It’s a Virtual Juneteenth Cookout! 65+ Black Food Bloggers Share Their Favorite Recipes.

Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration of emancipation marking the end of slavery. For over 150 years black cooks, families, churches, and communities have come together to acknowledge, preserve, and honor the history of those who persevered in the face of systematic oppression. 

With its origins in Texas, it should be no surprise that this annual jubilee is commonly celebrated with a massive cookout of foods like barbequed meats, watermelon, red drinks, berry pies, and tea cakes. 

This year things are a bit different because of social distancing, but this group of foodies is determined to carry on the holiday’s legacy at any cost. Within this list of 68 Black food blogger recipes, there is truly something for everybody, and it reminds us of the immense diversity of foods within the African diaspora. Take a moment to check out all the amazing participants of the virtual Juneteenth cookout and their delicious recipes.

“A keto-friendly take on a beloved comfort favorite: catfish. The breading is replaced with a delicious blackened seasoning that’s so good, you won’t even care that it’s low-carb! This tender, flaky, spicy, and delicious blackened catfish will soon be one of your favorites!”

Get the recipe: Blackened Catfish from A Girl Named Adri

“These spiced grilled peaches are the perfect summertime treat! Serve them with a dollop of vanilla ice cream or a serving of Greek yogurt!”

Get the recipe: Spiced Grilled Peaches from Beautiful Eats & Things

“Sweet potatoes or yams are a favorite holiday staple for African Americans. This recipe takes a typical spice cake up a notch by adding sweet potatoes and creating a delicious moist cake that is great year round.”

Get the recipe: Brown Butter Sweet Potato Cake from Black Girls Who Brunch

“Collard greens is a classic dish loved by the African diaspora all over the world. This Brazilian version is a crisp, garlicky side dish full of bacon bits. It’s an easy collard greens recipe, perfect as a mid-week side dish or that celebratory cookout your familia will love all year round!”

Get the recipe: Brazilian Collard Greens with Bacon from Brazilian Kitchen Abroad

“This buttermilk fried chicken recipe is as nostalgic as much as it is crispy and delicious! With the sour cream and honey sauce, it takes me right back to summer days hanging with family and breaking bread at cookouts.”

Get the recipe: Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Sour Cream and Honey Sauce from Britney Breaks Bread

“This is a great party punch you can make in bulk. I would blend the watermelon and herbs into juice, blend some lemons, and strain the juice.”

Get the recipe: Hibiscus Watermelon Whiskey Smash from Brownbell

“Listen, this homemade chicken and waffles recipe has never looked better; super crispy and perfectly flavored buttermilk fried chicken paired with fluffy and tender golden waffles! The most perfect pairing!”

Get the recipe: Chicken and Waffles from Butter Be Ready

“Watermelon is a seasonal favourite and it is married with other great ingredients to add another great dish for the celebration of Juneteenth. Watermelon is a traditional staple at the Juneteenth table.”

Get the recipe: Watermelon Feta Salad from Chef and Steward

“Cornbread is a staple and huge part of what adds soul to Soul Food. This homemade cornbread is full of the stuff good dreams are made of (honey and buttermilk, to be specific).”

Get the recipe: Honey and Butter Cornbread from Chef Curl Ardee

“This classic Southern icebox pie recipe, having traveled with my grandmother up north to Ohio during the Great Migration, then to my father, and then passing down to me, is a perfect representation of the spirit of Juneteenth — celebrating our joys in the face of struggle, remembering where we came from, and sharing love, food, and good times across the generations.”

Get the recipe: Lemon Icebox Pie from Chenée Today

“Crawfish Etoufee is a Cajun/Creole roux based recipe that masterfully blends spices and crawfish into a creamy sauce. Typically served over rice, this is another soulful dish to add to your recipe box.”

Get the recipe: Crawfish Etoufee from Christy Irene

“Fried fish is a summertime treat of the African Heritage Diet. I combined two joyful childhood memories to create the easily achieved Guaymas Shrimp. Happy Juneteenth to all us descendants of Black Texans!”

Get the recipe: Guaymas Shrimp from Collards Are the Old Kale

“A fun take on my Aunty’s sweet iced tea without the tea. This Mint Peach Spritzer can be served as virgin cocktails or you can spice things up a bit with champagne, Prosecco or vodka.”

Get the recipe: Mint Peach Spritzer from Confessions of a Clean Foodie

“A Jamaican beef patty recipe that made my Jamaican father proud. This Jamaican beef patty recipe will give you the flavor and flaky crust that makes this dish such a staple in Jamaican culture. For Juneteenth, I’m acknowledging the roots of my culture that make me who I am today. For me, one of the best ways to express my love for my culture is with food. Grab a bottle of Ting or Red Stripe and some cocoa bread to eat with these delicious beef patties!”

Get the recipe: Jamaican Beef Patties from Cooking to a T

“Smoked pulled pork, baked beans, potatoes, coleslaw, pickles, and BBQ sauce layered in an old-fashioned mason jar makes the perfect dish for your next cookout!”

Get the recipe: BBQ in Jar from Cooks with Soul

“This tropical take on my Grandmother’s classic pound cake recipe will be a welcome addition to your Juneteenth celebration table. In Texas, we tend to celebrate Juneteenth with cookouts and block parties so I recommend pairing this with a scoop of ice cream to help cool you off!”

Get the recipe: Golden Pineapple Pound Cake from Dash of Jazz

“Spice up your Juneteenth celebration with some honey jerk shrimp! The sweet and spicy combo will definitely be a hit!”

Get the recipe: Honey Jerk Shrimp from Dish It With Tisha

“An ode to the Juneteenth celebration staple, Red Soda Water, this blackberry ginger soda is a refreshing blend of crisp ginger ale, blackberry syrup, club soda, and festive blackberry ice cubes. Add this to your Juneteenth soiree and toast with this!”

Get the recipe: Blackberry Ginger Soda from D.M.R. Fine Foods

“Pound cake is a staple dessert in most in which the recipe in most families has been passed down generation to generation. The use of cream cheese in place of milk is what makes this favorite family cake so moist.”

Get the recipe: Pound Cake from Dom N’ The City

“This berry fruit salad is an easy six ingredient recipe! All your favorite fresh berries, a honey orange juice dressing, and fresh mint. The orange juice dressing makes this berry fruit salad so refreshingly delicious!”

Get the recipe: Easy Berry Fruit Salad from Domestic Dee

“A staple in every Cajun and Creole household, the tradition of beans and rice is handed down from the African influence in Southern Louisiana. These Cajun white beans combine beef sausage, coconut milk and Cajun seasonings resulting in the perfect pot of flavorful and tender beans.”

Get the recipe: Cajun White Beans from Dude That Cookz

“Greens are always apart if any Juneteenth menu but this three green salad is a new way to enjoy your favorite leafy greens.”

Get the recipe: Three Green Summer Salad from Erique Berry Co

“These vegan Jamaican patties have a beautifully flaky crust and a spicy and tasty jackfruit filling. Easy and quick to make they are the perfect spicy treat.”

Get the recipe: Vegan Jackfruit Jamaican Patties from Ethically Living

“Easy to make Nigerian street food featuring grilled beef skewers seasoned with a peanut based spice mix for a show-off worthy party appetizer or insatiable main dish.”

Get the recipe: Nigerian Beef Suya Skewers from Food Fidelity

“Have you ever eaten a meal that brought tears to your eyes? Only one meal does that for me; smothered okra. There is no meal that makes me think of both of my grandmothers more than smothered okra.”

Get the recipe: Smothered Okra with Chicken & Sausage from Food Is Love Made Edible

“Comfort food at it’s finest. A Vegan friendly update to the Southern Classic: Braised, Cabbage and Johnny Cakes. You won’t even realize you’re missing the bacon. The peppers and liquid smoke are stealthy flavor boosters!”

Get the recipe: Braised Cabbage & Johnny Cakes from FoodLoveTog

“Drizzle a bit of maple syrup on top for a sweet, savory and spicy dish.”

Get the recipe: Cassava Corn Waffles with Shrimp Creole from ForksandStraws

“Potato Salad with a little Caribbean flare. Curry powder, ground ginger, allspice and Olive Oil Miracle Whip make for a sweet and savory flavor profile that elevates this classic dish to new heights.”

Get the recipe: Curried Potato Salad from Geo’s Table

“This sweet potato honey cornbread cake recipe produces a soft, slightly sweet, and moist cake. Making it the perfect side dish for your Juneteenth celebrations.”

Get the recipe: Sweet Potato Honey Cornbread Cake from Gristle & Gossip

“Originating in West Africa, callaloo is a nutrient-dense dish that is common across the African diaspora. In Trinidad, callaloo is a quintessential part of Sunday lunches. In this recipe, carrots and butternut squash braise alongside dasheen leaves, okra, green onions, garlic, onion, cilantro and thyme in coconut milk.”

Get the recipe: Trinidadian Callaloo from Heal Me Delicious

“Chin-chin is the Nigerian fried cookies, favourite sweet snack to many Nigerians that the world needs to know of. Perfectly crunchy, buttery and flaky.”

Get the recipe: Chin-Chin from Immaculate Ruému

“These Crockpot Smoked Red Beans are the perfect savory side dish for your Juneteenth celebration bbq. One of it’s origin stories comes from the enslaved people on Louisiana’s sugar plantations 300 years ago. On Juneteenth, we eat it to celebrate their ingenuity and lives.”

Get the recipe: Crockpot Smoked Red Beans from Jamieson Diaries

“Red food dominates the dinner menu during the Juneteenth, whether it’s barbecue, red velvet cake, red soda, hibiscus tea, watermelon or strawberries.”

Get the recipe: Red Velvet Biscuit with BBQ Brisket from Kenneth Temple

“A slightly sweet, tasty pork free baked beans recipe that is still full of delicious BBQ appropriate flavor and perfect for the dish to take to your next potluck BBQ.”

Get the recipe: Pork-Free Baked Beans from Kenya Rae

“Juneteenth is this week and I have the perfect dessert for your cookout. SWEET POTATO CHEESECAKE. So decadent, silky smooth and the best combination on two classics.”

Get the recipe: Sweet Potato Cheesecake from Lenox Bakery

“Peas & Rice Guyanese Style is a must for holidays or any day of the week. Cooked low and slow, rice & peas is the perfect side or main dish.”

Get the recipe: Peas & Rice – Guyanese Style from Maple Points

“Whether you’re sitting and sipping on the porch with family or cooling off at the cookout, this refreshing peach iced tea is a refreshing drink for Juneteenth!”

Get the recipe: Fresh Peach Iced Tea from Marisa Moore Nutrition

“Juneteenth is normally celebrated with a menu of red foods to represent the perseverance of the enslaved. This Juneteenth I honor that tradition with my strawberry cornbread skillet cobbler, a bright crimson blend of juicy summer strawberries, mint, and citrus nestled under a bed of pillowy golden cornbread. This cobbler is delicious and ridiculously easy to dish up making it the perfect contribution for all summer gatherings.”

Get the recipe: Strawberry Cornbread Skillet Cobbler from Meiko And the Dish

“Rich, comforting, healthy and satisfying, this vegan twist on a traditional Congolese dish is made with lots of greens, red onions, peanut butter and habanero for a touch of heat. Serve it alongside golden plantains and rice.”

Get the recipe: Vegan Saka Saka from Murielle Banackissa

“Black-eyed peas with smoked turkey are the perfect soul food side dish to help celebrate Juneteenth. This flavorful dish pairs well with white rice and cornbread.”

Get the recipe: Black Eye Peas with Smoked Turkey from My Fabulous Food

“Black American culinary tradition is rooted in barbecue. Modern times call for modern measures: When you don’t have time to set up the smoker or fire up the grill, these Easy BBQ pork ribs come to the rescue.”

Get the recipe: Easy BBQ Pork Ribs from Nik Snacks

“Watermelon Limeade is the perfect drink for Juneteenth celebrations. Made with fresh watermelon and lime for a refreshingly cold beverage.”

Get the recipe: Watermelon Limeade from On Ty’s Plate

“Fresh greens steamed in coconut water and finished with bright lemon zest, these coconut collard greens are a light and refreshing revamp of a soul food staple.”

Get the recipe: Coconut Collard Greens from Open Invitation Entertainment

“When it comes to this Ultimate Vegan Mac + Cheese recipe, it is by far more than a fork full of goodness! Super creamy, ‘cheesy’, and loaded with flavor, this ‘Mac + Cheese” is made from gluten-free macaroni, savory seasonings, nutritional yeast, and cashews soaked overnight (which makes the cream cheese base). A beautiful twist on a classic dish that it sure to be a staple in your household. Completely vegan and gluten-free.”

Get the recipe: The Ultimate Vegan Mac and Cheese from Orchids + Sweet Tea

“A traditional staple in most West African Homes. Jollof rice is a delicious one-pot meal cooked in a flavorful stew with tomatoes, peppers, onion, spices, and chicken stock.”

Get the recipe: Jollof Rice from Our Perfect Palette

“Moist vanilla cake with pears poached in a delicious caramel sauce. Perfect for any celebration!”

Get the recipe: Vanilla Cake With Caramel Poached Pears from Peaches 2 Peaches

“This strawberry buttermilk biscuit recipe takes a southern staple and gives it a sweet twist. Fresh strawberries are baked right into these fluffy buttermilk biscuits for a delightful spin on a classic southern recipe.”

Get the recipe: Strawberry Buttermilk Biscuits from Pink Owl Kitchen

“Southern peach cobbler is a traditional dessert in the south and all over the world. Warm, sweet peaches with a decadent cobbler style crust is the perfect treat for any occasion.”

Get the recipe: Southern Peach Cobbler from Razzle Dazzle Life

“If you’re looking for a light tomato pie for your gathering, then you’re in the wrong place. But if you want a guilty pleasure fulfilled in one bite of a pie that just so happens to contain hearty sliced tomatoes. Then you are exactly where you need to be.”

Get the recipe: Southern Tomato Pie from Rosalynn Daniels

“Dressed in a tahini vinaigrette, crisp cucumbers, the nuttiness of fonio, and filled with vibrant colorful vegetables, this black-eyed pea salad is a feast for your eyes and edible celebration of summertime joy.”

Get the recipe: Black-Eyed Pea Salad from Savor and Sage

“This delightful, signature, Caribbean Jus De Citron is of the island of Haiti. This lemonade is exactly what you need to put you in the Caribbean mood year around.”

Get the recipe: Jus Citron (Haitian Lemonade) from Savory Thoughts

“Paying homage to my southern roots by sharing a staple known to have a designated place at every family ‘cookout.’ Let’s add a twist to traditional deviled eggs with fresh herbs, lemon and hot sauce topped with buttered cajun shrimp!”

Get the recipe: Cajun Shrimp Deviled Eggs from Seasoned To Taste

“Blackberry season is in full swing and this batter topped cobbler is an ideal way to bring more joy to your summertime festivites! Just don’t forget the vanilla ice cream!”

Get the recipes: Blackberry Cobbler from Sense & Edibility

“Easy candied yams is a delicious side dish that combines sweet yams, with butter, sugar, and spices. Rich, tender, and full of flavor. Sure to be popular with everyone at the table.”

Get the recipe: Candied Yams from Simply LaKita

“To us, softshell crab is the one and only taste of summer. They are blue crabs that are in the midst of shedding their shells, rendering the entire crab, claws and all, edible. This dish’s double-dredge is the best way to amplify the subtle crab flavor and maximize crunchiness. And the fried garlic sauce just takes everything over the top.”

Get the recipe: Fried Softshell Crab from Slice & Torte

“Roasted sweet potato salad is a delightful twist on traditional potato salad! Consider switching it up and adding this side to your Juneteenth or any summer cookout menu. This dish can also be turned into a sandwich or finger food option. Simply add the potato salad mixture onto wraps, add in four toothpicks to hold in place and slice into quarters in between. (Note: Omit the bacon to make this dish vegetarian friendly).”

Get the recipe: Roasted Sweet Potato Salad from Slight Kitchen Werk

“Jerk chicken is almost as old as Jamaica itself and is believed to have been developed by enslaved Africans who escaped to Jamaica and combined their cooking techniques with the seasonings and spices of Jamaica’s native Arawak people. Jerk chicken is at its core a dish that symbolizes rebellion against oppression and the uniting of different cultures through food, a perfect compliment to the Junneteenth celebration!”

Get the recipe: Baked Jerk Chicken from Sweet & Sorrel

“You need this black eyed peas and sweet potato salad in your life! Mildly sweet and loaded with fiber this dish is perfect for your Juneteenth celebration.”

Get the recipe: Black Eyed Peas and Sweet Potato Salad from Sweet Savant

“The classic color, red, is seen everywhere during the Juneteeth celebration. That’s what makes this entree so special.Served alongside coconut rice and sweet plantains, Red Red Stew is the perfect entree to celebrate the historic holiday. Here is my vegan take on the popular West African black-eyed pea dish!”

Get the recipe: Vegan Red Red Stew and Plantain from That Green Lyfe

“Jamaican Jerk Chicken is a staple recipe in Caribbean culture. It’s one of the classics that the world is familiar with. This recipe shows you how to create the best, authentic jerk chicken marinade, and make a delicious Jamaican jerk chicken wing appetizer.”

Get the recipe: Jamaican Jerk Wings from The Hangry Woman

“Sweet tea is a summer (and sometimes year round) staple for my drinking pleasure. Here’s one of my favorite ways to enjoy it.”

Get the recipe: Southern-Style Sweet Tea from The Hungry Hutch

“These buttermilk marinated chicken wings are seasoned with a homemade lemon pepper rub, grilled to perfection and basted with a buttery lemon glaze.”

Get the recipe: Grilled Lemon Pepper Wings from The Kitchenista Diaries

“The Juneteenth holiday consists of red foods and drinks as part of the celebration of freedom. Red as a symbol of perseverance. Foods like strawberry soda, kola nut tea, hibiscus tea, watermelon and strawberry pie are all customary items included in the festivities. We thought a vegan hibiscus strawberry ice cream was the perfect way to honor this tradition.”

Get the recipe: Juneteenth Hibiscus Strawberry Vegan Ice Cream from The VGN Way

“The earthiness of the sweet potato meets the warmth and comfort of traditional buttermilk cornbread and, right in the center of the Jubilee table, the richness of our African-American heritage takes the form of sweet potato cornbread.”

Get the recipe: Sweet Potato Cornbread from Thedanareneeway

“We’re getting ready to celebrate Juneteenth, and no self-respecting Juneteenth party can go down without a traditional strawberry soda drink made with homemade strawberry syrup.”

Get the recipe: Strawberry Soda from This Worthey Life

“This appetizer can be found in restaurants and parties across Ghana. Usually the kebabs are covered in a peanut seasoning, but this version here is made Whole30 by omitting the peanuts and using roasted cashews. All ingredients compliant with Whole30 and Paleo.”

Get the recipe: Ghanaian Kebabs Whole30 Style from Thisafricancooks

“This black-eyed pea soup is a vegan version of a southern tradition. With added sweet potatoes, kale, and the use of a slow cooker, it makes for a comforting and filling soup.”

Get the recipe: Slow Cooker Black Eyed Pea Sweet Potato Soup from Vegan With Curves

“This pie is rich in flavor and spiced just right. There’s nothing low-fat about this pie y’all. I tell ya right now though, you may just eat the whole thing to yourself. It’s that good! “

Get the recipe: Southern Sweet Potato Pie from Whisk it Real Gud

Read more Juneteenth essays and recipes here.