17 Essential Southern Cookbooks You Need to Check Out

The South is known for its delicious cuisine, and there are a number of cookbooks that are essential for any Southern cook. From classic dishes to modern twists, these books have everything you need to create amazing meals from scratch. If you’re interested in learning more about Southern cooking, or if you’re just looking for some new recipes to try, check out these essential Southern cookbooks.

Southern food is the living, breathing result of so many different cultures and regions coming together to create something beautiful. It is a tradition and staple of American Cuisine. It’s recipes that have been passed down (like this one) and perfected for 100’s of years. It’s delicious, flavorful, and comforting. It’s love.

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Must Have Southern Cookbooks

You’ll find a wide range of traditional southern recipes in these cookbooks, ranging from fried green tomatoes, sweet potato biscuits, pickled shrimp to fresh blackberry cobbler. You’re bound to find some new favorite recipes in these fantastic cookbooks. Is your mouth watering yet? Mine is! Let’s dig in.

1. Deep Run Roots by Vivian Howard

Vivian Howard is best known for having a cooking show that aired on PBS called A Chef’s Life and currently has a show called Somewhere South. The recipes in Deep Run Roots are creative and reflect the diverse cultural influences in the south. In this book, she shares stories about her family, upbringing, and the recipes that have made her a star. Deep Run Roots is an excellent book for both beginners and experienced cooks.

2. The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook

Matt and Ted Lee, two brothers, wrote this award-winning cookbook. It weaves stories of them growing up in Charleston. It has true classics and innovative recipes like (boiled peanut ice cream), from breakfasts to desserts; this is great for new cooks who want to practice classic southern dishes.

3. Heritage

My son gifted me this book for Christmas, and I love it!

Heritage is a best-selling cookbook by Chef Sean Brock, who grew up in Appalachia and lives in Charleston. Heritage illustrates the historical background of Southern cuisine. It’s about reclaiming the past with recipes meant to preserve food traditions. The dishes in this book are creative and reflect Brock’s love for all things culinary. In this book, you will find headnotes providing background information and shorter essays to learn more about Brock and his culinary journey. Brock takes southern ingredients and elevates them into food dishes that are works of art. Heritage is a beautifully illustrated book, and I’m so happy I have it in my kitchen! You’ll want to look at this one.

4. The Dooky Chase Cookbook

The Dooky Chase Cookbook is the Bible of Creole cooking. Leah Chase, the chef and owner of the famous restaurant Dooky Chase in New Orleans, spices up this cookbook with stories of her heritage and flavorful dishes. If you’re looking for some good ole’ Creole cooking for your Sothern kitchen, you’ll want to check this one out.

5. Southern Food: At Home, On the Road, In History

If you are a foodie that lives in the south or planning on visiting the south, this is one cookbook you’ll want to grab. This is a true classic of culinary traditions and a book that deserves a place on your bookshelf. John Eagerton takes you on a journey of southern food’s social history, showcases over 200 restaurants in over eleven states, and showcases 16o classic southern recipes. Eagerton is passionate about preserving the past before it disappears, and he does a beautiful job maintaining it in this cookbook.

6. United Tastes of the South (Southern Living): Authentic Dishes from Appalachia to the Bayou and Beyond

This book covers a lot of ground, breaking down southern classics by regions-Appalachia, Atlantic Coast, Gulf Coast, the Delta, and the Southwest. You’ll find irresistible food from Southern staples like spoon bread, country ham with red-eye gravy, and chicken and dumplings. United Tastes of the South has beautiful photos and a wide variety of recipes. It’s written by the editors of Southern Living magazine, and it celebrates the best traditional southern cooking. From main dishes to desserts, this book has it all. It’s great for the home cook and experienced cooks who want to explore new southern dishes.

7. Just a Few Miles South: Timeless Recipes from Our Favorite Places

Ouita Michels signs all her letters with; Food is Love. That love is present in Just a Few Miles South. This cookbook takes you on a tour of Kentucky. Ouita Michels is best known for her restaurant called The Holly Hill Inn. It was her first restaurant. This cookbook showcases delicious food from her sandwich shops and The Holly Hill Inn. It’s a brilliant book that’ll have you reaching for it time and time again.

8. Screen Doors and Sweet Tea: Recipe and Tales from Southern Cook by Martha Hall Foose

Screen Doors and Sweet Tea is best known for its many “southern stories and southern cooking,” and best of all, it’s perfect for reading while sipping some sweet tea on your front porch. Best-selling author Martha Hall Foose wrote it, and inside, you’ll find delicious food from the Gulf Coast region–suitable for anyone who loves good old-fashioned and soul-satisfying food.

9. Victuals: An Appalachian Journey

James Beard Award-Winning and Best Book. 

This cookbook has stunning photography and mouth-watering recipes from the Appalachian Mountains. Best-selling author Ronni Lundy wrote it. This book is known for its traditional recipes that reflect Appalachia’s rich mountain heritage and culture. If you’re looking for some delicious Appalachian recipes, then this one may interest you.

10. Bill Neal’s Southern Cooking

This cookbook is best known for its classic southern recipes, perfect for everyday cooking. Best-selling author Bill Neal knocks this one out of the park. From main dishes to desserts, this book has it all. If you’re looking for a cookbook that’s full of traditional southern fare, then you’ll want to check this one out.

11. The Best Cook in the World: Tales from My Momma’s Kitchen

Author Rick Bragg is best known for his long-running column in the New York Times. The Best Cook in the World is part cookbook and part memoir. It features 200 classic recipes across generations–along with stories about life growing up in rural Alabama. You’ll love this one; it’s a beautiful, heartwarming cookbook about southern cooking and family traditions. If you’re looking for tales of southern cooking and family tradition, this is a lovely book to add to your collection.

12. The Taste of Country Cooking: by best-selling author Edna Lewis

We can’t leave this classic off the list! This book is known for its homey, rustic cooking. Edna Lewis grew up in Freetown, Virginia, which emancipated slaves founded. With menus for the four seasons, she shares the ways her family prepared and enjoyed the food. It’s a beautifully written book and one that I enjoy reading.

“The most pleasant memories come to my mind of a midsummer’s breakfast. Windows and doors were flung open wide. Our bare feet had become completely toughened and comfortable as we sat and quietly relaxed on a long bench behind the table where a platter of hot fried chicken rested, along with fried vegetables such as corn or cymlings, sausage cakes, biscuits, batter bread or cornmeal muffins, jelly or preserves, coffee, and well water or milk for the children.” -Edna Lewis

13. Hoppin’ John’s Lowcountry Cooking by John Martin Taylor

The author John Martin Taylor, also known as The Flying Chef, shares some of the best southern recipes from the Lowcountry region. The book includes over 100 recipes that are best known throughout the coastal areas of South Carolina and Georgia. If you’re looking for some good old-fashioned Lowcountry cooking and fantastic food, you don’t want to pass this one by.

14. Mrs. Wilkes’ Boardinghouse Cookbook: Recipes and Recollections from Her Savannah Table

In 1943, a young Sema Wilkes took over a boardinghouse in historic downtown Savannah, Georgia. In this book, you will find over 300 delicious recipes of traditional southern cooking and photos of the boardinghouse. Each section has a bit of information about the family, guests, and the yummy foods of the south. This book is southern cooking at its best.

15. Jubilee (Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking)

Toni Tipton-Martin has written a stunning historical book on African-American history. She collected and gathered cookbooks and recipes from over two hundred years of African-American cooking. She selected recipes to include and adapted them for today’s kitchens while honoring those who created these dishes before us. This cookbook will deepen your knowledge of culinary history and cultural history. Jubilee celebrates the many cultures and flavors of African-American cooking. You’re going to want to get your hands on this one!

16. Bon Appetite, Ya’ll: Recipes and Stories from Three Generations of Southern Cooking

Georgia-born Southern chef Virginia Willis, a James Beard Award winner, takes traditional southern cooking to a whole new level with this soulful book and a style she calls “refined Southern cuisine.” If you’re looking for the best classic recipes with soulful flair, then check this one out!

17. Cheryl Day’s Treasury of Southern Baking

Cheryl Day, a New York Times bestselling author and co-owner of Savannah’s Back in the Day Bakery, is an expert in Southern baking. Southern charm and good food come to life in this richly informative recipe book. Cheryl brings together her deep experience, best-loved old-fashioned recipes, and with her as your guide, it’ll feel like having generations of Southern bakers standing by your side guiding you. You’ll want this beauty in your cookbook collection.

Final Thoughts

There you have it, seventeen of the best essential southern cookbooks. There’s something for everyone on this list; it includes stories, classic family recipes, and new takes on old favorites alike. You’ll find delicious ideas for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and of course, something to satisfy your sweet tooth! These cookbooks would be a wonderful gift for the foodie in your life or add to your collection.

I’d love to hear your favorite recipe or what your favorite southern cookbooks are.

P.S. If you enjoyed this post, check out my favorite cast iron cookbooks!