15 Wisconsin Recipes Locals Will Defend With Their Whole Food-Loving Hearts
In Wisconsin, food isn’t just something you eat, but a thing to celebrate. Locals take serious pride in their culinary traditions, many of which have been passed down through generations like prized heirlooms.
From rich, creamy favorites to surprising regional gems, these 15 recipes capture the heart and soul of the Badger State. Dig in, and you’ll quickly see why Wisconsinites are so passionate about what’s on their plate.
1. Beer Cheese Soup
Nothing warms a Wisconsin soul like a steaming bowl of beer cheese soup on a frigid winter day. The velvety combination of sharp cheddar and local craft beer creates magic in a pot.
My grandpa used to say you could judge a Wisconsin tavern solely by its beer cheese soup. He’d take one spoonful, close his eyes, and either nod approvingly or push it away without a word.
Locals insist on using only Wisconsin-made cheese and beer – substitutions are considered borderline offensive!
2. Butter Burgers
Wisconsin butter burgers aren’t just patties on buns – they’re juicy beef masterpieces with a generous glob of melting butter that transforms ordinary beef into something transcendent.
Unlike regular burgers, the butter isn’t just a topping; it’s worked into the meat before cooking or melted atop the sizzling patty. The result? A decadently moist burger that leaves a beautiful puddle of buttery goodness on your plate.
Solly’s in Milwaukee and Culver’s statewide have made this style famous.
3. Booyah
Booyah isn’t just soup – it’s a community event. This hearty chicken stew, slow-cooked in massive kettles outdoors, brings together neighborhoods across northeastern Wisconsin, especially in Green Bay.
The recipe varies between families, but always includes chicken, vegetables, and a day-long commitment. I remember my first booyah social at age seven, watching men stirring cauldron-sized pots with wooden paddles longer than I was tall.
Church fundraisers and family reunions aren’t complete without steaming bowls of this thick, soul-satisfying stew.
4. Cheese Curds
Fresh cheese curds squeak against your teeth – that’s how Wisconsinites know they’re perfect. These little nuggets of joy are cheese in its youngest form, before being pressed into blocks.
The golden fried version transforms these dairy delights into crunchy-outside, melty-inside morsels that make out-of-staters swoon. Some locals won’t even bother with curds more than 24 hours old, claiming the squeak (and therefore the magic) disappears.
True enthusiasts eat them at room temperature, never refrigerated.
5. Friday Fish Fry
Friday nights in Wisconsin mean one thing: fish fry. This isn’t just dinner – it’s a sacred weekly ritual where families and friends gather at supper clubs, taverns, and church basements across the state.
The perfect plate includes beer-battered or breaded lake perch, walleye, or cod alongside creamy coleslaw, rye bread, and potato pancakes (never French fries if you’re a purist). I’ve seen heated arguments break out over which local spot serves the best version.
The tradition stems from Catholic meat abstinence but has transcended religion entirely.
6. Kringle
Racine’s claim to pastry fame, the kringle, isn’t your average Danish. This oval-shaped, flaky masterpiece takes three days to make properly, with 36 buttery layers creating its signature texture.
While traditional almond filling remains popular, locals debate whether cherry, raspberry, or pecan varieties reign supreme. The Wisconsin legislature made it official in 2013, declaring kringle the state pastry.
O&H Danish Bakery ships thousands nationwide, but Wisconsinites insist nothing beats enjoying one fresh from a local bakery, preferably with strong coffee on a lazy Sunday morning.
7. Bratwurst with Beer Bath
Grilling brats in Wisconsin isn’t just cooking – it’s performance art. The sacred technique involves simmering bratwurst in beer with onions before finishing them on the grill, creating juicy perfection that out-of-staters rarely achieve.
Every family has their preferred beer for the bath. My uncle swears by Leinenkugel’s, while my neighbor won’t use anything but New Glarus Spotted Cow.
Serve on a Sheboygan hard roll (never a hot dog bun!) with sauerkraut, onions, and stone-ground mustard – ketchup users risk public mockery at summer cookouts.
8. Wild Rice Soup
Northern Wisconsin’s wild rice soup showcases the state’s natural bounty. Hand-harvested wild rice – actually an aquatic grass seed – creates a nutty, earthy foundation for this creamy masterpiece.
The authentic version combines rich chicken stock, heavy cream, and vegetables with the star ingredient. Some recipes include mushrooms, others chicken, but all feature Wisconsin dairy prominently.
Indigenous communities of Wisconsin have harvested wild rice from canoes for centuries, making this dish a true connection to the land’s history and seasons.
9. Braunschweiger Sandwich
Braunschweiger might make outsiders squeamish, but Wisconsinites embrace this liverwurst-style meat with unwavering devotion. The classic sandwich layers this creamy, smoky spread thick on rye bread with raw onion slices and spicy brown mustard.
German immigrants brought this tradition to Wisconsin generations ago. Now, companies like Usinger’s in Milwaukee have perfected the art of this spreadable sausage.
Office workers across the state still proudly unpack these pungent sandwiches at lunch, completely unfazed by their colleagues’ wrinkled noses.
10. Cannibal Sandwiches
Holiday gatherings in Wisconsin often feature a dish that horrifies outsiders: cannibal sandwiches. This raw ground beef delicacy (technically called tiger meat) is seasoned with salt and pepper, spread on rye bread, topped with raw onion, and devoured with gusto.
Health departments issue warnings every Christmas season, yet the tradition persists. My grandmother would prepare a special platter of these forbidden treats, placing it far from where kids could reach.
Modern versions sometimes use smoked beef to appease safety concerns while maintaining the distinctive flavor profile.
11. Door County Fish Boil
The theatrical fish boil is Door County’s signature dining experience. Whitefish and potatoes cook in a massive kettle over an open fire, culminating in the dramatic “boilover” – when kerosene is thrown on the flames, causing water to spill over and carry away the fish oils.
Watching the towering flames against a Lake Michigan sunset feels almost ceremonial. The resulting meal is simple perfection: delicate white fish, salt-crusted potatoes, and melted butter.
Local fishermen started this tradition as an efficient way to feed large logging crews in the 1800s.
12. New Glarus Spotted Cow Beer Bread
Wisconsin’s famous farmhouse ale, Spotted Cow from New Glarus Brewing, isn’t just for drinking – it transforms ordinary bread into something extraordinary. This dense, slightly sweet loaf captures the beer’s fruity notes in a way that makes perfect sense to locals.
Since New Glarus famously refuses to distribute outside state lines, this bread has become a symbol of Wisconsin exclusivity. I once watched my aunt smuggle six bottles across state lines just to make this bread for my cousin’s out-of-state wedding.
The perfect slice needs nothing but butter – Wisconsin butter, naturally.
13. Swedish Meatballs with Lingonberry
Wisconsin’s large Scandinavian population blessed the state with their version of Swedish meatballs, often served at church suppers and holiday gatherings. Unlike the famous furniture store’s version, authentic Wisconsin Swedish meatballs feature a more complex spice profile.
The gravy is the key – creamy and rich with distinctive nutmeg and allspice notes. Lingonberry jam provides the essential sweet-tart counterpoint that cuts through the richness.
In northern Wisconsin towns like Sister Bay, families guard their meatball recipes as jealously as Packers fans protect their season tickets.
14. Apple Cheddar Pie
Wisconsin’s twist on apple pie might shock purists, but locals know sharp cheddar cheese and sweet apples create perfect harmony. Some bake the cheese directly into the crust, while others layer it between the filling and top crust.
The tradition likely came from New England, but Wisconsin’s exceptional dairy elevated it to an art form. At my first job at a small-town bakery, customers would actually return pies if the cheese wasn’t aged at least two years.
The debate continues whether to serve it melted on top or as a side slice.
15. Cornish Pasty
Mining heritage runs deep in southwestern Wisconsin, and so does the love for authentic Cornish pasties. These handheld meat pies sustained lead and zinc miners with their portable, complete-meal design.
True Wisconsin pasties contain diced beef, potatoes, rutabagas, and onions wrapped in a sturdy yet flaky crust. The distinctive crimped edge supposedly served as a handle for miners’ dirty hands, later discarded.
Mineral Point remains the epicenter of pasty culture, where bakeries still use recipes brought directly from Cornwall in the 1830s.