18 Recipes That Celebrate Indigenous American Food Traditions
This year, we're giving thanks to Native American cuisine.
Many thanks are owed to the Native Americans who first roamed the land and cultivated so many foods still enjoyed today, like corn, squash, and beans. Thanksgiving is a day to give thanks, but it's also a solemn day of mourning for many Indigenous Americans grappling with the painful history. And while many Indigenous Americans opt out of the festivities altogether, some use the day to celebrate family, nature, and the riches of the land. Which is why we've decided to celebrate traditional Native American foods with Thanksgiving dishes created by Indigenous chefs like bison meatballs, three sisters, and wild rice with root vegetables.
It might not be surprising to know that the "first Thanksgiving" didn't resemble what we were often taught in school. There was likely no stuffing, turkey, or pumpkin pie. But there was definitely no shortage of options, as Native Americans marked celebratory meals with plenty of fish, produce, and wild rice. Want a fully Indigenous-inspired Thanksgiving meal? Pair our whole roasted trout with roasted turnips, fried cornbread, and wild rice pudding for dessert.
Indigenous Americans originated many classic dishes that just might surprise you too, like fried green tomatoes, succotash, and tamales. Did you know? Grilling salmon on cedar planks also has roots in tribes of the Pacific Northwest, where salmon is revered as a sacred food to tribes all across the region.
In general, Indigenous cooking isn’t necessarily about using pre-colonization ingredients, but about using what is local to you, and using food to build community. Want to figure out what foods are native to your area? This native land map is a great place to start. And if you're looking to spread awareness for Native American food sovereignty, consider checking out Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance, First Nations Development Institute, and Native American Agriculture Fund.
Succotash
We love using this combo of sweet and savory veg to make a fresh side dish that will lighten up any meal. Historically, the corn, zucchini, and lima beans would be cooked alongside some form of fresh or dried meat, but in this case, we've opted for bacon, which adds some nice crispy texture and porky flavor.
Get the Succotash recipe.
Three Sisters Dish
The benefits of an Indigenous Mesoamerican Three Sisters garden (that's corn, beans, and winter squash) go beyond supplying a powerhouse trio of nutritional ingredients. These gardens also exemplify the genius of companion planting—i.e., planting different crops near each other so they work together to improve each other's growth, and the health of the soil they are planted in.
Get the Three Sisters Dish recipe.
Cedar Plank Salmon
Tribes across the Pacific Northwest revere salmon as a sacred food, and using a cedar plank for grilling the fish is a practice that can be traced back to the Nez Perce, Yakima, and Umatilla tribes. And in our opinion, grilling over cedar plank is the most foolproof (and delicious!) way to grill salmon with the added bonus that it requires no flipping over a grill.
Get the Cedar Plank Salmon recipe.
Roasted Turnips
Turnips, much like radishes and parsnips, turn irresistibly sweet when roasted. This recipe is for purple-top turnips, which tend to be larger and thicker-skinned than Japanese varieties like hakurei. If your radishes are small and sweet, you can forgo peeling off the skin and leave them in larger pieces—halved or quartered should do it. They'll need less time to roast too, so start checking at 15 minutes.
Get the Roasted Turnips recipe.
Bison Meatballs
These meatballs will have you questioning why you don't cook bison more often. Flecked with sweet cranberries and wild rice, these savory bite-sized balls of goodness are great as an appetizer, or served alongside wild rice & root vegetables for a hearty and healthy meal.
Get the Bison Meatballs recipe.
Chayote With Dried Green Chile
Related to the squash family, chayote is very mild and will pick up all of the flavors in your pot. If you can't find it, you can easily substitute zucchini.
Tamales
Corn, or maize, is a crucial ingredient in Native American cuisine, and no dish exemplifies that appreciation quite like tamales. Tamales aren’t just fun to eat, they’re a great solo or group project for anyone who loves to cook. Make it a party by involving your friends, enlist your partner or spouse for a different kind of date night, or get the whole family involved.
Get the Tamales recipe.
Wild Rice With Root Vegetables
This hearty wild rice salad is infinitely adaptable. Feel free to swap out the vegetables listed for whatever looks freshest at your farmers' market or grocery store.
Roasted Delicata Squash
Delicata squash is a winter squash that doesn't get enough attention. Its small size makes it much easier to handle than other squashes and it cooks much faster. When roasted, the squash gets creamy and sweet, and we can't get over how cute the flower-shaped slices are!
Get the Roasted Delicata Squash recipe.
Best-Ever Pozole
Pozole is a sacred dish that can be traced back to the Zuni pueblo people. Don't let the time commitment on this fantastically flavorful pozole recipe scare you. It's as easy as bringing water to a boil and letting it simmer away while you multitask on other things going on in your life. The longer you let the soup simmer, the better it will be.
Get the Best-Ever Pozole recipe.
Whole Roasted Trout
Trout's delicate flavor is the perfect match for citrus and herbs, which is why we love to roast it whole, filling it with all our favorite aromatics.
Get the Whole Roasted Trout recipe.
Fried Green Tomatoes
Nothing complements a juicy, tart green tomato quite like a crunchy, slightly sweet cornmeal crust. A classic remoulade is our condiment of choice, but if you don’t feel like whipping one up from scratch, making a simple two-ingredient spicy mayo will absolutely do the trick.
Get the Fried Green Tomatoes recipe.
Wild Rice Pudding
If you've only ever had wild rice in savory dishes, you're in for a treat. The maple syrup coaxes some seriously complex flavors from the rice; it becomes incredibly aromatic, with notes of vanilla, toasted nuts, and a jasmine-like floral flavor that plays beautifully with fresh fruit.
Get the Wild Rice Pudding recipe.
Best Baked Catfish
Catfish makes us think of lazy summer days spent at the lake, and we love it for that. Baking your catfish makes this meal much easier, with no worry of oil getting everywhere. We still bread it in cornmeal, much like Native American tradition, which lends a crispy exterior that gives away to tender, flaky fish.
Get the Best Baked Catfish recipe.
Grilled Bone-In Bison Steaks With Crisped Potatoes
Once a critical food source to Native Americans, bison is mild, lean, and once again growing in popularity in North America. If you love this, try our bison burgers next!
Get the Grilled Bone-In Bison Steaks With Crisped Potatoes recipe.
Roasted Butternut Squash
Butternut squash is a fall staple. The deep orange squash is super-versatile and works well as roasted butternut squash soup, as a bacon butternut squash side, or is pretty perfect on its own, simply roasted with olive oil, salt, and pepper. (Best tip: Get your oven SUPER hot for best results.)
Get the Roasted Butternut Squash recipe.
Fried Cornbread
The simple, quick batter is shallow-fried to give that crispy exterior. Once slathered in butter and honey, it will put all other cornbread to shame.
Get the Fried Cornbread recipe.
Harvest Chicken Casserole
This satisfying casserole has ALL of your fall favorites—Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, cranberries. Make it for a big crowd for Thanksgiving, then make it all fall long—it's a make-ahead DREAM.
Get the Harvest Chicken Casserole recipe.
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