Best Soul Food Recipes Online

So what's included in our guide to the best soul food recipes online?

• Why you must learn to cook soul food
• 35 common dish and ingredients found in soul food cooking
• 41 Satisfying Soul Food Recipes 

Stop going out to eat when you have a craving for soul food. You can cook good foods at home.  Foods that taste just like Grandma's cooking and definitely better than any restaurant food you can buy.

But what if you're not the best cook or don't know what to cook?

You should use our NEW ONLINE RECIPES guide of 37+ amazing soul food recipes. These recipes are the best of the best--a collection of the best online recipes for soul food compiled and ready to make you a better cook. Just follow along with the recipes and in no time you'll start receiving praise from people telling you what a great cook you are.

Why you must learn how to cook soul food

Beside being part of our history, let me make the case for why you must learn how to cook soul food.
When you have your next craving for soul food where will you go to get your eat on? You have a few options...go to your favorite restaurant, get in the kitchen cook for yourself, or eat from someone else's table. Two of these options can be problematic for obvious reasons so for many folks the best option is cooking for yourself.

Where have all the soul food restaurants gone?

The problem with soul food restaurants is that nowadays they are hard to find.  Many of the black owned inexpensive, family-run eating establishments that once dominated minority communities have all closed down. Only a few of the iconic restaurants of the past are still open for business. Many factors have contributed to the demise of black restaurants including changing tastes, health consciousness, the fast food culture, and poor business practices.

No one is learning how to cook these days

There was a time when our elders pasted down their recipes (knowledge) from one generation to the next and along with the recipes they taught us how to cook. For many reasons, this is no longer the case and many in the younger generations are no longer expressing an interest in cooking, be they love to eat. I get a since we love our fast food now much more than home cooked meals.

So now we have a few generations of people engorged in fast food culture.  From time to time they get a taste for soul food but have no real idea how to prepare dishes for themselves. Which is such a shame. If only they had taken an interest in learning how to cook from that family member or friend who really knew how to throw down in the kitchen. What a missed opportunity. No worries there is still hope, you can still learn the art of soul food cooking. We're looking forward to sharing all of our online recipes with you.

35 Common dishes and ingredients found in soul food cooking

When it comes to cooking classic soul food meals there are a few dishes and ingredients that you will see over and over again. For many of theses ingredients there are stand along recipes that you’ll want to learn how to cook and try out for yourself. Look over the list below and get comfortable with what you see because many of these will be in the soul food recipes that follow.

1. Biscuits (a shortbread similar to scones, commonly served with butter, jam, jelly, sorghum or cane syrup, or gravy; used to wipe up, or "sop," liquids from a dish)
2. Cornbread (short bread often baked in an iron skillet, sometimes seasoned with bacon fat)
3. Milk and bread (a "po' folks' dessert-in-a-glass" of slightly crumbled cornbread, buttermilk and sugar)
4. Black-eyed peas (cooked separately or with rice, as hoppin' john)
5. Butter beans (immature lima beans, usually cooked in butter)
6. Lima beans (see butter beans)
7. Red beans
8. Rice (usually served with red beans)
9. Catfish (dredged in seasoned cornbread and fried). 
10. Chicken (often fried with cornmeal breading or seasoned flour).
11. Chicken fried steak (beef deep fried in flour or batter, usually served with gravy)
12. Chicken gizzards  and livers
13. Chitterlings or chitlins (the cleaned and prepared intestines of hogs, slow-cooked and often eaten with vinegar and hot sauce; sometimes parboiled, then battered and fried)
14. Cracklins (commonly known as pork rinds and sometimes added to cornbread batter)
15. Fatback (fatty, cured, salted pork used to season meats and vegetables)
16. Fried fish (any of several varieties of fish whiting, catfish, porgies, bluegills dredged in seasoned cornmeal and deep fried)
17. Ham hocks (smoked, used to flavor vegetables and legumes)
18. Hog maws (or hog jowls, sliced and usually cooked with chitterlings)
19. Neckbones (beef neck bones seasoned and slow cooked)
20. Pigs' feet (slow-cooked like chitterlings, sometimes pickled and, like chitterlings, often eaten with vinegar and hot sauce)
21. Ribs (usually pork, but can also be beef ribs)
22. Hoghead cheese
23. Chow-chow (a spicy, homemade pickle relish sometimes made with okra, corn, cabbage, green tomatoes and other vegetables; commonly used to top black-eyed peas and otherwise as a condiment and side dish)
24. Collard greens (usually cooked with ham hocks, often combined with other greens)
25. Turnip greens (usually cooked with ham hocks, often combined with other greens)
26. Mustard greens (usually cooked with ham hocks, often combined with other greens)
27. Succotash (originally, a Native American dish of yellow corn and butter beans, usually cooked in butter).
28. Sweet potatoes (often parboiled, sliced and then baked, using sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and butter or margarine, commonly called "candied yams"; also boiled, then pureed and baked into pies)
29. Yams (not actually yams, but sweet potatoes)
30. Okra (African vegetable eaten fried in cornmeal or stewed, often with tomatoes, corn, onions and hot peppers)
31. Hot sauce (a condiment of cayenne peppers, vinegar, salt, garlic and other spices often used on chitterlings, fried chicken and fish not the same as "Tabasco sauce", which has heat, but little flavor)
32. Macaroni and cheese
33. Mashed potatoes (usually with butter and condensed milk). Meatloaf (typically with brown gravy)
34. Fried ice cream (Ice cream deep frozen and coated with cookies and fried)
35. Grits, often served with fish

41 Satisfying Soul Food Recipes 

Nothing is more satisfying than knowing how to cook up delicious soul food and being told what a great cook you are. If you want to know the tips and tricks to soul food cooking now is the time to learn. Look through our list below, it's 37+ of the best online recipes. When you see something you like click on the get recipe button to go straight to the recipe. Enjoy!

---

1 / 41

Fried Catfish
This fried fish dish is an icon of soul food and southern cooking. Most often the fish is dredged in seasoned cornbread and then deep fried.

---

2 / 40

Smothered Pork Chops
Lightly breaded pork chops smothered in a rich and savory gravy is a real treat and one of my favorite soul food and southern cooking dished.

---

3 / 41

Red Beans and Ham Hocks
Cooked red beans and ham hocks is a fairly common staple in our house.  You can serve this as a standalone dish with cornbread or with other menu items.

---

4  / 41

Candied Yams
Made with sweet potatoes, candied yams has always been a soul food treat. This dish is baked to perfect in the oven and then served as a side dish.

---

5 / 41

Red Velvet Cake
This is an incredible dessert with a cream cheese frosting. Although most reserved for holidays and special occasions you can prepare this dessert anytime.

---

6 / 41

Turnip and Mustard Greens
Cooked turnip and mustard greens are classic soul food. These two greens are much more flavorful when combined and cooked together. A great alternative to traditional collard greens.

---

7 / 41

Banana Pudding
This classic dessert is an all-time family favorite for ease of preparation and its great taste. But don't expect any leftovers. Your family will eat all the banana pudding up.

---

8 / 41

Meat Loaf
As soul food, meatloaf is typical served with brown gravy. Like pictured above, I prefer my meatloaf cooked and topped with ketchup sauce. If you like yours prepared this way too try the recipe.

---

9 / 41

Macaroni and Cheese
Macaroni and cheese is probably one of America's most favorite comfort foods. Tender noodles with rich and creamy cheese is browned in the oven for some homemade crispy goodness.

---

10 / 41

Chow Chow Relish
This is a spicy, homemade pickle relish sometimes made with okra, corn, cabbage, green tomatoes and other vegetables. The relish is commonly used to top black-eyed peas and otherwise as a condiment and side dish.

---

11 / 41

Black-eyed Peas
Cooked separately or with rice as hoppin' john, black eyed peas is a popular soul food dish. For many black folks this is the go to dish for New Year's day.

---

12 / 41

Chitterlings or Chitlins with Hog Maws
The cleaned and prepared intestines of hogs is a southern delicacy. These cuts of pork are slow-cooked and often eaten with vinegar and hot sauce. The chitlins are sometimes parboiled, then battered and fried.

---

13 / 41

Butter Beans
These delicious beans whether fresh or frozen make for an excellent side dish. I just love the flavor of these beans and can eat a big serving during a single sitting.

---

14 / 41

Creamed Corn    
This southern staple, is one of the easiest, riches, and most creamiest side dish you will ever make. This is a must try recipe favorite.

---

16/ 41

Hog Head Cheese
Although most people absolutely love hog's head cheese they really have no idea exactly what part of the pig they are eating.  After trying this recipe you will know.

---

17 / 41

Collard Greens
This soul food staple is loved by a lot of people. These greens are usually cooked with ham hocks. Just pass the vinegar, hot sauce and give me a piece of cornbread.

---

18 / 41

Smothered Chicken
It's all about perfectly tender and juicy fried chicken smothered in a rich, savory, and creamy gravy...cooked to perfection. Served with homemade mashed potatoes, this recipe is a MUST try.

---

19 / 41

Homemade Cracklings (Cracklins)
One taste of homemade crackling and you are addicted to a wonderful pork treat. Making these homemade is the only way to go because they taste so much better than what you can buy in the store.

---

20 / 41

Fried Chicken Gizzards
What's the secret to making perfect fried chicken gizzards? You'll have to see the recipe to find out for yourself. Get the hot sauce ready too.

---

21 / 41

Homemade Biscuits
Nothing taste better than warm biscuits straight from the oven. I'll break them open and spread on my favorite jam or honey. Jam, spreads, cheese, eggs, and sausages all go great with biscuits.

---

22 / 41

Southern Fried Chicken
Crunchy and crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside is the only way to prepare and eat fried chicken. Break the hot sauce out the cabinets for some good eating.

---

23 / 41

Fried Ice Cream
Some folks call this dessert the ultimate fried treat. Do you agree? This dessert sounds too good to be true but the results are well worth the effort you put in.

---

24 / 41

Chocolate Pecan Pie
Have you ever had classic pecan pie with a twist? Add in chocolate and coconut for a delightfully tasting dessert. But don't just eat one slice of pie, you'll want to eat two.

---

25 / 41

Fried Fish and Grits
Fish and grits are the ultimate breakfast foods on a Sunday morning before heading out the door for a few hours of church. This meal will get and keep you full so you're not thinking about eating.

---

26 / 41

Pigs Feet
Classic pigs feet is slow cooked like chitterlings and sometimes pickled too. This recipe is boiled for some tender and good tasting pork meat. Ready to eat with some vinegar and hot sauce.

---

27 / 41

Red Beans and Rice
You can often find a pot of red beans and rice cooking in someone's Kitchen on Sunday mornings. This dish can serve as a standalone full meal or you could serve by itself.

---

28 / 41

Baked Peach Cobbler
Using just a few ingredients you could have a baked peach cobbler cooling off in your kitchen and ready to eat in a few hours. For a real treat use fresh peaches instead of canned. Top with vanilla bean ice cream.

---

29 / 41

Neckbones and Rice
Can't get enough of that pork, so made me some neckbones and rice which is always a soul food favorite for many. Pour on the gravy, this dish can be served with rice or boiled potatoes too.

---

30 / 41

Barbecue Ribs
Usually pork, but can also be beef ribs. Delicious ribs should be slow cooked until tender or until the meat is ready to fall off the  bone if you like. Served at cooks all summer long.

---

31 / 41

Fried Okra
Okra is most often eaten fried in cornmeal, or stewed in
tomatoes corn, onions, and hot peppers. This is one of those southern staples you either love or hate eating.

---

32 / 41

Country Fried Steak
For some good eating try deep fried beef steak cooked
to perfection in flour or batter. Then serve this up with the best tasting gravy you'll ever eat. And don't forget your side dishes.

---

33 / 41

Sweet Potato Pie
The smell of sweet potato pie baking in the oven brings back so many memories and good feelings. Served warm or cold I'm eating me a slice either way. Sometimes topped with whipped cream.

---

34 / 41

Oxtails and Rice
Oxtails slow cooked until the meat is tender enough to
fall off the bones is so darn delicious. Smother them with
gravy and then serve them over rice for a classic meal.

---

35 / 41

Shepherd's Pie
This classic meal is super simple to make and easy to
bake. It's an oldie-but-goodie recipe dish that will
stick to the stomach and fill you up.

---

36 / 41

Fried Pork Chops
Rolled in flour or battered up, deep fried pork chops
are crispy and crunchy on the outside but tender
and juicy on the inside. Eat with your favorite sides.

---

37 / 41

Smoked Turkey Tails (Butts)
Smoked turkey tails aka turkey butts are a rare treat to eat. If you can find this delicious meat at your local store or butcher you have to try this recipe out.

---

38 / 41

Beef Stew
Beef stew aka stew beef is a hearty meal I sometime
cook up when I need a real meal that's going to fill me up.
You can slow cook this meal all day and it'll be ready to eat just in time.

---

39 / 41

Stuffed Bell Peppers
Oven baked bell peppers stuffed with goodness can be a complete meal.  This is one of my most favorite vegetable recipes.

---

40 / 41

Grandma's Chicken and Dumplings
Homemade chicken and dumplings is the ultimate comfort food, always guaranteed to stick to the stomach and fill you up. You gotta try this classic dish.

---

41 / 41

Smothered Turkey Wings
You better believe smothered wings are meaty and packed full of incredible flavor. Prepare these wings for an irresistible meal.

Privacy Policy | My Site Policies | About | Contact

FTC Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I May Earn From Qualifying Purchases.
This Site Uses Personal Data/Cookies for Personalized Advertising.
SoulfoodandSouthernCooking.com Does Not Sell Any Personal Information.

© Copyright 2006-2023 soulfoodandsoutherncooking.com. All Rights Reserved.