Vintage Southern Chicken Dishes That Can Still Be Iconic Today

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Although chicken is a reliable and versatile source of protein, lots of people can quickly get tired of it because they keep cooking their chicken the same way. This is when digging for some inspiration from other cuisines — and looking to recipes from the past — can come in handy.

Most people agree that Southerners know what they're doing when it comes to cooking chicken. From delicious crispy fried chicken to chicken and dumplings, you can always count on a good Southern recipe when you're in the mood for some comfort food.

There are plenty of other unique Southern chicken recipes that may not be on your radar, though. Would you like to become more adventurous in the kitchen and possibly fall in love with some new dishes? Here are some of the coolest old-fashioned chicken recipes from the South that can add some variety to your meal rotation.

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Are you the type of person who likes to let your cereal get a little soggy? If so, you might enjoy the texture of chicken mull, which is a Southern stew that's popular in the Carolinas and Georgia. The core ingredients are chicken, saltine crackers, and water. You could also use chicken stock for the liquid if you're feeling fancy.

This stew might sound bland, but you have to approach it like how you would prepare a good Italian tomato sauce. Let time help you develop depth and flavor. While the final stew only contains the three key ingredients, you'll also have a chance to enhance the taste by simmering a whole chicken with onion, celery, salt, pepper, bay leaves, thyme, and garlic. A traditional chicken mull calls for removing those extra ingredients once you're ready to serve the stew, but you could always use an immersion blender if you don't want to waste anything.

After your aromatics have done their job and the whole chicken is cooked through, it's time to scoop out the aromatics, remove the chicken, shred it, and discard the bones. Move the chicken back into your flavorful broth so it can get more moist, and add an entire sleeve of crushed saltines. The saltines will soften and make the stew thicker and more savory.

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If you're willing to try new foods that can also cut your grocery bill, say hello to chicken gizzards. This humble cut of poultry comes from the chicken's digestive tract, and it's the human equivalent of the stomach. Since most people tend to throw away this cut, you can buy it at a cheaper rate compared to breasts and thighs.

Southerners love gizzards, though, which is why you'll find them in all kinds of traditional recipes. With a bit of prep work, you can create some phenomenal fried chicken gizzards that can compete with fried chicken wings or thighs. Before you dredge and fry your gizzards, you'll need to trim any excess fatty pieces and gristle.

One thing that's worth noting is that chicken gizzards are tougher than other popular cuts of chicken. Marinating the gizzards in buttermilk and hot sauce for a few hours will soften the pieces so they're more palatable. Afterward, you can prepare the dry ingredients, which include self-rising flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and smoked paprika.

Remove each piece from the buttermilk and hot sauce mixture, dredge it, and fry it in hot oil until crispy. Like other fried foods, gizzards taste best when they're fresh out of the fryer. Pair this protein with some mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, collard greens, macaroni and cheese, or any other sides you love.

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There are all kinds of incredible ways you can prepare chicken and pasta. If you're not familiar with this classic Southern dish, you might expect a plate of spaghetti topped with a sauce and sliced chicken breast. However, chicken spaghetti comes in the form of a gooey casserole.

It's the ultimate comfort food since it contains decadent ingredients, like cream cheese, Velveeta cheese, cheddar cheese, and cream of mushroom soup. Chicken spaghetti also gets a nice kick from a can of Rotel tomatoes, garlic powder, and onion powder.

To make chicken spaghetti, boil a pot of water and cook your spaghetti al dente. It'll continue cooking in the oven and soak up the delicious juices. If you're not working with a rotisserie chicken, you should prepare two pounds of chicken breasts. Southerners prefer simmering their chicken to keep it easy to shred, but you could use up leftover chicken breasts that you've cooked in a different way as well.

Once your pasta and shredded chicken are ready to go, the casserole will come together quickly. To avoid dirtying more dishes, use the pot you boiled the spaghetti in to heat up your Rotel, cream of mushroom soup, cream cheese, Velveeta cheese, and cheddar cheese until everything is melted. Add the seasonings, then the spaghetti and chicken into the pot. Give everything a good mix, then put it into a greased casserole dish. Top it with some more shredded cheddar cheese and bake until the casserole is bubbly.

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Sometimes, the best chicken dishes are creamy, crunchy, herbaceous, savory, and spicy all at the same time. Creamy Southern chicken won't let you down. While you can work with any chicken cuts, Southerners swear by using skin-on chicken thighs. The skin gets beautifully crispy as it fries while the meat stays succulent.

First, you'll want to load your chicken up with flavor by coating it in a flour mixture that contains all kinds of yummy spices, such as paprika, Italian herbs, chili powder, and more. While you're waiting for your chicken to pan-fry, you can start chopping up some onions. Remove your chicken pieces once they've cooked for about four minutes on each side, then pour your chopped onions into the leftover oil so they can get golden. Afterward, you'll add some minced garlic, flour, Worcestershire sauce, seasonings, and chicken stock to create a decadent gravy. To take things over the top, finish your gravy with some heavy cream.

Return your fried chicken thighs to the pan with the gravy and let them soak up all that goodness for 30 minutes. Plate the chicken and a healthy serving of gravy on top of some white rice or any other carb of your choice. Brighten up the plate with some chopped fresh parsley.

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Like many vintage recipes, lots of cities across America have tried to claim Country Captain chicken as their own. Philadelphia and New York City have tossed their hat into the ring, but so have Charleston and Savannah. You could spend time debating if this is a true Southern dish, but the real history starts in India.

Country Captain chicken has some wonderful spices that you'd expect in a traditional Indian recipe. Curry powder, dried currants, and crushed tomatoes join chicken breasts and chopped carrots, onions, and celery in a slow cooker. The beauty of this dish is that you can pour all of your ingredients into your crockpot and let magic happen for four hours.

While you're taking care of other things or relaxing, the chicken will soak up those flavors and get super moist. Prepare some white rice or any other side dish you enjoy, and add the chicken, veggies, and sauce on top.

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Although the origins of this beloved Texas dish aren't clear, one thing that's certain is that King Ranch chicken will hit the spot when you're craving some cheesy Tex-Mex. King Ranch chicken does require a few more ingredients than most of these other vintage Southern dishes, but they all work harmoniously to pack a huge flavor punch.

King Ranch chicken is fairly simple to put together. You even have the option to assemble it a day in advance before cooking, or even store it in the freezer for up to three months, for one of those nights you're too tired to cook.

First, you'll need to sauté some chopped onion and green bell pepper. Once they've softened, it's time to get out a big bowl and combine shredded chicken, the sautéed veggies, one can each of cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soup, a can of diced tomatoes, and some cayenne for that nice tingle on your taste buds. After everything is mixed together nicely, you can get out a casserole dish and get ready to assemble your King Ranch chicken.

Before you start, get out a package of corn tortillas and shredded cheddar cheese. Cut your tortillas in half, and use four halves to cover the bottom of the casserole dish. Add a luscious layer of the chicken mixture, sprinkle with cheese, and then keep building those layers until you're out of ingredients. Top everything with cheese for an inviting, cheesy exterior.

If you can't tell yet, Southerners love their casseroles a great deal. No peek chicken casserole earned its silly name by tasting the best when the home cook trusted the process and let the casserole bake without peeking inside the oven. This dish isn't as finicky as a soufflé, but you can have peace of mind that everything will be alright if you set a timer and forget about it.

This comforting casserole couldn't be more convenient because the rice cooks with the chicken in the oven. You don't need to whip out your big rice cooker or babysit a pot on the stove. All you need to do is combine chicken stock, a can of cream of chicken soup, a can of cream of mushroom soup, white rice, and a packet of onion soup mix.

Dump this mixture into your casserole dish, then top it with four chicken breasts. Give your chicken the royal treatment by sprinkling lots of poultry seasoning and some salt and pepper on top. The real kicker is drizzling melted butter on top of everything before it goes into the oven. Wrap the dish with tinfoil to help the chicken cook all the way through, and then you'll have a hearty meal in about an hour.

We've all battled a tough chicken breast with a dull serrated knife before. Sometimes, it's nice to have a nice plate of food where everything is already bite-sized and ready to enjoy. Chicken, sausage, and collard pilau comes with chopped chicken breast and Andouille sausage that have been cooked in chicken broth and aromatics, so you know the final results are juicy and delicious.

In a Dutch oven, you'll brown the chopped Andouille sausage, set it aside, then let the chopped chicken have its turn to start searing. After a few minutes, you'll add some diced onion, celery, carrot, bell pepper, and garlic. Once the aromatics have softened a bit, you'll put the sausage back in, along with some chicken stock, white rice, and collard greens. Put a lid on the Dutch oven and come back after 40 minutes to make sure the rice is nice and soft. Mix everything up and give yourself a hefty serving.

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Million-dollar chicken has roots in 1950s Texas, when a chef named Helen Corbit concocted a dip that was meant to satisfy luxury shoppers. The restaurant she worked for, Zodiac Room, was located inside the Dallas Neiman Marcus flagship location. The pressure to satisfy these elegant guests must've been high, but Corbit proved that cheap ingredients prepared the right way can be remarkable enough to earn a seven-figure name.

You might be surprised to learn that her million-dollar dip can come together with only cream cheese, mayonnaise, cheddar cheese, bacon, toasted almonds, garlic powder, and chopped green onions. Aside from cooking and chopping the bacon and toasting the almonds first, you can throw everything into a bowl and mix until combined. While you can stay true to Corbit's vision by dipping some crackers or chips into this mix, you'll be blown away if you add it to chicken.

Pound a few chicken breasts until they're the same level of thinness, then sprinkle some salt and pepper on top. Add big dollops of the million-dollar dip on top of the chicken breasts, and spread the mixture around to evenly coat the breasts. Pop the chicken into the oven for around 15 minutes so the chicken can cook through and the cheesy dip can get bubbly and crispy on the edges.

Does your palate light up whenever you eat something sweet and spicy? Jezebel chicken could be your new go-to chicken dish. Jezebel sauce comes from the Gulf Coast, and the stars include sweet pineapple and apple jellies, horseradish, and mustard. Many modern recipes opt to use fresh pineapple and apple to keep things extra juicy.

Jezebel chicken is flexible because there are all kinds of ways people like to prepare it. Some home cooks suggest making the sauce by simmering diced apples and pineapple until they're soft, then adding horseradish, mustard, sugar, and some seasonings before blending. You could marinate your chicken in the sauce and reserve some of it to brush on after baking to elevate the flavors further.

You can also play with the ingredients of traditional jezebel sauce by roasting chicken on top of pineapple slices. Vinegar, soy sauce, honey, mustard, and paprika can do a lot of heavy lifting as a marinade. As the chicken cooks, the marinade and fat will drip onto the pineapple slices.

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Southern recipes tend to be over the top in terms of decadence, but sometimes there's not enough time to prepare a bunch of ingredients. Classic Southern baked chicken is also known as cafeteria chicken due to its ability to feed a large crowd effortlessly. It's a humble way of preparing chicken, but it's a great foundation that leaves plenty of room for extra ingredients and creativity.

To save money, Southerners buy whole chickens and break down the parts themselves. Grease a baking dish with olive oil, season both sides of the chicken pieces liberally with seasoned salt and ground black pepper, then carefully arrange the chicken pieces so everything fits in the dish. After 45 minutes of baking in the oven and 10 minutes of resting to lock in the juices, you'll have enough chicken to feed a whole family.

Of course, you can experiment with Southern baked chicken in all kinds of ways. Chop some potatoes, carrots, or bell peppers to create a whole meal. Add more seasonings to your chicken before baking. Shred or dice up the baked chicken and use it for an entirely new recipe.

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Who doesn't love a basic crockpot recipe that transforms a handful of ingredients into a feast while you barely have to lift a finger? Slow cooker Mississippi chicken combines unique flavors that you've probably never tried together, but once you taste it, you'll want to make this dish on a regular basis. All you need is four chicken breasts, a packet of ranch dressing mix, a packet of au jus gravy mix, several pepperoncini peppers, ¾ cup of the juice from the pepperoncini jar, and some butter.

Place the chicken in your slow cooker first, then sprinkle the ranch and au jus mixes on top. Arrange the pepperoncini peppers across the breasts, slice thick pats of butter to place on top, then dump the pepperoncini juice into the slow cooker. This meal can be ready in four to seven hours, depending on whether you're cooking on low or high.

The only other thing you'll need to do is shred the chicken once it's done in the crockpot. Return the chicken to the pot so it can soak up even more of the juices, then serve it with mashed potatoes, rice, or any other side dish you like.

Chicken bog may not sound appetizing, but there's no bog water in this recipe. There's no definitive answer for chicken bog's strange name, but most people think that it comes from the region where it was created. People in South Carolina who lived in a wetland region called the Lowlands often made this dish. Others think that the rice swimming in all the broth could be a reference to a bog.

Either way, chicken bog is much more appetizing than it sounds. After heating some oil in a Dutch oven, sauté chopped onions and carrots. Add rice to the mix and toss as it gets toasted. Next, pour in some chicken stock and the magic ingredient: Parmesan rind. Let the rice cook and absorb the stock.

Once the rice is tender, remove the rind and stir in shredded chicken, lemon juice, and fresh parsley to brighten up the dish. Chicken bog can include a variety of additions, so you might also want to add some sausage, bell peppers, thyme, or heavy cream to cater to your taste buds.

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Cornbread is a classic Southern side dish, but it can be transformed into an entrée by creating a casserole. The bottom layer of this casserole is a creamy chicken mixture that contains a can of cream of chicken soup, milk, chopped pre-cooked chicken, scallions, shredded cheddar cheese, and garlic powder. Put this into a greased casserole dish.

Next, it's time to create the cornbread topping. In a mixing bowl, combine some melted butter, an egg, sour cream, a can of cream-style corn, and a box of cornbread mix. Stir everything until the mixture just comes together to avoid making the batter tough. Pour this on top of the creamy chicken layer, then bake for about 45 minutes.

It's important to let the casserole rest for 10 minutes so it doesn't fall apart when you plate it. You can also sprinkle some black pepper and leftover scallions to enhance the presentation. The final result is salty, sweet, creamy, soft, cheesy, and hearty. You'll keep going back to the casserole dish to scoop out more servings.