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Along with my favorite black bloggers, I’m participating in the 2020 Juneteenth Cookout Takeover.
Juneteenth (a merge of the words/date June Nineteenth) marks the June 19, 1865, the emancipation of the last enslaved people in Galveston, Texas.
And for over 150 years since, Black American families, home-cooks, chefs, and culinarians have commemorated the summer holiday with a wide range of food traditions that tell a story of the perseverance of a people.
This initiative was established to encourage the celebration of Juneteenth – a jubilee of freedom to commemorate the end of slavery – and to amplify the food traditions of black culinary creatives.
The foods in this list come from all over the African Diaspora. So many of the recipes are classic to our cultures. They range from appetizers to desserts.
For me, even growing up in Texas, I never celebrated Juneteenth much. We had the cookout at church, but it was honestly never a celebration that was taught to us in school, or highlighted in history books.
Knowing the significance helps me observe the holiday and hold the meaning of it much closer.
I hope you incorporate them into some of your cooking – not just on Juneteenth, but always.
Check out their recipes and what Juneteenth means each one of us.
Black Bloggers Juneteenth Cookout
This food is authentic, and delicious. Scroll the list for some amazing black bloggers and their Juneteenth recipes.

Blackened Catfish
A keto-friendly take on a beloved comfort favorite: catfish. The breading is replaced with a delicious blackened seasoning that’s so good, you won’t even care that it’s low-carb! This tender, flaky, spicy, and delicious blackened catfish will soon be one of your favorites!

Spiced Grilled Peaches - Beautiful Eats & Things
These Spiced Grilled Peaches are the perfect summertime treat! Serve them with a dollop of vanilla ice cream or a serving of Greek yogurt!

Brown Butter Sweet Potato Cake
Sweet Potatoes or yams are a favorite holiday staple for African Americans. This recipe takes a typical spice cake up a notch by adding sweet potatoes and creating a delicious moist cake that is great year round.

Brazilian Collard Greens with Bacon Recipe
Collard greens is a classic dish loved by the African diaspora all over the world. This Brazilian version is a crisp, garlicky side dish full of bacon bits. It's an easy collard greens recipe, perfect as a mid-week side dish or that celebratory cookout your familia will love all year round!
Buttermilk Fried Chicken
This buttermilk fried chicken recipe is as nostalgic as much as it is crispy and delicious! With the sour cream and honey sauce, it takes me right back to summer days hanging with family and breaking bread at cookouts.

Chicken and Waffles Recipe (The Best!)
Listen, this homemade chicken and waffles recipe has never looked better; super crispy and perfectly flavored buttermilk fried chicken paired with fluffy and tender golden waffles! The most perfect pairing!

Succulent Summer Salads with a recipe for Watermelon Feta Salad
Watermelon is a seasonal favourite and it is married with other great ingredients to add another great dish for the celebration of Juneteenth. Watermelon is a traditional staple at the Juneteenth table.

Honey and Buttermilk Cornbread – Chef Curl Ardee
Cornbread is a staple and huge part of what adds soul to Soul Food. This homemade cornbread is full of the stuff good dreams are made of (honey and buttermilk, to be specific).

Lemon Icebox Pie
This classic Southern icebox pie recipe, having traveled with my grandmother up north to Ohio during the Great Migration, then to my father, and then passing down to me, is a perfect representation of the spirit of Juneteenth -- celebrating our joys in the face of struggle, remembering where we came from, and sharing love, food, and good times across the generations.

Juneteenth Cookout Takeover Crawfish Recipes
Crawfish Etoufee is a Cajun/Creole roux-based recipe that masterfully blends spices and crawfish into a creamy sauce. Typically served over rice, this is another soulful dish to add to your recipe box.

Guaymas Shrimp
Fried fish is a summertime treat of the African Heritage Diet. I combined two joyful childhood memories to create the easily achieved Guaymas Shrimp. Happy Juneteenth to all us descendants of Black Texans!

Mint Peach Spritzer
A fun take on Aunty's sweet iced tea without the tea. This Mint Peach Spritzer can be served as virgin cocktails or you can spice things up a bit with champagne, Prosecco or vodka.

How to Make Jamaican Beef Patties
T'ara says: "A Jamaican beef patty recipe that made my Jamaican father proud. This Jamaican beef patty recipe will give you the flavor and flaky crust that makes this dish such a staple in Jamaican culture. For Juneteenth, I'm acknowledging the roots of my culture that make me who I am today. For me, one of the best ways to express my love for my culture is with food. Grab a bottle of Ting or Red Stripe and some cocoa bread to eat with these delicious beef patties!"

BBQ Pulled Pork in a Jar - Cooks With Soul
Smoked pulled pork, baked beans, potatoes, coleslaw, pickles, and BBQ sauce layered in an old-fashioned mason jar makes the perfect dish for your next cookout!

Golden Pineapple Pound Cake
This tropical take on my Grandmother's classic pound cake recipe will be a welcome addition to your Juneteenth celebration table. In Texas, we tend to celebrate Juneteenth with cookouts and block parties so I recommend pairing this with a scoop of ice cream to help cool you off!

Honey Jerk Shrimp
Spice up your Juneteenth celebration with some Honey Jerk Shrimp! The sweet and spicy combo will definitely be a hit!

Toast With This!: Blackberry Ginger Soda
An ode to the Juneteenth celebration staple, Red Soda Water, this Blackberry Ginger Soda is a refreshing blend of crisp ginger ale, blackberry syrup, club soda, and festive blackberry ice cubes. Add this to your Juneteenth soiree and toast with this!

Recipe: Pound Cake
Pound cake is a staple dessert in most in which the recipe in most families has been passed down generation to generation. The use of cream cheese in place of milk is what makes this favorite family cake so moist.

Easy Berry Fruit Salad(With Orange Juice!)
This berry fruit salad is an easy 6 ingredient recipe! All your favorite fresh berries, a honey orange juice dressing, and fresh mint. The orange juice dressing makes this berry fruit salad so refreshingly delicious!

Instant Pot Cajun White Beans
A staple in every Cajun and Creole household, the tradition of beans and rice is handed down from the African influence in Southern Louisiana. These Cajun White Beans combine beef sausage, coconut milk and Cajun seasonings resulting in the perfect pot of flavorful and tender beans.

THREE GREEN SUMMER SALAD
Greens are always apart if any Juneteenth menu but this three green salad is a new way to enjoy your favorite leafy greens.

Juneteenth cookout - Vegan Jackfruit Jamaican Patties
These vegan jamaican patties have a beautifully flaky crust and a spicy and tasty jackfruit filling. Easy and quick to make they are the perfect spicy treat.

Beef Suya Skewers
Easy to make Nigerian street food featuring grilled beef skewers seasoned with a peanut-based spice mix for a show-off worthy party appetizer or insatiable main dish.
Smothered Okra with Chicken and Smoked Sausage
Have you ever eaten a meal that brought tears to your eyes? Only one meal does that for me; smothered okra. There is no meal that makes me think of both of my grandmothers more than smothered okra.
Braised Cabbage & Johnny Cakes
Comfort food at it's finest. A Vegan-friendly update to the Southern Classic: Braised, Cabbage and Johnny Cakes. You won't even realize you're missing the bacon. The peppers and liquid smoke are stealthy flavor boosters!

Cassava Corn Waffles with Shrimp Creole – Forks and Straws
Savory Cassava Corn Waffles topped with Spicy Shrimp Creole. Drizzle a bit of maple syrup on top for a sweet, savory and spicy dish.
Curry Potato Salad
Potato Salad with a little Caribbean flare. Curry powder, ground ginger, allspice and Olive Oil Miracle Whip make for a sweet and savory flavor profile that elevates this classic dish to new heights.

Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Honey Cornbread Cake | Tastybits
This sweet potato honey cornbread cake recipe produces a soft, slightly sweet, and moist cake. Making it the perfect side dish for your Juneteenth celebrations.
AIP Trinidadian Callaloo Soup (paleo,vegan) • Heal Me Delicious
Originating in West Africa, callaloo is a nutrient-dense dish that is common across the African diaspora. In Trinidad, callaloo is a quintessential part of Sunday lunches. In this recipe, carrots and butternut squash braise alongside dasheen leaves, okra, green onions, garlic, onion, cilantro and thyme in coconut milk.

Chin-Chin: Nigerian Fried Cookies (2 ways)
Chin-chin is the Nigerian fried cookies, favourite sweet snack to many Nigerians that the world needs to know of. Perfectly crunchy, buttery and flaky

Crockpot Smoked Red Beans – Jamieson Diaries
These Crockpot Smoked Red Beans are the perfect savory side dish for your Juneteenth celebration bbq. One of it’s origin stories comes from the enslaved people on Louisiana’s sugar plantations 300 years ago. On Juneteenth, we eat it to celebrate their ingenuity and lives.

Red Velvet Biscuit with BBQ Brisket
Red food dominates the dinner menu during the Juneteenth, whether it’s barbecue, red velvet cake, red soda, hibiscus tea, watermelon or strawberries.

3 Ingredient Pork Free Baked Beans
A slightly sweet, tasty pork-free baked beans recipe that is still full of delicious BBQ appropriate flavor and perfect for the dish to take to your next potluck BBQ.

Sweet Potato Cheesecake
Juneteenth is this week and I have the perfect dessert for your cookout. SWEET POTATO CHEESECAKE. So decadent, silky smooth and the best combination on two classics.

Peas & Rice ~ Guyanese Style
Peas & Rice Guyanese Style is a must for holidays or any day of the week. Cooked low and slow, Rice & Peas is the perfect side or main dish.

Honey-Sweetened Peach Ginger Iced Tea
Whether you're sitting and sipping on the porch with family or cooling off at the cookout, this refreshing Peach Iced Tea is a refreshing drink for Juneteenth!
Strawberry Skillet Cobbler
Juneteenth is normally celebrated with a menu of red foods to represent the perseverance of the enslaved. This Juneteenth I honor that tradition with my Strawberry Cornbread Skillet Cobbler, a bright crimson blend of juicy summer strawberries, mint, and citrus nestled under a bed of pillowy golden cornbread. This cobbler is delicious and ridiculously easy to dish up making it the perfect contribution for all summer gatherings.

Vegan Saka Saka (Congolese Cassava Leaf & Spinach Stew) — Murielle Banackissa
Rich, comforting, healthy and satisfying, this vegan twist on a traditional Congolese dish is made with lots of greens, red onions, peanut butter and habanero for a touch of heat. Serve it alongside golden plantains and rice.

Black-Eyed Peas with Smoked Turkey — My Fabulous Food
Black-eyed peas with smoked turkey are the perfect soul food side dish to help celebrate Juneteenth. This flavorful dish pairs well with white rice and cornbread.

Easy BBQ Pork Ribs | Nik Snacks #JuneteenthCookout
Black American culinary tradition is rooted in barbecue. Modern times call for modern measures: When you don’t have time to set up the smoker or fire up the grill, these Easy BBQ pork ribs come to the rescue.

Watermelon Limeade
Watermelon Limeade is the perfect drink for Juneteenth celebrations. Made with fresh watermelon and lime for a refreshingly cold beverage.

Coconut Collard Greens
Fresh greens steamed in coconut water and finished with bright lemon zest, these Coconut Collard Greens are a light and refreshing revamp of a soul food staple.

The Ultimate Vegan Mac + Cheese
When it comes to this Ultimate Vegan Mac + Cheese recipe, it is by far more than a fork full of goodness! Super creamy, 'cheesy', and loaded with flavor, this 'Mac + Cheese" is made from gluten-free macaroni, savory seasonings, nutritional yeast, and cashews soaked overnight (which makes the cream cheese base). A beautiful twist on a classic dish that it sure to be a staple in your household. Completely vegan and gluten-free.

Nigerian Jollof Rice
A traditional staple in most West African Homes. Jollof rice is a delicious one-pot meal cooked in a flavorful stew with tomatoes, peppers, onion, spices, and chicken stock.

Vanilla Cake with Caramel Poached Pears
Moist Vanilla Cake with Pears poached in a delicious caramel sauce. Perfect for any celebration!

Strawberry Buttermilk Biscuits
This Strawberry Buttermilk Biscuit recipe takes a southern staple and gives it a sweet twist. Fresh strawberries are baked right into these fluffy buttermilk biscuits for a delightful spin on a classic southern recipe.
SOUTHERN PEACH COBBLER
Southern Peach cobbler is a traditional dessert in the south and all over the world. Warm, sweet peaches with a decadent cobbler style crust is the perfect treat for any occasion.

How to make easy Southern Tomato Pie with Bacon, Basil and Jack Cheese
If you’re looking for a light tomato pie for your gathering, then you’re in the wrong place. But if you want a guilty pleasure fulfilled in one bite of a pie that just so happens to contain hearty sliced tomatoes. Then you are exactly where you need to be.

Jus De Citron – Haitian Lemonade
This delightful, signature, Caribbean Jus De Citron is of the island of Haiti. This Lemonade is exactly what you need to put you in the Caribbean mood year around.

Cajun Shrimp Deviled Eggs
Paying homage to my southern roots by sharing a staple known to have a designated place at every family "cookout". Let's add a twist to traditional deviled eggs with fresh herbs, lemon and hot sauce topped with buttered cajun shrimp!

Blackberry Cobbler: Individual or Family Style Dessert
Blackberry season is in full swing and this batter topped cobbler is an ideal way to bring more joy to your summertime festivites! Just don't forget the vanilla ice cream!

Easy Candied Yams | Juneteenth Cookout Takeover
Easy Candied Yams is a delicious side dish that combines sweet yams, with butter, sugar, and spices. Rich, tender, and full of flavor. Sure to be popular with everyone at the table.

Fried Softshell Crab — Slice & Torte
To us, softshell crab is the one and only taste of summer. They are blue crabs that are in the midst of shedding their shells, rendering the entire crab, claws and all, edible. This dish’s double-dredge is the best way to amplify the subtle crab flavor and maximize crunchiness. And the fried garlic sauce just takes everything over the top.

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad — Slight Kitchen Werk
Roasted sweet potato salad is a delightful twist on traditional potato salad! Consider switching it up and adding this side to your Juneteenth or any summer cookout menu. This dish can also be turned into a sandwich or finger food option. Simply add the potato salad mixture onto wraps, add in 4 toothpicks to hold in place and slice into quarters in between. (Note: Omit the bacon to make this dish vegetarian friendly)

Baked Jerk Chicken | Sweet & Sorrel
Jerk chicken is almost as old as Jamaica itself and is believed to have been developed by enslaved Africans who escaped to Jamaica and combined their cooking techniques with the seasonings and spices of Jamaica’s native Arawak people. Jerk chicken is at its core a dish that symbolizes rebellion against oppression and the uniting of different cultures through food, a perfect compliment to the Junneteenth celebration!

Black Eyed Peas Sweet Potato Salad | 2020 Juneteenth Cookout Takeover
You need this black eyed peas and sweet potato salad in your life! Mildly sweet and loaded with fiber this dish is perfect for your Juneteenth celebration.

Vegan Red Red Stew (Spicy Ghanaian Black-Eyed Peas)
The classic color, red, is seen everywhere during the Juneteeth celebration. That’s what makes this entree so special. Served alongside coconut rice and sweet plantains, Red Red Stew is the perfect entree to celebrate the historic holiday. Here is my vegan take on the popular West African black-eyed pea dish!

Jamaican jerk chicken wings
Jamaican Jerk Chicken is a staple recipe in Caribbean culture. It's one of the classics that the world is familiar with. This recipe shows you how to create the best, authentic jerk chicken marinade, and make a delicious Jamaican jerk chicken wing appetizer.
Southern Sweet Iced Tea
Sweet tea is a summer (and sometimes year round) staple for my drinking pleasure. Here’s one of my favorite ways to enjoy it.

Grilled Lemon Pepper Wings
These buttermilk marinated chicken wings are seasoned with a homemade lemon pepper rub, grilled to perfection and basted with a buttery lemon glaze.

JUNETEENTH HIBISCUS STRAWBERRY VEGAN ICE CREAM
The Juneteenth holiday consists of red foods & drinks as part of the celebration of freedom. Red as a symbol of perseverance. Foods like strawberry soda, kola nut tea, hibiscus tea, watermelon and strawberry pie are all customary items included in the festivities. We thought a vegan hibiscus strawberry ice cream was the perfect way to honor this tradition.
sweet potato cornbread.
The earthiness of the sweet potato meets the warmth and comfort of traditional buttermilk cornbread and, right in the center of the Jubilee table, the richness of our African-American heritage takes the form of Sweet Potato Cornbread.

Juneteenth Strawberry Soda
We're getting ready to celebrate Juneteenth, and no self-respecting Juneteenth party can go down without a traditional strawberry soda drink made with homemade strawberry syrup.

Ghanaian beef kebabs(suya) with cashew butter sauce made whole30 friendly
This appetizer can be found in restaurants and parties across Ghana. Usually the kebabs are covered in a peanut seasoning, but this version here is made Whole30 by omitting the peanuts and using roasted cashews. All ingredients compliant with Whole30 and Paleo.

Slow Cooker Black Eyed Pea Soup
This black-eyed pea soup is a vegan version of a southern tradition. With added sweet potatoes, kale, and the use of a slow cooker, it makes for a comforting and filling soup.

Best Southern Sweet Potato Pie (The Fast Way With Video)
This pie is rich in flavor and spiced just right. There’s nothing low-fat about this pie y’all. I tell ya right now though, you may just eat the whole thing to yourself. It’s that good!
Juneteenth Inspiration
A Girl Called Adri | Blackened Catfish
Beautiful Eats & Things | Spiced Grilled Peaches
Black Girls Who Brunch | Brown Butter Sweet Potato Cake
Brazilian Kitchen Abroad | Brazilian Collard Greens with Bacon
Britney Breaks Bread | Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Sour Cream and Honey Sauce
Brownbelle | Watermelon Hibiscus Whiskey Smash
Butter Be Ready | Chicken and Waffles
Chef and Steward | Watermelon and Feta Salad
Chef Curl Ardee | Honey and Butter Cornbread
Chenée Today | Lemon Icebox Pie
Christy Irene | Crawfish Etoufee
Collards Are The Old Kale | Guaymas Shrimp
Confessions of a clean foodie | Mint Peach Spritzer
Cooking to a T Jamaican | Beef Patties
Dash of Jazz | Golden Pineapple Pound Cake
Dish It With Tisha | Honey Jerk Shrimp
DMR Fine Foods | Blackberry Ginger Soda
Domestic Dee | Easy Berry Fruit Salad
Dude That Cookz | Cajun White Beans
Erique Berry Co | Three Green Summer Salad
Ethically Living | Vegan Jackfruit Jamaican Patties
Food Fidelity | Nigerian Beef Suya Skewers
Food Is Love Made Edible | Smothered Okra with Chicken & Sausage
FoodLoveTog | Braised Cabbage & Johnny cakes
Forks and Straws | Cassava Corn Waffles with Shrimp Creole
Geo’s Table | Curried Potato Salad
Gristle & Gossip | Sweet Potato Honey Cornbread Cake
Heal Me Delicious | Trinidadian Callaloo
Jamieson Diaries | Crockpot Smoked Red Beans
Kenneth Temple | Red Velvet Biscuit with BBQ Brisket
Kenya Rae | Pork free baked beans
Lenox Bakery | Sweet Potato Cheesecake
Maple Points | Peas & Rice – Guyanese Style
Marisa Moore Nutrition | Fresh Peach Iced Tea
Meiko and the Dish | Strawberry Cornbread Skillet Cobbler
Murielle Banackissa | Vegan Saka Saka (Congolese Cassava Leaf & Spinach Stew)
My Fabulous Food | Black eye peas with smoked turkey
Nik Snacks | Easy BBQ Pork Ribs
On Ty’s Plate | Watermelon Limeade
Open Invitation Entertainment | Coconut Collard Greens
Orchids + Sweet Tea | The Ultimate Vegan Mac + Cheese
Our Perfect Palette | Jollof Rice
Peaches 2 Peaches | Vanilla Cake With Caramel Poached Pears
Pink Owl Kitchen | Strawberry Buttermilk Biscuits
Razzle Dazzle Life | Southern Peach Cobbler
Rosalynn Daniels | Southern Tomato Pie
Savor and Sage | Black-Eyed Pea Salad
Savory Thoughts | Jus Citron (Haitian Lemonade)
Seasoned To Taste | Cajun Shrimp Deviled Eggs
Sense & Edibility | Blackberry Cobbler
Slice & Torte | Fried Softshell Crab
Slight Kitchen Werk | Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
Sweet & Sorrel | Baked Jerk Chicken
Sweet Savant | Black Eyed Peas and Sweet Potato Salad
That Green Lyfe | Vegan Red Red Stew (Spicy Ghanaian Black-Eyed Peas) and Plantain
The Dana Renee Way | Sweet Potato Cornbread
The Hangry Woman | Jamaican Jerk Wings
The Hungry Hutch | Southern-Style Sweet Tea
The Kitchenista Diaries | Grilled Lemon Pepper Wings
The Vgn Way | Juneteenth Hibiscus Strawberry Vegan Ice Cream
This Worthey Life | Strawberry Soda
This African Cooks | Ghanaian kebabs Whole30 style
Vegan With Curves | Slow Cooker Black Eyed Pea Sweet Potato Soup Whisk it Real Gud | Southern Sweet Potato Pie