It’s no easy task picking the funniest Modern Family episodes out of all 250 in existence. Years after the series ended in 2020, the show continues to be streamed in homes worldwide. Throughout the show’s entire run from 2009 to 2020, Modern Family was the definitive American sitcom. With 85 Emmy nominations and 22 wins under its belt, there’s no doubt that Modern Family will still be talked about in the years to come due to the huge impact of its unique characters and its relatable, down-to-earth storylines.
All Modern Family episodes have one thing in common: there was always a bump in the road in each episode, forcing the families to conquer their issues without others finding out. But no matter how hard some conversations or situations were, the three families supported each other and talked through their misgivings and secrets. This is a consistent theme throughout the show’s 11 seasons. However, in terms of tapping the Modern Family cast’s comedic potential, not all episodes were created equal. Here are the funniest Modern Family episodes from the show’s nine-year long run.
25 Phil’s Sexy House (Season 7, Episode 7)
In season 7, Phil was selling a high-tech home that he referred to as the “Sexy House.” The entire family heard about how cool the home was and planned on sneaking in to experience it themselves. However, none of them expected for the others to be there, a typical plot point among many of the funniest Modern Family episodes. Phil went to the house to play a virtual video game, Claire showed how perfect her relationship was by surprising Phil in a roleplay costume, Haley and Andy spent some time alone, and Alex and Reuben were secretly hooking up. Hilariously, everyone ended up awkwardly running into each other, and the episode is a textbook example of how Modern Family masterfully brings together seemingly unrelated plot threads at the climax of most episodes.
24 Aunt Mommy (Season 3, Episode 15)
“Aunt Mommy” is one of the funniest Modern Family episodes because of one fateful drunken shared decision. After one too many glasses of wine, Claire decided to donate her eggs to Cam and Mitch so they could have a baby that was part of both of them. The next morning, both couples realized the idea wasn’t for them, but they didn’t know how to tell the other. Meanwhile, Jay and Gloria fought over Manny’s participation in football. Everyone’s truth eventually came out the next day at brunch, with the funny awkwardness capped with Modern Family’s trademark cathartic final act.
23 Run For Your Wife (Season 1, Episode 6)
In the Dunphy household, Phil bothers Claire by telling her that he’s a faster runner than her. Considering Claire ran miles every day, she knew he could never outrun her, which plays out awesomely. Meanwhile, Mitch and Cam were worried about Lily after she hit her head in their home, and they also accidentally lock their new baby in the car. This results in some of the best moments of hysterical Cam. “Run For Your Wife” stands out as one of the funniest Modern Family episodes for balancing out Phil’s self-destruction with poignant — and hilarious — moments of Mitch and Cam’s early days as dads.
22 Do You Believe In Magic (Season 8, Episode 12)
In “Do You Believe In Magic,” it was Valentine’s Day for everyone, including little Joe, who gifted his teacher with a piece of Gloria’s lingerie. However, what truly makes this one of the funniest Modern Family episodes is Claire and Phil. After lying about not caring about Valentine’s Day, Claire – through a series of classic magic tricks – eventually revealed to Phil that she learned magic for him. When Phil fished out the key to his handcuffs from his own mouth, likely placed there by Claire after they kissed, there’s nothing quite as touching or hilarious as Phil softly and very intensely telling Claire, “I don’t deserve you.”
21 Hawaii (Season 1, Episode 23)
In ‘Hawaii,’ Gloria surprises Jay for his birthday by going on a family vacation to Hawaii. Though Jay would disagree, what makes this one of the funniest Modern Family episodes is how Jay was paying for all of it, even though the surprise was for him. On the trip, each family had their own dreams for their vacation. Hilariously, Claire treated her vacation as a business trip because trying to keep an eye on her kids was too stressful. Meanwhile, Jay wanted a relaxing vacation but kept thinking about how old he was getting and that he needed to take better care of himself.
20 Three Turkeys (Season 6, Episode 8)
In “Three Turkeys”, chaos descends on Thanksgiving when Phil decides to take control of the cooking duties, and Gloria and Jay lie about where they will be eating for the holiday. Phil believes that he accidentally shrunk his turkey (when it’s just been swapped) and Gloria and Jay come up with all sorts of excuses as to why they were at home. An almost perfectly balanced one-shot, the heavy family drama doesn’t take away from “Three Turkeys” being one of the funniest Modern Family episodes.
19 Little Bo Bleep (Season 3, Episode 13)
While the Dunphys were usually the stars of the episodes, season 3 began to give Cam, Lily, and Mitchell some hilarious storylines. In “Little Bo Bleep,” Cam and Mitchell find themselves lost for words as Lily won’t stop saying curse words at the most random of moments. Lily had her annoying moments as a child, but she also had her sweet moments. Most importantly, she’s the reason why “Little Bo Bleep” counts among the funniest Modern Family episodes. This is a perfect example of how Modern Family got away with edgy, sophomoric comedy through consistently wholesome storylines.
18 Family Portrait (Season 1, Episode 24)
From a mud fight to Phil and Gloria’s kiss cam, there were plenty of highlights in Modern Family’s season 1 finale. Not only was it full of fast-paced action but all the characters got their moments to shine. New pairings (such as Alex and Manny, and Jay and Luke) allowed fans to see more depth to their family dynamic. However, “Family Portrait” is remembered as one of the funniest Modern Family episodes for Mitch inadvertently destroying their apartment while chasing a pigeon, lovingly scored with Cam’s rendition of “Ave Maria.” The comedy is balanced out with the tear-jerking reveal of the actual family portrait, a contemplation of how far the three families have come.
17 Pilot (Season 1, Episode 1)
Not many viewers may remember that the pilot is actually one of the funniest Modern Family episodes. After Luke shoots Alex with a BB gun, Claire insists that Phil has to shoot Luke in return — as they all agreed upon when Phil got the gun for Luke. Claire, Phil, Alex, and Luke then plan the shooting and put it on the family calendar. Also, the first thing Phil ever said to Dylan was, “Let me meet this playa… Phil Dunphy, yo!” as Phil raises his hand for a fist bump. Indeed, Phil is undoubtedly the star of the pilot, which also includes a scene of Phil dancing and singing to “We’re All In This Together.”
16 Las Vegas (Season 5, Episode 18)
In season 5’s “Las Vegas,” the whole clan got together for a weekend in the city of sin. Jay trying and consistently failing to flex his connections easily makes this one of the funniest Modern Family episodes. The episode also included Cam doing one of the worst things to Mitchell (in a hilarious way), Claire trying to make back the money she lost years before, and Phil attempting to join a very exclusive magic club. It might not have ended up being the traditional trip they dreamed of, but it was chaotic fun.
15 Caught In The Act (Season 2, Episode 13)
Few moments on the show were as relatable as when Alex, Haley, and Luke caught Phil and Claire having sex when they were about to give them their anniversary gift. Cringeworthy and hilarious, this moment makes “Caught in the Act” one of the funniest Modern Family episodes, punishing the kids with a dose of reality when they just wanted to serve their parents breakfast in bed. The added storylines of Gloria attempting to retrieve a bad email — and Mitchell and Cam trying to cover up a bad mess — prove to balance this episode with due wholesomeness.
14 Fulgencio (Season 4, Episode 13)
“Fulgencio” saw Gloria, her mother, and Jay fight over what name to give the newborn baby, which leads to one of the show’s most heartwarming moments. However, “Fulgencio” ranks highly among the funniest Modern Family episodes for its tribute to the baptism scene in Godfather. Like Michael Corleone, Phil joins the family at the church where he and Claire become godparents to Gloria’s new baby. As Phil repeats the priest’s words, Luke carries out Phil’s machinations on the outside. The hilarious tribute is punctuated by the emotional moment where Jay agrees to name the baby Fulgencio Joseph Pritchett, after Gloria’s father. Plus, Phil trying to be firm when telling Claire to never ask him about his business is gold.
13 American Skyper (Season 6, Episode 24)
The season finale of the sixth season of the show was jam-packed with emotion. Once again, a member of the family reaches another milestone, this time in the form of Alex graduating high school. Phil is present in robot form, to everyone’s entertainment and delight, and Cam is dealing with his new braces while Mitchell lost his job. The high note of the episode arrives when Haley finds out Andy has feelings for her and rushes to the beach to try and stop him from getting engaged. However, what makes “American Skyper” one of the funniest Modern Family episodes is Cam mistakenly thinking Mitch was cheating on him.
12 My Funky Valentine (Season 1, Episode 15)
It’s no secret that the show loves to have episodes dedicated to special holidays and events. “My Funky Valentine” was the first Valentine’s episode ever, and it’s also among the funniest Modern Family episodes. This is because, apart from the hilarious plot lines among the couples, this is also when Phil and Claire’s sexy alter-egos were introduced for the first time. Undoubtedly, “Clive” and “Julianna”‘s moments were some of the best in the series, and it all began here.
11 Halloween (Season 2, Episode 6)
No one does the holidays quite like the Dunphys and the Pritchetts. Halloween, in particular, always tends to be a particularly eventful time of the year for the families, with each year better than the previous (especially for Claire, whose love for Halloween rivals Phil’s love for all things technological). Largely regarded as one of the funniest Modern Family episodes, this installment brings fans to a very haunted house, courtesy of the Dunphys, a hilarious Mitchell dressed as a Spider-Man, and Jay and Manny have a little too much of a laugh at the expense of the short-tempered Gloria. Viewers rewatching “Halloween” may be pleasantly surprised at how cute Luke and Manny were in costume.
10 Disneyland (Season 3, Episode 22)
It’s always fun when the whole Modern Family cast goes on an outing. This time, it’s in Disneyland Resort. Apart from the usual chaotic family shenanigans, however, Dylan is undoubtedly the character who makes this one of the funniest Modern Family episodes. Dressed like Little John from the animated Robin Hood movie, Dylan disguised himself in order to get close to Hailey and profess his love for her. The dramatic tension of the moment works perfectly with the ridiculous circumstances. Manny also hilariously plays the role of an adult trapped in a child’s body by being too busy on his phone to enjoy Disneyland.
9 Fizbo (Season 1, Episode 9)
Cam is easily one of the most lovable characters in Modern Family, but everything changes when it is not Cam, but Fizbo – his clown character – who enters the room. Undoubtedly one of the funniest Modern Family episodes, “Fizbo” saw Cam breaking down all things clown with an almost academic precision, revealing how he has practiced the art of clowning since he was a teenager, and putting on his makeup while the musical scoring makes it seem like he’s a serial killer. “Fizbo” is the perfect example of how Cam has turned likability into a science.
8 The Kiss (Season 2, Episode 2)
Everybody knows the Pritchett siblings have a few issues that come along with being raised by Jay. Many times, these issues are portrayed in a funny, innocent way and this time around, the show decided to tackle Mitchell’s aversion to public displays of affection, which is what makes this one of the funniest Modern Family episodes. Jay and Mitchell didn’t always have the best father-son moments, but this episode was a turning point for them. Fans also see Gloria trying to reconnect with her Colombian roots as well as Claire’s overbearing reaction to finding out Alex likes a boy. In good old Modern Family fashion, the entire family eventually comes together to help deal with their respective issues.
7 Baby On Board (Season 3, Episode 24)
Long-time viewers remember that some of the funniest Modern Family episodes are also the most emotional. The last episode of the third season had its hilarious moments, thanks to the mockery of the typical telenovela that fits wonderfully with the plot. Cam and Mitchell’s attempt to adopt a second child also comes to an end in this episode, in quite a heart-wrenching way that soon turns into a quiet, emotional moment between the couple and the audience. It feels like an unbelievably long journey for a 25-minute-long episode, but it’s still one of the absolute best episodes for its unexpected jokes.
6 Treehouse (Season 3, Episode 7)
In “Treehouse,” Gloria tried to get Jay to do more things with her as a couple, and Phil builds Luke a treehouse. Though both arcs are funny, “Treehouse” counts among the funniest Modern Family episodes for Cam and Mitch’s bet: if Cam can pick up any woman at the bar they’re in, Mitch will do a month’s worth of laundry work. Soon enough, Cam meets a woman who matches his theatrical tendencies, and they hit it off. After the woman tells Cam that she knows he’s gay, she nonetheless puts on a dramatic show for Mitch and pretends to be tragically rejected by Cam.
