Look, I get it – Hanukkah means latkes and sufganiyot, right? But hear me out. This year, let’s fire up that grill and bring some serious heat to your Festival of Lights celebration.
These Grilled Dinner Recipes For Hanukkah aren’t your bubbe’s usual fare, but they honor Jewish culinary traditions while giving you that smoky, charred perfection we dads live for.
Ready to make this eight-night holiday unforgettable with some grilling recipes that actually matter?
1. Charred Brisket with Pomegranate-Date Glaze
You want brisket? Let’s do it right. Start with a first-cut brisket, about five pounds.
I’m talking a real Jewish-style meat dish here – trim it down but leave some fat cap because that’s where flavor lives.
Rub it with kosher salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, and garlic powder the night before. Let it hang out in your fridge uncovered – it’ll develop this incredible crust.
Get your grill to 250°F using indirect heat. Throw some soaked oak or cherry wood chunks on there. Now here’s the twist: while that meat’s smoking for three hours, make your glaze.
Reduce pomegranate juice with honey, dates, cinnamon stick, and a splash of red wine vinegar. The Sephardic flavors here are insane.
Brush it on during the last hour. Your holiday dinner just got an upgrade, my friend.
When it hits 203°F internal, wrap it in butcher paper and rest for an hour. Slice against the grain and watch your family lose their minds.
Also Read: Slow Cooked Beef Brisket Dinner For Hanukkah
2. Grilled Chicken Schnitzel Skewers with Tahini Drizzle
Schnitzel on the grill? Yeah, you heard that right. Cut chicken breast into thick strips – about an inch wide.
Pound them to half-inch thickness. Set up your breading station: flour with za’atar and sumac, beaten eggs with a tablespoon of water, and panko breadcrumbs mixed with more za’atar.
This Middle Eastern spice blend brings that Israeli street food vibe to your backyard.
Thread them onto soaked wooden skewers after breading. Here’s what most people mess up – they don’t oil the grill grates enough.
Brush those grates liberally. Grill over medium-high direct heat, three minutes per side. You want golden-brown, crispy coating with those perfect grill marks.
Make a quick tahini sauce: tahini, lemon juice, minced garlic, water to thin it, salt. Drizzle generously. Serve with grilled lemon halves.
This Hanukkah grilling technique keeps everything juicy while maintaining that crunch we’re after. It’s a kosher weeknight meal that feels fancy but takes twenty minutes.
3. Charcoal-Kissed Salmon with Horseradish Chrain
Salmon is basically Jewish soul food at this point. Get a two-pound skin-on salmon fillet. Don’t remove that skin – it protects the fish and crisps up beautifully.
Brush the flesh side with olive oil, sprinkle with coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper. That’s it. Sometimes simplicity wins.
Your grill needs to hit 400°F. Place the salmon skin-side down on oiled grates. Don’t touch it. Seriously, walk away for six minutes.
The skin will release when it’s ready. While you’re standing there pretending to be patient, make your chrain – that classic Ashkenazi horseradish condiment.
Fresh grated horseradish root (wear goggles, trust me), grated beets for that pink color, white vinegar, sugar, salt. Mix it together.
When the salmon’s internal temp hits 125°F, slide a spatula under and leave the skin behind on the grates.
Top with that horseradish cream. The fatty fish cuts through that sharp bite perfectly. This traditional Jewish appetizer just became your main course for a festive meal.
4. Spice-Rubbed Lamb Chops with Mint-Cilantro Chimichurri
Lamb speaks to Jewish heritage across continents. Grab eight rib chops, about an inch thick each.
Your spice rub needs to slap: cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, cayenne, salt.
Toast those whole spices first in a dry pan, then grind them. The aromatics you’ll get are worth that extra five minutes.
Coat those chops generously and let them sit at room temp for thirty minutes. High heat, two-zone fire.
Sear them hard over direct flame – ninety seconds per side for medium-rare.
But here’s where we flip the script on traditional grilled meat: swap the usual mint jelly for a punchy chimichurri.
Cilantro, mint, parsley, garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, red pepper flakes. Pulse it in a food processor.
The herbaceous punch against those warm spices creates this incredible contrast.
This Mizrahi-inspired dish brings Passover flavors to your Hanukkah table. Pull them at 130°F, rest five minutes, then watch them disappear.
5. Grilled Potato Latkes on Cedar Planks
Yeah, I’m grilling latkes. Why not? Potato pancakes are the Hanukkah staple, but we’re taking them outside.
Grate russet potatoes and yellow onion, squeeze out the liquid like you’re mad at it. Mix with eggs, matzo meal, salt, pepper.
Here’s the game-changer: soak cedar planks for an hour, then place them on your preheated grill at 350°F.
Brush the planks with oil, then form your latke mixture into patties directly on the wood. Close the lid.
The planks impart this subtle smoky sweetness while the tops get crispy from the heat circulation and the bottoms develop this amazing crust against the wood.
Flip them once with a wide spatula after eight minutes. The fried food tradition meets outdoor cooking, and somehow it works better than you’d think.
Serve with sour cream and applesauce (obviously), but try adding some grilled apple slices too.
This seasonal dish brings that comfort food vibe with a twist your guests won’t see coming.
6. Smoky Pastrami-Stuffed Bell Peppers
Pastrami on the grill – now we’re talking delicatessen classics with a backyard makeover. Get six large bell peppers (mix colors for presentation), cut the tops off, clean out the seeds.
Your filling: chopped pastrami (from your local Jewish deli, not that pre-packaged stuff), cooked quinoa or rice, sauteed onions, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, caraway seeds, fresh dill, and a bit of Swiss cheese if you’re not keeping it strictly dairy-free.
Mix it all together – the cured meat should be the star. Stuff those peppers tight.
Here’s the technique: grill them standing up over indirect heat at 375°F for thirty minutes. The peppers will soften and develop char spots while the filling gets hot and melded together. Those Eastern European flavors shine through every bite.
The caraway and dill scream Jewish food while the char adds depth you’d never get in an oven.
This one-pot meal approach (well, one-pepper meal) makes cleanup easy and packs serious protein for a satisfying dinner.
7. Grilled Duck Breast with Date-Wine Reduction
Listen, if you’ve never grilled duck, you’re missing out on something special.
Get two large duck breasts, score the skin in a crosshatch pattern – don’t cut into the meat, just the fat layer.
Kosher salt and black pepper, that’s your only seasoning. The duck provides enough flavor; we’re not gilding the lily here.
Start them skin-side down on a medium-heat zone. The fat will render slowly – let it.
This takes a good ten minutes. Don’t rush it or you’ll have rubbery skin.
Once it’s golden and crispy, flip for three minutes on the flesh side. You want 135°F internal for medium-rare.
While it rests, reduce some red wine with chopped dates, shallots, chicken stock, and a sprig of thyme.
This fruit-based sauce is straight from Sephardic cooking traditions – sweet, rich, complex.
Slice the duck thin against the grain. Drizzle that reduction over it. This is holiday entertaining at its finest, bringing gourmet cooking to your Festival celebration.
8. Charred Eggplant with Tehina and Pine Nuts
Eggplant might be the most underrated vegetable in Jewish cuisine.
I’m not talking about your sad, soggy baba ganoush – we’re grilling whole eggplants until they collapse.
Take three large globe eggplants, poke them with a fork a few times. Place them directly over high flames. Yes, directly.
You want the skin completely charred, blackened, smoking.
Turn them every few minutes until they’re soft and deflated – about fifteen minutes total.
The inside becomes this creamy, smoky marvel. Let them cool, then scoop out the flesh. Chop it roughly, mix with lemon juice, minced garlic, salt.
Spread it on a platter. Now drizzle with tahini thinned with water and lemon.
Top with toasted pine nuts, chopped parsley, pomegranate seeds, and a generous pour of olive oil.
Sprinkle some za’atar over the top. This Mediterranean appetizer works as a side dish too, and it’s perfect for your plant-based guests.
The smoky flavor profile makes even meat-eaters happy. Serve with warm pita bread for scooping.
9. Grilled Chicken Livers with Caramelized Onions
Chicken livers aren’t glamorous, but they’re deeply traditional and criminally underused.
This is straight-up Ashkenazi soul food – chopped liver reimagined. Clean one pound of chicken livers, pat them dry, season with salt and pepper. Thread them onto skewers with chunks of onion between each piece.
Grill over medium-high heat, turning every two minutes. They cook fast – six to eight minutes total.
You want them browned outside but still slightly pink inside.
Overdone livers taste like erasers. Meanwhile, you’ve got onions on the cooler part of the grill in a cast iron skillet, slowly caramelizing with schmaltz (chicken fat) or oil.
When the livers are done, roughly chop them with those sweet onions, add hard-boiled egg, more salt.
This offal preparation might sound intense, but the char from the grill transforms the texture. Spread it on rye bread or challah.
Your grandfather would be proud. This protein-rich appetizer brings authentic Old World cooking to modern backyard grilling.
10. Fire-Roasted Whole Cauliflower with Shawarma Spices
Whole roasted cauliflower looks impressive as hell and tastes even better. Remove the leaves but keep the core intact – it holds everything together.
Blanch the whole head in boiling salted water for five minutes. This softens it and speeds up grill time.
Make your shawarma spice blend: cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, salt.
Mix it with olive oil to form a paste. Brush this all over the cauliflower – get into every crevice.
Grill over indirect medium heat (350°F) for about forty minutes, rotating occasionally. The outside gets deeply caramelized and those spices form this incredible crust.
The Israeli-inspired flavors here are bold and warming. Slice it into wedges and serve with tahini sauce, cucumber salad, and pickled vegetables.
This meatless main satisfies in ways your typical side dish never could. It’s healthy eating that doesn’t feel like a sacrifice, perfect for your vegetarian cousin who’s always complaining.
11. Grilled Beef Short Ribs with Coffee-Harissa Rub
Short ribs are my secret weapon for holiday meals. Get English-cut beef short ribs, about three inches thick. Trim excess fat but leave some – it bastes the meat as it cooks.
Your rub is where things get interesting: finely ground coffee, harissa paste (that North African chili paste), brown sugar, kosher salt, cumin, cinnamon. The coffee adds earthiness while the harissa brings heat and complexity.
Coat those ribs twelve hours before grilling. Set up a two-zone fire, keeping one side at 275°F.
Smoke those bad boys over indirect heat for three hours, spritzing with beef broth every hour.
The connective tissue breaks down, the meat gets tender while developing bark. When they’re probe-tender, sear them hard over direct heat for two minutes per side. This
Maghrebi-influenced approach to braised meat works perfectly on the grill.
The warming spices and heat create layers of flavor that keep you coming back for more.
Serve them with grilled root vegetables. This centerpiece dish defines holiday cooking done right.
12. Grilled Tongue with Salsa Verde and Charred Scallions
Beef tongue might make some people squeamish, but it’s a Jewish delicacy that deserves respect.
Get a three-pound tongue, rinse it well. You need to braise it first – this isn’t optional.
Put it in a pot with onion, carrot, celery, bay leaves, peppercorns, and enough water to cover. Simmer for three hours until fork-tender. Let it cool in that liquid.
Here’s where most people give up: peel the skin off while it’s still warm. It slides right off, I promise.
Slice the tongue into half-inch thick medallions. Brush with olive oil, season with salt and pepper.
Grill over high direct heat – two minutes per side. You want char marks and caramelization on that already-tender meat.
The texture becomes slightly crispy outside while staying silky inside.
Make your salsa verde: parsley, cilantro, garlic, capers, anchovies (trust me), red wine vinegar, olive oil.
Blend until chunky. Grill whole scallions until charred. This nose-to-tail cooking approach honors the Eastern European tradition of using every part.
The herbaceous sauce cuts through the richness perfectly. Serve with grilled rye bread.
This acquired taste becomes a favorite once you try it – that’s real Jewish home cooking right there.
Final Thoughts
The Hanukkah celebration doesn’t need to stay stuck in the kitchen.
These Grilled Dinner Recipes For Hanukkah prove that Jewish traditions adapt beautifully to the grill without losing their soul.
The char, the smoke, the communal act of standing around fire – it all connects to something ancient and meaningful.
Whether you’re making one recipe or going all out for the eight nights, you’re creating new memories while honoring the old ones.
And that’s really what the Festival of Lights asks of us, isn’t it? To keep the flame going while finding fresh ways to shine.
Now get out there and make something your family will talk about until next year.
