14 Southern-Style Cookbooks To Look For On Amazon

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If you want to try making some tasty Southern meals at home but don't know where to start, it's always a good idea to invest in a cookbook. There's actually a very wide selection of cookbooks that focus on Southern-style cooking that you can get your hands on. In fact, Amazon alone has a ton of fantastic options for this. To help you narrow down your choices, we've made this list of some of the best Southern cuisine cookbooks that you can find on Amazon.

Southern cuisine is full of absolutely delicious, hearty, comforting meals. Some of the Southern foods that the rest of the world needs to try include brisket, chicken-fried steak, fried okra, and shrimp and grits, just to name a few. In fact, the cuisine is so vast that we made a whole list that just covers one meal: The classic Southern breakfasts everyone should try, which includes everything from chicken and waffles to sweet potato pancakes to beignets; many of which are featured in these tomes.

This cookbook highlights Southern cooking from the perspective of 70 women who are experts in the cuisine. In between the delicious recipes, there are stories, written by the women writers, about Southern food history and culture. As for the recipes themselves, you can expect everything from extra cheesy grits and Nashville hot fried chicken to peach cobbler and more.

Buy "When Southern Women Cook" on Amazon — the hardcover costs $40, the spiral-bound version costs $39.99.

This cookbook's author, the late Emily Meggett, was a community leader and chef of Gullah Geechee (a group of descendants of enslaved Africans living in the coastal regions of Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina). This book celebrates stories from Meggett's life and the Gullah Geechee culture, as well as many of Meggett's flavorful recipes. Some of these dishes include okra gumbo, fried fish, and chocolate cream pie.

Buy "Gullah Geechee Home Cooking" on Amazon — the hardcover is $40, the spiral-bound version is $45.55.

Ivy Odom, a cooking columnist, shares her favorite Southern recipes — both traditional dishes and meals with a modern spin — in this cookbook. There are over 100 recipes to try out, including homemade cream of chicken soup, pimento cheese sausage pinwheels, and loaded mac and cheese. There's also refreshing beverages (some boozy, some not) and delectable desserts (such as freezer chocolate chip cookies and apples foster).

Buy "My Southern Kitchen" on Amazon for $35.

In this cookbook, chef and TV host of "New Soul Kitchen" Jernard A. Wells shares his favorite Southern recipes and reflects on the legacy of African American cuisine. He honors the history that came before Wells and his own roots, having grown up in Mississippi. The dishes include cranberry whiskey-glazed pork ribs, one-pot Caribbean vegetable noodles, and blackened catfish with smoked gouda grits. There are also some scrumptious desserts, like mason jar raspberry chocolate trifles.

Buy "Southern Inspired" on Amazon for $26.95.

This book is all about Southern recipes with a modern twist, written by "Top Chef" winner Kelsey Barnard Clark. There's also an emphasis on entertaining and making food to share with a crowd of your loved ones. Some of the recipes include cornmeal catfish, cornbread panzanella salad, gumbo, and key lime pie, to name a few.

Buy "Southern Grit" on Amazon — the hardcover is $29.95, the spiral-bound version is $45.55.

In this cookbook, two-time James Beard nominee Cheryl Day shares her Southern baking expertise with readers, along with her family's history of baking (including stories from her grandmother, who was an enslaved pastry cook). The 200+ delicious recipes include almond butter cake, peach cobbler, and sweet potato pie. Along with all the sweetness, there are also savory baked recipes, like chicken potpie and bacon cheddar scones.

Buy "Treasury of Southern Baking" on Amazon for $40.

Written by Southern chef Sean Brock, this book includes a plethora of essential Southern dishes (such as grits and collard greens), as well as tips and tricks for the best Southern cooking (such as how to take care of a cast iron). There are also more complex recipes that will impress anyone you make it for, such as smoked baby back ribs, rice and shrimp croquettes, and clams with sausage, braised peppers, and grilled bread.

Buy "South" on Amazon for $40.

Written by culinary content creator Hannah Taylor (known on social media as LilyLouTay), this book is all about modern twists on traditional Southern cooking and making everything from scratch. The recipes include butternut squash casserole, smoked salmon dip, and chicken fried steak. Plus, learn how to make basics like vanilla extract. There are recipes for every meal, as well as appetizers, snacks, and beverages.

Buy "Measure with Your Heart" on Amazon — the hardcover is $35, the spiral-bound version is $44.99.

Here's another option that's all about Southern baking. This book contains 200 recipes, which come from 14 different Southern states and various Southern cooks. There are also fascinating stories about the history of baking in the South. These delectable recipes include sweet potato streusel muffins, lemon meringue pie, red ripe tomato pie, and rice pudding.

Buy "Baking in the American South" on Amazon — the hardcover is $44.99, the spiral-bound version is $56.95.

YouTuber and home chef Rosie Mayes shares her cooking knowledge and 100 recipes with readers in this book. To start with, you'll learn how to make classic Southern dishes, such as mashed potatoes and fried chicken. There are also recipes for breakfast, snacks, side dishes, desserts, drinks, and show-stopping entrees. Some of the many tasty recipes include creamy cheesy grits, Jambalaya-stuffed cabbage rolls, fried ribs, and old-fashioned buttermilk pie.

Buy "I Heart Soul Food" on Amazon — the paperback is $27, the spiral-bound version is $44.17.

A chef from Savannah, Georgia, Dora Charles, compiles all of her best recipes in this cookbook, which will help get any home cook started in Southern cuisine. If you pick up this book, you can expect to find yummy foods such as buttermilk cornbread, smoky okra, and fried chicken. Plus, Charles always keeps things exciting — each set of instructions has a "secret ingredient" that takes it to the next level (such as sugar-glazed bacon in deviled eggs).

Buy "A Real Southern Cook" on Amazon for $38.34.

Carrie Morey is the owner of Callie's Charleston Biscuits (named after her mom and using her mom's biscuit recipe), which takes biscuits to the next level with a myriad of flavorful combinations. In this book, Morey shares her cooking techniques, Southern cuisine knowledge, and many delicious recipes. Some of the recipes include beef stew with herbed sour cream, roasted pimento cheese chicken, and summer crab salad. Plus, there are a number of biscuit variations.

Buy "Callie's Biscuits and Southern Traditions" on Amazon for $32.50.

In "Our South," "Top Chef" contestant Ashleigh Shanti explores the history of Black cooks and the part they've played in defining Southern cuisine. The book focuses on five Southern regions that have special meaning to Shanti — Backcountry, Lowlands, Midlands, Lowcountry, and Homeland — and the dishes that define those areas. The recipes include everything from collard and sweet potato chowder to Charleston toast to rice custard brûlée.

Buy "Our South" on Amazon for $40.

Edna Lewis was a renowned chef and food writer — who we included on our list of the most influential chefs throughout history. In "The Taste of Country Cooking," Lewis shares recipes and stories from her life. The book includes foods for each of the four seasons, so you can enjoy her Southern dishes year-round. That includes dishes like hot buttered beets, chicken and dumplings, brandied peaches, and much more.

Buy the 30th anniversary edition of "The Taste of Country Cooking" on Amazon for $26.82.