Do you love American Southern cuisine as much as we do? You’ve come to the right place!
We’ve compiled this list of the best Southern Recipes for you to cook. This collection of recipes includes all of your favorite varieties of Southern fare: Soul Food, Lowcountry, Cajun and Creole.
You’ll find classics that are famous worldwide like fried chicken and cornbread, as well as some very regional gems like she-crab soup and grillades.
So grab yourself a tall glass of sweet tea, and cook your way through all of these great Southern recipes. We hope you find some new family favorites!
1. Smothered Chicken
We’re starting this list with a bang! This Smothered Chicken is the ultimate Southern comfort food. Generously seasoned seared chicken thighs smothered in an amazing gravy. This is soul food at its best!
2. Shrimp and Grits
Shrimp and grits is a Lowcountry southern classic. This recipe featured Cajun spiced shrimp atop a bed of creamy cheese grits. Oh, there’s bacon!
3. Brunswick Stew
This hearty southern Brunswick stew is perfect for chilly nights. If you love barbecue flavors, this is sure to become one of your new favorites. It’s loaded with smoked meats, veggies and great seasonings. And best of all, it’s super easy. Only a few minutes of hands on time is all it takes.
4. Biscuits and Gravy
The ultimate Southern breakfast! Hot, homemade biscuits topped with the most amazing sausage gravy. You’ll keep coming back to this one!
5. Jambalaya
If you’re on the lookout for a perfect company meal to feed a crowd, this Jambalaya recipe is it!
One of America’s most iconic dishes, this rice comes fully loaded with sausage, chicken, shrimp, veggies and a whole world of big flavors.
6. Cochon de Lait (Cajun Pulled Pork)
Cochon de Lait is a delicious pulled pork recipe from Louisiana. It has delicious seasonings and slow cooks to melt in your mouth perfection.
7. Low Country Boil (Frogmore Stew)
Seafood boils are a traditional party feast in the American south. This classic yet simple recipe includes your favorite shrimp, corn, potatoes and sausage boiled with Old Bay Seasoning and other flavor enhancers.
8. Corn Casserole
This easy 5 ingredient Corn Casserole is a great southern style side dish, and takes next to no effort. It’s especially good on your holiday spreads!
9. Southern Braised Chicken with Black Eyed Peas
Southern Braised Chicken is the newest addition to your comfort food repertoire. It’s hearty and full of cozy flavors. With just a few humble ingredients and a few minutes of hands on time, you’ll have a dish the whole family is going to love.
Check out our collection of favorite Comfort Food Recipes!
10. Grillades and Grits
Grillades ‘n’ Grits, a Creole classic. Tender medallions of meat simmered in a tomato based gravy over creamy, cheesy grits. This is one of our favorite southern recipes!
11. Fried Catfish
Cornmeal fried catfish is a classic Southern recipe. It’s easy to make in your own kitchen and has a golden crispy crust with tender, moist catfish inside. So good!
12. Country Captain Chicken
Country Captain Chicken… Indian curry meets Lowcountry cooking. Simply known as Country Captain, this is a Southern Icon you may have never tasted.
13. Southern Squash Casserole
This classic yellow Squash Casserole is a great every day side dish for your favorite Southern fare. Easy and delicious, this will be especially popular on your holiday spreads.
14. Shrimp Creole
This New Orleans classic is one of my favorite shrimp recipes. Plump juicy shrimp drenched in a tomato based sauce with my beloved Creole flavors. You’ll make this one again and again!
15. Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Streusel
If you want a great side dish, try this sweet potato casserole with pecan streusel. Creamy sweet potatoes are already good, but adding crunchy, buttery, sweet, and salty pecans help to add more flavors.
16. Shrimp Po’ Boy Sandwich
Are you noticing a lot of Cajun recipes? That’s because they know how to cook their shrimp! This po boy is a great example. Crispy fried shrimp in a nice bun and drenched in remoulade sauce.
17. Succotash
Sufferin’ succotash! This classic American side dish goes back centuries. The main ingredients are corn kernels and lima beans, but regional variations include other vegetables and meats such as bacon or corned beef.
18. New Orleans BBQ Shrimp
New Orleans BBQ Shrimp has nothing to do with barbecue sauce. Plump shrimp are smothered in a decadent butter sauce loaded with great seasonings. Enjoy with some crusty bread for a super hit meal.
19. Jambalaya Soup
Jambalaya Soup! This hearty soup is boldly flavored with great Creole seasoning and is loaded with meats and veggies. It’s great on the stovetop, or in a slow cooker or instant pot.
20. Southern Cheese Grits
Cheese Grits… the ultimate Southern side dish! This creamy and comforting delight is a staple in the south, and deserves a spot in every cook’s repertoire.
21. Mashed Sweet Potatoes
This recipe is so easy to make, we call it lazy. Sometimes, it’s okay to be lazy, and if you need all the time you can get, then this one’s for you. The sweet potato is simply cooked in the microwave and mashed up, to make a dish that’s easy and delicious.
22. Fried Green Tomatoes
More than just a movie, fried green tomatoes are a famous Southern appetizer or side dish. This recipe shows you how to make them nice and crispy every time!
23. Shrimp Remoulade
This recipe is a famous appetizer in New Orleans. Plump boiled shrimp drenched in a creamy, tangy and slightly spicy remoulade sauce.
24. Red Beans and Rice
This Red Beans and Rice recipe is pure New Orleans comfort food. It’s an easy and budget friendly weeknight dinner full of flavor.
25. Chicken Fried Steak with Gravy
This chicken fried is super crispy fried cubed steak served with a delicious white country gravy. Southern comfort food at it’s best!
26. Cabbage and Sausage Skillet
This Southern style Cabbage and Sausage Skillet is a total breeze to make. It’s full of flavor from smoked sausage and other flavor enhancers, plus it’s very budget friendly.
27. Chicken and Dumplings
Is there any single dish that says “comfort food” more than chicken and dumplings? Hearty chicken stew topped with big fluffy dumplings, all in one pot. So cozy!
Get the Recipe @ thenovicechefblog
28. She-Crab Soup
If you’ve ever been to the Carolina Lowcountry, you’ve surely had she-crab soup. This creamy and flavorful soup only takes about 25 minutes, but tastes as good as and fancy restaurant!
Get the Recipe @ biscuitsandburlap
29. Southern Mac and Cheese
This Southern mac and cheese is super rich and cheesy. Everyone needs a great mac and cheese recipe in their repertoire, and this is it!
Get the Recipe @ dinneratthezoo
Check out our collection of favorite Mac and Cheese Recipes!
30. Southern Fried Okra
Fried okra is a classic summer side dish. This recipe shows you how to fry them up golden and crispy every time!
Get the Recipe @ spicysouthernkitchen
31. Meatloaf
Basic, but oh so delicious meatloaf. This recipe, complete with a shiny glaze, is super easy and comes out tender and juicy every time. Pure comfort food!
32. Southern Cornbread
This southern cornbread recipe brings a family classic to your dinner table. Just because it’s a side dish doesn’t mean it can’t be the best part of the meal!
Get the Recipe @ grandbaby-cakes
33. Country Ham with Red Eye Gravy
Country ham with red eye gravy is an amazingly tasty Southern dish. It pairs up wonderfully with freshly baked biscuits or grits.
34. Southern Fried Chicken
Sometimes, you just can’t beat a plateful of fried chicken. This Southern style recipe gives you plenty of helpful hints and tips to make sure your chicken turns out perfect every time.
Get the Recipe @ melissassouthernstylekitchen
35. Hush Puppies
These deep fried hush puppies are so good! They’re great for snacking, make tasty sides for a variety of dishes and are a MUST alongside fried catfish!
Get the Recipe @ thecookierookie
Check out our collection of favorite Mashed Potato Recipes!
36. Pecan Pie
Here’s one of our absolute favorite pie recipes, Pecan Pie. It has a great buttery, vanilla infused filling and is topped with crunchy pecans. The salty/sweet combo is amazing. You don’t want to miss this one!
Get the Recipe @ sallysbakingaddiction
37. Hoppin’ John
Hoppin’ John! Black eyed peas simmered with ham and veggies. It’s popular on New Years, but also goes so great alongside turnip greens and cornbread.
Get the Recipe @ dinneratthezoo
38. Nashville Hot Chicken
Nashville hot chicken has been growing in popularity lately. It’s spicy fried chicken served with white bread and pickle chips. If you love spicy food, you need to try this one!
Get the Recipe @ thecountrycook
29. Southern Collard Greens
Nothing says Southern like beans, greens and cornbread. Well, these collard greens are one third of the combo. Trust us, you’ll keep coming back to this vegetable recipe!
Get the Recipe @ theseasonedmom
So there you go, thirty five great Southern recipes. The only question now is, which to try first?
The 35 BEST Southern Foods
This great collection of American Southern Recipes includes Soul food, Lowcountry, Cajun and Creole. For a basic start, here's a cheese grits recipe that goes with just about everything!
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup grits (we recommend regular slow cook)
- 1.5 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- 4 Tbsp butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring water and chicken broth to a boil over high heat.
- Stir in grits and cook uncovered for time indicated on package (typically 5 minutes for quick cook and about 15-20 minutes for slow cook).
- Once grits are cooked, stir in cheese, butter salt and pepper.
Notes
- Let me know which recipes you try, I love hearing from you!
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
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