Close
Photo:Chuck Hodes/FX
Chuck Hodes/FX
This season on FX and Hulu’sThe Bear, Chicago is even more delicious than usual. In Season 3 of the award-winning show that combines mouthwatering food photography with lots of laughs and drama, cameos from famous chefs abound—including in the opening credits—and recipe inspo appears in just about every episode. As chefs Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) and Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) work to make their menu Michelin star-worthy, viewers get to see a variety of delicious dishes, from delicate fish and scallops to easyslow-cooker dinners.
Of course, some of these dishes would be pretty hard to re-create in your own kitchen. (For example, we don’t know too many folks who want to make a béarnaise sauce, turn it into foam using a whipped cream canister and serve it with wagyu beef.) But others, like Carmy’s little vegetable tarts or Tina’s pot roast, can definitely be modified for a home cook. That’s why we’ve rounded up 16 of our favorite dishes from this season ofThe Bear, plus some simplified recipes you can use to cook along with the show on your next rewatch.
The Best Restaurants in Chicago, According to the Cast of ‘The Bear’
Episode 1: “Tomorrow”
Scallops in Puff Pastry with Spinach
This season ofThe Bearopens with a journey back into chef Carmy’s past, which means we get to see a mouthwatering carousel of fine-dining dishes from Carmy’s previous gigs. One that Carmy works on with a fellow chef is scallops wrapped in spinach and puff pastry. You could make your own version of this scallop Wellington at home with tender scallops, frozen puff pastry and your own take on seasoned spinach. But if you want a less fussy recipe with similar flavors, look no further than ourProsciutto-Wrapped Scallops with Spinach. This simple, crowd-pleasing appetizer gets brightness from lemon juice and lemon-pepper seasoning, and you can make it a main dish with aside of sautéed cornor a slice of freshly bakedWhole-Wheat Sourdough Bread.
Pan-Seared Fish with Blood Orange
This fish dish is a tricky one from Carmy’s past. Though his former boss insists on serving the delicate fish with fennel accents, Carmy strikes out on his own to create a blood orange version of the dish, which is served with a beautiful citrus reduction. To mimic the dish at home, we’d recommend making your favorite flaky fish—likethis seared cod, for example—and pairing it with a light and freshCitrus Salad with Pomegranate & Mint.
Episode 2: “Next”
Rough Draft Scallop
Episode 2 finds Carmy reworking The Bear’s opening menu, and that includes this small dish of seared scallop and grains. You can copy Carmy’s dish with significantly less stress when you opt for ourScallop Risotto with Brown Butter & Parmesan. Pair it with a light and fresh salad, like ourZucchini Salad with Burrata, for a delicious meal you can get on the table in under an hour.
Vegetable Tart
Also a part of Carmy’s revamped menu is a small, colorful tart that appears to be chock-full of delicately sliced and arranged vegetables. We have a few options to help you capture that veggie-pastry magic, including ourPotato-Leek Tart with Gochujang & Honeyand ourTomato Tart with Burrata. Both of those dishes will help you re-create the beautiful, colorful dish that Carmy pitches to Sydney. Plus, both of those tarts (and others, like ourRoasted Carrot Tart with Carrot-Green Pesto) can be modified into mini tarts—just shorten the bake time and watch the tarts carefully. With a mini vegetable tart on everyone’s plate, you’re bound to impress your dinner guests.
Raviolo
Episode 3: “Doors”
Asparagus with Duck Egg
Though we never see this dish on screen, it’s one of the courses during The Bear’s opening week. Chefs Carmy and Syd pair the dish with potato puree, but we might serve ours as a simple salad with a bit of delicate cured ham, as we do in ourAsparagus Salad with Eggs & Jambon de Bayonne. Of course, you’re welcome to substitute duck eggs for the standard eggs we use in this recipe, but be aware that your budget, like Carmy’s, may balloon a tad.
Ravioli with Peas and Parmesan Mousse
Since chef Carmy decides that The Bear’s menu should change each day, that means the return of the ravioli to the menu. On one particular day, the ravioli is served with fresh peas and a Parmesan mousse, which reminds us of our comfortingLobster Ravioli, which is served with a light cream sauce and studded with vibrant green peas and tender lobster. Of course, you could substitute your own handmade pasta for the store-bought kind for a tastier experience that doubles as a fun project.
Pasta Deserves a Comeback—Here are the 9 Must-Have Tools to Make It Right
Duck with Apricot (or Cherry or Orange)
The duck dish at The Bear is always changing, which causes everyone a bit of a headache later in the season. The good news is that we have a couple of fruity takes on this rich and juicy bird, including ourOrange Roasted DuckandPomegranate Duck, to help you achieve your culinary dreams. Pair either one with something like ourCherry-Almond Farro Saladfor a lighter side that incorporates yet another of chef Carmy’s duck sauce flavors.
Episode 4: “Violet”
Roast Chicken
We don’t see too much food in this episode, but we do see Carmy give Tina a lesson in preparing roast chicken in The Bear’s gleaming kitchen. There are infinite ways to make a truly spectacular roasted bird, but we’re partial to our recipe forGrandma’s Polish-Style Roast Chicken, which results in crispy, well-seasoned skin and tender meat that pairs well with all your favorite veggies and classic sides, whether it’sGreen Beans AmandineorZucchini Bites with Pesto & Burrata.
Episode 5: “Children”
Potato Gnocchi with Beef Cheeks
Sadly, viewers don’t get a look at this last-minute menu addition, which joins the ranks of The Bear’s other rotating dishes a few weeks into the restaurant’s time open. If you’ve never made homemade pasta before, gnocchi is a great place to start. OurHomemade Potato Gnocchicomes together with just a few ingredients, and you can pair it with an equally simple sauce, like ourNo-Peel Slow-Cooker Marinara Sauce. As for protein, you can mimic chef Carmy’s slow-cooked beef cheeks with a recipe forbraised cheeks from our friends atAllRecipes. Add some veggies to the meal with a salad to start—like ourUse-a-Spoon Chopped Salad—and you’re sure to have rave reviews on your hands.
Episode 6: “Napkins”
Slow-Cooker Pot Roast
In this flashback episode, future chef Tina hits the streets of Chicago to find a new job after being fired. Her busy days of job hunting always start and end in the same ways—in the morning, she packs her son’s lunch and prepares the slow cooker; in the evening, she opens the slow cooker to find a delicious meal waiting inside. Though we see Tina hard at work on many a slow-cooker dinner, there’s only one that we see clearly at dinnertime: a classic pot roast. We love thisInstant-Pot Roast Beeffor a faster, hands-off cooking experience, but you can also put your slow cooker to use with ourSpicy Tomato-Braised Pot Roast. Tina pairs hers with time with her family at the dinner table, but you can also pair yours with something creamy, like ourGarlic Mashed Potatoesor someCheesy Polenta.
Episode 9: “Apologies”
Lasagna with Extra Crispy Edges
Beef Stew
Also in Syd’s slate of comforting classics is a big batch of fragrant beef stew. Keep it classic with a recipe like ourSlow-Cooker Beef Stew, which combines beef chuck with Yukon Gold potatoes and carrots for a flavorful and filling dish that everyone can fall in love with. Plus, using the slow cooker means you can let that stew come together while you’re out running errands, heading off to work or just enjoying a day around the house. There’s nothing like coming home to the smell of a delicious stew simmering away on the counter.
Minestrone
And no care package of frozen suppers is complete without some soup. Syd opts for minestrone, a simple and delicious combination of veggies, stock, beans and pasta or rice. One of our favorite versions is thisMom’s Minestrone, a hearty vegetarian soup that is sure to leave you scraping the bowl. Pair it with a hunk of fresh bread, like ourCrusty Wheat Boule, so you have something to soak up whatever broth you can’t snag with your spoon.
Beef Bolognese
The last of Syd’s offerings is a container of fresh pasta and another container of savory beef Bolognese that looks so good, Pete immediately asks to heat some up. Making fresh pasta is a hands-on project, but making the sauce doesn’t have to be. Recipes like ourSlow-Cooker Pork Sausage Bolognese(or ourSlow-Cooker Vegetarian Bolognese) give you the complex, slow-cooked flavor you know and love without needing constant attention in the kitchen. If you want to go all out with fresh pasta and Bolognese, you could also turn to ourFresh Pasta with Quick Bolognese Sauce, which compresses the cooking timeline for Bolognese down to about 35 minutes, so you can enjoy this flavorful meat sauce on a weeknight.
Episode 10: “Forever”
Caviar and Crème Fraîche on Waffles
Every Dish They Make on Season 2 of ‘The Bear’—Plus Recipes to Create the Magic at Home
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!Tell us why!OtherSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Tell us why!OtherSubmit
Tell us why!
