Spread across 12 different states (or more, depending on who you ask), Southern food can vary widely from one area to the next. From Louisiana gumbo to Kentucky burgoo, Southern eats often put ingredients like chicken, pork chops, catfish, crawfish, and collard greens front and center.
Those specialties represent the American South's far-reaching heritage. African, Indigenous, English, French, Irish, and Scottish cultures—to name just a few—have all made major impacts on the region's cuisine, and different chapters of history can be seen in just about everything you eat.
Some of the most iconic Southern recipes represent a blend of different cooking styles, like crawfish boils, which combine French Canadian and Creole culinary traditions. Southern barbecue standards, meanwhile, are rooted in Native American meat-roasting techniques and have evolved into a favorite meal nationwide. Then there are dishes like chitlins, also known as chitterlings, once eaten by Black slaves out of necessity and now a Southern staple.
To celebrate the culinary offerings from the region, Stacker compiled a list of Southern recipes from Allrecipes. Packed with variety and filled with rich flavor and varied flavors, keep reading for Southern classics, including a number of delicious soul food dishes you'll return to again and again.
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- Rating: 4.5/5 (118 reviews)
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 20 minutes
- Total time: 30 minutes
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 9
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 4.3/5 (96 reviews)
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 45 minutes
- Total time: 55 minutes
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 9
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 4.5/5 (166 reviews)
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cook time: 10 minutes
- Total time: 30 minutes
- Servings: 2
- Yield: 2 servings
- Number of ingredients: 8
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 4.6/5 (247 reviews)
- Prep time: 30 minutes
- Cook time: 1 hr 40 minutes
- Additional time: 15 minutes
- Total time: 1 hr 85 minutes
- Servings: 20
- Yield: 20 servings
- Number of ingredients: 11
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 4.9/5 (289 reviews)
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cook time: 1 hr 30 minutes
- Total time: 1 hr 50 minutes
- Servings: 8
- Yield: 8 servings
- Number of ingredients: 12
- Read more about the recipe here
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- Rating: 4.7/5 (1,171 reviews)
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cook time: 45 minutes
- Total time: 65 minutes
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 17
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 4.8/5 (28 reviews)
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cook time: 45 minutes
- Additional time: 20 minutes
- Total time: 85 minutes
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 1 9-inch pie
- Number of ingredients: 12
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 4.4/5 (512 reviews)
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 40 minutes
- Total time: 50 minutes
- Servings: 4
- Yield: 4 servings
- Number of ingredients: 8
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 4.5/5 (1,493 reviews)
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cook time: 20 minutes
- Total time: 40 minutes
- Servings: 4
- Yield: 4 steaks
- Number of ingredients: 14
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 4.1/5 (47 reviews)
- Prep time: 5 minutes
- Cook time: 15 minutes
- Total time: 20 minutes
- Servings: 7
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
- Number of ingredients: 7
- Read more about the recipe here
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- Rating: 4.5/5 (1,435 reviews)
- Prep time: 25 minutes
- Cook time: 3 hrs 5 minutes
- Additional time: 8 hrs
- Total time: 11 hrs 30 minutes
- Servings: 8
- Yield: 8 servings
- Number of ingredients: 16
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 4.9/5 (1,183 reviews)
- Prep time: 30 minutes
- Cook time: 45 minutes
- Total time: 75 minutes
- Servings: 8
- Yield: 8 servings
- Number of ingredients: 20
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 4.8/5 (540 reviews)
- Prep time: 30 minutes
- Cook time: 30 minutes
- Total time: 60 minutes
- Servings: 15
- Yield: 15 servings
- Number of ingredients: 6
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 4.7/5 (230 reviews)
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 10 minutes
- Total time: 20 minutes
- Servings: 4
- Yield: 4 servings
- Number of ingredients: 7
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 4.8/5 (115 reviews)
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 2 hrs 45 minutes
- Total time: 2 hrs 60 minutes
- Servings: 5
- Yield: 5 servings
- Number of ingredients: 7
- Read more about the recipe here
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- Rating: 4.6/5 (244 reviews)
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 4 hrs
- Total time: 4 hrs 10 minutes
- Servings: 4
- Yield: 4 servings
- Number of ingredients: 6
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 4.4/5 (564 reviews)
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 30 minutes
- Total time: 40 minutes
- Servings: 8
- Yield: 8 servings
- Number of ingredients: 11
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 4.6/5 (1,293 reviews)
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cook time: 15 minutes
- Total time: 35 minutes
- Servings: 4
- Yield: 4 servings
- Number of ingredients: 10
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 4.5/5 (443 reviews)
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 45 minutes
- Total time: 60 minutes
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 6
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 4.6/5 (28 reviews)
- Prep time: 30 minutes
- Cook time: 1 hr 15 minutes
- Total time: 1 hr 45 minutes
- Servings: 10
- Yield: 10 servings
- Number of ingredients: 15
- Read more about the recipe here
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- Rating: 4.7/5 (368 reviews)
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 6 minutes
- Additional time: 2 hrs
- Total time: 2 hrs 16 minutes
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 7
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 4.6/5 (586 reviews)
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 1 hr
- Total time: 1 hr 10 minutes
- Servings: 4
- Yield: 4 servings
- Number of ingredients: 5
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 4.2/5 (181 reviews)
- Prep time: 30 minutes
- Cook time: 30 minutes
- Additional time: 2 hrs
- Total time: 2 hrs 60 minutes
- Servings: 8
- Yield: 8 servings
- Number of ingredients: 11
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 4.6/5 (160 reviews)
- Prep time: 40 minutes
- Cook time: 1 hr
- Additional time: 15 minutes
- Total time: 1 hr 55 minutes
- Servings: 10
- Yield: 2 9x5-inch loaves
- Number of ingredients: 19
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 4.4/5 (1,571 reviews)
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 15 minutes
- Additional time: 30 minutes
- Total time: 60 minutes
- Servings: 4
- Yield: 4 servings
- Number of ingredients: 6
- Read more about the recipe here
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- Rating: 4.8/5 (224 reviews)
- Prep time: 40 minutes
- Additional time: 1 day
- Total time: 1 day
- Servings: 8
- Yield: 8 servings
- Number of ingredients: 22
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 4.6/5 (631 reviews)
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 12 hrs
- Total time: 12 hrs 15 minutes
- Servings: 10
- Yield: 10 servings
- Number of ingredients: 8
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 4.5/5 (270 reviews)
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 35 minutes
- Total time: 45 minutes
- Servings: 8
- Yield: 8 servings
- Number of ingredients: 5
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 4.4/5 (87 reviews)
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cook time: 1 hr
- Total time: 1 hr 20 minutes
- Servings: 8
- Yield: 8 servings
- Number of ingredients: 15
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 4.8/5 (1,405 reviews)
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cook time: 2 hrs 40 minutes
- Total time: 2 hrs 60 minutes
- Servings: 4
- Yield: 4 servings
- Number of ingredients: 20
- Read more about the recipe here
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- Rating: 4.2/5 (60 reviews)
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 15 minutes
- Additional time: 2 hrs
- Total time: 2 hrs 30 minutes
- Servings: 10
- Yield: 10 servings
- Number of ingredients: 11
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 3.8/5 (174 reviews)
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 20 minutes
- Total time: 30 minutes
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 12
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 4.3/5 (109 reviews)
- Servings: 5
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 11
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 4.7/5 (28 reviews)
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 10 minutes
- Total time: 25 minutes
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 11
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 4.6/5 (277 reviews)
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cook time: 6 hrs 15 minutes
- Additional time: 8 hrs 30 minutes
- Total time: 14 hrs 65 minutes
- Servings: 10
- Yield: 10 servings
- Number of ingredients: 20
- Read more about the recipe here
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- Rating: 4.4/5 (489 reviews)
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 2 hrs 20 minutes
- Total time: 2 hrs 35 minutes
- Servings: 4
- Yield: 4 servings
- Number of ingredients: 7
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 4.0/5 (211 reviews)
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cook time: 8 hrs
- Total time: 8 hrs 20 minutes
- Servings: 8
- Yield: 8 servings
- Number of ingredients: 12
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 4.6/5 (398 reviews)
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cook time: 25 minutes
- Total time: 45 minutes
- Servings: 5
- Yield: 5 servings
- Number of ingredients: 12
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 4.7/5 (299 reviews)
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 20 minutes
- Total time: 35 minutes
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 6
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 4.6/5 (61 reviews)
- Prep time: 2 hrs
- Cook time: 6 hrs
- Total time: 8 hrs
- Servings: 12
- Yield: 12 Servings
- Number of ingredients: 5
- Read more about the recipe here
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- Rating: 4.3/5 (47 reviews)
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 15 minutes
- Total time: 25 minutes
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 6
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 4.7/5 (60 reviews)
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 55 minutes
- Additional time: 8 hrs
- Total time: 8 hrs 70 minutes
- Servings: 5
- Yield: 5 servings
- Number of ingredients: 10
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 4.1/5 (46 reviews)
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 4 hrs
- Total time: 4 hrs 15 minutes
- Servings: 8
- Yield: 8 servings
- Number of ingredients: 7
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 4.6/5 (59 reviews)
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 20 minutes
- Total time: 35 minutes
- Servings: 4
- Yield: 4 servings
- Number of ingredients: 12
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 4.6/5 (177 reviews)
- Prep time: 30 minutes
- Cook time: 4 hrs
- Total time: 4 hrs 30 minutes
- Servings: 8
- Yield: 8 servings
- Number of ingredients: 12
- Read more about the recipe here
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- Rating: 4.5/5 (21 reviews)
- Prep time: 30 minutes
- Cook time: 2 hrs
- Total time: 2 hrs 30 minutes
- Servings: 10
- Yield: 10 servings
- Number of ingredients: 7
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 4.6/5 (114 reviews)
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 33 minutes
- Additional time: 17 minutes
- Total time: 60 minutes
- Servings: 2
- Yield: 2 servings
- Number of ingredients: 6
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 4.8/5 (937 reviews)
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 2 hrs 45 minutes
- Total time: 2 hrs 60 minutes
- Servings: 20
- Yield: 1 (10 pound) ham
- Number of ingredients: 7
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 4.8/5 (251 reviews)
- Prep time: 30 minutes
- Cook time: 3 hrs 15 minutes
- Total time: 3 hrs 45 minutes
- Servings: 8
- Yield: 8 servings
- Number of ingredients: 16
- Read more about the recipe here
- Rating: 4.3/5 (97 reviews)
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 9
- Read more about the recipe here
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