The Best Classic Cholent Recipe: Shabbat Morning Comfort, Just Like Bubby Made
Growing up, the savory, slow-cooked aroma of cholent wasn’t just a smell—it was the official start of Shabbat morning. My father always prepared a perfectly traditional Ashkenazi cholent every Friday afternoon with meat, potatoes, onions, barley, beans, and, of course, the indispensable kishke. I can still recall coming right downstairs to taste a bite, and to this day, it remains my favorite Shabbos morning breakfast.
This version is the authentic, pure comfort recipe I grew up with, exactly the way countless Ashkenazi families have enjoyed it for generations. Forget complex directions; this recipe is easy to make and perfectly delicious.
More Than Just a Stew: The Secret of Cholent
Did you know that this humble dish is arguably the most essential Shabbat food? Cholent’s entire existence is tied to the Halachic principle of having a warm meal on Shabbat without violating the laws of cooking. That’s why Jewish cooking tradition says the slow cooker was invented because of cholent! You can [learn more about the fascinating history of this slow-cooked wonder here].
It’s time to bring this amazing history and delicious warmth to your table. If you’re ready for the best, most traditional cholent, you’re in the right place!
Classic Cholent
Servings
Ingredients
- 2 yellow onions chopped
- 2 small potatoes cubed
- 2 pounds beef stew meat cubed
- 2-4 marrow bones optional
- 1 cup pearl barley
- 1/2 cup kidney beans
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 kishka optional
- 3-4 cups of water
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the onions and potatoes in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Top with the beef stew meat and marrow bones. Sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper. Add the barley and kidney beans, then sprinkle on the paprika, cumin, turmeric and chili powder.
- Drizzle the top of the cholent with honey, top with the kishka, then pour the water over the top to cover the beans. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low heat overnight, or for at least 8 hours.
Question regarding the kishka: is the same kishka we’ve seen in deli cold counters the past untold decades?
Yes, same thing
I have never had or made Cholent before. My mother wasn’t interested in slow cookers and my grandmother couldn’t cook.
Even with that said, this recipe was easy to follow and produced a lovely stick-to-your-ribs stew that allowed me to get one step closer to keeping Sabbath.
A hint on how much salt would be a baseline would be nice.
so glad to hear it was great and salt is a tough one because people have such different tastes for it
Having a fantastic!
Me encanta
Reminds me of my childhood growing up in the cold weather. Walking in the house after school before Shabbos with that warm wonderful smell of Cholent in the air. 😋
Add Kimmel (cumin?), it absorbs the gas…
Best addition!
Most cholent recipes I see say to cook for 6-8 hours "or overnight". "Overnight" is a lot longer than 6-8 hours, particularly when you have to put the cholent up to cook at least a couple of hours before Shabbat begins. Then waiting till late Shabbat morning means about 20 hours of cooking time (especially in the winter). My cholent usually ends up with the meat dried out. How can I avoid dry meat?
Of course, it would add great flavor.
can you use beef broth instead of water?
It’s usually served for Shabbat lunch, but many also eat it after synagogue so it’s almost a breakfast. You can leave out the beans, it will change the dish but still should be good.
For breakfast? I thought it was a dinner dish. Also, can you leave out the beans? They make me bloat.
You can cook in a disposable tin in the oven about 200 degrees F.
What are the cooking instructions for an oven (I don’t have a slow cooker).
You can use chickpeas, probably cooked is best. And short grain rice works.
Looks delicious. Can I use chickpeas? Raw or cooked? Can I also use short grain brown rice?
Do you just put in the barely dry?
What kind of potatoes did you use?
I am a devout Roman catholic that was married with a non religious jew for 30 years, I learned to cook his favorite dishes that his grandmother did, his mom died when he was small.
I had the best teachers for Jewish cooking ,and cholent is a favorite, even that he passed away ,we still serve it.
it is similar to the stews served in Spain and South America.
If leaving over Shabbat I would cook at 200F
You should not need oil in any case, we have lots of recipes for different kinds of cholent and most do not include oil.
No need
What about the oil? Especially, when the meat is lean and one wants to make parve version of this? Thanks!
Hi. What about oil? What if the meat is lean? What if one want to make a parve version of this? Isn’t some oil needed?
Thanks!
If you soak the kidney beans overnight that might work in the crockpot but to be safe and not have any toxins we now have Instant Pot which will make this dish in a jiffy…use timing for stew…just make sure you adhere to kosher since it’s stainless. I guess Instantpot can be used only for meat. I would never make any type of dairy in it anyway so don’t need 2 Instantpots
Very good point. Raw kidney beans contain a toxin, phytohaemagglutinin, and thus must be boiled for 10 minutes to destroy it. This temperature is not reached in the slow cooker. I suggest using another red bean in place of kidney beans if you want to do it all in the slow cooker. #grammariancontrarian #flexitarianomnivorouscooking
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Ok, so what if I BOIL THEM for 10 minutes and then add to the cholent mix in crockpot?
Boil the unsoaked, rinsed beans in plenty of water for the 10 minutes, then let them sit off the heat for an hour. Drain and rinse again. This is a “quick soak” technique and will make them cook much better in the slow cooker anyway than adding them in dry.
Well, I guess I have not had a problem in 40 years and am married to a nurse who has not seen it either. Like I said in a crock pot where things cook for 6 to 8 hours sometimes 12 like Cholent, Kidney beans are under a slow boil for at least 6 to 8 hours. Some people get deathly ill from sea food, maybe these people you are talking about are allergic to kidney beans but not me.
It is NOT recommended that you slow cook raw kidney beans in a crock-pot, regardless of how long they cook!! Red kidney beans contain high levels of a toxin called phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) that causes extreme nausea, severe vomiting, and sometimes severe abdominal pain.
PHA is present in red kidney beans that are still partially raw from undercooking, or haven’t been heated to a safe temperature to destroy the toxin. Crockpots do NOT get to a high enough temperature to destroy the toxin, especially on low, and only a few undercooked beans can make you extremely ill!!!
Use a mixture of white beans and pintos instead.
I have been cooking raw dried kidney beans in the crock-pot for chili for over 40 years now and have not gotten sick from them. they boil for a minimum of 4 hours in the crockpot. My family has never gotten sick from my chili either. I am starting to think this is an old wives tale.
This is NOT an “old wives tale”, this is factual information. You can look it up for yourself. As a nurse for 24 years, I’ve seen many cases of poisoning from undercooked kidney beans in my career!
Canned kidney beans are already cooked. https://preparedcooks.com/can-you-eat-kidney-beans-raw/
Do I need to bring the water to a boil before cooking on low heat? Ta
No, not necessary.
But do you soak them overnight, or just chuck them in?
Up to you, it will work either way with this long cooking time.
I like to peel it, not sure the wrapper is what you want cooking in your food and then some people mix it all in before serving or you can carefully remove it to a dish before mixing the cholent up and serve slices.
Do you peel the kishka before putting it in or leave it with the wrapper?
So what did you think??
Definitely dry!
The kidney beans…dry or from a can?
Trying this