60 Classic Southern Recipes To Make All Summer Long

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!

Fried Green Tomatoes

Ask anyone: 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.

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.

Summer Pasta Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

Nothing looks so summery as a nectarine-speckled pasta salad. In this recipe, a mix of fresh zucchini, yellow squash, and rosy-skinned nectarines are dressed with a honey-mustard-lime viniagrette. It's the perfect side for pulled pork or barbecue chicken.

Banana Pudding

We do love a warm, gooey cobbler even on the hottest day, but this layered pudding might be the ultimate summer treat. Our version forgoes the packet of vanilla pudding for made-from-scratch goodness. The pudding can be baked in individual glass dishes or an 8x8 baking pan.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

The upside-down cake is something to behold when you flip it from its pan. Make it in a cast-iron skillet for an incredibly gooey, caramelized topping. Use a fresh summer pineapple if you can.

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. Garnish with fresh herbs.

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. We recommend using Duke's mayonnaise.

West Indies Crab Salad

Recipe: West Indies Crab Salad

Despite the name, this classic Southern salad hails from Mobile, Alabama. Made with fresh crabmeat and a citrusy vinaigrette, this cold salad is pretty served on Bibb lettuce leaves. The salad tastes best after a couple hours of chilling.

Classic Fresh Field Peas

Southern field peas and smoky ham hocks go together like Johnny and June in the summertime. Use fresh-shelled peas if you can. Ambitious cooks can smoke their own hocks for double the meat.

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.

Peanut Butter-Banana Icebox Pie

This treat would leave Elvis singing some praises. The no-bake pie recipe gets some lovin' with peanut butter, bananas, and chocolate in a graham-cracker crust. Add more banana slices, chocolate, and chopped peanuts on top.

Easy Peach Cobbler

A sweet, 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 10 minutes to prepare. We love it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Egg Salad Sandwiches

This nostalgic spread is always there to feed a hungry group of Southerners. In our version, we grate the eggs and onion for a more finely-textured salad that won't fall out of sandwiches. Sour cream, sweet pickles, and salad seasoning give it a zing.

Best-Ever Crab Cakes with Green Tomato Slaw

Summer calls us with the promise of fresh, crispy crab cakes. And these cakes really are the "best ever." The tangy and crisp slaw is fantastic with any kind of fried seafood.

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.

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.

Tomato Sandwiches

On a hot summer's day, a simple tomato sandwich with an ice-cold glass of lemonade is all we need. This classic recipe uses white bread slices and herby cream cheese. Cut off the crusts so they're ready for high tea.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

This vintage gelatin recipe will make more than one appearance at your Southern potlucks this summer, trust us on that. The salty pretzel crust melts in your mouth with luscious layers of whipped topping, strawberry gelatin, and sweetened sour cream. Make this a day ahead so it has time to chill.

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.

Basic Pimiento Cheese

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.

Fried Pickle Chips

Pickle chips, lightly battered and fried, make a snack fit for the beach or the grill table. You won't want to miss this Roundhouse-Kick 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 fillets a bath in whole milk or buttermilk and then dredge in a garlicky, well-seasoned cornmeal mixture.

Field Pea, Corn and Bacon Salad

Nothing displays your fresh summer produce like a simple salad—with bacon, of course. Experiment with any shelling peas from the farmer's market, like crowder peas, purple hulls, or lady peas. Drizzle the salad with our minty Summer Sauce.

Southern Buttermilk Pie

This is what Mama makes when it's too hot to think. The ingredients 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. 

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.

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. Sprinkle fresh torn basil over top.

Crab Boil with Beer and Old Bay

Nothing screams summer on the Southern 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.

Lady Pea-and-Corn Patties

Here's another tasty way to make use of your summer veggies. These crispy pea-and-corn patties are quickly browned in a skillet. We recommend serving with a sour cream, lime, and cilantro sauce.

Ham Salad

This old-school 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.

Cherry Flag Pie

It's the All-American dessert for the ages: Cherry pie. We use a small star-shaped cutter and a paring knife to create the flag on this impressive summer dessert. The flavor of fresh Bing cherries will wow you, too.

Strawberry Lemonade Pie

As refreshing as a tall glass of lemonade, this pie's custard is made of a blend of lemonade concentrate and sweetened condensed milk. Swirl in a simple strawberry syrup to make it even sweeter.

Classic Macaroni Salad with Ham

This traditional cold salad pairs well with any backyard barbecue main or lake day sack lunch. 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.

Slow-Cooker Pork Shoulder

This versatile BBQ dish has been feeding Southerners during the summer for decades. Our version has a sweet and tangy soy-and-vinegar flavor profile. Best served on a soft bun with a generous helping of barbecue sauce and coleslaw.

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 creamy, sweet-and-tangy dressing. Finish it all with some crumbled bacon and you're in business.

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.

Key Lime Pound Cake

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.

Oven-Baked Barbecue Chicken

Nothing says summer like barbecue chicken, and these sweet and 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

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.

Dainty Cucumber Sandwiches

These cucumber sandwiches make the prettiest tea party snack, but you can also put them out at your reunion picnic. We peel the cucumbers into long ribbons to set atop an herbal 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—this recipe is all about the savory leek and crabmeat filling. We recommend mimosas and salads on the side.

Baked Zucchini Fries

Healthy zucchini oven-baked in a panko breadcrumb-and-grated parmesan cheese mixture—sign me up. Besides using up your surfeit of squash, this recipe will even satisfy the kids. Serve with marinara sauce or ranch dressing.

Creole Burger

We all have our favorite toppings for a hot, juicy burger fresh off the grill. But the tangy Creole mustard sauce in this recipe just may win you over. We also mix Creole seasoning and cayenne into the ground beef for more heat.

Three-Bean Salad With Tomatoes And Tangy Creole Dressing

Every summer buffet needs a three-bean salad, but perhaps it's time for a fresh take on the old-time favorite. Kidney beans, green beans, and chickpeas work in harmony with peppery arugula and a dressing of apple cider vinegar, spicy brown mustard, Creole seasoning, maple syrup, and hot sauce. Now that's a salad with a kick.

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. So hold the mayo and try out a lively lemon-dill vinaigrette for your next picnic. Tender-crisp green beans and sliced radishes add crunch to this light and flavorful dish.

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

For Classic Coleslaw, you'll want to shred the cabbage, carrots, and Vidalia onion on a box grater, or use a food processor. The finely chopped bits will soak up the cider vinegar and mayonnaise dressing. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.

Old-Fashioned 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 a large chicken until tender for the meat, or pick up a rotisserie chick from the deli.

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.

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.

Grilled Sweet Potato Fries

Everyone will gobble up these grilled sweet potato fries tossed with smoky chili powder. We suggest microwaving the sweet potatoes before they hit the grill for tender and quick-cooking fries. Top with queso fresco and a drizzle of honey.

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.

Fish Tacos And Topping Bar

You can use any firm white fish, such as tilapia, grouper, sea bass, or red snapper, for these amazing tacos with Asian Slaw and Quick Chipotle Cream. The fish is prepared simply in the oven. These tacos are all about the crunchy slaw, zesty sour cream, and other toppings of your choice.

Southern Style Grilled Cob Salad

If you don't want to be trapped indoors over a hot stove, this filling Cobb salad is just the ticket. This salad is packed with smoky, charred flavor from grilled chicken, bacon, okra, and corn. Fresh tomatoes from the garden and a Dijon vinaigrette later, you've got the perfect summer meal.