Juneteenth, June 19, is a time of celebration, remembrance and community. It commemorates the final emancipation of enslaved Black people in Texas and is now a national holiday that is marked by parades, parties and lots of food.
You may be wondering what traditional food is served on Juneteenth. Well, you’re in the right place! Here you’ll find lots of inspiration for Juneteenth food ideas to get your traditional Juneteenth celebrations started right!
Related: 40 Best Soul Food Recipes
What is a traditional way to celebrate Juneteenth?
One of the best ways to honor Juneteenth is to highlight and uplift Black creators, and with this collection of Juneteenth food recipes, you can also have some delicious food in the process!
An initiative that has been uplifting Black creators for years is the annual Eat the Culture Juneteenth Virtual Cookout, which brings together Black food bloggers to share their favorite recipes so that we all can have a chance to enjoy these incredible dishes and commemorate the history behind them.
Related: What Is Juneteenth? Everything to Know About the Integral Day in Black History
What food do you eat on Juneteenth?
So what foods are served on Juneteenth and why is it important? Well first, because it’s a warm weather celebration, Juneteenth food traditions often include cookout fare like barbecued meats, potato salad and fruity or frozen desserts. You’ll also see lots of traditional soul food dishes like fried chicken, cornbread and collard greens. There’s also a special emphasis on red foods and red drinks.
Related: 45 Best Cajun Recipes For Those Who Like It Hot
Why is red food eaten during Juneteenth celebrations?
Throughout the history of Juneteenth celebrations, red foods have been a major part of the spread. There are several historical explanations that have been presented for this. First, it’s believed that the color red commemorates the history of struggle and bloodshed that enslaved Black Americans faced. Also, many historians believe that the color red was an important signifier of special occasions in the West African nations where many formerly enslaved people originated, a tradition that carried over into Juneteenth traditions after emancipation.
Related: Why Is the Juneteenth Flag Blue and Red?
What are red foods for Juneteenth?
Juneteenth red foods include cookout favorites like barbecued meat and hot links, and other traditional favorites like red beans and rice and hot sauce. You might also see new twists on red foods, like watermelon salad or red cabbage coleslaw. The most well-known of all the Juneteenth desserts is red velvet cake, but other great options include strawberry pie or berry sorbet. You also can’t go wrong with a fresh fruit salad or grilled watermelon.
Related: Best Strawberry Lemonade Recipe
Juneteenth drinks
The red theme continues with traditional Juneteenth drinks like strawberry soda, hibiscus drinks and fruit punch. You can even serve up a red cocktail to really get the party started.
Related: 85 Best Summer Cocktail Recipes
What do you serve at a Juneteenth party?
If you’re hosting a Juneteenth party, or you’d like ideas for what you bring to a Juneteenth party, you’re in luck! This collection of recipes has all the Juneteenth food ideas you could want—soul food side dishes, red foods and drinks, incredible desserts and so much more! So go on and pick out your recipes, and have a happy Juneteenth celebration!
Related: 27 Amazing Soul Food Dishes You Have to Try
Best Juneteenth Recipes
Jerrelle Guy
BBQ legend Rodney Scott has been cooking whole-hog barbecue over wood coals since he was 11 years old. He’s sharing his best-fried chicken brined in his rib rub!
Get the recipe: Rodney Scott’s Fried Chicken
Caroline Randall Williams & Alice Randall
Elements of an old-fashioned cucumber soup and white gazpacho combine in a flavorful refreshing dish.
Get the recipe: Cold Cucumber Soup
Gabriele Stabile
Have you got a jar of molasses languishing in your pantry? Grab it for this simple recipe for sticky sweet chicken wings.
Get the recipe: Molasses Baked Chicken Wings
Krista Marshall
Barbecued brisket makes for a hearty sandwich piled high with flavor.
Get the recipe: Barbecued Beef Brisket
Noah Fecks
This flavorful dish has many cultural influences with Southern ingredients like peppers and pecans.
Get the recipe: Southern Rice Pilaf
Parade
The minute you take these off the grill, your Juneteenth bash can officially begin.
Get the recipe: Baby Back Ribs
Eva Kosmas Flores
This recipe takes summer fruit salad to a whole new level, thanks to a sweet, salty and spicy Thai dressing.
Get the recipe: Watermelon-Berry Salad
Jennifer Davick
There is just something about biting into a barbecued pork sandwich with the contrasting flavor and texture of creamy coleslaw.
Get the recipe: Barbecued Pork Burgers with Coleslaw
Al Roker
These sticky sweet ribs begin in the oven and then get finished off over an open flame.
Get the recipe: Sticky Ginger Ale Ribs
Grandbaby Cakes
This pinto bean and ham hock recipe is a true Southern comfort food delicacy! Dried pinto beans are soaked and then simmered with meaty ham hocks and flavors galore reaching tender thick perfection.
Get the recipe: Pinto Beans Recipe
Grandbaby Cakes
This classic southern catfish recipe is dredged in a perfectly seasoned and spiced cornmeal breading and fried until tender on the inside and crispy golden brown on the outside.
Get the recipe: Fried Catfish
Grandbaby Cakes
No grill is complete without my insanely flavorful skirt or flank steak marinade with chimichurri sauce! Easy, absolutely delicious and beyond flavorful!
Get the recipe: Skirt Steak Marinade with Chimichurri Recipe
Grandbaby Cakes
This is a deliciously moist cake filled with ripe banana, perfectly sweet pineapple and chopped pecans that’s topped with an irresistibly rich cream cheese frosting.
Get the recipe: Southern Hummingbird Cake
Grandbaby Cakes
These delicious salmon patties are a quick and easy soul food classic done right! Nice and tender on the inside full of salmon flavor and aromatics, yet crunchy and delicious on the exterior from an irresistible cornmeal breading, you will make these time and time again.
Get the recipe: Southern Salmon Croquettes
Grandbaby Cakes
This Braised Jamaican Oxtail is a Caribbean take on a classic Southern staple. Giant beef oxtails are slowly simmered for hours in a homemade ‘jerk’ sauce, which makes the meat impossibly tender and flavorful.
Get the recipe: Jamaican Oxtail
Grandbaby Cakes
A twist on classic cornbread, this intensely moist, flavorful and authentic corn pone recipe is made with simple ingredients and baked until beautifully golden brown.
Get the recipe: Corn Pone
Grandbaby Cakes
This recipe features fresh okra breaded in the most flavorful coating then fried until golden brown.
Get the recipe: Fried Okra
Grandbaby Cakes
Ditch the store-bought stuff and learn how to make the best tartar sauce ever. Made with creamy mayo, zesty relish, fresh herbs and lots of zippy citrus, this is fantastic as the perfect seafood dip or spread.
Get the recipe: Tartar Sauce
Grandbaby Cakes
This deeply flavorful, rich and downright addictive Jamaican stew starts with chicken that has been intensely marinated in a variety of aromatic spices and then braised down in the best savory liquids resulting in the most comforting Caribbean-style stew you can imagine.
Get the recipe: Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken
Related: 27 Best Crock Pot Chicken Recipes
Grandbaby Cakes
In this Southern classic, chicken gizzards are marinated in a spicy bath of buttermilk and hot sauce then battered in seasoned flour and fried to golden brown perfection.
Get the recipe: Southern Fried Chicken Gizzard Recipe
Grandbaby Cakes
These crispy wings are fried to a golden brown and then tossed in a sweet, spicy and lemony honey glaze.
Get the recipe: Lemon Pepper Wings
Grandbaby Cakes
Searching for the absolute best lemon meringue pie recipe? Look no further! Made with the butteriest homemade pie crust, a creamy tart lemon curd filling and piled high with fluffy clouds of sweet meringue, this pie is a lemon lover’s dream come true.
Get the recipe: Lemon Meringue Pie
Grandbaby Cakes
This pound cake is moist, tender, buttery and melts in your mouth. This is a classic Southern dessert recipe that is passed down from generation to generation and is a guaranteed hit.
Get the recipe: Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Grandbaby Cakes
A Southern potluck classic, Ambrosia Salad is a delightfully refreshing dessert or snack! This iconic fruit salad is made of pineapple chunks, mandarin slices, maraschino cherries, mini marshmallows and lots of creamy Cool Whip.
Get the recipe: Ambrosia Salad
Grandbaby Cakes
These authentic Southern collards are braised in savory meat flavored and perfectly spiced pot liquor resulting in an amazing tender silky texture.
Get the recipe: Collard Greens
Grandbaby Cakes
Perfectly buttery, rich, soft and flavorful with the perfect texture, these little treats are like a cross between a cookie and a cake. They’re perfect with a cup of coffee or sweet tea.
Get the recipe: Southern Tea Cakes
Grandbaby Cakes
This refreshing coleslaw is full of tender veggies olive oil, sharp vinegar and tangy garlic! It’s easy to make, so flavorful, and the perfect dairy-free alternative to a classic potluck side.
Get the recipe: Vinegar Coleslaw
Grandbaby Cakes
This easy homemade peach cobbler with canned peaches or fresh peaches is the perfect old-fashioned Southern dessert.
Get the recipe: Southern Peach Cobbler Recipe
Black People’s Recipes
These individual treats wrap up all the flavors of peach cobbler in a crispy pastry. This recipe uses frozen sliced peaches to save time and control the flavors of the filling.
Get the recipe: Peach Cobbler Egg Rolls
Black People’s Recipes
Hog maw may not make it on the top ten gourmet foods list, but it is definitely a soul food specialty. And when cooked properly, this fat-free deliciousness is a real treat.
Get the recipe: Hog Maw
Grandbaby Cakes
Tender, flavorful turnip greens are a soul food staple.
Get the recipe: Turnip Greens
Black People’s Recipes
Chitterlings, affectionately known as chitlins, is not a dish for the faint of heart. The mild taste of this quintessential soul food is hard to describe, and it’s nothing like it smells when cooking. The finished product is oh-so-good, especially when you serve it with vinegar and hot sauce next to collard greens, fried chicken and cornbread.
Get the recipe: Chitterlings
Stay Snatched
This bird can be marinated or seasoned with a dry rub. The result is always tender, juicy, fall-off-the-bone chicken loaded with flavor. This recipe works for any smoker or pellet grill.
Get the recipe: Traeger Smoked Whole Chicken
Jessica In The Kitchen
This macaroni and cheese is creamy, cheesy, and finished with an irresistible crispy, buttery breadcrumb topping. It makes great leftovers, and it works as both a side dish and a plant-based entree.
Get the recipe: Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese
My Forking Life
This tater salad is a must-have side dish. Simple and easy to make, it’s perfect for BBQs and cookouts.
Get the recipe: Southern Potato Salad
Dash of Jazz
This is a stunning and seasonal red dessert to take to Juneteenth celebrations. Learn how to create this unforgettable treat in under an hour.
Get the recipe: Black Pepper Strawberry Slab Pie
My Sweet Precision
This authentic Southern dessert is the perfect accompaniment to your Juneteenth celebration! Traditionally the sweet mandarin orange cake starts with a box of yellow cake mix, but this one is made from scratch and finished with homemade whipped topping sweetened with pineapple.
Get the recipe: Pig Pickin’ Cake
Chenée Today
Based on the amazing red velvet sheet cake recipe from Life is What You Bake It by Vallery Lomas, this is the best 6-inch mini red velvet cake recipe, perfect for small gatherings.
Get the recipe: Mini Red Velvet Cake
The Vgn Way
A plant-based Hibiscus strawberry ice cream is the perfect way to honor the tradition of Juneteenth with red as a symbol of It could symbolize sacrifice, transition, power and perseverance.
Get the recipe: Hibiscus Strawberry Vegan Ice Cream
Razzle Dazzle Life
These pork chops are lightly breaded and fried to golden crisp perfection. Southern-fried, just like grandma used to make!
Get the recipe: Perfectly Seasoned Fried Pork Chops
Cooks With Soul
These crispy fried catfish filets are coated in a spiced cornmeal crust that’s seasoned to perfection. Serve alongside french fries, spaghetti, hush puppies or coleslaw for the ultimate Southern fish fry.
Get the recipe: Southern Fried Catfish
Cooking with Kim
Fire up the grill! This mouthwatering turkey burger is perfect for your Juneteenth celebration. Topped with caramelized onions, mushrooms and Swiss cheese, every bite is a flavor bomb.
Get the recipe: BBQ Turkey Burger
I Can You Can Vegan
An elevated version of your classic vegan southern baked mac and cheese made with four kinds of cheese to create the perfect, creamy, cheesy side dish.
Get the recipe: Four Cheese Vegan Baked Mac and Cheese
Britney Breaks Bread
Celebrate Juneteenth with these deliciously unique, finger-lickin’ good ribs.
Get the recipe: Peanut Curry Braised Ribs
We Eat At Last
Tender steak pieces are marinated in a wonderful marinade in this East African mishkaki (beef kabobs) recipe. Serve some naan or pita alongside for a complete meal.
Get the recipe: Mishkaki (Grilled Beef Kabobs)
Heal Me Delicious
This refreshing mocktail combines watermelon, lime and mint for a refreshing and bubbly summer drink sans alcohol.
Get the recipe: Watermelon Mojito Mocktail
Food Fidelity
Rich and smoky baked beans that are packed with that candied BBQ flavor. These are easy to cook in your Instant Pot—saving you time and effort.
Get the recipe: Instant Pot BBQ Baked Beans
Peaches2Peaches
These homemade cupcakes are light, moist and filled with a smooth lemon curd then topped with a fresh raspberry cream cheese frosting.
Get the recipe: Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes
Good Food Baddie
Summer cookouts are a staple in the African American culture and the person handling the grill has a coveted and very important job. This grilled whole chicken recipe will surely impress any crowd, especially because it’s incredibly flavorful, easy to make, and ready in less than one hour.
Get the recipe: Grilled Whole BBQ Chicken
Begin with Butter
This red velvet cake is THE perfect addition to any Juneteenth celebration. It’s a show-stopping ruby color, and the chocolate is perfectly balanced with a creamy, dreamy cream cheese glaze.
Get the recipe: Ruby Red Velvet Pound Cake
Pink Owl Kitchen
These hushpuppies are made with a slightly sweetened cornmeal batter and chopped sweet onions, and are deep-fried until crispy and golden on the outside but soft and fluffy on the inside.
Get the recipe: Southern Sweet Onion Hushpuppies
My Sweet Precision
This strawberries and cream bundt cake is a rich and delicious dessert. Fresh strawberries add color, texture and great flavor to this treat.
Get the recipe: Strawberries and Cream Bundt Cake
Low Carb Africa
These delicious African-inspired chicken wings are perfect for your next potluck or dinner paired with your favorite side of veggies!
Get the recipe: Peri Peri Chicken Wings
