Add these Kentucky Derby party foods and classic Southern recipes to your Derby Day party or if you need easy finger foods for a horse racing party theme or Preakness party recipe ideas!
16 Best Kentucky Derby Party Foods
Add these tradition recipes from the South to your Kentucky Derby horse party for May or even a fun Derby birthday party theme — easy delicious southern-inspired dips, appetizers, dippers and sides for a fun Kentucky Derby party menu!
Kentucky Derby Themed Party Recipes Ideas
- Fried Green Tomatoes
- Kentucky Banana Salad Croquettes
- Southern Pickle Cornbread Salad
- Fried Green Tomato BLTs
- Southern Onion Casserole
- Biscuit & Gravy Bites
- Southern Deviled Eggs
- Slow Cooker Green Beans & Potatoes
- Mini Loaded Potato Pancakes
- Stewed Tomatoes & Macaroni
- Blackberry Cobbler Dessert
- Egg Salad
- No Cook Banana Pudding
- Fried Biscuits
- Southern Sweet Tea
- Homemade Lemonade
Get the free printable recipe cards for these party foods below!
Southern Fried Green Tomatoes
This fried green tomatoes recipe is one of my favorite homemade southern recipes and is perfect for your southern-themed party.
It was a recipe passed down through my Southern family and one that my grandma and mom taught me how to make.
Don’t miss the secret fried green tomato sauce recipe that goes with it. I think it elevates this recipe to a perfect party food for your Kentucky Derby ideas.
Fried Green Tomato BLTs
If you’re making fried green tomatoes for your party foods, definitely add fried green tomato BLT sandwiches.
Assemble the traditional BLT with fried green tomatoes and special sauce, cut them in fourths, add festive party pick like these and you have easy party finger foods!
Southern Cheesy Onion Casserole
OK, this is called Tennessee onion casserole, but it’s still great for your Kentucky party.
This is the perfect easy side dish recipe for a crowd and a definite party guest favorite at our house. If you’re thinking, Gross, onion casserole! I encourage you to try this savory casserole.
You make this recipe with few ingredients and it’s an easy recipe to double or triple for a party.
Along with fried green tomatoes, this would be on the top of my list for KY Derby party recipes. That’s how good it is!
Kentucky Banana Peanut Salad
This banana salad recipe, also called banana croquettes, is a Kentucky recipe thats different than any other fruit salad you’ve probably ever had.
I had never heard of it until we were eating at a southern restaurant in Kentucky and I asked the waitress for the recipe. She gave me this recipe as her family recipe, but also told me that every family makes it a little differently.
So, this might be a different take on the classic dressed bananas recipe if you’ve had this dessert before.
Southern Macaroni And Stewed Tomatoes
This is another classic Southern recipe and something my grandma called “poverty foods” because my grandma said it was cheap and easy to make for a large family when their money was tight and it was filling recipe.
This recipe will be nostalgic for a lot of your Southern guests attending your party!
I would elevate it to a party dish by serving it in mini single serving cups with a fork (like these) in the noodles.
Southern Style Blackberry Cobbler Recipe
If you’re having a southern party, you have to have a fruit cobbler recipe! This cobbler with blackberries happens to be one of my favorite dessert recipes.
For your Kentucky Derby Day party, spoon and serve the dessert in single dessert cups with their own spoons.
Top it with vanilla ice cream (our favorite cobbler topping) or this fresh whipped cream recipe.
Southern Cornbread Salad
I’ve only ever seen this pickle cornbread salad at southern potluck parties. When I mention to friends who don’t have family from the South, they always look at me like I’m crazy (until they try it).
I know it’s another southern recipe that seems… weird, but if you’ve never had it then you’ll have to trust me on just how good it is.
PARTY RECIPES TIP: Make a big bowl of extra dressing for the side so that party guests can add more dressing if they like (which I like to do).
Southern Fried Potato Patties
These potato cakes (as my Southern grandma called them) are usually made with leftover mashed potatoes. My grandmother said it was just another way to use all the food (or stretch food) when money was tight.
I still make these fried potatoes pancakes when we have lots of leftover mashed potatoes at the holidays, but you can buy pre-made mashed potatoes like this (if you run out of time to make your own) or use my yummy homemade mash potatoes recipe.
I like to make them as loaded potato patties, with sour cream, shredded cheese, crumbled bacon, and chopped green onions.
For Kentucky Derby parties, make these as mini potato patties and then put the toppings on the side for a Southern potatoes toppings bar.
Southern Biscuits & Gravy Recipe
Nothing says southern recipes like a classic biscuits and sausage gravy recipe.
To elevate this classic southern dish to party food status, serve it in single serving cups. Just crumble the biscuit on the bottom and add the gravy to the top with forks stuck in the top.
PARTY RECIPE TIP: I use the canned Pillsbury Grands Southern Homestyle Buttermilk Biscuits and I swear they taste just like the homemade biscuits my grandma made!
Classic Deviled Eggs
This easy devil egg recipe makes the perfect Kentucky Derby finger foods!
This is the best recipe for making deviled eggs — an old-fashioned vintage recipe passed down from my southern grandma’s recipes, but you can add different deviled eggs topping for party foods (chopped olives, chopped green onions, etc.)
PARTY FOODS TIP: If you want to make colored deviled eggs, which is always fun for parties, check out that recipe here.
Easy Egg Salad Recipe
Egg salad is an easy recipe to include with for your Derby parties.
It may seem kind of blah for a party, but guests always love it when we serve it for parties.
To make this a great party finger food recipe, serve it on mini croissants on a chilled patter.
Green Beans, Potatoes and Cornbread
I love making Southern green beans and potatoes for parties because it’s a cheap recipe to make for a party and it’s easy to double and triple for recipes for groups.
Another thing I love? This is an easy set and forget crockpot recipe.
For party buffets, I set this on low and serve it straight from the slow cooker with a side of Southern cornbread.
Southern Fried Biscuits
This fried biscuits recipe is a treat that you won’t see at all the other parties. (Doesn’t it sometimes seem like you see the same party recipes over and over at everyone’s cookout or holiday party?)
You can leave some of these biscuits plain, but they’re also good as cinnamon sugar biscuits or sprinkled with powdered sugar.
I also like to serve these with apple butter.
Easy Banana Pudding
OK, this may not be a southern-inspired recipe, but this is the way that my mom taught me to make banana pudding. (And, she’s Southern, so I think it counts.)
This easy dessert is the one my daughter always asks my mom to make for cookout parties!
This is a huge crowd-pleaser recipe and everyone always asks for the no-cook recipe. (Then, they’re surprised when I tell them the secret ingredient!)
Southern Sweet Tea in the Sun!
This sun tea is a fun drink for a Kentucky Derby party.
If you’re not familiar, sun tea has always been a big deal in the south.
After the tea has steeped in the sun, add your southern level of sugar for the perfect sweet tea.
PARTY RECIPE TIP: If you’ve never made sun tea before, you may want to do a trial run before the party to make sure you can get the right ratios for your taste.
Homemade Lemonade
This homemade lemonade recipe is so easy and another perfect drink for a sunny day backyard party.
Also try this fizzy raspberry lemonade for another great party drink or these refreshing and easy fruit infused waters (that guests love, even the kids, when we make them).
I recommend grabbing drink dispensers like this for your party! Then, you can easily refill them periodically throughout the party.
Be sure to serve drinks in mason jars like this to add to that Southern theme!
MORE EASY PARTY FINGER FOODS: Ham & Cheese Sliders (to go with your Hot Browns)
Happy Derby Day! I hope you enjoy some of my favorite Southern recipes for your Kentucky Derby party foods.
