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Southern snack traditions developed around the region’s local ingredients, from green tomatoes to Georgia pecans and Lowcountry oysters, and generational recipes for gatherings from cookouts to tailgates and potlucks. We have classic recipes for staples like Texas caviar, beer cheese, and hush puppies, plus variations for favorites like deviled eggs and pimiento cheese that will stand out among any spread. Whether you’re hosting Southern guests, missing the South, or simply craving a solid snack from the region, these are the irresistible Southern snacks to prepare next.
Want to know what to drink with them? Learn more about the perfect drink pairings for these recipes at the 2024 Food & Wine Classic in Charleston.
Boiled Peanuts
Matt Taylor-Gross
Simply soaking and boiling peanuts with salt yields this classic, savory Southern snack that lasts a week.
Beer Cheese
Food & Wine / Photo by Jason Donnelly / Food Styling by Holly Dreesman / Prop Styling by Addelyn Evans
This dip is especially popular in Kentucky, where it is the focus of a food festival, and locals serve it at tailgates and parties. Fifth-generation Kentuckian Hank White shares his recipe for a sharp cheddar cheese spread made with pale ale.
Tender, Sizzling Hush Puppies
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
Joe Kindred shares the secret for tender, light hush puppies in this recipe from his North Carolina restaurant that produces a fluffy interior with a lacy, crisp crust.
Classic Pimiento Cheese
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Barrett Washburne
Pimiento cheese was actually created in New York in the late 1800s, but became popular in the South after Georgia became a top producer of pimientos in the 1930s. Now called the “pâté of the South,” the classic dip comprises cheddar, mayonnaise, and pimientos and can be served simply on crackers or toast.
Bourbon Balls
Food & Wine / Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Julian Hensaring / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless
Bourbon balls originated at the Rebecca Ruth Candy Company in Frankfort, Kentucky in 1938 and remain popular in the South. This version combines ground chocolate wafer cookies with bourbon, sugar, and cocoa powder. F&W’s Chandra Ram sharpens the flavors of the chocolate and bourbon with the addition of espresso powder.
Dill Pickles
Julia Hartbeck
Dill pickles are popular in the South, especially fried for a snack. Bobby Flay tosses Kirby cucumbers with dill and garlic, then brines in a solution of vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, and dill seeds.
Spiced Pecans
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Barrett Washburne
Grown best in warm climates, pecans are beloved in the South. Mississippi writer and television host John T. Edge seasons his with cayenne, cinnamon, and brown sugar, and sets out in giant bowls of them at parties in true Southern fashion.
Texas Caviar
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Also known as Cowboy Caviar, this delicious mix of black-eyed peas, tomatoes, crunchy bell peppers, jalapeño, and onion can be served with chips and a bright and tangy dressing for Texas-style snacking.
Classic Deviled Eggs
Kelsey Hansen / Food Styling by Annie Probst / Prop Styling by Breanna Ghazali
Give the filling of this classic cookout and potluck snack an extra-silky texture and rich flavor with a heavy dose of mayonnaise, and add acidity and brightness with sharp Dijon mustard and fresh dill.
Smoked Fish Dip
Smoked fish dip is much-loved throughout the Gulf states, including on the Georgia coast. This recipe is inspired by the dip at Southern Soul Barbeque on St. Simons Island, Georgia. Add flavor and texture to smoked oily fish with mayonnaise and whipped cream cheese, fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, horseradish, Old Bay, Worcestershire, and a touch of hot sauce.
Southern Sampler with Chicken Liver Mousse
Serve a range of crowd-pleasing snacks, from tart muscadine jam and velvety chicken liver mousse to crumbly Peaceburg cheddar pimiento cheese, elevated deviled eggs, plus pickles and cornichons, on one grazing board.
Classic Cheese Ball with Spiced Pecans
With its irresistible savory flavor, this classic party snack is easy to put together with cream cheese, cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, Worcestershire, seasoning, and herbs, and it looks polished on a platter with your choice of crackers.
Fried Boudin Balls with Creole Mustard Dipping Sauce
Photo by Frederick Hardy II / Food Styling by Ali Ramee / Prop Styling by Christina Brockman
Boudin is integral to Cajun food culture in Louisiana and Texas, with roots as far back as the 17th century, when the French and Germans settled in the area. Turn the sausage into crispy, savory snacks by frying pork, rice, liver, and seasonings with this recipe from Adam Dolge.
Cheddar-Scallion Biscuits
Bake buttermilk dough atop a pile of grated cheddar for a wonderfully caramelized flavor and a clever textural element. This recipe from Asheville, North Carolina, comes with a love story — as good biscuits often do.
Crispy Snacking Okra
Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell
Quickly roast halved okra pods until crispy and finish with fresh parsley, mint, and dill to complement the sweet, mildly earthy okra.
Crispy Biscuit Crackers
Turn leftover biscuits into ridiculously crunchy crackers with this 50-minute recipe from chef Carla Hall.
Sweet & Sour Crab Claws
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Amelia Rampe
Make crab claws irresistible with a sticky, sweet, and sour gochujang-based sauce from Seaworthy in New Orleans.
Oysters Rockefeller with Pimiento Cheese
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Shell Royster
Make a Lowcountry riff on classic Oysters Rockefeller with this recipe from South Carolina chef John Ondo, who includes bacon, pimiento cheese, collard greens, and a topping of buttery toasted crackers.
Bread-and-Butter Pickled Green Tomatoes
Food & Wine / Photo by Jason Donnelly / Food Styling by Holly Dreesman / Prop Styling by Addelyn Evans
Joe Dietz and Tim Brooks developed this way of preserving green tomatoes when an early freeze was forecast for Lexington, Kentucky. The sweet and tangy pickled green tomatoes are ideal for snack platters and charcuterie boards.
Vegan Pimiento Cheese
Make the iconic snack plant-based with a creamy and savory base of extra-firm tofu, acidic brightness from pickle brine and apple cider vinegar, and umami from nutritional yeast and miso.
Cheese Straws
Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Shell Royster
The legendary Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock created the perfect take on this Southern staple. “It has been my experience that in the South, one’s preferences in cheese straws are as much a part of personal identity as the college football team you cheer for or the church you do or do not attend” Scott Peacock writes.
Deviled Eggs with Country Ham
Atlanta chef Ford Fry tops classic deviled eggs with country ham from Benton’s in Madisonville, Tennessee, to add a whole new savory layer.
Fried Green Tomatoes
Coat firm, tart green tomatoes in bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese then pan-fry for the staple snack that’s crispy on the outside, and warm and juicy on the inside.
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