Juneteenth is all about celebration, no matter how, where, or with whom the festivities take place. The holiday, observed on June 19, commemorates the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned of their freedom, which had been declared in the Emancipation Proclamation two years earlier. “For a few hours, pure liberation meets a plate of food,” cookbook author Nicole A. Taylor wrote in Food & Wine about her own Juneteenth parties. Here are a few recipes from Taylor and other cooks, full of flavor and joy to inspire your own Juneteenth menu.
Goldee’s Creamy Potato Salad
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
You can’t have a Juneteenth barbecue without potato salad. This standout side from 2024 F&W Best New Chef Lane Milne gets a perfect amount of tang from cider vinegar, mustard, and chopped dill pickles.
Honey-Glazed Baby Back Ribs with Whiskey Marinade
Food & Wine / Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Julia bayless
Chef Andy Ricker infuses flavor into these ribs, a summertime classic, at every step. He first marinates the meat for four hours before basting it twice while it slow-roasts, then seals everything in with a quick char on the grill.
A Proper Pot of Greens
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless
Studded with bacon and flavored with Creole seasoning, hot sauce, and plenty of garlic, these silky, tender collards pull out all the stops. Braising them with apple cider vinegar and a bit of brown sugar imparts an irresistibly sweet-tart edge.
Grilled Prawns with Okra and Eggplant
Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell
A trip to Ghana inspired cookbook author Zoe Adjonyoh to create this dish of sautéed eggplant, okra, and spinach tossed with coconut oil; spiced with grains of paradise, red pepper flakes, and ginger; and topped with grilled, marinated prawns.
Sorrel
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by JULIAN HENSARLING / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
This spiced hibiscus drink from writer and food historian Toni Tipton-Martin has roots in West Africa and is typically enjoyed on holidays, most notably for emancipation celebrations like Juneteenth.
Stone Fruit Salad with Collard-Peanut Pesto
If you’ve never had the pleasure of a non-basil pesto, this collard greens and peanuts mashup is an absolute game-changer. Blanched greens are pulsed with toasted nuts, lemon juice and zest, honey, garlic, and soy sauce for a sauce that’s splendid over fonio and stone fruit.
Ranch-Style Beans
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Barbecue burnt ends, spices, and a little brown sugar infuse these pinto beans from Jasmine Smith with smoky, meaty, and savory-sweet flavor.
Summer Fruit Cobbler with Vanilla-Mascarpone Biscuits
Do as F&W’s Cheryl Slocum does and stud your peach cobbler with fresh sweet cherries to get more red on the Juneteenth table — you’ll need 10 cups of fruit total. With their crunchy turbinado sugar topping, vanilla-mascarpone biscuits have a tender, shortcake-like texture that marries beautifully with the fruit.
Pickle-Brined Fried Chicken
In the Food & Wine Test Kitchen, Liz Mervosh perfected adding pickle brine to a traditional buttermilk marinade to infuse flavor and sweetness. Her keys to success? Allowing a full eight hours for marination and resting the breaded chicken before sending it to the fryer.
Tangy Black-Eyed Pea Salad
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Tomato, cilantro, garlic, scallions, chiles de árbol, and jalapeño are simmered alongside black-eyed peas, and used to make a punchy dressing, before being folded in with arugula, chopped cilantro, red onion, and another jalapeño to finish.
Grilled Pork Chops with Burst Blueberry Sauce
Nicole A. Taylor joins sweet with savory by blending fresh blueberries with shallot, red wine, chipotles in adobo sauce, and balsamic vinegar into a sticky, robust sauce to spoon over juicy grilled pork rib chops.
Carla Hall’s Buttermilk Biscuits
These towering, flaky biscuits, which combine cold grated butter and vegetable shortening for the ideal balance of flavor and tenderness, can be frozen and baked straight from the freezer. Just add a few minutes to the cooking time.
Chile-Coconut Watermelon Crudo
Crack open a fresh coconut and mix its water with lime juice, ginger, and chiles to marinate sweet slabs of watermelon. Bonus: Once you remove the watermelon, you can use the strained marinade as a cocktail mixer to accompany the crudo.
Island Jollof Rice
“When I think of Eric Adjepong’s food, I think of the West African dance called the highlife, full of Afro beats and guitars and brass instruments,” says Tamie Cook, who co-wrote the cookbook The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food with Marcus Samuelsson, Osayi Endolyn, and Yewande Komolafe. “Jollof rice is such a beloved dish that every West African takes ownership of it.”
Hibiscus Snow Cones
Serve snow cones at home with a sweet, tangy syrup made from dried hibiscus blossoms, whipped cream, and crushed pink peppercorns. You’ll need a home ice-shaving machine.
Virtue Cornbread
Cornbread is a welcome addition to any summer spread. This version from chef Erick Williams is buttery and slightly sweet — it’s best enjoyed warm on the day it’s baked.
Red Velvet Cake Ice Cream Sandwiches
Food & Wine / Photo by Stacy Allen / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Tucker Vines
Chef Taffy Elrod sandwiches tangy no-churn cream cheese ice cream between cakey red velvet cookies for a sure crowd-pleaser that can be prepared in advance.
Southern-Style Mac ‘n’ Cheese
Made with three cheeses — extra-sharp cheddar, Colby-Jack, and cream cheese — this decadent mac and cheese forgoes the roux for a milk-and-egg base typical of the Southern style.
Smoked Brisket with Coffee Beer Mop Sauce and Zinfandel Barbecue Sauce
Victor Protasio, / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell
The Barbecue Bible author Steven Raichlen slow-cooks this brisket on the grill to develop a rich, smoky flavor, which allots plenty of time to make the accompanying Zinfandel Barbecue Sauce.
Slow Cooker Barbecued Pulled Pork
Julia Hartbeck
Tasty, tender pulled pork makes excellent use of your slow cooker. Richly flavorful and saucy, it’s terrific on hamburger buns with coleslaw, thinly sliced onion, and dill pickles.
Moscato Pound Cake with Grape Glaze
Food writer Nicole A. Taylor turns classic pound cake into a sophisticated and festive dessert worthy of your Juneteenth celebration. The addition of Moscato in the batter lightens the intensely buttery crumb; a small amount of Moscato in the vibrant glaze heightens the grape flavor.
Oto (Mashed Yam Patties)
“Oto, the vehicle in Ghanaian cuisine for the humble egg, is the dish by which new beginnings are celebrated,” says cookbook author Zoe Adjonyoh. To make it, starchy puna yams are cooked with brown sugar, mashed, and formed into patties and fried. Each patty gets topped with a soft-cooked egg.
Strawberry-Rum Coolers
Redolent with the flavors of fresh strawberries, lime juice, ginger beer, and a mixture of light and dark rum, this cocktail is a must-serve at the barbecue. “It’s the kind of drink that upon first sip seems to stop the sun’s rays in their tracks and makes the breeze feel somehow cooler,” says chef Todd Richards.
Deviled Eggs
Edna Lewis was known for these deviled eggs, which come together in minutes. The stuffed eggs can be refrigerated for up to four hours. Sprinkle with herbs just before serving.
