Get ready to explore a vibrant world of flavor with these 23 incredible Armenian recipes. The cuisine blends European and Levantine influences into something totally unique and bold.
You are going to love the sweet and savory variety found in this collection.
1. Armenian Shish Kebabs
Who can say no to a fantastic kebab? I am always ready for seasoned meat grilled on a stick over an open flame.
This specific version uses lamb marinated in red wine plus onion and tomato. The result is incredibly rich and flavorful.
You can also swap in beef if you prefer.
2. Armenian Grilled Potatoes
This recipe teaches a technique more than just a recipe. I love this style because it improves my kitchen skills.
These delicious potatoes get parboiled and then grilled. They are scored and smothered in lard before hitting the grill.
This means they are smothered in flavor. Add whatever seasonings you like.
3. Bishi (Zing-a-Ling)
This recipe absolutely lives up to its awesome name. A dish called zing a ling simply has to be good.
Bishi reminds me of doughnuts or beignets but lighter. They get crispy on the outside while staying super soft inside.
Powdered sugar is the typical topping. However you can try maple syrup or chocolate sauce too.
4. Armenian-Style Layer Cake
I just cannot get enough of this layer cake. It might look like a stack of chocolate chip pancakes but I promise it is a proper cake.
The result is freaking decadent. You get soft crumbly nutmeg cake loaded with hazelnuts and cocoa nibs.
Each bite brings sweetness without hurting your teeth. Two layers of deliciousness sit between the cake layers.
One is coffee whipped cream and the other is rich chocolate ganache.
5. Armenian Gata
I have a serious passion for pastries. Nothing compares to the flaky buttery layers of a well made pastry.
This one features a sweet roux filling for extra goodness. You make a flour and butter mixture just like for gravy.
Baking it with sugar creates a flavorful and super soft filling. You are going to love this.
6. Homemade Sujuk
Try making homemade Sujuk if you feel adventurous. This is a type of hard dry cured sausage.
The ingredients include raw beef and spices. Curing it allows you to eat it as is.
Jerky lovers will fall head over heels for this one.
7. Harissa (Armenian Wheat and Chicken Porridge)
Porridge usually makes me think of breakfast. You could eat this for breakfast but it is actually a dinner dish.
It tastes so yummy that any time of day works. Chicken and wheat cook in stock or water until they turn to mush.
This is a comforting Michelin star kind of mush though. Top it with Aleppo pepper browned butter and get ready to fall in love.
8. Armenian Meatball Soup
This looks a bit like tomato soup. It tastes sort of like cabbage rolls.
Yet this soup is way more interesting and just as comforting as both. It features homemade meatballs made of beef and bulgur wheat.
They get seasoned with paprika and onion plus salt and pepper. The meatballs cook right in the soup liquid.
The broth is tomatoey and lemony and beefy and wonderful. Garnish it with fresh mint for a tasty adventure.
9. Armenian Flatbread (Lavash)
Lavash works as the ideal companion for stews and soups and harissa. It is basically a Middle Eastern flour tortilla baked instead of griddled.
You can use these instead of standard tortillas for a cheater Lahmajoun recipe.
10. Topik
You will love Topik if you enjoy sweet and savory foods. These vegetarian meatballs are made from chickpeas and potatoes.
You also get plenty of herbs and spices. They are mostly savory but cinnamon and currants add a hint of sweetness.
This twist might be unexpected for a Western palate but it is super enjoyable.
11. Khashlama (Armenian Lamb Stew)
Khashlama is the national dish of Armenia and the perfect start to this list. This celebratory meal usually appears on special occasions.
It is absolutely scrumptious. Every spoonful of this comforting stew contains savory spices and tender veggies.
You get onions and tomatoes plus potatoes. Bone in lamb is essential here.
The meat falls off the bone because it is stewed. Red wine adds richness while fresh herbs finish it off.
12. Armenian Nutmeg Cake
Nutmeg appears often in Armenian desserts. This rustic and delicious cake highlights it the best.
You will love this if you enjoy simple coffee cakes. No fancy equipment is needed here.
A brown sugar crust adds just the right amount of crispiness. The rest of the cake stays beautifully spiced and soft.
Walnuts add a fantastic texture that you will love.
13. Matzoon Cookies
Matzoon cookies and you are a batch made in heaven. You will want to make another batch immediately after the first one.
One batch is simply not enough. These cookies taste utterly scrumptious.
They are sweet and nutty and pillow soft with a caramelized edge. You would never guess yogurt is the star ingredient.
14. Dolma (Armenian Stuffed Grape Leaves)
Stuffed grape leaves are popular across the Levantine and Mediterranean regions. You might know the Greek version called dolmades.
The process is similar to stuffed cabbage. This recipe features strong Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavors.
Each dolma contains a spiced mixture of ground lamb and beef plus onion and parsley. You also get rice and shallots.
Everything cooks in tomato sauce.
15. Khorovats (Armenian Grilled Vegetable Salad)
Grilling is definitely one of the best ways to enjoy vegetables. It adds so much delicious flavor.
This recipe grills eggplant and tomatoes and bell peppers whole. The veggies get chopped and mixed with garlic and herbs and olive oil and salt.
I think even salad haters will enjoy this one.
16. Armenian Semsek
Fried mini pizza is enough said. Semsek is doughy and meaty and spicy.
A flavorful mix of beef and lamb sits atop chewy dough. Aleppo pepper adds spice.
Everything fries until it is golden and crispy and sensational.
17. Lahmajoun (Armenian Pizza)
This pizza like Lahmajoun packs a bold flavor punch. It is tasty enough to knock out your taste buds.
This version is a special cheater recipe that uses flour tortillas. The tortilla acts as the base.
Each one gets topped with ground meat and herbs and veggies and spices. Everything is chopped finely into a paste spread.
You bake it in a boiling oven like a pizza. Eat it right away with some lemon juice.
18. Armenian Cucumber and Tomato Salad
It is hard to get fresher than this tantalizing tomato and cucumber salad. It is easy to make and adds a nice vegetative bite to any meal.
Every forkful feels light with a savory twist. The salad features tomatoes and cucumbers plus scallions and mint and parsley tossed in oil and lemon juice.
Salt and sumac add extra yumminess. I would personally add some feta for a creamy element.
19. Nazook (Armenian Pastry)
Nazook is basically another type of Gata. But this version is stuffed with butter and flour and sugar.
You also get cardamom and cinnamon plus walnuts and vanilla. It is definitely fancier.
20. Cake Ptichka
Ptichka translates to little bird in Armenian. No birds were harmed making this cake.
It does add a whimsical quality to the bake though. This cake features layers of honey cake stuffed with vanilla custard cream.
A layer of custard covers the entire cake before a chocolate glaze goes on top. This icebox style cake needs refrigeration.
It gets better the longer it sits.
21. Homemade Armenian Manti
Almost every culture has a version of dumplings. Manti is the version found in Armenia and Turkey and Central Asia.
I do not mean the biscuit flour balls you get in the States. Think more like Chinese dumplings but with different taste.
Mantis are stuffed with wonderfully savory seasoned meat. They are served in a mouthwatering garlic yogurt sauce.
22. Armenian-Style Rice Pilaf
Imagine Rice A Roni but vastly superior in every way. This Armenian style rice pilaf works as the perfect accompaniment to any meal.
It is textural and buttery and savory. It is just plain delicious.