Nine recipes that almost broke the internet over the past nine years, ranked

Opinion

Of the thousands of recipes Good Food published over the past nine years, these really stood out. And they have bought back some good – and slightly traumatic – memories.

November 5, 2026 — 6:00am

Confession time: my name is Andrea and I’m a stats nerd. I’m not particularly proud of it – it goes against my fast and loose “make it up as I go along” instinct that drives almost every other part of my life. Those Irish genes have a lot to answer for.

But when it comes to Good Food content, I’m a traffic warden all the way, devouring analytics around click rates, time engaged and conversions like an Insta addict craving their next dopamine hit (or funny dog reel, guilty). Seeing what content works – or doesn’t – helps to tweak headlines, find new hooks, and hopefully help you, dear reader, in some small way to cook and eat better at the end of the day.

So it’s with bittersweet emotions that I share that after nine years with Good Food, and the thousands of recipes, stories and social posts I’ve been lucky enough to help bring to life, I’m moving on in search of new adventures. It’s time to log out, say goodbye, and find a new nerdy obsession.

But not before I share some final statwhackery and take a stroll down recipe memory lane! Indulge me as I take one last deep dive into the analytics and identify the sometimes unlikely recipes that really stood out during my Good Food days (and then rank them, not by stats but by my own personal taste, just for the craic).

You might even discover a new favourite to cook and eat on repeat, as thousands of other readers have.

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9. Adam Liaw’s riff on marry me chicken (2024)

Look, I have nothing against chicken one-pots in creamy, tomatoey sauces, per se. In fact, some of my best friends enjoy them. But anything that claims, even in jest, to make the recipient fall to their knees and propose after trying it is just plain terrifying to this commitment-phobe. Cue instant relegation to ninth place. Admittedly, I have tried Adam’s marry me chicken and can attest it is very delicious (and I’m still not married). Give it a go and risk engagement, if you must.

8. Adam Liaw’s zucchini slice (2025)

Honestly, I did not see this one coming. The simple zucchini slice was the most popular recipe of 2025 by some margin. Is it the budget-friendly ingredients? The versatility that makes it great for picnics, lunchboxes, or a protein hit at any time of day or night? Or the sense of nostalgia that only gets stronger the more uncertain the world becomes? All of the above I reckon. The addition of bacon bits saves it from ninth spot!

7. Adam Liaw’s vegie stroganoff pasta bake (2018)

This recipe was always going to do well, as who doesn’t love an Adam Liaw pasta bake? Especially one that’ll please everyone (especially vegetarians) and has a good slug of nostalgia — stroganoff is an enduringly (and bafflingly) popular search term. Add to that its gorgeously golden appearance, generous cheese-to-pasta ratio and scattering of greenage to make the mums happy, and you have the trusty makings of the perfect midweek recipe.

6. RecipeTin Eats’ Christmas tree pavlova (2020)

Trigger warning: it was December 2020 and we were all completely wrung out, cranky and suffering from ELF (Extreme Lasagne Fatigue), then along came RecipeTin Eats’ delightful festive dessert to save the day, and remind us that Christmas can be fun, even during the COVID-19 era. With lashings of sweetened cream and raspberry coulis layered between shards of chewy meringue, plus undeniable Insta grid appeal, what’s not to love − or stop you from giving it a red-hot go again this Christmas? It sleighs.

5. Rick Stein’s chicken, lemon and garlic tray bake (2023)

Fun fact: everybody loves Rick Stein. And everybody really loves Rick Stein recipes, especially the chicken, lemon and garlic tray bake from his 2023 cookbook, Simple Suppers, which was a huge hit as soon as we shared it. This is the kind of recipe you always want on-hand for those “I don’t know what to cook” moments. From simple dinners with friends to midweek meal emergencies, it has just a handful of ingredients and bags of flavour. And chicken. Guaranteed winner.

4. Cheesy potato gem patatas bravas (2020)

From the dark depths of lockdown, came this comforting, golden gem, a wicked pot of pleasure that is still extremely popular, years after its debut. As its creator Katrina Meynink so eloquently put it: “I wanted to be transported to some random dive bar in Madrid, drinking too much and smashing plates of patatas bravas. This is the quarantine equivalent, using potato gems and too much cheese. It’s so bad, it’s good.” Hard agree. Unlike that other viral pandemic hit, Tiger King, which was just so bad, it’s bad.

3. RecipeTin Eats’ Thai chicken satay curry (2023)

When we relaunched the Good Food website in 2023, we were keen to kick it off with a recipe that everybody who saw it needed to try immediately. Step up to the plate, RecipeTin Eats, with this 20-minute chicken satay curry of your creamy, peanutty dreams. As @Victor so succinctly said in the recipe comments: “Made it and it was stunning.” As Nagi herself said: “The best thing about Thai chicken satay skewers is the peanut sauce. So why it’s taken me this long to create a Thai chicken satay swimming – yes, swimming – in peanut sauce is beyond me!” Grab a snorkel and get stuck in.

2. Helen Goh’s orange cake (2022)

When the legendary Helen Goh describes a cake as “perfect” and then finally shares the recipe after years of keeping it a closely guarded secret, you just know it’s going to be something truly great. Her favourite orange cake – our most popular recipe of 2022 – lived up to expectation, converting even doubters like @Back in my day in the comments, who admitted “I’m not a fan of orange cake normally. However, as Helen does more often than not, this has changed my mind.” It is citrusy good, a sweet success among a sea of brown (yet beautiful) savoury dishes.

1. Adam Liaw’s potato rosti (2020)

It might just be the simplest recipe on the whole Good Food website, but Adam Liaw’s three-ingredient potato rosti (or one ingredient if you don’t count staples salt and butter) is also one of the most popular of all time. To KISS even more, it is cooked entirely in one pan on the stove. Adam reckons it is the perfect accompaniment to roast chicken. I reckon there are not many things better in life than a buttery potato dish. As I said before, those Irish genes have a lot to answer for. And on that note, I’m off to Galway now for a great Guinness or 10 and a boatload of rock oysters. Thank you, Good Food fans, it’s been truly great.

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