Famous Alaska Recipes

These Famous Alaska Foods are popular all over the largest state in the United States. It’s known for its stunning landscape, fresh seafood, and world-renowned marathons.

This beautiful state also has a claim to some delicious local dishes such as yak burgers, fry bread, smoked salmon, and blueberry cobbler.

Check out our 50 states unit study for some fun states info!

Let’s dive into some mouth-watering recipes from up north.

Alaska famous foods pin with different images of food

Don’t forget to check out this Alaska Unit Study as well to learn more about fun state facts and history.

Alaska’s food culture was begun by the Inuit population and has been contributed to by settlers from Canada, the lower 48 states, and down into Mexico. The combination of these cultures as well as the close proximity to the sea and local animals have combined to create a distinct food culture in Alaska. The results are unique and delicious dishes that are worth trying at least once!

These 30 delicious recipes have been gathered from foodies who know what they’re talking about! Each category has 3 different variations on the dish so you can choose the one that looks the most amazing to you. Enjoy!

Table of Contents

Smoked Salmon

Salmon is native to Alaska and absolutely delicious when eaten fresh. You can make it by grilling, pan-searing, broiling, steaming, or smoking. These three recipes show you some great ways to smoke this hearty fish.

King Crab

Fresh-caught king crab is something you have to try at least once in your life. This delicious crustacean can be cooked in many different ways. Here are a few to choose from.

Blueberry Cobbler

Blueberries are locally grown in Alaska and are eaten in pies, ice cream, cobblers, crumbles, and many other dishes. These cobbler recipes are perfect whether you can get your hands on Alaskan blueberries or you use local blueberries.

Spot Prawns

Spot prawns are much larger than regular shrimp and usually come with their entire bodies still intact. These huge prawns are perfect with a dash of lemon and served over pasta or rice.

Oysters

Alaskan oysters are so fresh they taste like the sea. There are a few ways you can cook and serve oysters like straight in the shell, in stews, or baked. Here are some recipes to get you started.

Reindeer Sausage

Reindeer meat is a local favorite and can be made into sausage, burgers, and steaks. You can buy some online if you don’t have any in your local meat market. Having a great recipe is the next step for an amazing reindeer dish.

Ice Cream

If you go to Alaska you may find yourself eating local Akutaq ice cream. This local favorite is made with a native fat like seal, reindeer, or whale. It’s mixed by hand until a foam is formed and combined with fruit like blueberries. They also make a knock-out ice cream with local flavors in the more traditional way with eggs and cream.

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An interesting fact about Baked Alaska:

Even though it is in the name, Baked Alaska has nothing to do with the state and isn’t a food that is necessarily made there. Isn’t that funny?

Baked Alaska is a dessert that consists of ice cream and cake that is covered in meringue and quickly baked in a very hot oven.

It is unclear where the name “Baked Alaska” originated from, but there are a few theories.

One theory is that it was named after the newly acquired US state of Alaska in 1867, as the dessert resembles a snow-covered mountain.

Another theory suggests that the name derives from the fact that the dessert is served hot on the outside and cold on the inside, similar to Alaska’s temperature extremes.

Yak

Yak meat is common in Alaska and can be made into burgers, bolognese, and steaks. You can buy Yak meat online if you can’t find it locally. After you have the meat, try these great recipes!

Fry Bread

Fry bread is a flatbread that can be eaten sweet or savory. It’s fried and generally topped with butter and powdered sugar in Alaska. In other parts of the country, it’s known as a Navajo Taco.

Halibut

Fresh halibut straight from the ocean is best cooked simply and with a light touch. This flaky fish is delicate and doesn’t have a strong natural flavor so it soaks up other flavors easily.