38 Classic Southern Recipes Every Home Cook Should Know By Heart
If you know, you know.
Greg DuPree; Food Stylist: Ali Ramee; Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood
While there is always room for experimentation in the kitchen, there are some recipes you should know by heart. No cookbook can tell you how much buttermilk to add like your grandmother could. For Southerners, it's like learning the alphabet, starting with "A" for ambrosia all the way to "Z" for zesty lemon pie.
From buttermilk biscuits to skillet cornbread, gumbo to dumplings, these Southern dishes are the basis from which generations of family dinners and holiday feasts alike have been built in the South—and we'll be darned if we ever saw Mama look at a recipe card while making them. We rounded up our favorite Southern recipes that should be memorized and mastered.
Chicken And Sausage Jambalaya
Jen Causey; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn
This Creole classic is loved all over the South and is easier to make than you may think. This recipe features chicken and sausage as the meats to make a hearty and delicious meal for any occasion.
Mama's Fried Chicken
The best thing about fried chicken? It doesn't ask for much. All you need is a simple coating of seasoned flour after two hours of letting the chicken soak in buttermilk. (That step, however simple, is imperative.) Then, crispy fried perfection.
Classic Chess Pie
Jen Causey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley, Food Stylist: Ana Kelly
The gooey, buttery, and sweet chess pie has been a staple at the Southern dessert table for generations and is the perfect simple dessert for any gathering.
Homemade Baked Beans
Fred Hardy II; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman
It's not a Southern barbecue without a tray of delicious baked beans. This recipe makes a meaty, savory tray of baked beans that all will enjoy.
Sausage Gravy and Biscuits
There's really no excuse not to know how to make this three-ingredient recipe that bolsters any blissful Southern breakfast. When in doubt, our classic Buttermilk Biscuits make a delicious base for breakfast.
Shrimp Boil
Though it goes by many names, a shrimp boil is one of the most delicious and surprisingly easy way to prepare fresh shrimp. Paired with corn, sausage, potatoes, and heaps of Old Bay, this recipe is a classic crowd pleaser.
Pimiento Cheese
Is it really a party without pimiento? We think not. Southerners know that just a few dashes of Worcestershire, or a couple sprinkles of cayenne, make the difference between basic and out-of-this-world.
Red Beans and Rice
Louisianan by origin, red beans and rice should be a dinner staple throughout the South. Starting with the same aromatics as most—onion, bell pepper, celery—it's a heavenly free-for-all after that. For some, ham hocks, andouille sausage, or bacon are a must; for others, it's pickled or salt pork. Some serve it with fried pork chops; others omit the smoked sausage in the pot and serve it with a link instead.
Home-Style Butterbeans
Butterbeans are a Southern favorite in the summer, and this recipe uses just seven ingredients for a simple, delicious side dish.
Classic Baked Macaroni And Cheese
Fred Hardy II; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman
Mac and cheese is one food that pretty much everyone can agree on, and this recipe is truly a classic Southern favorite that is welcomed at any occasion.
Deviled Eggs
This favorite Southern snack and side doesn't always get the credit it's due. Sure, it's never the star of the spread, but well-seasoned deviled eggs disappear quicker than any casserole. Don't forget the heirloom deviled egg tray.
Chicken Bog
You might know this old-fashioned recipe by any number of names, but regardless, it's always a delicious pot full of chicken and rice. At the heart, it calls for cooking rice in chicken stock, adding shredded chicken, and going heavy on the pepper.
Old-School Squash Casserole
To Southerners, squash casserole is king. As much so as its sibling, the green bean casserole. (Here's our favorite recipe for that.) These are dishes you'll cook your entire life, so why not master them now?
Red Rice
Lowcountry cooks have been making red rice for nearly 300 years, a dish that draws primarily from Gullah-Geechee culture. Essentially a pilaf (also known as pilau, perloo, perlou, and so forth), red rice is a regional delicacy that lets you play around with ingredients. Tomatoes are the must-have ingredient!
Cheese Straws
These might be the hallmark of Southern hosting. In fact, a batch of these simple cheese straws can carry an entire party on its back. Learn it, and learn it well.
Collard Greens
Collard greens make it easy. Don't separate them from their favorite friends—ham hocks and bacon—and we won't have any problems. Apple cider vinegar, sugar, and garlic give a nice touch.
Old-Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings
Here's a Mama-approved hack: Use refrigerated piecrust for the dumplings. It's the time-saving tip that'll get chicken and dumplings on the dinner table a little bit faster.
Skillet Cornbread
A skillet of perfect cornbread will come together every single time if you learn this simple ratio. Browned butter is the extra step that gives this cornbread its "perfect" title.
Classic Egg Salad
Egg salad is the most nostalgic of spreads. For this recipe, we recommend adding a dab or two of Dijon mustard to the hard-boiled eggs, Duke's, and seasonings. Tack on chicken salad and ham salad to your list, and you'll have mastered the Southern spread trio.
Chicken-Fried Steak with Gravy
Much like fried chicken, the magic of this Southern classic lies in its humble simplicity. Seasoned, dredged in flour, dipped in egg-milk mixture, and pan-fried in oil—that's about it. Oh, but don't dare forget about the pepper-cream gravy, which is made from the drippings.
Fried Catfish
Frying up fresh catfish is something Southerners do when feeling frisky—or during Lent. Stone-ground cornmeal makes for the crispiest crust you've ever tasted, and hearty seasoning will steer you home.
Shrimp and Grits
The moment that a coast-dwelling Southerner decided to combine creamy grits with fresh shrimp should go down in history. If you've lived in the South long enough, a good pot of grits should basically manifest on command—then layer it with shrimp, bacon, and its dressed-up drippings.
Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken pot pie, though comforting and classic, is a little involved. A couple Southern-loved shortcuts? Use biscuit dough for the topping, store-bought if you're in a pinch, and frozen veggies are your friends.
Brunswick Stew
Just like what they say about Kentucky's burgoo: "If it walked, crawled, or flew, it goes in Brunswick stew." Each Southern cook has a secret combination of ingredients, but most agree that corn, butter or lima beans, and tomatoes are essential. There's still debate whether this dish hails from Georgia or Virginia.
Shout Hallelujah Potato Salad
Potato salad doesn't like being overwhelmed with ingredients. A simple, no-fail combination: potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, mustard, celery, onion, sweet pickle relish, and, of course, mayo. The rest is personalized seasoning.
Banana Pudding
Though we love our cakes and pies, nothing is easier to know and love than this classic banana pudding. It takes a page straight from grandmother's recipe box. (Note: You can rebel by using that vanilla pudding packet in your pantry.)
Peach Cobbler
Peach cobbler is the ultimate classic. Even if you practically burn water on the stove, you can make this easy six-ingredient recipe.
Death by Chocolate
Layers of moist chocolate cake, milky chocolate pudding, slightly salty chocolate crumbles, and freshly whipped cream make this scoopable dessert (that you'll hear by different names) a fitting companion for any chocolate lover.
Bourbon Balls
This boozy confection is a Southern holiday favorite worth knowing. We'll vouch for any recipe that features one ingredient from the bar cart, while the other three ingredients are gloriously store-bought.
Million Dollar Pound Cake
This is as timeless as it gets. A basic pound cake can fit in anywhere from bridal showers to big potlucks. Serve with toppings of your choice, including fruit and whipped cream.
Gumbo
In the realm of Louisiana cooking, gumbo is many a cook's specialty. A Southern chef can conjure this stew with whatever's on hand—be it Andouille sausage, chicken, shrimp, or okra. (Okra is the ideal thickening agent.) The base requires aromatics like onion, bell pepper, and celery. Hot sauce is always appreciated.
Tomato Sandwich
Not that it really even requires a recipe, but every Southern should know how to make this simple sandwich. In the summer, when garden tomatoes are their juiciest, this simple combination of white bread, mayonnaise, tomatoes, salt, and pepper can't be beat.
Old-School Squash Casserole
This classic casserole is a staple across the South that's found on Easter dinner tables, meat-and-three diner menus, and church potlucks alike. It's an easily adaptable and affordable dish that highlights summer's bounty of yellow squash.
Pan-Fried Okra
This essentially two-ingredient side dish is a must-know for any Southern cook. Okra is the beloved vegetable you'll find fried, stewed, sautéed, and roasted in kitchens across the South, but our favorite way is pan-fried with cornmeal in a skillet.
Chili
Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox
Having a go-to chili recipe is necessary for cold winter nights and football tailgates. While there are plenty of versions of this one-pot dish, whether you prefer beef, chicken, turkey, veggie, or just beans, this basic recipe is the perfect one to always have in your back pocket.
Soup Beans
Greg DuPree; Food Stylist: Ali Ramee; Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood
This simple, comforting Appalachian dish that has been passed down for generations starts with pinto beans and is ideally served with cornbread and chow-chow. The best part about this recipe is it's easily tailored on the fly, depending on what's in the pantry.
Sausage Balls
From potlucks and parties to bridal shower brunches, these bite-sized snacks are a Southern staple. Every good host knows the crowd-pleasing power of a sausage ball and should know how to whip them up at the drop of a hat.
Southern Pecan Pie
Fred Hardy; Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey; Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood
There are quite a few pies we'd deem as Southern classics, but this one easily tops the charts. From holiday parties to neighborly baking, anything with pecans feels ultimately Southern. And once you make made a pecan pie in a cast-iron skillet, you may never go back to a pie plate.
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