The Best San Francisco Recipes

By Carl Hanson
Updated October 22, 2020
Credit: Chef John

With its cable cars, Golden Gate Bridge, and triangular Transamerica tower, San Francisco is one of America’s most iconic cities. The hilly city also boasts a fairly famous food culture: San Francisco is the home of cioppino seafood stew, crusty sourdough bread, and fortune cookies, just for starters. Here are some of our other favorite recipes made famous by the City by the Bay.

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San Francisco Pork Chops

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Tender pork chops simmer in a sweet and savory sauce flavored with beef broth, garlic, and soy sauce with just a pinch of red pepper flakes for zing. "This was a great little recipe, easy cheap and very tasty," says Anita. "The meat was so tender and even the kids were asking for it again."

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A Homemade San Francisco Treat: Chicken Vermicelli Rice

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"Years ago, I came up with my clone of a dish my children really enjoyed," says SHORECOOK. "I wanted to use the freshest ingredients that I usually have on hand. Many years later, I find myself still making it. If serving a beef dish, substitute chicken bouillon with beef bouillon. Angel hair pasta can be broken into small pieces in place of vermicelli."

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San Francisco Style Bagels

Credit: catherine.drew
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You'll boil these San Francisco-style bagels first and then bake them to a beautiful golden brown. Try them with cream cheese—or make amazing sandwiches with your homemade bagels. "I accidentally stumbled upon a method for making bagels that were structurally and texturally superior," says Chef John. "I decided to take advantage of that fact, and the San Francisco-style bagel was born."

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Chef John's Caramel Chicken

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This Vietnamese-inspired caramelized chicken recipe is based on a famous chicken dish served at a popular San Francisco restaurant. Serve this delicious mahogany-colored chicken over white rice garnished with cilantro, sliced jalapenos, green onions, and roasted peanuts.

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Chef John's Cioppino

Credit: Chef John
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San Francisco's famous cioppino is a great choice when you feel like splurging a little. "This spicy fish and shellfish stew is a big red bowl of yummy, and when paired with a loaf of crusty sourdough bread, it's downright otherworldly," says Chef John.

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Chicken in Cream Sauce

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"Aunt Mary's was a popular brunch restaurant in San Francisco that served Mexican and Salvadoran dishes," says Chef John. "My wife and I went every Sunday for a late breakfast. She always ordered Huevos Rancheros; my usual was Pollo en Crema."

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Chourico Breakfast Salsa

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"In a recent trip to San Francisco, my brother and I frequented a restaurant in the Haight district for breakfast," says Riverscry. "The inspiration for this came from that trip. Very simple. Use as a side, a topping (for eggs and omelets) or an ingredient."

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San Francisco Sourdough Bread

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"This was a great recipe ," says Deborah. "The inside texture was soft and perfect. Great sliced thin and toasted too!" Great for dessert, too --  San Francisco Sourdough Bread Pudding with Amaretto Sauce.

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Chris' Bay Area Burger

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"These burgers are the hit of my town," says GAVEN.
All my friends come over every weekend just for these burgers. With a little bit of basil leaves, and some olive oil, you will drooling all over yourself while you eat these."

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Garlic Noodles

Credit: Chef John
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"These devastatingly delicious garlic noodles were invented back in the '70s at a restaurant in San Francisco called Thanh Long," says Chef John. "Usually served with roasted Dungeness crab, the recipe is a very closely guarded family secret, but after lots of investigation, and even more experimentation, I think this is very close."

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Rice-Ah-Roni

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 Chef John's version of the iconic rice and pasta side dish starts with a top-secret spice blend. "Here's my version of what's often called 'the San Francisco treat,'" says Chef John. "I used real chicken broth and a variety of seasonings."

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Grilled Pork Tacos al Pastor

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"Al Pastor is a really popular way to prepare pork, famous in San Francisco's Mission District," says Chef John. "It's a marinated roast pork. They make the most incredible tacos and burritos. This is inspired by those flavors."

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Homemade Fortune Cookies

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"Whether it's sharing a positive prophecy with a friend, proposing marriage, or passive-aggressively letting your roommate know they need to do their dishes, nothing does the job quite like a fortune cookie," says Chef John. "Insert your fortunes and shape these light, crispy cookies right as they come out of the oven."

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Hangtown Fry with Parmesan and Fresh Herbs

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The Hangtown Fry was popularized during the California Gold Rush. "My variation on the traditional Hangtown Fry contains cheese and fresh herbs and is finished under the broiler where the egg/oyster mixture puffs up like a cross between a frittata and a souffle," says Cazuela. "I get the best results using a cast iron skillet."

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By Carl Hanson