27 Kwanzaa Recipes That Celebrate Family & Culture
Kwanzaa (December 26 to January 1, every year) is a non-secular (i.e., not a replacement for Christmas) holiday celebrated by Black Americans, as well as Afro-Caribbeans and others of African descent around the world. It was created by an Africana professor named Maulana Karenga in 1966, who drew from a South African first-fruits celebration and the Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanza to create the holiday. Each day of the celebration is dedicated to one of seven principles—unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith—and has traditional activities to go with it. The one we’re focusing on here is the final culmination—a feast called Karamu on December 31.
Unlike, say, Thanksgiving, there aren’t menu items you’ll see at every Karamu; instead, families will pull from African traditions, including Caribbean influences and classics from the American South. That could look like shrimp & sausage gumbo, Southern baked mac & cheese, low-country collard greens, and corn fritters, or it could be jerk chicken, rice & peas, maduros, and Jamaican oxtail stew. The idea is to choose warming, comfort foods that can serve a crowd, with special focus on one-pot specialties and stews.
Though it does fall at the same time as Christmas, it’s good to remember that Kwanzaa was created in an effort to combat the over-commercialization of the winter holiday. Whether you celebrate or not, we hope you will take inspiration from the holiday and are able to remember what the season is truly about—spending quality time with loved ones over delicious meals and amazing experiences (a great resolution in the New Year too!).
Jollof Rice
Jollof rice is a traditional African rice dish featuring a tomato-based stew. It's a true standout Kwanzaa dish, thanks to its perfect balance of heat, sweet (from the tomatoes and peppers), and spice.
Get the Jollof Rice recipe.
Fried Catfish
Our top secret for the most flavorful catfish fillets? Buttermilk and hot sauce. We know, it may sound odd, but the result is an extra-flavorful catfish that, once coated and fried, is a crispy, satisfying dinner that'll rival even your favorite seafood restaurants.
Get the Fried Catfish recipe.
Shrimp & Sausage Gumbo
Gumbo is a true melting pot dish. Originating in Louisiana, it combines the cuisines and ingredients of several cultures including West African, French, German, and Choctaw. It's a perfect addition to a Kwanzaa feast that celebrates diversity and growth.
Get the Shrimp & Sausage Gumbo recipe.
Kwanzaa Crinkle Cookies
Celebrate Kwanzaa in style with these festive and easy-to-make red, black, and green crinkle cookies. With just a simple white boxed cake mix as the base, these cookies come together quickly and effortlessly, giving you more time to enjoy the holiday season with family and friends.
Get the Kwanzaa Crinkle Cookies recipe.
Southern Baked Mac & Cheese
Baked macaroni and cheese is a quintessential Southern side dish. Though it may sound wild, don't skip the eggs! Whisking together eggs and milk and pouring it over the mac & cheese will make it extra creamy, saucy, and decadent.
Get the Southern Baked Mac & Cheese recipe.
Skillet Cornbread
Not only does this cornbread involve less cleanup, but it promotes the ideal texture of crackly crust around moist, decadent corn cake. Pouring the batter into a preheated cast-iron creates a sear to the batter and speeds up the bake time. Wins ALL around.
Get the Skillet Cornbread recipe.
Jerk Chicken
Jamaica's most famous dish has to be jerk chicken, making it perfect for your Kwanzaa feast. Don't eat chicken? The subtly sweet and spicy jerk marinade goes well with everything from tofu to seafood too.
Get the Jerk Chicken recipe.
Southern Collard Greens
Southern cooking can sometimes appear intimidating or too involved, but this recipe is anything but. All you need are a couple of hours, a handful of staple ingredients, smoked turkey, and your collard greens (the star of the show) for an easy side (or meal on its own!).
Get the Southern Collard Greens recipe.
West African-Inspired Chicken & Peanut Stew
This stew is made by thickening a flavorful, tomato-y soup base with ground peanuts and root vegetables. The result is a creamy, nutty, spicy, earthy meal that will warm you from the inside out.
Get the West African-Inspired Chicken & Peanut Stew recipe.
Hummingbird Cake
Fun fact: Hummingbird cake is actually from Jamaica! It was originally called "Doctor Bird Cake," which is a nickname for a type of Jamaican hummingbird. People say the cake earned its name because it was sweet enough to attract hummingbirds. It tastes like a mix between carrot cake and banana bread, and you're gonna be obsessed.
Get the Hummingbird Cake recipe.
Shrimp Creole
Similar to shrimp étouffée, but with a tomato-based sauce, this recipe will transport you to the balcony-lined streets of New Orleans. Aromatic onion, green bell pepper, and celery form the holy trinity of flavor on top of which you'll build this saucy little number.
Get the Shrimp Creole recipe.
Black-Eyed Peas
Similar to the soul food classic Hoppin' John but without the rice component, these black-eyed peas are cooked with a little bit of onion, garlic, spices, and a hunk of fatty salted pork for depth of flavor and a hint of smokiness.
Get the Holiday Black-Eyed Peas recipe.
Brown Stew Chicken
Brown stew chicken might seem like a snooze of a name for a recipe, but don’t be fooled—Jamaica’s signature marvel of a dish offers a galaxy of flavors that explains its massive fan base on the island and among the country’s expats.
Get the Brown Stew Chicken recipe.
Sweet Potato Pie
Sweet potato pie might get sidelined to other holiday pies, but with this forever favorite recipe, we’re bringing her into the spotlight and making her shine. Mounds of roasted sweet potato combine with dark brown sugar, vanilla, and spices inside a golden flaky crust for a pie that rivals all other contenders.
Get the Sweet Potato Pie recipe.
Jamaican Oxtail Stew
If you've never had Jamaican oxtail stew, you're in for a major treat. It's rich, SUPER-flavorful, with fall-off-the-bone-tender meat and creamy butter beans. It's a true special occasion dish and takes some finesse, so check out our top tips before you jump in.
Get the Jamaican Oxtail Stew recipe.
Shrimp & Grits
There's a lot of richness going on here. Bacon! Butter! Cheese! To cut all the fat, you need some acid. Enter: freshly squeezed lemon juice. It brightens this shrimp dish up BIG TIME—so don't skip it.
Get the Shrimp & Grits recipe.
Sweet Potato Gratin
Your sweet potatoes are tired of being baked. Give them the chance to become something much more exciting and turn them into sweet potato gratin. Just like the OG potatoes au gratin, these sweet potatoes are layered with plenty of cheese and herby cream sauce and baked until golden brown and bubbly. 😍
Get the Sweet Potato Gratin recipe.
Rice & Peas
Fluffy and moist, this rice and bean (not actual peas!) dish has a savory creaminess that comes from the use of aromatics like garlic and onion, in addition to coconut milk. It's a perfect match for the classic dishes like curry chicken or oxtail stew you might find on a Jamaican Kwanzaa table.
Get the Rice & Peas recipe.
Jerk Tofu Grain Bowls
This vegan recipe is a bit of a culinary road trip through some Jamaican staples: sweet plantains, aromatic rice and peas, and tofu in a jerk marinade. We top it all off with a simple red cabbage & carrot slaw that's just as delicious on its own (so make extra!).
Get the Jerk Tofu Grain Bowls recipe.
Corn Fritters
Move over, hush puppies! Corn fritters are our new favorite Southern-fried side. Fluffy and crispy with sweet fresh corn, these make the perfect partner for everything you and your family could possibly dream up for your Kwanzaa feast.
Get the Corn Fritters recipe.
Jamaican Curry Chicken
Only a few dishes reaaally hit the spot in the dead of winter—chicken curry is for sure one of them! If you’re craving that comforting curry flavor that keeps you coming back for seconds and want to punch up the heat for Kwanzaa, this recipe is for you.
Get the Jamaican Curry Chicken recipe.
Candied Yams
Though candied yams might be super sweet on their own, they're the perfect complement to a plateful of savory dishes (like gumbo and jerk chicken). Our version gets an added kick from bourbon—we think once you try them, you might never want yams without it.
Get the Candied Yams recipe.
Maduros (Fried Sweet Plantains)
Maduros, aka amarillos, are fried sweet plantains. You will often find plantains in Spanish, Caribbean, and African cuisines. When fried, plantains caramelize and get crispy on the outside while maintaining a beautifully soft and sweet texture inside. They're the perfect accompaniment to heartier Kwanzaa dishes like jerk chicken and rice & beans.
Get the Maduros (Fried Sweet Plantains) recipe.
Sweet Potato Biscuits
When it comes to biscuits and other bread products, sweet potatoes are magical. Adding them to dough results yields softer and fluffier results. This recipe benefit from minimal handling (perfect for a busy Kwanzaa!) and is just as easy as preparing traditional buttermilk biscuits.
Get the Sweet Potato Biscuits recipe.
Fried Okra
We think this Southern recipe is the best way to enjoy this tricky little vegetable. Dredging in buttermilk and cornmeal, then frying in a small amount of oil achieves that extra-crispy and golden crust that'll convert even the most ardent of okra-haters.
Get the Fried Okra recipe.
Chili Garlic Chicken Wings
A good marinade can make your chicken wings absolutely impossible to put down. This sauce is spicy, sweet, and garlicky—you're going to LOVE how caramelized and sticky it gets on the wings in the oven.
Get the Chili Garlic Chicken Wings recipe.
Ultimate Coconut Cake
This layer cake gets its amazing flavor from vanilla and almond extracts and, of course, shredded coconut. Also in the batter: 5 eggs and buttermilk that contribute to an extremely rich and tender crumb. We then added coconut milk to the cream cheese frosting to take the whole thing over the top.
Get the Ultimate Coconut Cake recipe.
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