Juneteenth is a cause for celebration, no matter how, where or with whom you celebrate. Celebrated on June 19th, the holiday commemorates the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas, learned of the freedom that had been proclaimed two years earlier in the Emancipation Proclamation. “For a few hours, pure liberation meets food,” cookbook author Nicole A. Taylor wrote in Food & Wine magazine about her Juneteenth party. Here are some flavorful and fun recipes from Taylor and other cooks to inspire your own Juneteenth menu.
Buttermilk Cornbread
Slightly sweet and buttery, this traditional Southern cornbread is a must-order at Eric Williams’ flagship restaurant, Virtue, in Chicago, Illinois, where he celebrates the cuisine of the Great Migration.
Grilled shrimp with okra and eggplant
Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling: Emily Neighbors-Hall / Prop Styling: Lydia Purcell
Inspired by cookbook author Zoe Adjoenyo’s travels in Ghana, this veggie-packed dish features sautéed eggplant, okra and spinach tossed in coconut oil and spices and topped with grilled marinated shrimp.
Stone Fruit Salad with Collards and Peanut Pesto
In this flavorful fruit salad, roasted peanuts, collard greens, and Parmesan create a hearty pesto that pairs perfectly with honey-drizzled plum and nectarine wedges. Fonio, a West African grain with a texture similar to couscous, soaks up the pesto, adding flavor to every bite.
Summer Fruit Cobbler with Vanilla Mascarpone Biscuits
Add more red to your Juneteenth table by serving peach cobbler with fresh sweet cherries, like Cheryl Slocum of F&W does. You’ll need 10 cups of fruit total. Vanilla mascarpone biscuits topped with crunchy turbinado sugar have a soft, shortcake-like texture that pairs beautifully with the fruit.
Rosy Hibiscus Gin Lowball
Known as sorrel in parts of Africa, roselle (the species of hibiscus used in most hibiscus teas) is paired here with the floral notes of gin. Mix leftover hibiscus tea into lemonade for a refreshing non-alcoholic drink.
Sour black-eyed pea salad
Greg Dupree / Food Styling: Richon Hannahs / Prop Styling: Claire Spollen
Braising black-eyed peas with tomatoes, scallions, chilies, garlic and coriander stalks intensifies the flavors as the beans cook. The vegetables later form the base of the salad’s smooth dressing. For a less spicy dish, remove the seeds from the jalapeño.
Crudités with carrot dip and romesco sauce
Food writer and recipe developer Yewande Komolafe says to think of this as a veggie plate with carrot dip. Add cucumbers, apple sticks, radishes, or any other veggies you like. The recipe celebrates Detroit’s “rural-urban connection, with benne seeds and peanuts evoking Africa.”
Hibiscus Snow Cone
“Hibiscus flowers are steeped in water to create the red drink that’s so essential to Juneteenth,” says Nicole A. Taylor, sharing the Juneteenth memory that inspired her to create this Hibiscus Snow Cone. For this playful chilled dessert, Taylor puts a spin on tradition, using dried hibiscus flowers to create a sweet and tart syrup for her festive snow cones. Whipped cream and crushed pink peppercorns add a finishing flourish.
Carla Hall’s Buttermilk Biscuits
Made with a combination of cold grated butter for flavor and vegetable shortening for softness, Chef Carla Hall’s biscuits are crafted into towering, flaky layers using her traditional lamination technique.
Grilled pork chops with blueberry sauce
Beautiful summer fruit and grilled dishes are at the heart of Nicole A. Taylor’s Juneteenth menu, where blueberries are given a flavorful twist by blending them with shallots, thyme and chipotle in adobo to create a viscous sauce that highlights the fruit’s floral notes, while red wine and balsamic vinegar add acidity to bring out the flavor.
Island Jollof Rice
“When I think of Eric Adjepong’s cooking, I think of Afrobeat and the West African dance called highlife, full of guitars and brass instruments,” says cookbook co-author Tammy Cook. The Rise: Black Chefs and the Spirit of American Cuisine With Marcus Samuelsson, Osai Endrin and Yewande Komolafe. “Jollof rice is a West African dish that everyone loves.”
Chili Coconut Watermelon Crudo
Sweet, spicy and punchy, this upgrade on the classic salted watermelon is a palate-pleasing appetizer worthy of your barbecue guests. Fresh coconut water is much sweeter and has a deeper flavor than the bottled version, so try cracking a coconut if you can.
Smoked Brisket
This smoked brisket is a signature recipe from self-taught barbecue master Matt Horn and is a menu star at his restaurant, Horn Barbecue, in Oakland, California. The 2021 F&W Best New Chef spent weeks perfecting the recipe and says the most important element with this dish is time. You’ll need to be patient while the meat reaches an internal temperature of 203°F, but the resulting smoked masterpiece will be well worth it.
Red Velvet Cake Ice Cream Sandwich
Food & Wine / Photography: Stacey Allen / Food Styling: Emily Neighbors-Hall / Prop Styling: Tucker Vines
Chewy chocolatey red velvet cookies are filled with tangy non-whipped cream cheese ice cream for an irresistible combination of flavors and textures. These ice cream-filled sandwiches soften when frozen, making them the perfect make-ahead dessert.
Oto (Mashed Yam Pate)
Punnayam (not to be mistaken for sweet potato) is the star of this Ghanaian dish that is often served on wedding days. Its unique texture and flavor make it worth seeking out punayam for this recipe.
Southern Macaroni and Cheese
This rich and flavorful mac and cheese recipe uses three types of cheese — extra sharp cheddar, Colby Jack, and cream cheese — and also adds flavor with fresh bay leaves and dry mustard.
Moscato Pound Cake with Grape Glaze
Dreams of reuniting with friends and loved ones to celebrate Juneteenth in 2021 inspired Nicole A. Taylor to create this recipe for Moscato Pound Cake with Grape Glaze. The Moscato gives this cake a lighter, softer crust than regular pound cake and a subtle sweetness. Freeze-dried grapes bring vibrant color to the glaze.
Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork
Julia Hartbeck
With less than 30 minutes of preparation time, this flavorful pulled pork recipe is truly a “make it and forget it” situation. Serve with coleslaw and pickles. Buns are optional.
Grilled Baby Potato Salad
Seasoned with olive oil and champagne vinegar rather than mayonnaise, this zesty potato salad is bursting with vibrant flavors. Parsley and pickled red onions add a pop of color, and a playful salt-and-vinegar crisp topping adds an irresistible crunch.
Sautéed collards and cabbage with gremolata
Chef Carla Hall’s crispy stir-fried vegetables are full of flavor from garlic, lemon and crushed red pepper. Gremolata can be made up to 3 hours ahead and stored, covered, at room temperature.
Rosemary Chicken, Corn and Sausage Fricasee
For juicy, flavorful chicken, New Orleans chef Nina Compton soaks the drumsticks in a simple salted water for 45 minutes before grilling. This is a summer version of the dish, but it varies throughout the year: in the fall, she uses butternut squash and mushrooms, and in the spring, she uses fresh fava beans, kidney beans, and fiddlehead ferns.
Strawberry Rum Cooler
Fresh strawberries, lime juice, ginger beer, and a mix of light and dark rum make this a flavorful barbecue essential. “It’s like one sip of something that stops the sun and makes you feel like there’s a breeze cooling you down,” says Chef Todd Richards. “This is refreshment.”
Deviled eggs
Edna Lewis is famous for these deviled eggs that are ready in minutes. Stuffed eggs can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours. Sprinkle with herbs just before serving.
