33 iconic American restaurant dishes you can easily make at home

Home comforts

We love everything the American restaurant scene has to offer, from cosy mom-and-pop joints to fancy temples of fine dining. But for those times when you can't make it out to a diner, you can create some of the country's most iconic dishes from the comfort of your own kitchen. Don't believe us? These are our favourite recipes for delivering delicious American-inspired food at home, without sacrificing on flavour.

Read through our gallery to discover 33 classic American restaurant dishes you can easily make at home – counting down to our favourite.

33. Mac 'n' cheese

Perhaps the signature American comfort food, mac 'n' cheese is the perfect mouthful. It all starts with a roux, so melt 1.5oz (40g) butter in a pan and stir in the same amount of plain flour. Slowly whisk in 20fl oz (600ml) milk and simmer until thickened. Remove from the heat and fold in 6oz (175g) Cheddar. Meanwhile, cook 9oz (250g) macaroni to packet instructions, drain, and then drop it in the sauce. Put it all in an ovenproof dish, top with more grated cheese, then pop it under a hot grill until the cheese is bubbling.

32. Apple pie

Once you've had American-style apple pie, all other pies are ruined for you. The substantial filling is made by peeling, coring and slicing 1lb 5oz (600g) cooking apples, covering them in golden caster sugar, then seasoning with ground cinnamon. Spoon the apple mix inside a buttery pastry crust and glaze with a beaten egg. Bake your pie in a 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6 oven for 45-55 minutes and serve à la mode (with ice cream).

31. Classic steakhouse sirloin

For the true steakhouse experience, make homemade garlic butter by combining a garlic clove, a handful of parsley and roughly 2oz (56g) soft unsalted butter. Stick that in the freezer while you heat a frying pan on a medium heat. Trim two sirloin steaks (leaving a 5mm/0.2in layer of fat), rub with oil and season generously. Fry them for two minutes on each side, then leave them to rest on a warm plate. Finally, top the steaks with a knob of garlic butter – and flash them under a grill for 30 seconds to start it melting. Enjoy at once!

30. Pasta amatriciana

Amatriciana is an Italian American restaurant classic, and it's easily recreated at home with just four basic ingredients. If you can't get hold of guanciale, or cured pork cheek, fry four slices of pancetta in a pan – then add half a chopped onion, a crushed garlic clove and a pinch of dried chilli flakes. Crush in some tinned plum tomatoes and simmer the sauce while you cook 14oz (400g) rigatoni in a separate pot. When it's done, toss it all together, grate over some pecorino or Parmesan cheese and get ready to wolf it down.

29. Roast chicken

What steak is to New York City, the roast chicken at Zuni Café is to San Francisco. To make your own version at home, heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6. Season a 3lb 8oz (1.5kg) free-range chicken with olive oil, ground ginger and sweet smoked paprika, and pop a lemon in the cavity. Roast in the oven for roughly an hour and a half, until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear. Serve the chicken with homemade mayonnaise, steamed new potatoes and green beans for the perfect meal.

28. Goats' cheese salad

Iconic chef Alice Waters at California's Chez Panisse popularised goats' cheese salad in 1981, and it's been a classic ever since. A homemade take on this dish involves marinated rounds of goats' cheese dipped in seasoned breadcrumbs and baked in a medium-hot oven for roughly six minutes until golden brown. Serve on a bed of dressed salad leaves alongside thickly sliced baguette chunks, toasted and brushed with garlic butter. For a more substantial dish, add oven-roasted roots such as carrots and beetroot.

27. Miso cod

Black cod with miso became an instant hit when it first featured on the menu of the newly opened Nobu in 1994. It can be recreated at home by marinating cod fillets in roughly a tablespoon each of white miso paste, mirin, soy sauce, sesame oil and freshly grated ginger for at least 30 minutes. Next, fry the cod in sesame oil for a couple of minutes on each side, making sure the skin is golden brown. Cook some noodles to packet instructions and serve everything in a broth made with 7oz (200g) stir-fried pak choi, 17fl oz (500ml) vegetable stock, 2 tsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp oyster sauce and 1 tbsp fish sauce. Delicious.

26. Eggs Benedict

The key to making eggs Benedict is perfecting the Hollandaise sauce. Whisk two egg yolks, half a teaspoon of white wine vinegar, a pinch of salt and a splash of ice-cold water in a metal or glass bowl. Next, put the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Carry on whisking until pale and thick, then remove from the heat. Slowly whisk in 4oz (125g) cold butter cubes and season with lemon juice and cayenne pepper. Keep warm and serve over poached eggs, ham and a toasted English muffin. Brunch never tasted so good.

25. Crab cakes

Maryland is famous for its crab cakes, which use local jumbo lump crab. This dish is all about the seafood, so little flavouring is needed – just a sprinkle of Old Bay, herbs and lemon. There's very little filler; you just need enough breadcrumbs, egg and mayonnaise to bind the crabmeat before frying the cakes in a pan. If you can’t get hold of Old Bay, use a mixture of celery salt, black pepper and paprika instead.

24. Clam chowder

Is there anything better than a creamy bowl of New England clam chowder? In a heavy-bottomed pot, cook four slices of diced bacon over a medium-high heat, then remove. Soften a diced onion in the leftover bacon fat, then stir in 2 tbsp plain flour, four diced potatoes and 25fl oz (720ml) fish stock. After about 15 minutes, add 12.5fl oz (355ml) whipping cream and bring to a simmer. Finally, drop in 24 clams and the crispy bacon. Season and garnish to taste, then enjoy.

23. Caesar salad

Possibly the first famous American salad, the Caesar is perfect for home cooks. A cheat's dressing can be whipped up using 2 tbsp crème fraîche, 1 tbsp mayo, three drops of Worcestershire sauce, a grated garlic clove, most of a tin of anchovies (chopped, with the oil included), lemon juice, grated Parmesan and seasoning. To serve, layer Romaine lettuce and mixed leaves inside a bowl and add a dash of dressing, garlicky croutons, some cooked chicken, more Parmesan, a few more anchovies and some ground black pepper.

22. Loaded steak nachos

Combining two of our favourite foods – Philly cheesesteak and nachos – this dish is a winner. Brilliant to share during a movie night at home, you'll want to make this recipe again and again. After all, you can't really go wrong with crunchy tortilla chips, rich cheese sauce, flash-fried strips of steak and spicy jalapeños. This is one you can customise as much as you like.

21. Cobb salad

The excellently named Bob Cobb supposedly invented this dish by throwing a few leftovers together one night after service at the Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood in 1937. Lettuce, tomatoes, chicken, bacon, avocado, hard-boiled eggs and blue cheese all got tossed with vinaigrette dressing – and Bob liked it so much, he put it on the menu. Easily recreated at home, it's one of those dishes you don't have to eat out to enjoy.

20. Pad Thai

A dish with mysterious origins that are probably not Thai, America has welcomed pad Thai with open arms. And what's not to love? It really hits the spot and is easier to make at home than you might think. It just has a lot of ingredients! First up, make the amai sauce. Dissolve 3 tbsp caster sugar in 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar and 1 tbsp malt vinegar over a medium-low heat. Then add 1.5 tbsp tomato ketchup, 2 tbsp tamarind concentrate, 1 tbsp each light and dark soy sauce, and a pinch of salt. Stir and bring to a simmer for half an hour, until you have a suitably sticky sauce. Then it's on to the main event...

20. Pad Thai

For two people, fry up two boneless, skinless chicken thighs and cook 7oz (200g) rice noodles. Place the chicken, some prawns, your preferred vegetables, ginger, garlic, chilli, chilli flakes and the noodles in a large bowl and mix well. Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large wok over a high heat, tip in the noodle mixture and stir-fry, ensuring the ingredients move around the pan and start to cook. Tip in a couple of eggs and stir-fry for three to four minutes. Add 2 tbsp each amai sauce and fish sauce, and you're done.

19. Baked scallops

Despite the expensive price tag, scallops regularly appear as appetizers all across the US. Yet preparing good quality scallops at home costs a fraction of the restaurant price. Make some chipotle butter by combining 3 tbsp soft butter, a crushed garlic clove and half a teaspoon each chilli flakes, salt and fresh chopped coriander. Add dollops of the butter to your prepared scallops in half shells, then slide them into a hot oven for four to five minutes. Serve with bread and slices of lemon.

18. Fish tacos

Originally from Baja California in Mexico and popularised in San Diego, the fish taco is a thing of beauty. Meaty white fish is fried in a crispy coating of seasoned panko breadcrumbs and wrapped in a soft corn tortilla accompanied by avocado cream, salsa and crunchy cabbage. It's a feast of both tastes and textures, evocative of laid-back surfing summers – and it can be recreated easily at home.

17. Ramen

The USA is home to some of the best Japanese restaurants outside of Japan, so ramen fans are spoilt for choice here. Very few things are as comforting as a bowl of this tasty soup, and it's super easy to make with a packet of instant miso ramen noodles. Cook them according to the packet instructions and add a handful of frozen peas (or any other vegetables you prefer). Boil or poach an egg in the broth, too, and when it's done, garnish with spring onions, chilli or whatever you fancy. You can customise it to find your ideal homemade bowl.

16. Roasted duck pancakes

A must-order at Chinese restaurants all over the USA, this build-your-own classic is easy to make at home. Duck legs are marinated in a rub made with Chinese five spice, garlic granules and sea salt, cooked in the oven for an hour, then shredded. Buy ready-made pancakes (these can be found in the fresh aisle of big supermarkets or at specialist Asian grocery stores) and hoisin sauce, then wrap the meat up with cucumber matchsticks and sliced spring onions.

15. Dutch baby

Dutch babies are a staple in many American breakfast diners and brunch restaurants. To make the batter, blend together 2.5oz (70g) plain flour, 4.2fl oz (120ml) full-fat milk, 1 tbsp sugar, three eggs and 2.1oz (60g) melted unsalted butter until frothy. A classic Dutch baby is baked in a medium-hot oven in a searing hot pan until puffed up and golden brown (around 18-20 minutes). Serve with butter, lemon and icing sugar – or add anything your heart desires, sweet or savoury.

14. Cajun gumbo

Gumbo is a quintessential dish of the American South – it's warming, rich and bursting with colour and flavour. The dish takes a long time to prepare, with 32oz (900g) fresh okra first cooked in 4fl oz (120ml) oil for 40 minutes. Remove, add more oil to the pan and fry 32oz (900g) cubed ham until it's browned. Remove the ham and fry three large, diced onions, two diced celery stalks, a head of garlic and a diced green bell pepper. When it's all cooked, add the okra, vegetables and a tin of chopped tomatoes to a large pot of boiling water. Simmer for an hour, then add 4lb (1.8kg) prepared prawns, 32oz (900g) crabmeat and 1 tbsp Tabasco sauce. Serve in soup bowls on scoops of rice.

13. Chocolate brownies

A chocolate brownie square is a pretty perfect bite at the end of a meal. To make brownies, preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4 and then melt 10oz (275g) dark chocolate in the same amount of butter. In a separate bowl, whisk three free-range eggs with 8oz (225g) sugar before pouring in the cooled melted chocolate. Next, fold in 2.5oz (70g) plain flour, 0.5 tsp baking powder, 1oz (30g) cocoa powder and 3.5oz (100g) hazelnuts, if using. Pour the mixture into two lined 23cm (9in) square cake tins and bake for 25 minutes.

12. Buffalo wings

Named after the city of Buffalo in upstate New York, where they were first served as a crispy-skinned bar snack, Buffalo wings have become an American staple. The key is the hot sauce. Just melt 2oz (56g) butter and add two crushed garlic cloves, 4fl oz (125ml) hot sauce, 1 tbsp cider vinegar and 1 tsp caster sugar. Deep fry 2lb 4oz (1kg) chicken wings until cooked, smother them in the homemade hot sauce, then serve with blue cheese dip and celery sticks. Put on the football and dig in!

11. Pumpkin pie

Although pumpkin pie is traditionally eaten at Thanksgiving, this sweet and indulgent pie can be enjoyed throughout the year. Combine 15oz (425g) pumpkin purée, 12.5fl oz (355ml) whipping cream, three eggs, 3.4oz (95g) light brown sugar, 1.8oz (50g) granulated sugar and half a teaspoon each of cinnamon, ground ginger, freshly grated nutmeg and ground cloves. Pour the mixture into a pie shell and bake at 190°C/170°C fan/375°F/gas mark 5 for 35-40 minutes.

10. California roll

Good sushi can be really expensive, so it's definitely worth learning how to roll your own. You'll need two sheets of nori, halved, 8oz (250g) cooked sushi rice, a tablespoon of sesame seeds, 6oz (170g) crab meat, a cucumber, an avocado and a bamboo roller. Then it's just a case of layering up the ingredients and perfecting the art of the roll. It may not look right the first time, but keep at it. Practice makes perfect.

9. Pecan pie

It’s officially the state pie of Texas, but this gooey, nutty dessert is beloved across the whole of the US. The filling is a simple case of combining 7oz (200g) chopped pecan nuts with lemon juice and zest, 10.5oz (300g) golden syrup, three medium eggs, two egg yolks, 10.5fl oz (300ml) double cream and a pinch of sea salt. Pour it into a pie case and bake at 150°C/130°C fan/300°F/gas mark 2 for an hour. Leave it to cool for a couple of hours on the side, then put it in the fridge for another couple of hours. Trust us, it'll be worth the wait.

8. Cheesesteak

There’s plenty of debate about what constitutes the perfect version of Philadelphia’s iconic sandwich. But you can avoid the argument altogether by making your own. The essentials are thinly sliced rib-eye steak, griddled with melted cheese and served in a hoagie roll. Then you can choose whether to serve it with or without onions or peppers – or even decide which cheese to choose (whiz, provolone, American or mozzarella).

7. Pancakes

Cancel your reservation at IHOP and whip up a mountain of homemade pancakes instead. The basic batter is 8oz (240ml) buttermilk, an egg, an egg yolk, 16oz (300g) plain flour, 4oz (120ml) whole milk, 2oz (62g) granulated sugar, 1 tsp salt, a pinch of baking soda, 1tbsp baking powder and 2 tbsp vegetable oil. Fry your pancakes one at a time, using a ladle to pour dollops of batter into a hot pan. When they're ready, go as wild as you like with the toppings – although it's hard to beat a squeeze of maple syrup.

6. Key lime pie

Key lime is Florida's official pie – and the Sunshine State is synonymous with this dessert. It's as easy as, well, pie to make, too. The irresistible Graham cracker crust is just 4oz (110g) melted butter mixed with 8oz (220g) Graham crackers or digestive biscuits. All you need to make the filling is four unwaxed limes, three egg yolks and a tin of condensed milk. Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/356°F/gas mark 4 and bake for 15-20 minutes, until just set. Finish with lashings of whipped cream.

5. Pizza

It's almost impossible to make restaurant-quality pizza at home – but giving it a shot is a lot of fun. For a quick pizza dough, combine 8oz (250g) each plain flour and ‘00’ flour, 2 tsp fast-acting dry yeast, 1 tsp each caster sugar and salt, 8fl oz (250ml) lukewarm water and 1.5 tbsp olive oil. Knead for five minutes, rest for 10 and then divide the dough into two. Roll out your pizzas, add all your favourite toppings and bake on a preheated pizza stone in a hot oven for 10-15 minutes.

4. Baked cheesecake

A really good cheesecake is kind of magic, and there aren't many other desserts that can beat its irresistible combination of simultaneously dense and fluffy textures. You'll need 2oz (55g) melted butter mixed with 4oz (110g) Graham crackers or digestive biscuits for the crust, but this one is all about the filling. Combine 14oz (400g) full-fat cream cheese with 7oz (200g) each soft light brown sugar and sour cream. Then add 3.5oz (100g) double cream, three eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 3.5oz (100g) plain flour and 2 tsp cornflour. Then, get ready to bake...

4. Baked cheesecake

Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F/gas mark 7. Bake the cheesecake for 10 minutes, then turn down the oven temperature to 140°C/120°C fan/284°F/gas mark 1 and bake for a further 45 minutes to one hour, or until the centre has just a slight wobble. Switch off the oven and let the cheesecake cool inside for two hours. The toppings are completely up to you – or you can enjoy it just as it is.

3. Cheeseburger

Nothing beats a cheeseburger, either at home or at your favourite restaurant. For four people, use 21oz (600g) beef mince with a minimum fat content of 20%. Set your griddle pan over a high heat, season your four patties, then get cooking. Cook each one for a few minutes, then flip and repeat the process until they're almost done. After about six minutes, top each burger with cheese slices and cover with a large metal bowl to speed up the melt. When your cheeseburgers are ready, serve them however you like.

2. Shrimp cocktail

We have Las Vegas to thank for the invention of the shrimp cocktail, but you don't need to go to Sin City to get a good version. The key is the cocktail sauce, a combination of 2.5oz (70g) each mild chilli sauce and ketchup, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp horseradish, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, a slug of hot sauce and a pinch of celery salt. Pop some in a glass with cooked shrimp, and you've got yourself a party.

1. Banana split

You simply can't beat a classic sundae like a banana split. This dessert is said to have been invented in 1904 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania by a trainee pharmacist, and making one is simplicity itself. Halve a peeled banana lengthways, put it in your fanciest dish and top with one scoop each of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice cream. Drizzle with chocolate and strawberry sauces, whipped cream and chopped nuts, then finish with a maraschino cherry. It's guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

Now discover the iconic desserts from every US state