mac & cheese is having a moment too. Even soda is making its way back into our hearts, often in the form of cocktails—did you hear Sierra Mist is getting replaced with something called Starry, likely in an effort to appeal to younger generations? Truly the end of an era.

With food prices rising, we think people are going to get back to basics, and start looking for recipes for beans (made from scratch!), homemade plant-based meats (tofu, we love you), deep-frying (why pay out the wazoo for a fried chicken sandwich when you can make it yourself?), DIY fermentation, and how to utilize a whole chicken (you spatchcock it, that's how). We’re excited to join on this journey of discovery, and hopefully provide some guidance along the way.

Honestly, though—that's just one half of the coin for 2023. The other half is something called chaos cooking. Chaos cooking is the modern term for fusion cuisine, though this current iteration does have a little bit more, well, chaos thrown in than ever before. People are tossing things like different cultural cuisines, different chain restaurant standbys, and old-school (see, nostalgia) recipes together, and seeing what sticks. Look, if it gets us things like Big Mac Crunchwraps, savory ice cream flavors, and more ube in everything, we’re ALL for it.

Do you agree or disagree with these predictions or recipes we think haven't gotten enough love? Let us know in the comments below!

Chaos cooking is the modern resurgence of the 1980s (or the early 2000s) trend of fusion cuisine—only this time it's more tongue-in-cheek, more aggressive... more, well, chaotic. We see it as an effort for people to take food a little less seriously, and are ALL about it.

We're no strangers to the concept either—check out our miso Bolognese, our Big Mac Crunchwrap (pictured), or our spicy ahi tuna nachos to see how we've been mixing it up lately.

After a recent boom of Korean restaurants opening all over the country, people are getting comfortable with traditional Korean foods, like tteokbokki, kimchi (pictured), bibimbap, Korean fried chicken, and more, and are ready to start attempting them on their own at home. If you're not on board yet, 2023's the time—grab yourself a container of gochujang and immerse yourself in all Korean cuisine has to offer.

We don't know what sparked it, but there's definitely something brewing in the zeitgeist with a spike in interest for the childhood desserts of yore. From cosmic brownies (pictured) to Dunkaroos, pop-tarts to Rice Krispies treats, the Proust effect (the phenomenon where a taste or smell can involuntarily invoke memories) is well in effect this year.

If you can relate to getting a little too over reliant on your local takeout or delivery place (we're on a first-name basis with some of our delivery drivers 😬), make 2023 the year you try cooking some of your favorites at home.

Join us in attempting everything from homemade pizza (Detroit-style is top of our list) to Indian (mmm, butter chicken) to Thai food (pad Thai or maybe pad see ew, pictured). We know next time we do order in (and we most certainly will again and again), we'll be that much more grateful for the convenience.

We'd like to call ourselves pasta experts here at Delish, so we're admittedly a little embarrassed that for too long we weren't paying enough attention to what has now become one of our favorites—orzo! Join us in 2023 as we try and get even more creative with it.

When the idea for a recipe for cowboy candy was pitched last year, many of us had NO idea what it was. Once we tried these candied jalapeños, though, everyone got on board. They're spicy, a little sweet, and goes surprisingly perfectly on pretty much anything. If you were like us last year and are still unsure, just trust us—this is one condiment you're going to want around all 2023 long.

We're not just talking chunk tuna in water, either (though it certainly counts!). Instead, think tinned fish options in artisanal, colorful packaging are popping off, thanks largely in part to, what else? TikTok. Why? Probably because it's a gourmet experience that can be had at home without the exorbitant price tag. Grab yourself a can and see for yourself!

Try yours in our Spicy Tuna Roll recipe.

It seems like everywhere we looked, people were drinking amaro in 2022. Maybe you saw Florence Pugh waltzing around Venice with an Aperol spritz. Or you’ve been unable to ignore social media posts about Emma D’Arcy's iconic "Negroni Sbagliato… with Prosecco in it." We predict the Italian-style bittersweet liqueur isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Try it for yourself in an Americano (pictured), our apple cider spritz (the perfect fall and winter twist), or a negroni.

This year, we're expecting to see a boom in alternative pastas (think gluten-free noodles made from chickpeas, hearts of palm, and more) and more plant-based pasta options on menus around the country (hurray for vegans and vegetarians!).

Try it for yourself at home with our Creamy Tomato Vegan Pasta recipe.

2023 is high tide, sorry, time to embrace the brine. We expect to see seafood-forward flavors in unexpected dishes, like cocktails garnished with oysters or kelp turned into an appetizer.

Try it at home with our Seaweed Salad recipe.

We get it, deep frying can be more than a little intimidating, but there's no time like the present to try it out. With chicken sandwiches having a resurgence (look at that, two trends for the price of one!), you're going to want to be able to re-create your faves at home, right? Like this Thai fried chicken sandwich—it's spicy and sweet, with just a hint of umami-filled sour. Trust us, deep frying is SO worth it.

With its striking color and nutty vanilla flavor profile, ube has officially taken over the world. Also known as purple yam, this beloved tuber has been a popular root vegetable in the Philippines for generations, later spreading to more places like Hawaii and Japan. Keep your eyes out (as if you could miss it!) for this unique ingredient to pop up all over in 2023.

Try it for yourself in our Ube Crinkle Cookies recipe.

With rising chicken (and egg!) prices, 2023 is THE year to get familiar with all the parts of a chicken, from the skin to the bones. If you've never spatchcocked a chicken, now's the time. Follow our tips from our attempt to create the perfect bite of roast chicken (à la the Netflix show You) for the best results, this year and beyond.

It comes as no surprise that in our daily lives of being barraged by constant news and social media that a little nostalgia is going a long way. We're all craving the foods we grew up with—like hamburger helper (pictured), pizza bagels, chicken patties, and more—and are making them at home with higher-quality ingredients than before. We expect to see some of these classics, or at least spins on them, pop up at restaurants in 2023 too.

When we first conceived of this list, homemade marshmallows were one of the first items on it. Our Editorial Director Jo first tried making them last year and was blown away by how easy they were. Then she made them again and again (and again!), adding different flavors for each new holiday and occasion. We implore you to follow her lead and try making some for yourself too (how good would they be for homemade s'mores??).

With so many us learning to bartend at home over the pandemic, when we do go out, it's gotta be for something extra special. Enter: the elaborate cocktail garnishes that are turning an average cocktail into a mini meal this year.

We've been known to add something OTT to our Bloody Marys, like in our taco Bloody Mary (pictured) or our grilled cheese Bloody Mary, but now our minds are open to a whole new world of food on top of drinks. Stay tuned?

Marry Me chicken (pictured) will forever be one of our favorite recipes. We named it that because Delish editors started blurting out marriage proposal-adjacent praises after trying this dish. We think this recipe is special largely in part because of the sun-dried tomatoes in it, and are glad to see them getting their due this year. Try making your own sun-dried tomatoes come summertime too!

Japanese food's popularity isn't new, but the idea of fusing it and the traditional techniques behind it (chaotically or otherwise) with other cuisines like Italian is SO 2023. We went Mexican when we conceptualized this birria ramen, but the possibilities are endless. We can't wait to see what new mash-ups we discover this year.

As it's risen in popularity, mezcal is usually described to newcomers as tequila's smoky cousin. It's a little bit that, but also so much more. We're dedicated to really diving into the spirit this year, and invite you to join us.

Feeling intimidated? Start slow by swapping mezcal in for the tequila in drinks you're already familiar with, like a margarita (pictured), a paloma, or a tequila sunrise.

In 2023, we're making it our mission to re-create as many of our restaurant faves as we can. Join us! Craving a Panera sandwich, but it's late and they're closed? Make our copycat Frontega chicken panini. Used to be big Chick-fil-A fan, but now can't get behind their politics? Make our copycat nuggets, chicken sandwich, or sauce, without any guilt. Got a friend who's a die-hard Cheesecake Factory fan and want to impress them for their birthday? Make our copycat Oreo cheesecake (pictured) or our copycat shrimp scampi. The list goes on.

Got something you crave you'd like us to attempt this year? Let us know in the comments below!

Camille Lowder is the digital food producer at Delish, otherwise known as our resident queen of recipe galleries. Previously, she attended the Natural Gourmet Institute for culinary school and worked at/managed a number of New York restaurants. She loves anything vegan, foods masquerading as other foods (hello, cauliflower), and a well-used Oxford comma.

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