Southern Thanksgiving Recipes

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Southern Thanksgiving food recipes are classic dishes that remind you of Grandma’s table! These Southern sides and desserts are staples for your Thanksgiving menu.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays and I love making Thanksgiving food because it’s so satisfying and indulgent. Gathering with family and friends, sharing gratitude, and indulging in some mouthwatering comfort food is just the perfect combination.

If you’re looking for amazing options for planning your Thanksgiving dinner menu, check out this list of Southern Thanksgiving food. Grab a glass of sweet tea, sit back, and get ready to get your mouth watering!

1. Deep-Fried Turkey

We’re kickin’ things off with a showstopper – deep-fried turkey. The bird is brined and then submerged in hot oil, resulting in a crispy, golden-brown skin and tender, juicy meat perfect for serving with homemade turkey gravy without drippings.

If you decide to deep-fry your turkey be sure to do it outside, not indoors, and follow all safety precautions to avoid splashing hot oil or causing a fire. The BBQ Guys have a great list of tips for safely deep-frying a turkey.

2. Cornbread Dressing (Stuffing)

Southern cornbread dressing is a perfect side dish for a Southern Thanksgiving meal. Made from crumbled cornbread, savory herbs, onions, and sausage, this side dish is the epitome of comfort food.

I love this recipe because of the sausage in it, it is so hearty! This is one of my favorite side dishes for enjoying leftovers.

3. Collard Greens

This popular side dish is a classic Southern side! Collard greens are slow-cooked with a bit of bacon or ham hock, yielding a rich, smoky flavor. They’re the perfect balance to the other rich dishes on your Thanksgiving plate.

Be sure to start the collards cooking well in advance of your dinner time, they need at least an hour of simmer time to cook down and soften up.

4. Sweet Potato Pie 

If you haven’t tried a Southern sweet potato pie, you’re in for a treat. It’s a soul-warming dessert made from creamy, spiced sweet potato filling in a flaky pie crust.

This recipe starts from scratch with whole sweet potatoes but it is easier than you think. It’s sweet, fragrant, and has just the right amount of spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. A dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream is the perfect finishing touch.

5. Green Bean Casserole

This classic dish features fresh green beans smothered in a cream of mushroom soup sauce and crowned with crispy fried onions. These delicious flavors make a nostalgic favorite that always makes an appearance on Southern Thanksgiving tables.

Make the classic version above that uses cream of mushroom soup or try this from-scratch green bean casserole recipe.

6. Buttermilk Biscuits

Light, flaky, and oh-so-buttery, buttermilk biscuits are the ideal vessel for sopping up gravy and enjoying with a dollop of homemade butter or honey. When it comes to Southern sides, you don’t skip the buttery biscuits, unless you’re serving dinner rolls or drop biscuits instead. 

7. Cranberry Sauce

In the South, homemade cranberry sauce is the way to go. Fresh cranberries are simmered with orange zest and a touch of sugar to create a tangy, sweet condiment that complements the rich dishes on the table. For a more grown-up taste, try our cranberry relish made with Grand Marnier too!

8. Pecan Pie

No Southern Thanksgiving dessert table would be complete without a pecan pie. It’s a gooey, nutty masterpiece with a sweet, buttery filling that’s set atop a flaky pie crust.

Want another variation? Try chocolate pecan pie or pecan Kentucky derby pie.

9. Oyster Dressing

Oyster dressing is a coastal Southern specialty that combines the briny goodness of fresh oysters with cornbread, celery, onions, and a medley of herbs and spices. It is a great alternative to the sausage dressing we shared earlier.

10. Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Southern-style baked mac and cheese is a cheesy, gooey masterpiece. Made with a blend of sharp cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese and a crispy panko topping, this dish is always creamy and full of flavor. You can’t have a list of Southern comfort foods without including homemade mac and cheese.

If you need to free up oven space with all the hectic Thanksgiving cooking, try slow cooker mac and cheese or slow cooker bacon mac and cheese instead.

11. Sweet Potato Casserole

A classic sweet potato casserole has creamy sweet potatoes whipped with brown sugar and topped with a crunchy, buttery pecan brown sugar crumble. We actually make this dish year round because it tastes so good and is very easy to make.

12. Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs are a Southern classic, featuring hard-boiled eggs filled with a creamy, tangy mixture of egg yolks, mayo, mustard, and a sprinkle of paprika. We like to spice them up by making bacon jalapeño deviled eggs at our house.

13. Corn Pudding

Creamy corn pudding is a classic recipe that’s a cross between a custard and a soufflé and is perfect for a holiday dinner. It’s made with fresh corn kernels, eggs, butter, and just a touch of sugar with a cheesy, buttery cracker crust. The result is a sweet, creamy, and slightly savory concoction that’s sure to please.

Creamed corn is another classic Southern Thanksgiving recipe that has a similar taste without the cheese and butter toppings.

14. Spoonbread

Spoonbread is like a hybrid of cornbread and a soufflé, known for its light, soufflé-like texture and slightly sweet corn flavor. It’s a true Southern delicacy.

15. Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie, with its smooth, spiced pumpkin filling in a buttery pie crust, is another beloved Southern dessert. The flavors of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg come together to create that signature taste of autumn. A classic slice of pumpkin pie is like a warm hug for your taste buds.

If you want something different but similar, check out our pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin cheesecake bars, or pumpkin pie layered cheesecake.

16. Candied Yams

No list of Southern Thanksgiving food would be complete without candied yams! This dish is very similar to our sweet potato casserole but topped with golden toasted marshmallows! This is one side dish the kids will be sure to finish, making it a staple on our list of kid-friendly Thanksgiving foods.

17. Mashed Potatoes

While mashed potatoes may not be a Southern-only dish, they are a Thanksgiving staple and staple on the table in the South. Make them whipped for topping with turkey gravy or make cheddar and chive mashed potatoes packed with flavor.

18. Homemade Apple Pie

Unlike traditional apple pie you see with the lattice top crust, I grew up with my Nana’s apple crumble pie and serving it is a Thanksgiving tradition in our house (you can never have too many pies!)

This pie is very easy to make and is topped with a buttery brown sugar crumble that just makes the pie absolutely delectable!