40 Authentic Soul Food Recipes to Honor and Celebrate Black History Month
Fried Catfish with Hot Sauce
Black History Month is celebrated the entire month of February, so it's only right to help honor and celebrate the month with these 40 amazing soul food recipes that pay homage to the culture. Each year is another opportunity to shine a national spotlight on the food of the black diaspora. Even though most of these recipes have already become staples in many households around the world, Black History Month is an opportunity to highlight them.
Related: 27 Soulful Recipes From The African Diaspora
What is Soul Food?
A lot of black cuisines originated from the Spanish and French decedents, which later intertwined with the South. This cuisine then took on the term "soul food." Just like it sounds, soul food is a cuisine that is cooked with an abundance of love and passion, coming from the soul.
What Are the Most Popular Soul Food Dishes?
Many traditional soul food recipes are created straight out of the garden. With well-known dishes such as Southern collard greens, black-eyed peas and okra.
Each Southern region in the United States has its own particular take on soul food. For instance, Louisiana is known for its Creole and Cajun-style cooking. This combines the likes of French, Spanish and Haitian cuisines. Louisiana is known for its "holy trinity," which is a staple cooking base made up of onion, celery and bell pepper. The holy trinity is found in virtually all Creole recipes.
Related: 24 Best Soul Food Side Dishes
Then we move over to the coastal regions of Georgia and South Carolina, where you will find Lowcountry cuisine. You can find dishes in this region such as "Hoppin' Johns," which are black-eyed peas, seafood such as crab, oysters and shrimp and much more.
Throughout the years, many cultures have meshed with one another, and beautiful culinary creations were born. With all of the different cuisines throughout the south one thing remains true—soul food is one of the most popular. Even more, with soul food, seasoning is not amiss, butter is plentiful and the flavor is key!
Related: The Vintage Recipe That Was One of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Favorite Desserts
Best Soul Food Recipes for Black History Month
Best Soul Food Recipes
Melissa Sperka
A tasty twist on traditional collard recipes with the addition of Cajun seasoning and smoky bacon.
Get the recipe: Cajun Collard Greens
Gabriele Stabile
Got a jar of molasses languishing in your pantry? Grab it for this simple recipe, from the cookbook Carla Hall’s Soul Food.
Get the recipe: Molasses Baked Chicken Wings
Related: 40 Addictive Chicken Wings
The Girl Who Ate Everything
The brown sugar and pecan crust make this sweet potato casserole stand above the rest.
Get the recipe: Ruth's Cris Sweet Potato Casserole
Sanura Weathers
Soul food with a farm-fresh remix of flavors.
Get the recipe: Smashed Potatoes, Peas and Corn with Chili-Garlic Oil
Teresa Blackburn
A Cajun classic filled with abundant flavor.
Get the recipe: Black-Eyed Pea Jambalaya
Victor Protasio
Crispy, southern fried catfish with a hot sauce that will make you want a glass of milk.
Get the recipe: Fried Catfish with Hot Sauce
Theresa Graco
This High on the Hog-inspired mac and cheese is perfect for Black History Month or National Soul Food Month in June, especially on Juneteenth.
Get the recipe: 'High on the Hog' Macaroni and Cheese
Grandbaby Cakes
These authentic Southern Collard Greens are braised in savory meat flavored and perfectly spiced pot liquor resulting in an amazing tender silky texture!
Get the Recipe: Collard Greens Recipe
Grandbaby Cakes
This Southern Smothered Pork Chops Recipe is pure comfort food. Lightly breaded pork chops are smothered in a rich savory and well-seasoned brown gravy resulting in the perfect Southern classic.
Get the Recipe: Smothered Pork Chops
Grandbaby Cakes
Fill your kitchen with the smell of freshly-baked Southern Cornbread in just about an hour! This classic recipe from my Auntie Rose creates a super moist, buttery and fluffy Cornbread that makes for the perfect snack or side.
Get the Recipe: Southern Cornbread Recipe
Related: 26 Easy and Savory Cornbread Recipes
Grandbaby Cakes
This classic southern Fried Catfish recipe is dredged in a perfectly seasoned and spiced cornmeal breading and fried until tender on the inside and crispy golden brown on the outside!
Get the Recipe: Fried Catfish
Grandbaby Cakes
This easy homemade peach cobbler with canned peaches or fresh peaches is the perfect Southern old-fashioned recipe made with sweet spiced peaches and homemade butter pie crust!
Get the Recipe: How to Make Southern Peach Cobbler
Razzle Dazzle Life
Lemon Pepper Honey chicken wings where the honey is infused with a nice lemon pepper flavor and then drizzled over extra crispy, lightly breaded chicken wings to create the perfect balance of savory sweet!
Get the Recipe: Lemon Pepper Honey Chicken Wings
Razzle Dazzle Life
Garlic butter shrimp and grits...well not your average shrimp and grits! Loaded with supple shrimp, spinach, and tomatoes. Swimming in a rich garlic butter sauce served over cheesy, creamy grits.
Get the Recipe: Garlic Butter Shrimp and Grits
Sweet Tea and Thyme
Southern baked macaroni and cheese, also called soul food mac and cheese, is the ultimate in comfort food. Creamy, rich, ooey-gooey, super cheesy, with those crispy browned cheese edges...no one can resist perfectly baked mac and cheese.
Get the Recipe: Soul Food Southern Baked Mac and Cheese
Sense and Edibility
Homemade Banana Pudding is easier (and tastier) than you can imagine. A layered dessert made with pastry cream and fresh bananas, it'll be your go-to recipe.
Get the Recipe: Homemade Banana Pudding
Global Kitchen Travels
Grits are the perfect example of the weaving and blending of Native American and African American cultures which dates back centuries. These creamy cheesy grits are a great side dish to complement any meal or breakfast!
Get the Recipe: Southern Cheese Grits
Dude That Cookz
Cajun Fried Fish & Cheese Grits are a southern delicacy. Easy to make, this recipe is the perfect option for breakfast, brunch, or dinner. If you are from the south or have ever visited, you've most likely heard of fish and grits.
Get the Recipe: Cajun Fried Fish and Cheese Grits
Seasoned To Taste
Add a tasty twist to your traditional deviled eggs with fresh herbs, lemon and pepper sauce topped with buttered Cajun-Creole shrimp!
Get the Recipe: Cajun Shrimp Deviled Eggs
This Worthey Life
This easy Braised Smothered Pork + Black-Eyed Peas is 100% comfort food with a bit of luck thrown in for good measure.
Get the Recipe: Braised Smothered Pork and Black Eyed Peas
The Seasoned Skillet
One of my favorite meals that remind me of home, family, and love. Creamy red beans with a bit of spice that can only have been created in a tiny Kitchen in New Orleans.
Get the Recipe: Easy Classic Buttermilk Cornbread
Good Food Baddie
Creamy Homemade Mac and Cheese with savory butternut squash, a blend of four kinds of cheese, simple spices and gluten-free noodles! This dish is surely one that your family will love!
Get the Recipe: The Best Gluten-Free Mac and Cheese
We Eat At Last
You can still enjoy collard greens without meat with this easy Instant Pot vegetarian collard greens recipe. This recipe still retains the smoky flavor, without meat making it also great for meatless Mondays.
Get the Recipe: Vegetarian Apple Cider Collard Greens
Sense and Edibility
Sweet Potato gets a major overhaul when it's taken out of pie dough and baked in a cheesecake, then smothered with a Pecan Praline Topping.
Get the Recipe: Sweet Potato Cheesecake with Pecan Praline Topping
Dash of Jazz
Soul food power bowls combine favorite soul food flavors like quick-cooked collards, caramelized sweet potato, and spicy okra in one flavorful, healthy package.
Get the Recipe: Soul Food Power Bowl
Related: 35 Movies You Should Stream for Black History Month
Britney Breaks Bread
This a classic tried and true recipe that everyone knows and loves! This buttermilk fried chicken with sour cream and honey sauce has been passed down in my family and I couldn’t be more excited to share this recipe. It’s utterly delicious!
Get the Recipe: Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Sour Cream and Honey Sauce
Christy Irene
One of my favorite meals that remind me of home, family and love. Creamy red beans with a bit of spice that can only have been created in a tiny Kitchen in New Orleans.
Get the Recipe: Red Beans and Rice with Sausage
Cat Will Made It
This Southern-Style Cornbread Dressing is amazing for any occasion, the holidays, Sunday dinner, a Soulfood-themed party, or just a normal Wednesday night. You absolutely won’t regret making this dish and it tastes even better warmed up the next day.
Get the Recipe: Southern Cornbread Dressing
Chenee Today
Rich, velvety sweet potato pie, perfectly sweet and spiced, with a boost from brown butter and a dark brown sugar layer, all in a homemade flaky, all-butter pie crust. This is a pie that you can tell is always made with love!
Get the Recipe: Brown Butter Black Bottom Sweet Potato Pie
Good Food Baddie
This easy garlic-herb baked okra recipe is perfect if you are looking for tender, flavorful okra with the perfect crispy garlicky crust. The best way to make crispy okra is in the oven! It’s the perfect texture—not slimy at all—and is great for a healthy side dish!
Get the Recipe: Easy Garlic Herb Baked Okra
The Vgn Way
A twist on the classic hummus, with lucky Black-eyed peas in place of the chickpeas. A wonderful appetizer or snack thats gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan.
Get the Recipe: Black-Eyed Pea Hummus
Sweet Tea and Thyme
These flavorful and tender green beans have been a Southern staple for generations. Slow-cooked in a vitamin-rich broth with smoked meat, this cultural side dish is on every Southern holiday table!
Get the Recipe: Authentic Southern Green Beans
I Can You Can Vegan
Simple and delicious homemade cornbread that's completely egg and dairy free!
Get the Recipe: Easy Vegan Cornbread
On Ty's Plate
This creamy, starchy, and superbly seasoned Southern Potato Salad is the perfect side for any southern meal.
Get the Recipe: Southern Potato Salad
On Ty's Plate
Spicy Southern Collard Greens with Bacon—soulful broth braised collard greens with bacon and a spicy blend of seasoning.
Get the Recipe: Spicy Southern Collard Greens with Bacon
Big Delicious Life
These fluffy buttermilk biscuits are studded with crumbled sausage and sharp cheddar cheese. Perfect on their own, with butter or split and topped with a fried egg for a full home-cooked breakfast.
Get the Recipe: Sausage Cheddar Biscuits
The Diasporic Dish
One-pot West African rice dish with roasted lamb and salad.
Get the Recipe: Jollof Rice and Roasted Lamb
Sense and Edibility
Chicken and Waffles is comfort food! Buttermilk marinated chicken served atop light, airy sweet cream waffles, are the perfect pair.
Get the Recipe: Chicken and Waffles with Honey-Cinnamon Butter
My Pretty Brown Fit
Crispy Oven Okra is roasted to perfection with a flavorful crunch. Served with a delicious, Lemon-Dill and Garlic Aioli and will easily become a family favorite!
Get the Recipe: Crispy Oven Okra with Lemon Dill and Garlic Aoli
Jamieson Diaries
As one of the many Black Americans connected to multiple parts of the African diaspora through family and food, these Jamaican Fried Dumplings are what a lot of Caribbean people call a staple. They’re easy to make and pair well with just about any dish!
Get the Recipe: Jamaican Fried Dumplings
Related: 32 Best Creative Dumpling Recipes
Up next: 30 Black Americans To Celebrate During Black History Month
