25 Classic Food & Drink Recipes To Help You Celebrate Juneteenth
Celebrate freedom.
Juneteenth is here, and we think it's a very good idea to make sure you've got all the classic food and drink recipes you'll need to celebrate properly this year. As is the case for many holidays, food is central to Juneteenth gatherings. The holiday itself commemorates the long-delayed news of the Civil War ending (and the Emancipation Proclamation) finally reaching the last of those who were enslaved in Galveston, Texas on June 19th, 1865. It's full of rich traditions that center food and drink as a means to nourish, connect, and honor the resilience of the enslaved. Even if it's your first (or tenth!) year hosting a Juneteenth party, these 25 classic recipes (including the best red velvet cake and plenty of black-eyed peas for prosperity) are a surefire way to kick off your celebration.
As you'll find, many of the most classic Juneteenth dishes are also the most symbolic. No Juneteenth spread is complete without plenty of red foods, which Chef Millie Peartree says "symbolizes and is the representation of the bloodshed and resilience of enslaved people." For many, this means something classic like Juneteenth punch and red velvet cake, but feel free to gather your favorite red foods to fit your party (like our recipes for red velvet ice cream, Southern tomato pie, and watermelon-strawberry Caprese salad).
Some other non-negotiable dishes? Plenty of classic Southern and soul food dishes with ingredients that are key to another Juneteenth staple: the prosperity meal. Taking its cues from the good luck meals served on New Years Day, our Juneteenth recipes usher in that same spirit in the form of black-eyed pea salad, collard greens, and fried cabbage. The only thing left to do is pick a a hearty main, like fried catfish or our BBQ marinated chicken, and your Juneteenth celebration will surely be one for the scrapbooks.
Southern Baked Mac & Cheese
Millie Peartree's baked mac & cheese is famous for a number of reasons. Our major takeaway—layering cheese and an eggy custard makes for the MOST creamy, saucy, and decadent dish ever. We might never make it another way again.
Get the Southern Baked Mac & Cheese recipe.
Black Eyed Pea Salad
Black eyed peas have a rich tradition in the South. Eaten on New Year’s for good luck and Juneteenth for ushering in prosperity, they also make an easy and very healthy salad. You can absolutely make this salad using dry beans, but canned black eyed peas also work great. The best part of this simple salad is that it gets better as it sits, so feel free to make this ahead.
Get the Black Eyed Pea Salad recipe.
Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies
We’re no strangers to red velvet desserts, cheesecakes, or brownies, so this marriage felt like a no-brainer. The fudginess of the red velvet and the tang of the cheesecake make a beautiful partnership, while the brownie is the perfect base to hold it all together. It’s a true celebration dessert.
Maque Choux With Sausage
Maque choux (pronounced mock shoe) draws from Native American and Cajun cuisines, and is said to have originated in Louisiana (so you know it’s good). Think succotash meets corn salad meets creamed corn, and you’ll be nearly there.
Get the Maque Choux With Sausage recipe.
Juneteenth Punch
Chef Millie Peartree celebrates Juneteenth—a holiday to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States—with this punch. The red color, she tells us, symbolizes the bloodshed and resilience of those enslaved. In this punch, Millie skips ice in favor of strawberry sorbet. Not only does it keep drinks cold, but it adds a delicious creaminess as well.
Get the Juneteenth Punch recipe.
Watermelon Strawberry Caprese Salad
We took inspo from two summer salad staples—Caprese salad and watermelon feta salad—to create this best-of-both-worlds creation. Fresh strawberries have been added to juicy watermelon, tangy feta, and fresh basil for an extra-sweet summer treat.
Fried Catfish
Our top secret for the most flavorful, extra-crispy catfish? A buttermilk and hot sauce marinade. We know, it may sound odd, but the result is an extra-flavorful, slightly spicy catfish that, once coated and fried, results in crispy fillets that rival even our favorite seafood restaurants.
Get the Fried Catfish recipe.
Peach Cobbler
This cobbler makes the best of summer peaches. Serve it with vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream for an unforgettable dessert.
Get the Peach Cobbler recipe.
Southern Tomato Pie
Fillings for Southern tomato pies always include tomatoes, mayonnaise, plenty of cheese, and Dijon mustard, but our version's got a flavorful upgrade: chopped pimiento peppers, which lend the filling all the delicious richness of pimiento cheese dip.
Get the Southern Tomato Pie recipe.
Louisiana-Style Red Beans & Rice
All Creole cuisine packs a flavor punch that keeps you coming back for seconds, but red beans and rice are in a league all their own. The red beans soak up the smoky, porky, spicy, and earthy flavors and release some starch to create a rich gravy that’s perfect for spooning over steamed white rice.
Red Velvet Ice Cream
This creamy homemade ice cream is made with a buttermilk base and cocoa powder for that iconic chocolatey, tangy flavor. A cream cheese frosting is crucial to red velvet, so we added a swirl of the frosting throughout and crumbled some red velvet cake in too so you get bits in every bite.
Get the Red Velvet Ice Cream recipe.
Pimiento Cheese Corn Muffins
The flavor squad is here to provide standard corn muffins with a mega boost. The result is pimiento cheese corn muffins, which take their cues from the classic Southern cheese dip. Packed with shredded cheddar, diced pimiento peppers, garlic powder, and a generous amount of cayenne, the result is a savory delight.
Get the Pimiento Cheese Corn Muffins recipe.
Crispy Fried Chicken
To complete the journey to fried chicken nirvana, we went through 5 whole chickens, 3 gallons of peanut oil, and over 20 iterations of the recipe so that you won't have to. We guarantee this is the only fried chicken recipe you'll ever need.
Get the Crispy Fried Chicken recipe.
Banana Pudding
This best homemade banana pudding recipe also happens to be the easiest, with just 30 minutes of prep time. For ultimate results, patience is key!
Get the Banana Pudding recipe.
Southern-Style Cornbread
Northern cornbread is usually made with milk and butter, while Southern-style starts with bacon fat and is (almost) always baked in a cast-iron skillet. Don't be intimidated by baking in cast-iron—here's how we like to season ours to guarantee it won't stick.
Get the Southern-Style Cornbread recipe.
Jollof Rice
When we first tried this recipe, the room went quiet. It’s filling, fascinating, and truly a standout thanks to a balance of heat, sweet (from the tomatoes and peppers) and spice profile. Plus, it’s not too spicy—this is the rice you can serve at all your parties without fear of burning someone’s taste buds.
Get the Jollof Rice recipe.
Southern Collard Greens
Southern cooking can sometimes appear intimidating or too involved, but this recipe is anything but. All you need are a couple of hours, a handful of staple ingredients, smoked turkey, and your collard greens (the star of the show) for an easy side (or meal on its own!) you can serve all year long.
Get the Southern Collard Greens recipe.
Red Velvet Cake
Looking for a show-stopping dessert recipe that’ll never let you down? You can’t go wrong with a decadent red velvet cake. This layered cake is a staple recipe to keep in your back pocket. With a rich chocolate flavor, a fluffy texture, and a tangy cream cheese frosting, this Southern dessert was made to impress.
Get the Red Velvet Cake recipe.
Black-Eyed Pea Bruschetta
Black-eyed peas and collard greens are the perfect pairing for a Juneteenth potluck. Both veggies were transported to the US during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade and have become Southern food staples. With leafy dark greens that flop around like cash, collard greens represent wealth and money, while black-eyed peas represent coins and luck.
Get the Black-Eyed Pea Bruschetta recipe.
Sautéed Mustard Greens
Akin to a stir-fry, these finely shredded greens retain a wonderful bite, with a balance of tender pieces and crispy edges. We particularly love cooking mustard greens this way, but you can sub in collards, turnip greens, kale, or any combination with equal success.
Get the Sautéed Mustard Greens recipe.
