Southern cooking is actually very diverse depending on where in the South you are. While each region may focus on different ingredients or styles, there is one thing that’s similar throughout all of the areas. It’s delicious! Explore Southern cuisine from your kitchen. You’re not going to be able to get enough of these 30 Southern classics. From main meals to desserts, appetizers to side dishes, these recipes are just like mama made (or pretty close).
Southern-Style Hush Puppies
“Living on the coast of North Carolina, we love Calabash-style seafood and hush puppies. I serve these hush puppies hot with homemade honey butter and fresh local fish fried up crispy and golden, MMMM MMMMM!” – Elaine
Best Chicken Fried Steak Ever
“This version of chicken-fried steak is extremely user-friendly. Albeit a bit messy, the outcome is fantastic. I love to mix spices for various recipes, but this one is one I no longer try to alter. A true family favorite!” – Nancy
Crock Pot Chicken Pot “Pie” & Dumplings
“This is one of the best (and easiest) chicken and dumpling recipes that I have ever tried. I did alter it, adding peas to it, so it is more like a chicken pot pie.” – Rene
Southern Banana Pudding
“I love love love banana pudding. It is my all-time favorite Southern dessert. Eating it warm, right after I make it is the absolute best. It is really easy and quick to make.” – Janna
Failproof Fluffy Butter Biscuits
“After attempts to make fluffy but buttery tasting biscuits, I think I finally came up with a terrific recipe. I hope you enjoy it!” – Robin
Southern Smoky Green Beans
“In my family, I am known for my green beans, of all the things I cook. GREEN BEANS? LOL.” – Debbie
Southern Cornbread by Renae
“There must be a thousand ways we Southerners make cornbread. This is just mine. My family enjoys it and I hope you will too. It’s a little different than your standard recipe, but we like the buttery taste.” – Renae
Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs
“Made these up for Easter dinner and everyone loved them. I didn’t even have any leftovers to bring home. A great twist on the deviled egg.” – Kathy
Fried Green Tomato BLT with Pimento Cheese
“A Southern twist on a BLT swapping out the ripe red tomatoes for crispy fried green tomatoes and adding some tasty pimento cheese.” – Kevin
Hoppin’ John A New Year Tradition – Dee Dee’s
“As long as I can remember, we had black-eyed peas & greens on New Year’s Day. Throughout the coastal South, eating Hoppin’ John on New Year’s Day is thought to bring a prosperous year filled with luck.” – Diane
* Blue Ribbon Birthday Cobbler * Double Crust
“This is my husband’s absolute favorite dessert. He has requested it for his birthday for the past 26 years. His Granny always made hers this way, so I had to learn to make mine like he was used to. To me, it’s a lot like a peach pie, but he says no…lol.” – Cassie
Shrimp and Grits
“At one time this dish was just a make-do dish when food was scarce and leftovers were turned into meals. However, this delicious dish is now served at some of the finest restaurants in the South. When I make grits, I usually add cheese, salt, and garlic powder.” – Paula
Authentic Beignets
“Grew up eating these all the time. Nothing in the world like them. One order of them was 3. They were always served in those little lunch paper bags with a ton of powdered sugar back then. We’d close the bags and shake them up to get as much powdered sugar on the donuts as we could. Then when we finished the donuts we would eat the powdered sugar which had a lot of clumps from the moisture of the heat from the donuts.” – Donna
Fried Green Tomatoes
“I’ve lived in a Southern state for over 6 years now, and I’ve finally made these beautiful fried tangy delicious bites! The tomatoes in my garden may not all make it to red anymore.” – Heather
Southern Fried Chicken Recipe
“Naturally, fried chicken is considered Southern cuisine. Folks young and old enjoy good fried chicken… especially home cooked. My husband says I’m the champion fried chicken cooker. Don’t know about that, but everyone who has ever tried mine really loves it and wants to know how I get it so crispy.” – Virginia
Peach Cobbler
“Every time I make this cobbler I get requests for the recipe. One of our friends said it was the best peach cobbler he had ever eaten.” – Laura
Dorothy’s Sweet Potato Pie
“This is one of my family’s favorite pies and the one that I sell most during the Thanksgiving holiday.” – Dorothy
Outrageous Corn Pudding
“No corn muffin mix needed for this. This wonderful side dish is always the first one I get asked to make at any holiday gathering, be it Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Easter. My entire family loves it.” – Mary
Spicy Sausage Gravy for Biscuits
“This is the most requested recipe that I own! Family get-togethers in our family involve the whole weekend. Kids and grandkids alike come for the 3 days and enjoy the family atmosphere. Nothing says family atmosphere like the whole family gathered around the breakfast table slurping up sausage gravy and biscuits.” – Cherie
Preacher Cake
“My Dad loved to make this cake for company, potlucks, and just general eating. He always said it was easy to remember because it took 2 of everything. Most of the time my parents served this without the rich frosting as that made it deadly – just kidding, but it is certainly rich enough without it… LOL.” – Susan J
Cajun Chubby Shrimp and Veggie Debris Po’boy
“I have always enjoyed seafood po’boys from New Orleans growing up on the Gulf Coast. You can enjoy one too right from your home – no travel to NOLA. My husband and oldest son thoroughly enjoyed and devoured my po’boys.” – Barbara
Deep Dish Buttermilk Chess Pie
“This is just an old-fashioned chess pie. Best of all, you can’t taste the buttermilk and it’s so rich.” – Rose
Hummingbird Cake
“I just love this cake recipe. I make it for Easter and Mother’s Day. My family loves it as well. It is simple, easy, and your family and friends will love it also.” – tammy
Slap Your Mama It’s So Delicious Southern Squash Casserole
“This is a tried and true Southern recipe that can be modified by adding meat or rice to it to make it a meal by itself. My daughter loves this recipe.” – Sherri
Chocolate Cobbler
“This recipe is great anytime! I take is to family dinners and I fix it in the mornings to take to work for breakfast.” – Erin
Mississippi Mud Cake
“This was passed down to me from my Nannie, my Dad’s mom. It is very rich, but very good.” – Wanda
Texas Sheet Cake
“Easy to make and always a family favorite!” – Vanessa
Mom’s Chess Pie
“My mom passed this recipe on to me years ago. Everyone loves her chess pies!” – Erin
Mama’s Fried Okra With Green Tomatoes
“When it comes to frying okra no one does it better than my Mama. She uses a simple method that makes delicious crispy fried okra every time. My family has always added a chopped-up green tomato when frying okra, they two go really well together making for a wonderful side dish to any meal.” – Janet
Busy Day Brunswick Stew (Crock Pot)
“Brunswick stew was a specialty of my father’s, and his recipe was his mother’s which dated back to her grandmother way before the Civil War. I have adapted it to Crock Pot cooking. And like my father, I always believe it tastes better reheated on the second day.” – Susan