The best Southern comfort foods
The top 3 according to 65 votes from people: Shrimp and grits · Southern fried chicken · Fried green tomatoes. (Updated Jun 10, 2026.)
The dishes of the American South that define comfort food, according to Southern Living, Taste of Home, Allrecipes and CookUnity.
Top 12
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1
Shrimp and grits
Lowcountry shrimp over creamy stone-ground grits, from Charleston.
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2
Southern fried chicken
Buttermilk-brined chicken fried crisp in a cast iron skillet.
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3
Fried green tomatoes
Cornmeal-crusted unripe tomatoes, fried.
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4
Peach cobbler
Baked peaches under a biscuit topping.
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5
Biscuits and gravy
Flaky buttermilk biscuits smothered in sausage gravy.
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6
Gumbo
Louisiana stew thickened with roux and okra, with sausage and seafood.
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7
Jambalaya
Creole rice with sausage, chicken and shrimp.
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8
Chicken and dumplings
Chicken stew with soft dumplings.
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9
Collard greens
Slow-cooked greens with ham hock and pot liquor.
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10
Banana pudding
Layered custard, bananas and vanilla wafers.
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11
Chicken-fried steak
Breaded, fried beef steak with cream gravy, from Texas.
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12
Cornbread
Skillet cornbread, sweet or savoury.
Candidates
They don't make it into the top 12… yet. Vote for them to move them up.
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13
Mac and cheese
Baked macaroni with plenty of cheddar, a soul food side.
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14
Hush puppies
Fried cornmeal balls served with fish.
How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.
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Comments (2)
Shrimp and grits in Charleston, perfection.
Biscuits and gravy for breakfast, there's no better start to the day.