26 Nourishing Iftar Dishes to Break the Fast This Ramadan From warming soups and fragrant rice dishes to hearty stews and sweet desserts, share these recipes after sunset during the holy month of Ramadan. By Jodie Kautzmann Jodie Kautzmann Jodie Kautzmann is an editor, baker, and confectioner with more than 15 years of experience in content creation, recipe development, and pastry production. She's obsessed with the fine details and ingredients that take dishes from tasty to outright otherworldly. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on February 17, 2026 Add Us On SAVE ALL RECIPES NEW! Save as a collection on MyRecipes Close Credit: Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless This year, the Islamic holy month of Ramadan is expected to begin February 17 or 18 and continue until sundown on March 19 or 20, depending on the lunar cycle. During this period, Muslims around the world fast from sunrise to sunset, spending the days in prayer and reflection and breaking their fast with iftar meals each evening. This collection includes a range of iftar foods and regional specialties from across the Muslim world, from warming red lentil soup and celebration-worthy chicken biryani to hearty stews and sweet phyllo desserts. Here are our most satisfying recipes to break the fast. Note Some of these recipes include cheeses that are sometimes made with animal rennet. To keep things halal, look for versions labeled “microbial rennet” or “vegetable rennet” on the ingredient list. Keep all of your recipes at your fingertips. With the MyRecipes app you can easily save and organize your favorites from anywhere, including Instagram and TikTok, in one convenient place. Get the free app. 01 of 26 Shorbat Adas (Red Lentil Soup with Vegetables) Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley This lentil soup is beloved across the Middle East. Infused with warming spices and brightened with tomatoes and lemon, it’s light yet satiating, easy to make yet nourishing — just what the season calls for. Get the Recipe Save 02 of 26 Yogurt Rice Photo by Greg DuPree / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer Creamy and deeply satisfying, yogurt rice is known by many names across South Asia: thayir sadam, dahi bhat, dahi chawal, mosaranna, curd rice. Here, Khushbu Shah tempers urad dal, mustard seeds, dried chiles, and fresh curry leaves in hot oil to bring out their flavors, then spoons the mixture over each bowl to balance the cooling yogurt. Get the Recipe Save 03 of 26 Turmeric Lamb Kebabs Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless Made with ground lamb that's shaped around metal skewers, these spiced kebabs from chef Louisa Shafia get irresistibly crisp on the outside but retain their juiciness. Get the Recipe Save 04 of 26 Fattoush Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Christina Daley / Prop Styling by Torie Cox For this bright, zesty Levantine bread salad, herbs, peppers, and two types of onion mingle with romaine, tomato, and cucumber in a tangy pomegranate-sumac dressing alongside crunchy homemade pita chips. Get the Recipe Save 05 of 26 Chicken Biryani Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless Madhur Jaffrey's fragrant dum biryani is perhaps the most common style of this elegant rice dish served at iftar globally. Redolent with saffron, garlic, ginger, and warm spices, it's made with dark meat chicken and studded with fried onions, slivered almonds, and golden raisins. Hard-cooked eggs top it all off. Get the Recipe Save 06 of 26 Zeytinyağli Yaprak Sarmasi (Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves) Photo by Eva Kolenko / Food Styling by Carrie Purcell / Prop Styling by Jillian Knox For these tender vegetarian parcels from Musa Dagdeviren, the tangy brightness of brined grape leaves is mellowed by a rice filling seasoned with fresh parsley, dill, and plenty of cooked onions. In Turkey, small plates such as this often serve as a bridge to the main meal during Ramadan. Get the Recipe Save 07 of 26 Beef Mafé (West African Peanut Stew) Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Creamy peanut butter is married with beef broth, tomato paste, garlic, and ginger for the base of this cozy West African stew. Cubed beef, sweet potato, carrot, and eggplant absorb all that flavor as they simmer until fork-tender. Serve it over brown rice. Get the Recipe Save 08 of 26 Stuffed Eggplant with Spiced Beef and Pine Nuts Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless A coriander-spiced ground beef filling turns hearty globe eggplants into dinner. They're roasted until just charred on the outside while the insides stay meltingly soft. Get the Recipe Save 09 of 26 Yemeni Bulgur Wheat Shurba (Soup) Alex Lau Spiced with a savory blend of cumin, black pepper, cinnamon, ground ginger, and bay leaves, Hakim Sulaimani's vegetarian riff on bulgur wheat shurba packs plenty of flavor. Serve it with garlic bread and a squeeze of fresh lemon for a bright, balancing pop. Get the Recipe Save 10 of 26 Arayes Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Caleb Clark These meaty pitas from cookbook author Heifa Odeh are stuffed with a spiced beef or lamb mixture and cooked until crisp for a hearty snack or handheld dinner. Serve them with Greek yogurt or toum, a creamy Middle Eastern garlic sauce. Get the Recipe Save 11 of 26 Knafeh (Shredded Phyllo and Cheese Pie) Greg DuPree A stretchy blend of mozzarella and ricotta is encased in buttery phyllo shreds, drizzled in sweet orange blossom–rose syrup, and crowned with roasted pistachios for this classic Middle Eastern dessert that's on the table in just 30 minutes. Get the Recipe Save 12 of 26 Doro Wat Chili (Spicy Ethiopian-Style Chicken Chili) Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Thom Driver While not a traditional Ramadan dish, this Ethiopian-inspired chili is perfect for a post-sunset feast. Sweet caramelized onions, fire-roasted tomatoes, and generous amounts of garlic, ginger, and berbere provide deep, rich flavor; ground chicken simplifies the prep. Get the Recipe Save 13 of 26 Lamb Martabak Louise Hagger Cookbook author Lara Lee keeps things simple for her meat-stuffed, pan-fried appetizer by relying on store-bought spring roll wrappers instead of making her own dough. The ground lamb filling features a happy combination of garlic, shallots, ginger, spring onions, chives, and spices, but the caramelized shallot sambal dip is the real flavor workhorse here. Get the Recipe Save 14 of 26 Nasi Goreng Jawa (Javanese Fried Rice) Photo by Eva Kolenko / Food Styling by Marian Cooper Cairns / Prop Styling by Natasha Kolenko Filling, flavorful, and incredibly versatile, this go-to dish made with leftover rice is a popular choice in Indonesia for breaking the fast. "Nasi goreng is a comfort food," says Indonesian chef and TV personality William Wongso. Get the Recipe Save 15 of 26 Chicken Yassa with Fonio Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle Colorado chef Mawa McQueen's make-ahead version of this African staple brings together caramelized onions, garlic, and tomato into a jammy, rich base for tender braised chicken seasoned with lemon and chile. Get the Recipe Save 16 of 26 Chocolate-Hazelnut Baklava Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen A cinnamon-scented blend of bittersweet chocolate and toasted hazelnuts sets this baklava from pastry chef Maura Kilpatrick apart. Soaked in warm honey syrup, its flaky, buttery layers deliver sweetness and crunch with every bite. Get the Recipe Save 17 of 26 Yayla Çorbası (Turkish Yogurt Soup) with Velibah Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen An entire quart of whole-milk yogurt is combined with chicken broth, barley, chickpeas, and mint to make a simple, stick-to-your-ribs soup. Pair each bowl with buttery-crisp velibah stuffed with feta and potato for a well-rounded light dinner. Get the Recipe Save 18 of 26 Thiéboudienne (Senegalese Jollof Rice and Fish) Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Flavorful jollof rice is piled high with tender vegetables and flaky white fish for this take on the national dish of Senegal from chef Bintou N'Daw Young. Get the Recipe Save 19 of 26 Aloo Samosas Kelsey Hansen / Food Styling by Annie Probst / Prop Styling by Gabe Greco These baked vegetarian Punjabi-style samosas showcase cumin-spiced potatoes and peas enveloped in homemade pastry — the oil in the dough ensures they turn crisp and golden in the oven. Get the Recipe Save 20 of 26 Chicken Hummus Bowl Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle A container of your favorite store-bought hummus is the base of this dinner bowl from F&W recipe developer Julia Levy, topped with seasoned chicken thighs, fresh veggies, feta cheese, and an herbaceous zhoug sauce. Get the Recipe Save 21 of 26 Obe Ata (Nigerian Chicken, Tomato, and Pepper Stew) Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Victoria Granof / Prop Styling by Thom Driver Chef Simileoluwa Adebajo's fiery West African chicken stew is perfumed with fruity habanero chiles in a fragrant tomato–red bell pepper sauce — leave the seeds intact if you dare. Serve it up with sweet plantains and rice to mitigate the heat. Get the Recipe Save 22 of 26 Kibbeh Bil Sanieh Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis Often dubbed “pizza kibbeh” based on the way it looks, this baked vegetarian dish layers spiced bulgur into a hearty, savory pie — a celebratory staple at Lebanese monasteries and home kitchens alike. Chef Ana Sortun learned how to make this recipe from the monks at Saint Anthony of Qozhaya in Lebanon. Get the Recipe Save 23 of 26 Beef-and-Fonio Meatballs with Sweet Potato Stew Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell Senegalese chef Pierre Thiam is passionate about fonio, a nutritious West African millet, which he uses here in beef meatballs with Parmesan cheese and thyme. To finish, he simmers them in a thick, garlicky tomato broth with tender chunks of sweet potato. Get the Recipe Save 24 of 26 Roasted Carrots with Preserved Lemons and Dates Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Dates are traditionally eaten to break the fast during Ramadan; here, their sweet chew complements a bright, eye-catching side of charred carrots, fresh herbs, and citrus in a honey-za'atar vinaigrette. Get the Recipe Save 25 of 26 Ka'ak Bi Tamer (Cinnamon-Date Paste–Filled Cookies) Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell These buttery, mahlab-scented cookies hide a rich, spiced date filling and are finished with sesame and nigella seeds — they're a flaky, fragrant treat from League of Kitchens instructor Jeanette Chawki. Get the Recipe Save 26 of 26 Saffron Chicken Tagine John Kernick Chef Andrew Zimmern's rendition of this deeply flavorful North African chicken stew is designed for a large enameled cast-iron casserole, no earthenware tagine necessary. To make it, he marinates both white and dark meat in an aromatic blend of warm spices with preserved lemon and harissa, then braises the chicken in broth that's bolstered with the reserved marinade. Get the Recipe Save Explore more: Food Holidays & Occasions Ramadan and Eid Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit