23 Juneteenth Recipes for the Ultimate Cookout
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There is more than one way to celebrate Juneteenth. Backyard cookouts, humble picnics at the neighborhood park, and local festivals serving barbecue and strawberry soda all honor June 19, 1865, the day more than 200,000 enslaved Black Americans learned they were free—more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Though Juneteenth has only recently been recognized as a federal holiday, Black communities across the United States have celebrated “freedom day” or “emancipation day” for generations.
At the center of many Juneteenth gatherings is the cookout: an intergenerational spread in where smoky meats, fresh sides, icy drinks, and seasonal desserts bring people together. From Houston to Milwaukee to Oakland and Washington, DC, home cooks often build their menus around crowd-pleasing staples like grilled meats, hot links, fish fries, slaws, baked beans, and cobblers. Red drinks are a longstanding part of Juneteenth celebrations too; hibiscus, watermelon, and ruby-hued fruit punches are often served as a tribute to resilience, remembrance, and West African culinary traditions carried across the diaspora.
The Juneteenth recipes below span smoky mains, fresh sides, red drinks, and celebratory desserts—all made for gathering with family and friends.
Photographs by Mamadi Doumbouya, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Shannon Maldonado1/23Sticky Barbecue Chicken
Photographs by Mamadi Doumbouya, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Shannon Maldonado2/23Beef Hot Links With Chowchow and Gold Sauce
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Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Jillian Knox, prop styling Sophie Peoples3/23Fig and Mustard Baby Back Ribs
Photograph by Shawn Michael Jones, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams, Food Styling by Micah Morton4/23Lemon-Pepper Catfish Nuggets With Peperoncini Dip
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Judy Haubert5/23Old Arthur’s Pork Belly Burnt Ends
In the Black community, pitmasters are both storytellers and cooks. In Adrian Miller’s Black Smoke, he details how African Americans shaped the foundation of American BBQ and shares his fantastic recipe for pork belly burnt ends that’s essentially bacon candy.
Photo by Emma Fishman, food styling by D'Mytrek Brown6/23Barbara’s Picnic Fried Chicken
A generously spiced and seasoned flour is the key to this ludicrously flavorful fried chicken from author Kwame Alexander’s mother.
Photographs by Mamadi Doumbouya, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Shannon Maldonado7/23Classic Potato Salad
Photograph by Shawn Michael Jones, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams, Food Styling by Micah Morton8/23Green Tomato–Berry Salad With Sumac Dressing
Photo by Peden + Munk, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Rebecca Bartoshesky9/23Sweet-and-Spicy Slaw
Photo by Beatriz Da Costa10/23Okra Fries
Chef J.J. Johnson uses cornstarch and rice flour to give these okra fries an irresistibly crisp, crunchy coating.
Photograph by Joshua Kissi, food styling by Roscoe Betsill, prop styling by Amy Wilson11/23Collard Greens Salad With Pickled Fennel and Coconut
Photographs by Mamadi Doumbouya, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Shannon Maldonado13/23Honeysuckle Red Drink Punch
Chef Omar Tate’s take on red drink tastes like a fruity, all-natural version of Kool-Aid, with vibrant flavor and color from freeze-dried cherries and strawberries.
Photo by Alexa Rivera14/23Royal Roselle Fizz
This savory-sweet hibiscus and vermouth cocktail from restaurateur Shyretha Sheats is made for celebration. It’s grounded with an earthy bay leaf syrup and spiked with pickle juice to keep it puckeringly tart.
Photograph by Shawn Michael Jones, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams, Food Styling by Micah Morton15/23Watermelon Cucumber Slushy
Photo by Oriana Koren, food styling by Lillian Kang, prop styling by Jillian Knox16/23Grape-Tarragon Spritzer
Frozen grapes keep Bryant Terry’s herbaceous booze-free cooler icy cold without watering it down (take that, ice cubes).
Photo by Peden + Munk, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Rebecca Bartoshesky17/23Cinnamon-Oat Peach Crisp
Photograph by Alex Lau, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Sophie Strangio19/23Sweet Potato Cake With Salted Cream Cheese Frosting
The humble sweet potato (or yams, as they’re commonly called in the Black culinary tradition) is the foundation of this showstopper layer cake from Baltimore’s Amanda Mack.
Photograph by Shawn Michael Jones, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams, Food Styling by Micah Morton20/23Glazed Funnel Cake With Fruit Confetti
Photo by Oriana Koren, food styling by Lillian Kang, prop styling by Jillian Knox21/23Cinnamon-Roll Pound Cake
A fun twist on classic pound cake, this version is elevated with a swirl of brown sugar cinnamon mixture and a slathering of cream cheese icing.
Photo by Emma Fishman, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime22/23Rum-Soaked Fruit and Coconut Crisp Sundaes
Photo by Con Poulos23/23Red Velvet Cake With Raspberries and Blueberries
Culinary icon B. Smith’s vibrant red velvet cake feels like an especially fitting recipe for Juneteenth celebrations thanks to its striking ruby-red crumb. Need an easier option for traveling? Try a red velvet sheet cake or sparkly red velvet cookies.
