38 Best New Year’s Soul Food Recipes
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Are you looking for a delicious, soulful way to bring good luck into your life this New Year?
Then start here with this Black folks’ New Year’s soul food menu!
What traditions do Black folks have on New Year’s Day?
Black folks, especially in the deep South, insist that good luck on New Year’s day starts with a man being the first visitor to come to your door.
Not a woman.
I dunno why?
But my mother-in-law tells a heart-warming and nostalgic story of her neighbor, Mr. Frank, who made his annual 7 am round to ring her doorbell every New Year’s Day.
Like a good neighbor, Mr. Frank intentionally made it a point to be the first person to greet her at her door. “Happy New Year!” he’d say to usher in the Southern tradition of good luck!
Mr. Frank did this for years. Even after my mother-in-law moved out of the same neighborhood.
He continued to usher in good luck for her all the way until the year he passed away.
🎙 Listen to The Soul Food Pod episode: New Year’s Soul Food Recipes
African-American New Year’s soul food traditions
More Southern traditions include starting the New Year with a prosperous meal. For Black folks, that begins with black-eyed peas, cornbread, collard greens (or mix ’em both with rice for Hoppin John), and ham or pork jowl.
Black Folks Soul Food Hoppin John Recipe
Black folks' Hoppin John is black-eyed peas, collard greens, and rice with Southern soul food flavors. An African American New Year's tradition and comfort food recipe.
Check out this recipe!
Why do African Americans eat black eyed peas?
Black-eyed peas are a New Year’s supper tradition enjoyed by many Southerners and Black folks with the idea that this meal will usher in prosperity for the New Year.
Legend has it that the Union Army came across standing fields of black-eyed peas before Sherman’s March, winning the Civil War. After that, black-eyed peas became a symbol of abundance and emancipation for African Americans freed on New Years Day post-war.
Black History Month Food Facts & Best Soul Food Recipes
The best Black History Month soul food recipes & Black history food facts. What's the difference? Southern food, soul food & Black folks food
Check out this recipe!
The best Black History Month soul food recipes & Black history food facts. What's the difference? Southern food, soul food & Black folks food
But, unfortunately, this story is more fanciful than fact. Juneteenth’s history reveals many truths about our ancestors’ emancipation taking much longer.
Southern Black Eyed Peas
Soul food Southern black eyed peas are intensely flavored in a thick sauce with smokey & spicy seasonings. Warm, comforting, & flavorful good luck you can eat for prosperity in the New Year!
Check out this recipe!
Why do people eat pork jowl on New Year’s Day?
While pork jowls are used in meals and recipes throughout the year, this dish is highlighted on New Year’s as a deep South tradition, especially among Black people.
Legend believes that pork on New Year’s will usher in good fortune and prosperity since pigs forge in a forward direction. So the wish is for the New Year to move you forward too!
Some folks even believe that the bigger the pig (the more pork you eat on New Year’s), the fatter your purse will become – like the pig!
Black Folks Pork Jowl Bacon In The Air Fryer
Pork jowl or hog jowl is a Black Folks soul food staple served on New Year's Day with black-eyed peas, cornbread & collard greens. This recipe is a contemporary soul food recipe for pork jowl. A new twist on an old classic, cooked quicker, easier, and still to perfection in the air fryer!
Check out this recipe!
38 best New Year’s soul food recipes
Black Folks Pineapple Glazed Ham
Black folks are famous for our sweet ham glaze recipes, especially with pineapple and brown sugar. So you may know this Black folks soul food recipe by other names like pineapple ham, pineapple baked ham, or pineapple and brown sugar ham.No matter what you call it, it's the same beautiful and delicious glazed ham recipe masterpiece!
Check out this recipe!
Southern Soul Food Corned Beef And Cabbage
Slow-baked in a covered Dutch oven with cabbage and a seasoned broth, this Southern corned beef turns out tender, juicy, and soulful every time!
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Instant Pot Smoked Turkey Legs
Thanksgiving doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. Black folks Instant Pot turkey legs are an easy alternative to a whole turkey. A welcome addition to your Southern soul food Thanksgiving menu!
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Collard Greens Recipe
Collard greens are both nutritious and delicious, especially when prepared in the traditional Black folks' way, seasoned to perfection! They've long been a staple in soul food and Southern cuisine, representing more than just a side dish at family gatherings.
Check out this recipe!
Southern Soul Food Cornbread
Soul food cornbread balances crispy edges, a moist interior, and flavorful sweetness. This Southern from-scratch recipe achieves this beautifully by using cornmeal for those ideal edges, heavy whipping cream for a rich and moist texture, and blending sugar, butter, and cream cheese to create the ultimate harmony of savory and sweet!
Check out this recipe!
Jamaican Coconut Rice In The Instant Pot
Make quick & easy Jamaican coconut rice in the Instant Pot! This fluffy Caribbean rice pressure cooker recipe cooks in only 4 mins!
Check out this recipe!
Southern Sweet Cornbread With Pineapple
This Southern sweet cornbread starts with the classic mix of cornmeal, butter, and a touch of sugar, but gets a delicious upgrade with crushed pineapple and cream cheese. The result is a softer, sweeter, and more indulgent version of the traditional favorite. Perfect as a standout side dish or sweet-savory treat!
Check out this recipe!
Southern Cornbread Recipe With Corn
This isn't just another cornbread recipe. It's a reinvention of a classic Southern dish. With the unique additions of creamed corn, butter, and cream cheese, the humble cornbread transforms into a show-stopping masterpiece!
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Cornbread Dressing Recipe
Black folks’ cornbread dressing is rich, flavorful, and never dry, made with homemade cornbread seasoned to perfection. My version stands out by cubing the cornbread for better taste, texture, and a beautiful, non-mushy presentation that’s as good to look at as it is to eat!
Check out this recipe!
Cranberry Sauce Cornbread
A sweet soul food cornbread and fresh cranberry sauce treat!
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Southern Oyster Dressing Recipe
Soul food cornbread oyster dressing is a holiday classic featuring golden cornbread baked with fresh herbs, tender veggies, and briny oysters. It's crispy at the edges, soft and savory inside, with a seasoned richness and that soulful, ocean-kissed flavor in every bite.
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Creamed Corn Pudding Casserole
This Southern creamed corn casserole has a sweet corn flavor with onion and garlic for a rich, savory, soul food taste. Add sour cream for a creamy melt-in-your-mouth pudding and parmesan cheese for the cornbread crust.
Check out this recipe!
Old Fashioned Southern Cornbread Dressing Recipe
My old-fashioned cornbread dressing stays true to its roots—simple, hearty, and soulful. This version skips modern add-ins, keeping the recipe classic and authentic. Made with golden homemade cornbread, savory veggies, and traditional herbs, it delivers the pure nostalgic flavor loved for generations.
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Black Folks Chicken And Dressing
At its heart, Black folks' chicken and dressing is cornbread dressing elevated with tender, shredded baked chicken. The ingredients are simple yet soulful: cooked poultry, flavorful Southern seasonings, cornbread, celery, onion, parsley, chicken stock, and egg. It's a favorite at Thanksgiving, not to be missed!
Check out this recipe!
Southern Cornbread Dressing With Giblets (Gizzards)
Black folks’ Southern cornbread dressing with gizzards is a savory holiday classic made with golden cornbread, tender gizzards, onion, celery, and soulful herbs, carrying on a soul food tradition where no part of the bird goes to waste.
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Soul Food Cabbage Recipe
The soul food cabbage difference is all in the legacy, the layers, and the love. Regular fried cabbage is just… cabbage. But Black folks’ cabbage? That’s comfort, culture, and collard greens’ close cousin all wrapped into one well-seasoned, soulful side dish!
Check out this recipe!
Black People Southern Potato Salad
A Black folks' Southern potato salad recipe is flavorful! Bold, creamy, soulful, and packed with flavor in every forkful. It's not just a side dish, but a whole vibe. The kind of dish that makes people smile before they even take a bite, because they already know what time it is!
Check out this recipe!
Best New Year’s soul food drinks
Black Folks Moscato Sangria
We remixed it with a touch of Black flair and transformed that bottle of wine into Black folks' Moscato sangria, complete with the addition of fruit, club soda, and grape juice. So good you can taste the vibe!
Check out this recipe!
Apple Cider Hot Toddy
Apple cider hot toddy - Nothing speaks holidays like the nostalgia of sweet treats in a cozy, warm setting shared with family and friends. It’s a foundation for creating the best traditions and memories. After making
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Black Folks Soul Food Homemade Eggnog
Creamy and sweet, Black folks' homemade eggnog has a flavor profile that resembles cinnamon, coconut, and rum. Southern comfort spice eggnog and soul food at its finest!
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Hennessy & Puerto Rican Eggnog (Hennessy Coquito)
A creamy, exotic, and delectable drink awaits you! Step up your cocktail game with this beverage that features a creamy texture and a rich flavor profile. Perfect for impressing your guests. Hennessy coquito will add soulful swag to any event or occasion!
Check out this recipe!
Favorite soul food recipes for New Year’s brunch
Black Folks Southern Shrimp And Grits
This is the Black folks’ shrimp and grits recipe you’ve been looking for! It’s a creamy, saucy seafood goodness dish, featuring a rich and flavorful Creole sauce generously drizzled over a warm bed of the fluffiest grits, complemented by succulent, jumbo garlic-butter seasoned shrimp to keep things interesting.
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Southern Fried Chicken And Waffles Recipe
Chicken and waffles is a soulful dish that captures the essence of Southern cuisine and is deeply rooted in Black culture. It serves as a prime example of elevated soul food. I'm bringing this comforting meal into your home, adding my unique twist of syrupy-sweet heat to a dish traditionally found on the menus of popular soul food restaurants!
Check out this recipe!
Southern Soul Food Cornish Hens
Perfectly seasoned, juicy, and golden brown, these soul food Cornish hens are an elegant twist on Southern comfort. Packed with deep roasted flavor and seasoned with a soulful blend of spices, this easy recipe delivers Sunday dinner perfection in every bite!
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Southern Tea Cake Recipe
A Black folks' tea cake recipe is a delightful Southern dessert. These little round cakes are light and airy, sometimes compared to soda bread or pound cake. Like sweet little biscuits, tea cakes are highly valued in the South and are a traditional African American treat dating back to the 1600s.
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Soul Food Southern Deviled Eggs
Deviled eggs start as hard-boiled egg yolks mashed. Then they're seasoned to perfection and stuffed into the egg whites for a delicious and flavorful appetizer!
Check out this recipe!
What are the best New Year’s soul food desserts?
Black Folks Southern Bread Pudding
Are you looking for an old-fashioned Southern bread pudding or a soul food African American bread pudding recipe? Then look no further than this Black folks' Southern bread pudding - your easy go-to recipe!
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Southern Peach Cobbler Recipe
While a regular cobbler might taste one-note sweet, a Black folks’ peach cobbler sings in harmony: sweet, spiced, tangy, and buttery. The peaches are lush and syrupy, kissed with brown sugar and a soulful blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and a hint of ginger. And the crust? Lawd, that crust! Flaky, golden, and buttery, it soaks up the peachy syrup like a sponge, wrapping every bite in rich, Southern comfort.
Check out this recipe!
Southern Red Velvet Cake
Southern red velvet cake is a slice of pure indulgence! Smooth, rich, and unforgettable. Imagine sinking your fork into a soft, velvety crumb that’s moist and tender, with the slightest hint of cocoa teasing your taste buds.
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Southern Pecan Pie Recipe
Black folks' Southern pecan pie recipe is an old-fashioned African American soul food classic that yields an abundance of sweet flavor with each bite. Brown sugar is combined with a syrupy pecan filling, caramelized, and then baked.
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Southern Banana Pudding
Southern banana pudding is a celebration of soul food heritage. The simplicity of a few high-quality ingredients transforms into a layered dessert masterpiece!
Check out this recipe!
Chocolate Southern Banana Pudding
What happens when you take a beloved soul food classic and add a rich, chocolatey twist? You get Black folks' Southern chocolate banana pudding, a decadent spin on a traditional recipe that still tastes like home. Rooted in Southern tradition yet bold enough to break the mold, this chocolate banana pudding is love in a bowl, infused with a touch of soulful cocoa flair!
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Sweet Potato Pie Recipe™
My Black folks’ sweet potato pie recipe is the creamy, cinnamon-kissed, vanilla-scented slice of heritage that shows up at every holiday table and soul food Sunday. Made with love, seasoned with tradition, and baked to perfection, this pie tells a story in every bite!
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Purple Sweet Potato Pie Recipe
New twist on an old classic: Introducing Black folks purple sweet potato pie recipe! Same but new - incredible soul food flavors with a regal purple hue!
Check out this recipe!
Southern Sweet Potato Pie With Cream Cheese
Similar to my original Black Folks' Sweet Potato Pie™, this Southern sweet potato pie recipe uses fresh sweet potatoes and soul food spices and seasonings. But for this recipe, it's the Southern charm added to the pie after it bakes, a thin layer of homemade cream cheese frosting is spread on top to savor the sweet taste of Southern hospitality!
Check out this recipe!
What do you think of these New Year’s soul food recipes?
Do you have different New Year’s food traditions?
Which entrées from this New Year’s soul food menu will you add to your feast?
Leave your answers in a comment below!
If you like this recipe, you’ll love these Instant Pot soul food recipes HERE and the best cornbread recipes and cornbread dressings HERE.
The Best Recipes For A Soul Food Thanksgiving Menu
What are some good soul food Thanksgiving dinner recipes? This soul food Thanksgiving menu will make you wanna slap yo mama-but please don’t!
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Soul Food Easy Christmas Dinner Menu
A soul food Christmas dinner menu is Southern soul food entrées and Black folks recipes. Try these Black folks’ easy Christmas dinner ideas!
Check out this recipe!
The Ultimate Soul Food Recipes Guide
What is soul food? Soul food recipes are African-American recipes full of flavor! A legacy of Southern cooking the Black way. Check out this collection of the best soul food recipes!
Check out this recipe!
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Servings: 16 pieces of bacon
Calories: 231kcal
Equipment
- Air fryer
Ingredients
- 12 oz bacon thick slices
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (1 teaspoon if you like it hot!)
Instructions
- Mix together the brown sugar, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and red pepper flakes in a medium-sized bowl.
- Cut the bacon strips in half for a proper pork jowl size to better fit in the air fryer.
- Then lay the bacon out on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Generously drizzle the maple syrup over the bacon strips.
- Next, spread a generous amount of the brown sugar seasoning on the bacon.
- Transfer the bacon to your air fryer basket or air fryer tray.
- Air fry at 350 degrees F for 8-9 minutes (8 minutes for soft bacon and 9 minutes for crunchy bacon).
- Place the cooked pork jowls on a paper towel-lined plate or baking sheet to cool for about 5 minutes. The bacon will continue to get crispy as it cools.
- Repeat the above steps until all the bacon is air-fried, as it’s not likely that it will all fit in the air fryer in one batch.
- Serve Black folks pork jowls with cornbread, collard greens, and black-eyed peas or Hopin John, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Depending on the size of your air fryer basket or tray, you may need more than one round of air frying to cook all the bacon.
- After the cooking time has finished, you can air fry in 1-minute increments until you’re satisfied with the crunchiness.
- You can crumble jowl bacon with crispy skin to make bacon bits!
- Be sure to let the slices fully cool. This will allow the caramelized sugar to harden.
Nutrition
Calories: 231kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 35mg | Potassium: 23mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 32IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg
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