17 Southern Recipes You Can’t Resist

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For anyone craving southern recipes for dinner options like Smothered Chicken, Cajun Blackened Chicken Breast and Fried Buttermilk Chicken Tenders are unbeatable. These dishes not only provide incredible flavors but also embody the warmth and hospitality of southern cuisine.

Crispy Chicken with Herbed Carolina Gold Rice & Scratch Pan Gravy

A plate of breaded and fried chicken cutlet topped with brown gravy sits on a bed of white rice. The dish is garnished with chopped fresh herbs and accompanied by a sprig of parsley. A striped yellow and white napkin is placed beside the plate on a wooden table.
Image Credit: Not Entirely Average

Crispy Chicken with Herbed Carolina Gold Rice & Scratch Pan Gravy brings together tender, crispy-coated chicken with aromatic rice grown in the Carolinas. Finished with rich, scratch-made gravy, this dish is pure comfort on a plate!

Get the Recipe: Crispy Chicken with Herbed Carolina Gold Rice & Scratch Pan Gravy

Country Captain Chicken Is the Curry the South Claimed

A bowl containing white rice topped with stewed chicken in a red tomato-based sauce, garnished with green herbs, placed on a red and white checkered cloth.
Image Credit: Not Entirely Average

Country Captain Chicken rode the spice route from India to the Lowcountry, dropped anchor between Savannah and Charleston, and has been enlivening Southern suppers ever since. Trust us when we tell you that you need this dish in your life!

Get the Recipe: Country Captain Chicken

Best Creamy and Easy Squash Casserole

A glass baking dish filled with baked squash casserole.
Photo credit: Not Entirely Average.

Easy Squash Casserole is a perfect addition to any Easter spread—comforting, golden, and full of garden flavor. Even better, it’s a freezer-friendly dish, so you can prep it ahead of time and keep your Easter Sunday a little more relaxed.

To learn more: Best Creamy and Easy Squash Casserole

Southern Tomato Pie

Southern Tomato Pie
Photo credit: The Cookie Rookie

This Southern Tomato Pie delivers a butter crust infused with fresh tomatoes, a creamy custard, and all the right seasonings. It’s so good you’ll want to eat it with a spoon straight from the pan, but we recommend a plate and a fork!
Get the Recipe: Southern Tomato Pie

Southern Style Potato Salad

Southern Style Potato Salad
Photo credit: Budget Bytes

This classic Southern Style Potato Salad uses both mustard and mayonnaise for a super flavorful dressing that is rich, tangy, and creamy.
Get the Recipe: Southern Style Potato Salad

How to Make Southern Homemade Sweet Tea

Delicious How to Make Southern Homemade Sweet Tea ready to be enjoyed
Photo credit: The Cookie Rookie

Homemade sweet tea is the ultimate in summer drinks. Learn how to make southern sweet, iced tea with less than 100 calories per serving!
Get the Recipe: How to Make Southern Homemade Sweet Tea

Easy Vegan Dirty Rice (Gluten-Free, Allergy-Free)

The image shows a close-up of a pan containing cooked rice, chopped green bell peppers, mushrooms, and herbs.
Image Credit: Strength and Sunshine

For a meat-free take on a Cajun classic, Easy Vegan Dirty Rice offers bold spices and all the flavor of traditional dirty rice. This dish brings southern comfort to the table, while keeping things light and allergy friendly.
Get the Recipe: Easy Vegan Dirty Rice (Gluten-Free, Allergy-Free)

Skillet Baked Beans and Bacon

A skillet containing baked beans with strips of bacon, garnished with a sprig of cilantro.
Image Credit: Dutch Oven Daddy

Skillet Baked Beans and Bacon bring that rich southern taste, with baked beans sweetened by molasses and topped with crispy bacon. This dish, baked in a cast-iron skillet, serves up deep flavor that’s perfect for any southern-inspired dinner.
Get the Recipe: Skillet Baked Beans and Bacon

Southern-Style Buttermilk Biscuits

Southern-Style Buttermilk Biscuits
Photo credit: Baking A Moment

Learn the secrets of making southern-style buttermilk biscuits that bake up tall, fluffy, and light as a cloud. Homemade bread in 20 minutes or less!
Get the Recipe: Southern-Style Buttermilk Biscuits

Mississippi Pot Roast with Mushrooms

A rectangular white platter with slices of cooked beef topped with mushrooms and pepperoncini peppers, resting in a brown sauce. The platter is set on a red and white striped cloth.
Image Credit: Rose Bakes

Mississippi Pot Roast with Mushrooms adds a little kick to traditional pot roast with mushrooms and seasoning. Ready in no time thanks to the pressure cooker, it’s a savory southern dinner that’s incredibly easy to make.
Get the Recipe: Mississippi Pot Roast with Mushrooms

Southern Style Creamed Corn

A skillet filled with creamy corn topped with chopped green onions, set on a wooden table. Fresh corn cobs with husks partially showing in the background.
Image Credit: Dutch Oven Daddy

Southern Style Creamed Corn uses fresh sweet corn and a rich cream base for incredible texture and flavor. It’s a side dish that’s hard to beat and a great addition to any southern-style dinner spread.
Get the Recipe: Southern Style Creamed Corn

Bananas Foster

Bananas Foster
Photo credit: Baking A Moment

Go elegant with this simple dessert that’s ready in minutes. Cook bananas in a simple brown sugar syrup, top it with ice cream, and even flambe it for a dramatic presentation!
Get the Recipe: Bananas Foster

Southern Fried Catfish

A plate containing four pieces of fried fish, a small bowl of tartar sauce, and a lemon wedge.
Image Credit: GypsyPlate

Southern Fried Catfish features tender fish coated in a crunchy cornmeal crust, giving it a golden, crispy finish. This dish serves up a taste of the South that’s perfect for casual dinners or gatherings.
Get the Recipe: Southern Fried Catfish

KitchenAid Mashed Potatoes

A bowl of mashed potatoes with a pat of butter on top, sprinkled with herbs, set on a woven cloth.
Image Credit: Little Nonni

With a creamy, whipped texture, KitchenAid Mashed Potatoes take mashed potatoes to the next level. Perfect for family dinners or holiday spreads, they add a comforting southern vibe to your dinner table.
Get the Recipe: KitchenAid Mashed Potatoes

Smothered Chicken

A pan containing cooked chicken thighs in a yellow sauce, topped with herbs.
Image Credit: GypsyPlate

Smothered Chicken combines juicy seared chicken with a hearty gravy, making it ideal for a cozy southern-style meal. With bold seasoning and a rich sauce, this dish brings classic southern comfort to your plate.
Get the Recipe: Smothered Chicken

Cajun Blackened Chicken Breast

A plate of sliced, blackened chicken garnished with fresh herbs. Lime wedges and chopsticks are placed beside the chicken on a white plate, which rests on a wooden surface.
Image Credit: In the Kitch

Cajun Blackened Chicken Breast delivers spicy, smoky flavor, inspired by Louisiana’s famous blackened dishes. It’s a flavorful, quick-to-cook choice for anyone craving a southern dinner with a punch of heat.
Get the Recipe: Cajun Blackened Chicken Breast

Fried Buttermilk Chicken Tenders

A close-up of crispy fried chicken tenders on parchment paper, garnished with parsley leaves. A small container of creamy dipping sauce is placed beside the chicken. Additional parsley sprigs are placed around the chicken for presentation.
Image Credit: The Short Order Cook

For a crispy, crowd-pleasing main, Fried Buttermilk Chicken Tenders offer juicy chicken with a crunchy exterior. Perfect as a southern-style dinner option, they’re ready in under 30 minutes and taste great every time.
Get the Recipe: Fried Buttermilk Chicken Tenders

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About Jenny deRemer

I am a Charleston, South Carolina-based culinary novice, an ardent authority on all things travel, a designer by trade, and the creator of Not Entirely Average. I have a weakness for farmers' markets, delight in adventures way off the beaten path, enjoy documenting my many moods through photography, and have been known to conquer the occasional yard sale with gusto!

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