31 Southern Recipes Everyone on Earth Should Make (2024)

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31 Southern Recipes Everyone on Earth Should Make (1)

By Katherine Gillen

Published Jun 22, 2023

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What do mac and cheese, fried chicken and cornbread have in common? They’re all ridiculously delicious comfort foods our friends from the South have pretty much perfected. Here, we’ve rounded up the best Southern recipes on the planet for your enjoyment. All that’s left for you to do? Whip up a big pitcher of sweet tea (or better yet, watermelon sweet tea) and enjoy.

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Robert S. Cooper/A Real Southern Cook

1. Sprightly Biscuits

  • Time Commitment: 20 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, <30 minutes

The secret to light and fluffy biscuits isn’t butter or buttermilk (although both help). It’s actually a can of lemon-lime soda, which yields the fluffiest-ever results.

Get the recipe

Robert S. Cooper/A Real Southern Cook

2. Buttermilk-Battered Pan-Fried Fish Fillets

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour, 20 minutes
  • Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, high protein

Frying fish at home sounds daunting, until you realize you can do it on the stove with a cast iron skillet (and not a ton of oil, at that). Try it once and you’ll be a pro.

Get the recipe

Robert S. Cooper/A Real Southern Cook

3. Blackberry-Raspberry Skillet Cobbler

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly

Southerners are experts at crafting simple-yet-satisfying desserts that feed a whole host of people. This lightly sweet cobbler fits the bill, and it’s ready in all of 30 minutes.

Get the recipe

Katherine Gillen

4. Hummingbird Cupcakes with Pineapple ‘Flowers’

  • Time Commitment: 4 hours
  • Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser

Hummingbird cake—a lightly spicedbanana-pineappletreat—is considered aSouthernclassic, but it’s actually a version of the Jamaican “Doctor Bird Cake” (named after the island’s national bird) introduced to the U.S. sometime in the ’60s. The more you know!

Get the recipe

JOHN “EDGE” KOLADISH/ED MITCHELL’S BARBEQUE

5. Watermelon Sweet Tea

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients

There’s no better way to wash down barbecue than with this make-ahead beverage, which is sweetened with plenty of fresh summer fruit.

Get the recipe

6. Southern Fried Green Tomatoes

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, vegetarian, beginner-friendly

FYI, green tomatoes are just unripe regular tomatoes. The only thing that’s better than battering them until crisp is dipping them in remoulade (or turning them into an OTT sandwich).

7. Southern Hush Puppies

  • Time Commitment: 20 minutes
  • Why We Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes

They’re like sweet, fried morsels of cornbread…and we have no complaints about that. They come together quickly and disappear even faster, especially when served with honey butter.

JERRELLE GUY/RODNEY SCOTT'S WORLD OF BBQ

8. Pimento Cheese

  • Time Commitment: 10 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <15 minutes, crowd-pleaser

We love cheese, and we love dips. Naturally then, pimento cheese is the stuff of dreams. Serve this spicy appetizer with carrots, celery stalks, crackers or pork rinds for dipping.

Get the recipe

SULLY SULLIVAN/THE WAY HOME

9. Vanilla Bean Buttermilk Pie

  • Time Commitment: 2 hours, 20 minutes
  • Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser

The crust is relatively hands-off, the filling is foolproof and the whole thing will have you going back for a second slice.

Get the recipe

10. Shrimp Po’ Boy with Creole Remoulade Sauce

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour
  • Why We Love It: high protein, special occasion-worthy

This hefty sammie will transport you to New Orleans on first bite. (Not to mention, you’ll want to dip everything in the tangy remoulade sauce.)

Katherine Gillen

11. Banana Pudding Cups

  • Time Commitment: 4 hours, 20 minutes
  • Why We Love It: kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, make ahead

There are a lot of ways to make banana pudding, but to keep things quick and easy (and to let the fresh ’nanas shine), we went with acornstarch-thickenedpudding instead of an egg-basedcustard.

Get the recipe

PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL

12. Easy Homemade Pickles

  • Time Commitment: 48 hours
  • Why We Love It: make ahead, beginner-friendly

They may not be as intense as a jar of Wickles, but they’re tangy and crisp in their own right. (And you could totally add crushed red pepper flakes for some heat.)

Get the recipe

13. Southern Baked Mac and Cheese

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy

We love a stovetop mac as much as the next person, but if it’s not baked until bubbly and golden, it’s not really a Southern recipe. Not for nothing, this version contains four types of cheese.

AMY SCOTT/HEALTHIER SOUTHERN COOKING

14. Bourbon Apple Crisp à la Mode

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly

Maple syrup and a touch of brown sugar keep this Southern classic from being cloying. Translation: We can eat the leftovers for breakfast, right?

Get the recipe

PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL

15. Mini Chicken and Waffles

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly

Behold, everyone’s new favorite appetizer. They’re so small, you have permission to go in for seconds (er—fourths).

Get theRecipe

PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL

16. Buttermilk Skillet Corn Bread with Tomatoes and Green Onions

  • Time Commitment: 50 minutes
  • Why We Love It: one skillet, crowd-pleaser

To make this a more authentically Southern cornbread, you should skip the small amount of sugar in the batter. (Sorry, we don’t make the rules!)

Get the recipe

PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL

17. Shrimp Boil Skewers with Corn, Sausage and Potatoes

  • Time Commitment: 45 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy

All the appeal of a classic backyard seafood boil, without so much of the mess…although you should still serve the skewers on a newsprint-lined picnic table, sans plates.

Get the recipe

PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL

18. Skillet Peach Cobbler

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
  • Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, one skillet

Great news: Thanks to this skillet upgrade, you can satisfy your pie craving in under an hour(no rolling or cutting necessary).

Get the recipe

PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL

19. Savory Tomato Tart

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly

A riff on the Southern tomato pie, this one is perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Bonus points if you seek out the ripest heirloom tomatoes you can find at the farmers market.

Get the recipe

PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL

20. Seven-Layer Dip

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser

What do all parties have in common? They’re the ideal opportunity to make this Tex-Mex dip. Pass the chips, please and thanks.

Get the recipe

PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL

21. Chicken and Waffle Sandwiches

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour, 50 minutes
  • Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, kid-friendly

What do you get when you combine fried chicken and cheese waffles? The best open-face on the planet.

Get the Recipe

22. Shrimp and Grits

  • Time Commitment: 48 minutes
  • Why We Love It:

The grits are smooth and creamy, the shrimp is perfectly seasoned and the andouille sausage adds a hint of smoke. This is comfort food at its finest.

23. Buttermilk Fried Chicken

  • Time Commitment: 5 hours, 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser

Fact: Nobody does fried chicken like our friends in the South. This version is finished with a spicy honey glaze, which is optional…but not really.

PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL

24. Spicy Orange-Glazed Ham

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour, 20 minutes
  • Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser, make ahead

Sure, it’s our go-to meal for special occasions, but did we mention the amazing sandwiches you can make with the leftovers?

Get the recipe

PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL

25. Light and Tangy Coleslaw

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser

Hear that noise? It’s your coleslaw calling out for a big plate of fried chicken. (See above.)

Get the recipe

26. Southern Deviled Eggs

  • Time Commitment: 23 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy

With relish and jalapeños, these bites have just the right balance of sweet and heat. Plus, once the eggs are boiled, the assembly is a breeze. (Psst: Try this technique topeel boiled eggsfaster.)

JOHN “EDGE” KOLADISH/ED MITCHELL’S BARBEQUE

27. Silver Dollar Corn Cakes with Smoked Honey Butter

  • Time Commitment: 35 minutes
  • Why We Love It: kid-friendly, vegetarian

Introducing the best thing for scooping up saucy food since biscuits and tortilla chips. They pair just as well with meaty mains (like pulled pork, brisket or ribs), as they do with sides like baked beans and collards.

Get the recipe

AMY SCOTT/HEALTHIER SOUTHERN COOKING

28. Chicken and Chicken Sausage Jambalaya

  • Time Commitment: 40 minutes
  • Why We Love It: one pot, <500 calories, crowd-pleaser

Jambalaya sounds complicated, but this version comes together in a single pot. Make a big batch and enjoy it all week long—the flavor just gets better.

Get the recipe

JENNIFER DAVIS/THE SOUTHERN BAKING COOKBOOK

29. Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Pie

  • Time Commitment: 3 hours, 20 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, make ahead

Sweet potato pie is a Southern holiday staple, and in our humble opinion, the orange spud only makes pumpkin taste better. The bourbon marshmallows are optional, but certain to wow your guests.

Get the recipe

30. Real Deal Southern Caramel Cake

  • Time Commitment: 2 hours, 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser

Speaking of Southern staples, we’d like to request this sweet cake for every celebration here on out. The icing requires a bit of patience and care, but the final results are worth it.

31. Southern Collard Greens

  • Time Commitment: 2 hours, 20 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, gluten free

Traditional in Southern and Black cuisine, these greens usually flavored with ham hocks—you can also try smoked turkey wings if you don’t eat pork. (Just make sure the meat is smoked for the most authentic flavor.)

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Katherine Gillen

Senior Food Editor

Katherine Gillenis PureWow’s senior food editor. She’s a writer, recipe developer and food stylist with a degree in culinary arts and professional experience in New York City...

read full bio

31 Southern Recipes Everyone on Earth Should Make (2024)

FAQs

What is a stereotypical Southern meal? ›

A traditional Southern meal may include pan-fried chicken, field peas (such as black-eyed peas), greens (such as collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, or poke sallet), mashed potatoes, cornbread or corn pone, sweet tea, and dessert—typically a pie (sweet potato, chess, shoofly, pecan, and peach are the most ...

What is a traditional black southern meal? ›

Particularly in rural areas, foods like fried chicken, fried fish, sweet potato pie, red drinks, black-eyed peas and others were served during Emancipation celebrations and church gatherings.

What are real Southern foods? ›

The South's Most Iconic Recipes Of All Time
  • 01 of 45. Classic Baked Macaroni And Cheese. ...
  • 02 of 45. Buttermilk Biscuits. ...
  • 03 of 45. German Chocolate Cake. ...
  • 04 of 45. Southern Fried Green Tomatoes. ...
  • 05 of 45. Southern Skillet Cornbread. ...
  • 06 of 45. Tomato, Cheddar, And Bacon Pie. ...
  • 07 of 45. Pimiento Cheese. ...
  • 08 of 45. Jessica Harris' Red Rice.
Oct 5, 2023

What is a Southern good luck dinner? ›

In the south your New Year meal must include collard greens, black-eyed peas, pork and cornbread. They're said to bring good health, wealth and good luck. Black-eyed peas in some form, always. They can be made in Hoppin' John, a salad, or just cooked like regular beans (some people add ham, bacon, or other pork.)

What does a Southern breakfast look like? ›

Southern breakfasts are known for their hearty and comforting dishes, featuring ingredients such as grits, biscuits, bacon, eggs, and gravy. Grits are a staple in Southern cuisine and are often served as a warm, creamy porridge with butter and salt.

What is the most popular food in the southern region? ›

Meats, especially chicken and pork, are central in southern cuisine. Many favorite dishes from this region include country hams, pulled pork, sausage, fried chicken, and bacon.

What did slaves eat in the South? ›

The usual diet for slaves was cornbread and pork. Washington wrote that he did not see very much of his mother since she had to leave her children early in the morning to begin her day's work. “The early departure of my mother often made the matter of securing my breakfast uncertain.

What did slaves eat for meals? ›

The standard rations enslaved people received were cornmeal and salted fish, which they harvested themselves. These monotonous rations provided protein and carbohydrates but lacked essential nutrients and were not always sufficient for the demands of daily work.

What are traditional black foods? ›

Traditional African American comfort foods include homemade macaroni and cheese, fried chicken, red beans and rice, cornbread, seasoned greens, mashed potatoes and gravy, and ice-cold sweet tea. Although many of these foods are not considered the healthy choices, they excite our taste buds and warm our hearts.

What drink goes with soul food? ›

Regardless of how yours are prepared, she likes to pair this classic dish with Merlot, Pinot Noir or Magliocco. “It's about balance,” she says. “Greens can be very bitter, and a wine like Pinot Noir can bring back some sweetness.” Murray agrees, and recommends an Oregon Pinot Noir or Beaujolais Villages.

What are the most popular southern foods? ›

So, from hot chicken in Nashville to the tamales of the Mississippi Delta, come and get a taste of the Southern states.
  • St Louis gooey butter cake, Missouri. ...
  • Shrimp po'boy, Louisiana. ...
  • Banana pudding, Tennessee. ...
  • Burgoo stew, Kentucky. ...
  • Fried green tomatoes, Alabama. ...
  • Fried catfish, Arkansas. ...
  • Crawfish etouffee, Louisiana.
Jul 18, 2023

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