Chef John's 26 Best Recipes for the Super Bowl

Photo:

Chef John

These top-rated recipes are a veritable highlight reel of Chef John's all-time favorite game-day foods. From classic dips, wings, and nachos to chili, beef sliders, and pulled pork—they're all here. No matter what team you live and die for, the celebration's always better with the best of Chef John!

01
of 27

Super Deluxe Steak Nachos

Jason Powell

Chef John's primo steak nachos take your Super Bowl snack game to the next level. You'll top a layer of pinto beans with perfectly seasoned flat or skirt steak topped with Cheddar and Monterey Jack. Finish with avocado, tomatoes, peppers, sour cream, and cilantro for the win.

View Recipe

02
of 27

Mini Philly Cheesesteaks

Chef John

These little cheesesteak toasts are made with all the classic cheesesteak ingredients, only in open-face form. The fixings are chopped up and spooned onto slices of baguette, then baked until beautiful. Tip: Slice your bread on the diagonal to make football-shaped ovals instead of rounds. The delight is in the details, right?

View Recipe

03
of 27

Baked Buffalo Chicken Dip

ECEats

Everything you love about chicken wings with none of the greasy mess—and no bones! The key is to start with rotisserie chicken, not canned chicken.

View Recipe

04
of 27

Bacon Jalapeño Popper Puffs

Chef John

These jalapeño poppers are lighter than most but bring all the hot poppin' flavor. "All the same flavors are there," says Chef John. "Especially when served with the easy cream cheese dip, and the prep is much easier."

View Recipe

05
of 27

Chef John's Pulled Pork BBQ

Chef John

Low and slow is the way to go for super-tender pulled pork. You'll cook the pork for about 12 hours. But your patience will be amply rewarded with perfectly fall-apart pork. This recipe could not be easier.

View Recipe

06
of 27

Beef, Bean, and Beer Chili

nikisfe

You can't go wrong cooking up a big batch of chili for any game day. This version has a wonderful depth of flavor: a bottle of beer, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and a touch of cocoa powder are the keys to victory. Enjoy topped with crème fraiche (or sour cream if you're not feeling fancy), cilantro, and maybe a dash of cayenne.

View Recipe

07
of 27

Chef John's Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip

janna

This quick-and-easy dip features canned artichoke hearts, chopped frozen spinach, cream cheese, and three types of grated cheese. And since there's no mayo or sour cream, it's actually lower in fat than restaurant versions. Delicious on just about anything—crackers, chips, sliced baguette, whatever you like.

View Recipe

08
of 27

Baked Crab and Artichoke Dip

stacy

This creamy crab and artichoke dip is baked in a bread bowl. You'll build on a delicious base of cream cheese, sour cream, and mayo, adding Cheddar, herbs, and seasonings. Serve it hot with crackers—or in a bread bowl…and then eat the dishes.

View Recipe

09
of 27

Crispy Honey Sriracha Chicken Wings

Jenny Aleman de Bolaños

"The honey-sriracha glaze is quite delicious and incredibly simple," says Chef John. "But the real star of the show is the strange but effective technique of coating the wings with a spice rub before baking. Through the magic of chemical reactions, the surface of the chicken becomes bone-dry, and eventually crisps up to something very similar to what would come out of a deep fryer."

View Recipe

10
of 27

Hot Baked Reuben Dip

Dani Hess

It's the classic deli sandwich converted into delicious dip form. "I used pastrami instead of corned beef, which is a little spicier," says Chef John.

View Recipe

11
of 27

Baked Philly Cheesesteak Sliders

Chef John

Chef John says, “I love the combo of provolone and cream cheese here, but if you’re a Cheese Whiz head, you can easily switch in some mild orange Cheddar, and you’ll swear you’re at Pat’s.”

Want to serve classic sliders as well? Chef John’s cool trick is to form the ground beef in muffin cups before frying them up. Serve Chef John’s Beef Sliders on small dinner rolls with sliced tomatoes.

View Recipe

12
of 27

Chef John's Classic Guacamole

Lacyanne

Guac this way! "There are few things as easy, healthy, and delicious as this ubiquitous dip," says Chef John. "However, unless you're grinding your aromatic vegetation in a molcajete, or against a cutting board, you're really not tasting a classic guacamole. The flavors not only become more intense, but actually change in character. This is just what those bland, fatty, but delectable avocados need. That and a thoughtful seasoning of lime juice, and maybe some more salt."

View Recipe

13
of 27

Chorizo Fundido

Chef John

Chef John puts the fun in fundido. This meaty, three-cheesy dip is perfect for the big game. "Bake this creamy chorizo fundido for an easy and impressive party snack," he says. "Garnish with chopped tomato and green onion and serve with tortilla chips."

View Recipe

14
of 27

Meatball-Stuffed Garlic Bread Sliders

Chef John

"We're getting close to the Super Bowl, and it's not about who wins the trophy, but rather who wins the snack table," says Chef John. "If you show up with these super fun sliders, that will be you. Maybe it's the symmetry, or center of gravity, that makes these just feel right in your hand. If you're short on time, using pre-made meatballs will do."

View Recipe

15
of 27

Pepperoni Pizza Cheese Drip Chips

Chef John

We may not all agree on what toppings to pile onto a pizza, but at least we can all agree that the best part of a pizza is the bits of crispy, crusty, caramelized cheese that sticks to the pan. In a stroke of pure genius, Chef John has taken those cheesy drips and turned them into chips! "Add whatever pizza toppings you're into," says Chef John. "And serve them as they are or top with a bit of baby arugula and fold in half to eat like tacos"

View Recipe

16
of 27

Philly Cheese Steak Dip

Chef John

Here's another spin on cheese steaks, but in easy hot dip form. "Made as written for the Super Bowl," says reviewer Terri Sappington. "Family inhaled it."

View Recipe

17
of 27

Mini Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls

Chef John

Chef John uses chicken breast meat to create a crunchy Buffalo wing alternative. "Less messy than bone-in Buffalo wings and more eventful than the 'boneless' kind, these Buffalo chicken egg rolls are a party snack breakthrough," says Chef John. "Serve alongside more hot sauce and celery."

View Recipe

Check out Chef John’s Buffalo Chicken Wing Sauce recipe, too.

18
of 27

Chef John's Queso Dip

Chef John

This dip won't get completely firm even after it cools down, so "you can make it ahead of time and just leave it out until ready to serve. However, that can be a risky maneuver, as there may not be a lot left when your guests arrive," says Chef John.

View Recipe

19
of 27

Chili Cheese Bean Dip

Chef John

"I’ve done a lot of dips in my day, especially around this time of year. This might be the easiest, simplest one yet," says Chef John. "There's no cooking, no layering, and it has the perfect creamy texture for dipping—your chips won't break. It's spicy, tangy, and delicious."

View Recipe

20
of 27

Cheese Puff Sliders

Chef John

For Chef John's latest take on sliders, he bakes the cheese right into the bun. Sharp Chedder and Gruyere flavor the choux paste that bakes into puffy gougeres. Each tiny burger is served with special sauce and topped with a pickle, cherry tomato slice, and lettuce leaf.

View Recipe

21
of 27

Buffalo Chicken Wings in a Jar

Chef John

The beauty of Chef John's individual Buffalo chicken dips is the blue cheese delivery vehicle: crostini made from baguette slices toasted and spread with butter and blue cheese. "This appetizer was the bomb! The surprising element was the blue cheese spread on the crostini….wow. I would eat just the crostini plain," says reviewer Lacyanne. "Make sure to cut your crostini thin enough."

View Recipe

22
of 27

Chicago Deep-Dish Pizza Muffins

Allrecipes/Karen Hibbard

"Besides the superior texture, the perfect crust-to-filling ratio, and that you can hold them in your hand like real pizza," says Chef John, what he likes most about these "is that we can do lots of different ingredient combinations in the same pan."

View Recipe

23
of 27

Baked Buffalo Bison Dip

Chef John

Here's another Buffalo dip, but instead of chicken, we're using real buffalo! Chef John recommends serving this "creamy, cheesy, very meaty hot dip with at least 2 spreaders, so that nobody has to wait their turn to dive in."

View Recipe

24
of 27

Italian Sausage Baby Back Ribs

Baking Nana

Chef John's garlicky cracked fennel seed spice rub creates a great base of flavor for these baked pork ribs. The spicy orange glaze takes them over the top. "Hands down—the best rib recipe I have ever had! The whole family loves the flavor," says reviewer mei.

View Recipe

25
of 27

Kansas City Style "Burnt Ends" Philly Cheesesteak

Chef John

Chef John says that "A cynic might say that this [genius creation] is just the work of a chef who's bitter his team didn't make it, so he's posting a recipe he knows will drive fans from both cities crazy. Well, I can't confirm or deny that, but I can tell you this experiment was delicious, and very enjoyable to eat."

View Recipe

26
of 27

Garlic Shrimp "Pigs" in a Blanket