Created by Condé Nast in 1995, it is headquartered at the One World Trade Center in Manhattan, New York City, where it is part of the publisher's Food Innovation Group that also includes Bon Appétit, with significant overlap in staff between the two companies.

Under the direction of CondeNet president Rochelle Udell and editor-in-chief Joan Feeney, former executive editor of Mademoiselle, Epicurious offered recipes, cooking tips and general information on food, wine, and dining out.

[2][3] From 1996 to 1997, Epicurious grew to include special initiatives like full Thanksgiving meal recipes lists, and entered into a deal with CNET to provide content for Snap!

[17] In April 2009, Epicurious launched its mobile app for the iPhone, which included search functionality for all recipes on the site, as well as the ability to create custom shopping lists.

[24] In December 2011, the site made 75 Random House eCookbooks available for sale from authors including Tom Colicchio, Bobby Flay, Martha Stewart, and Alice Waters.

[28] Conceived originally by Tanya Steel, Epicurious launched the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge in 2012, a nationwide contest that was created through another partnership with Michelle Obama, as well as the US Departments of Education and Agriculture.

[34] Nilou Motamed was named Editor-in-Chief and began working on a redesign with an eye towards highlighting non-recipe content, like restaurants and travel coverage.

The app launches were part of a larger rebranding strategy aimed at positioning Epicurious as a complete lifestyle brand as well as a destination for recipes.

[39] Under Gillin's direction, the Epicurious brand was relaunched on February 3, 2015, with a new logo and new content strategy, focusing on recipe curation and helping home cooks.

On October 29, 2019, Epicurious launched the series "FAQ" that consists of four chefs and Rose Trout, a food scientist, answering questions from viewers.