53 Classic Southern Recipes We Make In The Summer
Here's to peach cobbler, tomato pie, and squash casserole.
Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
In the South, summer is marked by more than a few traditions, like catching lightning bugs in the dark, spending long days at the lake, and sitting under a haint blue porch ceiling. Yet, many of our most favorite summer traditions center around the classic dishes that we make from May all the way to September. We're filling every casserole dish, cast-iron skillet, and cake pan that we can get our hands on with a farmers' market haul of tomatoes, peas, corn, squash, peaches, berries, and more.
Related: 8 Of Our Editors' Favorite Summer Recipes
Old-School Squash Casserole
There's nothing quite like butter, onions, and squash melding together in a pan. This casserole is go-back-for-seconds good, and it's practically a sin not to have squash casserole in the summer.
Southern Shrimp Pasta Salad
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Clair Spollen; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
This old-school Southern classic, known to many as “Sea Island shrimp,” feels like a luxury, but really isn't difficult to make. Thanks to the pasta, it’s filling enough to serve as a meal.
Corn Pudding Casserole
This version of the classic Corn Pudding Casserole is made with fontina or Swiss cheese for an ultra-creamy, extra indulgent dish. It's the perfect side dish for any summer get-together.
New-Fashioned Banana Pudding
Our banana pudding with a twist features layers of creamy, custardy vanilla pudding (which is made from scratch, not from a packet), crushed vanilla wafers, sliced fresh bananas, and whipped cream. Layer it into a trifle dish or in individual ramekins.
Cajun-Style Potato Salad
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely; Food Stylist: Ali Ramee
We upgraded basic potato salad with a little bit of Creole mustard, hard-cooked eggs, Cajun seasoning, and bacon. We prefer to leave the skin on the tender gold new potatoes.
Deviled Crab Dip
Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
Crab dip just feels so appropriate for summertime hosting. In this recipe, mayo and cream cheese provide a nice creamy base, while the jalapeño and bell pepper provide texture and a bit of color.
Fried Green Tomatoes
Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Christina Dailey
These crispy 'maters are a treat come summertime when tomatoes are at their best. This recipe uses a tasty combination of buttermilk, flour, and cornmeal. Plus, we answer all your questions about how to fry them up right.
Key Lime Pound Cake
Dotdash Meredith
Looking for a novel way to enjoy the flavor of key limes? This heavenly recipe gives you the best of both worlds: pound cake and Key lime pie. The pound cake is flavored with fresh squeezed lime juice, but the icing on the cake s a wonderfully tart Key lime glaze.
Bourbon- And Cola-Glazed Steak Kebabs
Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
Marinated and glazed with a mixture of bourbon, cola, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire, and brown sugar, these skewers grill up fast and come off the grill deliciously charred.
Tomato, Cheddar, and Bacon Pie
A classic tomato pie is hard to beat. We raised the ante with a sour cream crust studded with bacon, layers of colorful tomatoes, and plenty of cheese and herbs to tie it all together.
Tomato, Cheddar, and Bacon Pie Recipe
Classic Deviled Eggs
A platter of deviled eggs makes a worthy addition to every summer meal in our not-so-humble opinion. This no-frills recipe includes sweet pickle relish in the filling.
Strawberry Pretzel Salad
CAITLIN BENSEL; FOOD STYLING: TORIE COX
This vintage gelatin recipe will make more than one appearance at your Southern potlucks this summer. The salty pretzel crust melts in your mouth with layers of whipped topping, strawberry gelatin, and sweetened sour cream. Make this a day ahead so it has time to chill.
West Indies Crab Salad
Despite the name, this Southern salad hails from Mobile, Alabama. Made with fresh crabmeat and a citrusy vinaigrette, this cold salad is pretty served on Bibb lettuce leaves. Tip: It tastes best after a couple hours of chilling.
Fresh Peach Cobbler
Fred Hardy II; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman
A simple cobbler made with juicy, seasonal fruit is about as close to heaven as you can get on a summer's afternoon. Everything is piled together in this simple recipe, which takes just 15 minutes to prepare.
Basic Pimiento Cheese
Fred Hardy; Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke
This is the ultimate Southern spread, no matter the season. Set it proudly on your table alongside the salsa. We recommend hand-grating the cheese and buying diced pimentos for the best texture.
Crab Cakes with Key Lime Mayonnaise
Greg Dupree, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
Summer calls us with the promise of fresh, crispy crab cakes—and these cakes really are the best rendition. The citrusy mayo sauce is a fantastic pairing.
Southern Tomato Sandwich
A tomato sandwich with an ice-cold glass of lemonade is all we need in the summer. This classic recipe uses white bread slices for extra fluffiness.
Peanut Butter-Banana Icebox Pie
This treat would leave Elvis singing some praises. This no-bake pie recipe gets some loving with peanut butter, bananas, and chocolate in a graham-cracker crust. Add extra banana slices, chocolate, and chopped peanuts on top.
Classic Fresh Field Peas
Southern field peas and smoky ham hocks go together like Johnny and June. Use fresh-shelled peas if you can. Ambitious cooks can smoke their own hocks for double the meat.
Best-Ever Succotash
Another "best-ever" recipe adds a harvest-fresh spin to the traditional corn and lima beans. We toss in onion, okra, tomatoes, and basil, along with crumbled bacon. The options to riff on summer produce in this super-versatile side dish are endless.
Blackened Fish Tacos
Greg Dupree, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
We love grouper or mahi for these tacos, but honestly, any fish will work for this recipe with an easy Spicy Slaw and green chile-spiked sour cream. The toppings really make the whole meal sing.
Classic Grilled Corn On The Cob
Check out our tips on how to cook a freshly charred cob of corn at your next barbecue. Sprinkle the cobs with salt and pepper, or try one of flavorful twists we recommend: basil butter, bacon and ranch, honey chipotle, or a smoky dry rub.
Memphis Dry-Rubbed Baby Back Ribs
These smoked ribs are easy to make—just plan for a good three hours in the smoker. A Memphis-style dry rub forms a delicious crust around the meat. The vinegar wash and sprinkle of dry rub at the end mean no messy sauce, and you won't miss it with this recipe.
Berry Sonker with Dip
We came for the berry-filled cobbler-like dessert, and then we came back for seconds because of the creamy vanilla sauce (or "dip"). Sonker hails from Surry County, North Carolina, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. This version uses a luscious blend of blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries.
Fried Pickle Chips
Pickle chips—lightly battered and fried—make a snack fit for the beach or the cookout. You won't want to miss this comeback-style sauce we cooked up in place of ranch dressing. This zesty dip calls for mayonnaise, chili sauce, ketchup, vinegar, sriracha, and Worcestershire.
Shout Hallelujah Potato Salad
When in doubt, bring a bowl of potato salad—every summer occasion would do well with it. Bragging rights for this flavor-packed favorite from The Southern Foodways Alliance Community Cookbook go to Blair Hobbs of Oxford, Mississippi. Her version includes chopped pickles, bell peppers, pimentos, and jalapeños.
Fried Delacata Catfish
To us, crispy fried catfish on a lazy summer evening sounds just like heaven. Bonus points if you're fresh off the lake. We give filets a bath in whole milk or buttermilk, and then dredge in a garlicky, well-seasoned cornmeal mixture.
How To Make Mama's Fried Chicken
Our most shared fried chicken recipe of all time, this Southern classic is perfectly crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. This recipe will take you back to the days when your mother used to fry her famous chicken. Soak your chicken in buttermilk at least two hours before frying. We promise—it'll be nothing short of finger-lickin'-good, sheer Southern comfort.
Enjoying a heaping helping of Mama's Fried Chicken will be reminiscent of your childhood when Mama would tell you to play in the yard with your siblings after Sunday church while she prepared the meal. No doubt, it would be complete with mashed potatoes, collard greens, and mac & cheese. There isn't any other dish as quintessentially Southern.
Are you curious about the secret to this decadent recipe? It's the buttermilk. Soaking the chicken in buttermilk for at least two hours before frying will ensure the dish is perfectly golden on the outside and tender on the inside. Of course, don't forget to make chicken and waffles with the leftovers on Monday morning!
Southern Buttermilk Pie
Fred Hardy II; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Props Stylist: Christina Brockman
The ingredients for this old-school makeshift pie are sitting right in the kitchen already. Sweet and tangy, buttermilk pie is loved for its simplicity and a creamy texture comparable to crème brûlée.
Muffin Pan Tomato Tarts
These tasty tomato bites can be made right in your muffin pan. All you need is puff pastry, fresh tomatoes, Cheddar cheese, and a slather of mayonnaise and seasoning.
Crab Boil with Beer and Old Bay
Nothing screams summer on the Southern east coast like a classic, family-style crab boil. Blue crabs, once called the "pride of the Chesapeake", can be found throughout the Coastal South when in season from late April to October. Simmer them with beer, lemons, onions, and a healthy dose of Old Bay.
Ham Salad
This retro spread is the perfect make-ahead dish for every summer trip. Our variation uses good-quality smoked ham, scallions, flat-leaf parsley, Creole mustard, ground cayenne pepper, and black pepper for a hint of heat. Instead of mayonnaise, we use cream cheese for extra richness.
Creamy Overnight Fruit Salad
Sometimes we need to dress up a bowl full of fruit salad, and a rich whipped cream does the job beautifully. Make it the night before so that the fruit flavors can meld together. A healthy squeeze of lemon juice will keep the fruit from browning.
Whipped-Cream Corn Salad
Imagine a cold salad version of creamed corn, but enveloped in a light and fluffy cloud of whipped cream. The cream isn't sweetened—fresh sweet corn kernels have that covered. Serve corn salad along with your favorite Southern specialties like fried chicken, pork chops, or fall-off-the-bone ribs for the ultimate dinnertime spread.
Classic Macaroni Salad with Ham
This traditional cold salad pairs well with any backyard barbecue main dish. The straightforward recipe involves boiling macaroni and tossing with chopped vegetables, mayonnaise, and Cajun seasoning. For a rainbow of color, use varying shades of bell peppers.
Peach Fried Pies
Canned biscuits and fresh peaches come together for a hot, jammy pie. Just make sure not to overfill, so those peaches stay sealed in. You can take these hand-held fried pies on the go, making them all the more appealing.
Broccoli, Grape, and Pasta Salad
It's not just the heat—this combination of crunchy vegetables and sweet grapes will make you swoon. We toss them with farfalle pasta and a sweet-and-tangy dressing. We finished it off with some crumbled bacon.
Classic Baked Beans
We can't think of any summer occasion where this popular side wouldn't get along. Any backyard barbecue, cookout, or picnic is fair game for beans baked with onions, brown sugar, and bacon. We use canned beans and make them so much better.
Millionaire Pie
If you haven't heard of this tropical-flavored Southern pie, it's time to get acquainted. It's cool, creamy, and loaded with pineapple bits and chewy sweet coconut. Gelatin sets the pie so that it's easily sliceable and maintains its shape on a hot summer day.
Oven-Baked Barbecue Chicken
Nothing says summer like barbecue chicken, and these sweet, sticky chicken drumsticks can be made in the oven. In three simple steps, you'll make a tomatoey homemade sauce, pour it over lightly floured chicken, and stick it in the oven.
Fresh Corn Spoonbread
Iain Bagwell; Styling: Heather Chadduck
Spoonbread is always a treat when made with fresh corn, but this recipe is special enough for company. We dress up your standard self-rising cornmeal mix with corn kernels, plain yogurt, and fresh herbs. Bake until golden brown, and dig in.
Cucumber Tea Sandwiches
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
These cucumber sandwiches make the prettiest tea party snack, but you can also put them out at your reunion picnic. We cut the cucumbers into thin slices to set atop an herby cream cheese mixture on thin slices of soft, white bread. And of course, you must cut off the crusts.
Crab Pie
Instead of your usual Quiche Lorraine, try this coast-inspired crab version for summer. Refrigerated pie crusts make the prospect simpler, and this recipe is all about the savory leek-and-crabmeat filling anyway.
Baked Zucchini Fries
Healthy zucchini oven-baked in a panko breadcrumb-and-grated parmesan cheese mixture? Sign us up. Besides using up your surfeit of squash, this recipe will even satisfy the kids. Serve with marinara sauce or ranch dressing.
Black Bean And Corn Salsa
Forgo the jar for this fresh salsa featuring summertime ingredients. With herbs, citrus, and a jalapeño chile, this black bean and corn salsa recipe is bright, flavorful, and crunchy.
Tangy Potato-Green Bean Salad
We love a creamy potato salad, but sometimes you crave something light on a bright summer day. Hold the mayo, and try out a lively lemon-dill vinaigrette for your next picnic. Tender-crisp green beans and sliced radishes add crunch.
Watermelon, Cucumber, And Feta Salad
Cucumbers and shallots add a welcome crunch to this refreshing summer salad of cubed watermelon, fresh mint, and crumbled feta cheese. A personal-sized seedless watermelon is just the right size for this salad, or use half a large watermelon and serve the rest in slices. Dress the salad right before serving to prevent the melon and cucumbers from watering down the vinaigrette.
Classic Coleslaw
You'll want to shred the cabbage, carrots, and Vidalia onion on a box grater, or use a food processor, in lieu of a store-bought pack. The finely chopped bits will soak up the cider vinegar and mayonnaise dressing. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.
Homemade Chicken Salad
Nothing fancy here—this recipe harkens back to great-grandma's days, when a well-seasoned mix of chopped chicken and celery were bound together with mayonnaise and a generous splash of fresh lemon juice. Simmer chicken until tender for the meat, or pick up a rotisserie chick from the deli.
Pan-Fried Okra With Cornmeal
Okra is delicious stewed, sautéed, or roasted, but we especially like it sliced and fried in cornmeal. This simple recipe takes less than half an hour to prepare and doesn't even require dredging. For the best results, choose fresh okra pods no longer than 4 inches long.
Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad
A Caprese salad of tomatoes, basil, and fresh mozzarella cheese is typically laid out in slices. We give the salad a fun new look by using a mix of multicolored cherry tomatoes and small fresh mozzarella balls. The dressing calls for white balsamic vinegar, which won't turn the cheese brown.
Chicken-and-Shrimp Kebabs With Summer Vegetables And Basil Oil
These kebabs feature bite-sized chicken pieces and shrimp along with flavorful peppers, zucchini, and onions. Serve with a tangy basil oil on the side. It also makes a great dipping oil for pieces of torn bread.
Cast-Iron Cowboy Steak
A bone-in cowboy ribeye is great cut to cook in a cast iron skillet, but cooking it indoors tends to smoke up the house. Bring your skillet to the grill instead to sear the steak and seal in all that flavor. With a few dashes of herbs, you'll cook up a cast iron steak with a proper steak house crust in no time.
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