The Most Popular Recipe Right Now in Every State
Between the coronavirus pandemic closing up restaurants and cities enforcing stay-at-home mandates, people have been cooking a lot at home. For some, cooking at home is easy and doesn't require much thought (or research). But for others who are entering their first foray into cooking, the Internet can be a great tool for cooking questions and new recipes. So we were curious—what's the most popular recipe in every state right now?
To find out this data, we turned to Google Trends and looked at all the top search terms under "recipe" since Mar. 1, 2020. While there are a few popular recipes searched for are currently trending—like sourdough bread and whipped coffee—there are a few unique search terms that popped up for each state.
So after looking at the past four months, here's what the most popular recipe is in every state right now. And for more delicious recipe ideas, make sure to follow our newsletter.
ALABAMA: Hamburgers
Along with the usual popular searches of sourdough and whipped coffee, it seems Alabama was ready to eat up hamburgers in quarantine. They were searching for the "best hamburger recipe" to cook up, so here's our favorite classic beef burger recipe to satisfy that craving.
Get our recipe for a Classic Beef Burger.
ALASKA: French Toast
Residents in Alaska seem to have a sweet tooth right now! Along with French toast being the highest searched recipe since Mar. 1, they are also searching for recipes to make brownies, cinnamon rolls, and banana bread.
Get our recipe for Vanilla Bourbon French Toast.
ARIZONA: Whipped Coffee
Along with adamantly searching for a hand sanitizer recipe to make at home, people in Arizona were all about the whipped coffee trend the past few months. Most of their top recipe searches involved whipped coffee in some way.
Get our recipe for Whipped Coffee.
ARKANSAS: Strawberry Shortcake
Even though Arkansas had a similar interest in hamburgers and whipped coffee, their number one searched recipe in the past few months was actually strawberry shortcake. You can easily make one at home with our recipe—even on the grill!
Get our recipe for Grilled Strawberry Shortcake.
CALIFORNIA: Churros
With Disney parks closed, a lot of Disney fanatics were craving some of their favorite park snacks—particularly churros and Dole Whip. California really missed their Disney churros, to the point where they actually searched for ways to make it at home. Here's a recipe we found that's super similar to the one made at Disney.
Get the recipe from RecipeTin Eats.
COLORADO: Mojitos
Looks like Colorado residents were craving a stiff drink in quarantine! Searches for mojitos were up 500% in Colorado specifically during those few months of quarantine.
Get our recipe for a Keto Mojito.
CONNECTICUT: Sourdough
Sourdough was definitely a popular search term across the country during quarantine, but Connecticut residents, in particular, were ready to bake. Sourdough dominated search terms during the months of quarantine.
Here are a few sourdough recipes you can try yourself.
DELAWARE: Margarita
While the country was baking bread and whipping up coffee, Delaware was sipping on margaritas at the end of the day. Margarita was a breakout search term in Delaware during the months of quarantine, followed by recipes for brisket and carrot cake.
Get our recipe for a Margarita.
FLORIDA: Banana Bread
Even though sourdough was clearly the most popular bread to bake in quarantine, banana bread came in a very close second. And Florida residents were all about their banana bread during quarantine.
Get our recipe for Banana Bread.
GEORGIA: Lemonade
Even though margaritas and mojitos were also popular recipes searched by Georgia residents, they also had a heavy interest in homemade lemonade in those months at home. So we found a delicious (and healthy) lemonade recipe you can make!
Get the recipe from Gimme Some Oven.
HAWAII: Enchiladas
Hawaii residents seemed to be craving serious comfort food in quarantine—enchiladas in particular. While we love this red chile enchilada recipe, we also have a mole enchilada recipe we are obsessed with. So pick your favorite and try making it yourself!
Get our recipe for Red Chile Enchiladas.
IDAHO: Tartar Sauce
Idaho residents must have had a lot of fish sticks to eat up because they were searching pretty heavily for a homemade tartar sauce in quarantine. Our tartar sauce recipe is great for dipping fish sticks or will pair perfectly with our oven-baked fish.
Get our recipe for Tartar Sauce.
ILLINOIS: Egg Salad
When it comes to comfort food, egg salad is definitely at the top of the list. Illinois was all about making egg salad in quarantine, and we have the perfect (and healthy) recipe you can make.
Get our recipe for Curried Egg Salad.
INDIANA: Potato Salad
Potato salad was also a popular recipe searched by numerous states in quarantine, but Indiana seemed to really be craving this comforting dish during those months at home.
Get our recipe for Potato Salad.
IOWA: Tiramisu
Even though tiramisu was a popular dessert recipe searched for in Iowa, people in Iowa were also interested in cooking with fresh garden asparagus and rhubarb by searching for recipes to make with those ingredients. Which makes sense, given they are vegetables in season.
Get our recipe for Tiramisu.
KANSAS: Shortcake
Arkansas wasn't the only state craving shortcake! Yet while those in Arkansas were looking for strawberry shortcake in particular, Kansas simply wanted a yummy shortcake recipe. So if you're looking for a simple shortcake to have with fruit, our biscuit recipe will actually work well for it!
Get our recipe for Southern-Style Biscuits.
KENTUCKY: Roast Chicken
Potato salad was certainly a popular recipe searched for in Kentucky, but they also had an increased interest in roast chicken recipes in the past month. So along with potato salad, here's a roast chicken recipe you and make to pair.
Get our recipe for Roast Chicken.
LOUISIANA: Coladas
It seems residents in Louisiana had tropical weather on their minds because they were searching pretty heavily for colada recipes during quarantine. While our recipe doesn't have alcohol in it, our pina colada smoothie recipe will still give you that tropical taste you're craving—and cool you off in the summer heat.
Get our recipe for Paleo Pina Colada Smoothies.
MAINE: Pot Roast
While Louisiana was all about warm weather and pina coladas, Maine was feeling the complete opposite. It seems they wanted to hunker down at home with comforting bowls of pot roast, based on their top Google searches in the past few months.
Get our recipe for Pot Roast.
MARYLAND: Margarita
Maryland was all about the cocktails in quarantine—margaritas in particular! Here's a margarita recipe you can make at home with that bottle of sauvignon blanc you've been meaning to use up.
Get our recipe for Sauvignon Blanc Margaritas.
MASSACHUSETTS: Tzatziki
Whether it's meant to go with grilled meat or simply to dip with chips, residents of Massachusetts have all been about tzatziki dip the past few months.
Get our recipe for Tzatziki.
MICHIGAN: Donuts
Were your favorite donut shops closed during those first few months of quarantine? Well it seems people in Michigan were seriously craving donuts, because they've been searching for recipes to make them at home.
Get our recipe for Homemade Donuts.
MINNESOTA: Pesto
Residents of Minnesota were smart to search for pesto in quarantine. Why? It's one of the best condiments to have on hand! It's great topped on grilled meat, salads, or sandwiches.
Get our recipe for Pesto.
MISSISSIPPI: Fermented Cucumbers
People in Mississippi were all about pickling in quarantine because searches for pickling cucumbers were up 350% over the past month. While we don't have a specific recipe on how to ferment cucumbers over time, our quick-pickled cucumber recipe should do the trick when you're looking for pickles in a pinch.
Get our recipe for Pickled Cucumber Salad.
MISSOURI: Potato Salad
Missouri is also all about potato salad! Potato salad searches in the state were up 450% since Mar. 1.
Get our recipe for Potato Salad.
MONTANA: Fajitas
While numerous states were about baking bread, mixing up salads, and sipping on cocktails, Montana was ready to dig into a pile of fajitas during quarantine. While you can make fajitas with all kinds of meats, here's an easy sheet-pan fajita recipe to make with boneless, skinless chicken breast.
Get our recipe for Sheet-Pan Chicken Fajitas.
NEBRASKA: Pasta Salad
Now potato salad or egg salad for Nebraska! They were ready to dig into refreshing bowls of pasta salad in quarantine, based on their searches. They also had an increased interest in making Spanish rice as well.
Get our recipe for Butternut Squash Pasta Salad.
NEVADA: Asado
Cooks in Nevada were all about learning about "asado," a cooking technique and social event for a South American barbeque. If you're looking to make it yourself, here's an easy recipe to make healthy carne asada burritos at home.
Get our recipe for Carne Asada Burritos.
NEW HAMPSHIRE: Hummus
Why buy hummus when you can easily make it at home? At least that's what the residents of New Hampshire think, with searches for homemade hummus recipes dominating search trends in this small state.
Get our recipe for Homemade Hummus.
NEW JERSEY: Vanilla Cupcakes
With popular bakeries like Carlos and House of Cupcakes closed down due to the pandemic, ti seems New Jersey residents were craving their cupcakes. If you're looking to make cupcakes at home, use this basic vanilla cake recipe and turn it into cupcakes instead.
Get our recipe for Vanilla Cake.
NEW MEXICO: Chicken Fried Steak
New Mexico was ready to dig into some serious comfort food in quarantine! Searches for chicken fried steak took off since Mar. 1, so we're sharing one of our favorite recipes to make.
Get the recipe from Macheesmo.
NEW YORK: Whipped Coffee
New Yorkers couldn't get enough of that dalgona coffee trend! While many states were concentrating on perfecting their sourdough or cocktail recipes, New York was whipping up as many frothy whipped coffee drinks as possible.
Get our recipe for Whipped Coffee.
NORTH CAROLINA: Shortcake
Shortcake seems to be another popular dessert people craved in quarantine! North Carolina residents were also searching for shortcakes to make, probably to pair with some of that fresh seasonal summer fruit.
Get our recipe for Grilled Strawberry Shortcake.
NORTH DAKOTA: Brownies
Banana bread and sourdough sure were popular baked goods people were making, but North Dakota was all about making this classic dessert. Make your own fudgy chocolate brownies at home with our easy recipe!
Get our recipe for Fudgy Brownies.
OHIO: Sourdough
It seems residents in Ohio had nothing else on their mind, they were simply transfixed with perfecting their sourdough bread.
Here are a few sourdough recipes you can try yourself.
OKLAHOMA: Baked Beans
Whether they were searching for baked beans to go with grilled hot dogs and burgers, or simply to enjoy as a side with dinner, Oklahoma residents have been all about baked beans lately.
Get our recipe for Smoky Baked Beans.
OREGON: Ikea Meatball Recipe
Ikea may be closed, but the love for Ikea's meatballs lives on forever. Oregon residents really missed their favorite Swedish meatballs in quarantine, so here's a recipe of ours that's very simple that will satisfy that craving.
Get our recipe for Turkey Swedish Meatballs.
PENNSYLVANIA: Egg Salad
Pennsylvania residents seemed to be craving their favorite comfort food as well! Egg salad searches spiked in the past few months in Pennsylvania, so here's our recipe again in case you're looking for one, too.
Get our recipe for Curried Egg Salad.
RHODE ISLAND: Scones
Missing those delicious scones from the bakery down the road? Make your own at home with our incredibly easy cranberry-orange scone recipe!
Get our recipe for Cranberry-Orange Scones.
SOUTH CAROLINA: Smoothies
Whether it's to get healthy or simply cool off, residents of South Carolina are all about their smoothies right now. This paleo fruit smoothie is colorful and bound to brighten up your day.
Get our recipe for a Paleo Fruit Smoothie.
SOUTH DAKOTA: Quiche
If you have leftover vegetables that are about to go bad, quiches are a great way to use them up—and South Dakota has been all about them lately.
Get our recipe for Artichoke Feta Quiche.
TENNESEE: Baked Beans
Just like Oklahoma, people in Tennessee were all about their baked beans! Searches for baked beans were up 350% in Tennessee over the past few months.
Get our recipe for Smoky Baked Beans.
TEXAS: Banana Bread
It seems the only thing Texans want to do in quarantine is bake! Sourdough and banana bread are dominating searches in this state, so to switch things up, here's our delicious paleo banana bread recipe.
Get our recipe for Paleo Banana Bread.
UTAH: Cobbler
With so many fresh fruits in season for summer, no wonder Utah is searching for cobbler recipes! Here's a warm blueberry peach cobbler that will go great with a scoop of ice cream.
Get our recipe for Blueberry Peach Cobbler.
VERMONT: Chicken Salad
If you have a lot of cooked chicken leftover and no idea what to do with it, chicken salad is a great way to use it up! People in Vermont were all about their chicken salad in quarantine, so here's our curried chicken salad recipe that goes well on salads and sandwiches.
Get our recipe for Curried Chicken Salad Sandwich with Raisins and Curry Powder.
VIRGINIA: Corned Beef
Since people started quarantining in America at the beginning of March, it makes sense that one of the most popular searched recipes was corned beef for St. Patrick's Day. Yet while some states did search for this popular Irish dish, residents of Virginia really wanted to make the dish, with searches up 1500%.
Get our recipe for Corned Beef.
WASHINGTON: Bagels
It seemed residents of Washington missed their bagels the most! Can't get your favorite bagels at the moment? Make your own with this easy two-ingredient recipe.
Get the recipe from The Big Man's World.
WEST VIRGINIA: Marinades
Looks like West Virginia residents were getting sick of their usual chicken recipes, because they were searching quite a bit for different ways to marinate their meat. Here are eight different ways to marinate chicken to get you inspired to grill.
Get our recipes for marinades.
WISCONSIN: Mojitos
While most of the country is baking bread, Wisconsin joined a few other states sipping on cocktails, particularly mojitos.
Get our recipe for Keto Mojitos.
WYOMING: French Fries
Wyoming knows what's up! Why wait on the long drive-thru line at McDonald's for salty fries when you can make a much healthier version of them at home? Here's the most delicious oven-baked fry recipe that will satisfy your craving for this salty treat.
Get our recipe for Oven-Baked French Fries.
