10 of the Best North Carolina Recipes - Big Bear's Wife (2024)

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BBQ, Krispy Kreme, Cheerwine and Fresh Seafood top the list when it comes to North Carolina Food and I’ve got 10 of the Best North Carolina Recipes to share with y’all to showcase one of my favorite states!

10 of the Best North Carolina Recipes - Big Bear's Wife (1)

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North Carolina is one of my favorite places to be. We lived there for a few years when Thomas was stationed at Camp Lejeune, it’s home to Wilmington/Carolina Beach which is one of my cities and we love to take day trips across the state line to NC to go shopping.

Like Virginia, North Carolina has both fantastic beaches and beautiful mountains plus tons of history! My favorite city, Wilmington, was founded around 1740! Did you know that the Mitchell-Anderson House at 102 Orange St in Wilmington was built in 1738 and is the oldest surviving building there!?

But on the other side of North Carolina you have beautiful places as well like Asheville, NC which is home to the Baltimore Estate!

So let’s see, North Carolina Food… think BBQ, Krispy Kreme, Cheerwine, Fresh Sea Food, Shrimp, Peaches, Biscuits and Gravy and more southern favorites as we dive into…..

10 of the Best North Carolina Recipes

1. DOUGHNUT BREAD PUDDING

Kick your traditional bread pudding up a notch with the addition of glazed doughnuts! Doughnut Bread Pudding replaces french bread with glazed doughnuts for an over-the-top treat. Best of all, the doughnuts do not have to be fresh. Stale doughnuts work just as well as those right out of the Krispy Kreme box.

Recipe from Big Bears Wife – Click Here for the Recipe

2. THE BEST HOMEMADE BISCUIT RECIPE

TheBEST Homemade Biscuit recipe you’ll ever try! These easy, homemade biscuits are soft, flaky, made completely from scratch and can be on your table in about 15 minutes!

Recipe from Mom on Timeout –Click Here for the Recipe

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3. SAUSAGE GRAVY AND BISCUITS

Big Bear says “Pour this gravy over biscuits for the best breakfast at home you can ask for”

Recipe from Big Bears Wife – Click Here for the Recipe

4. BBQ BACON WRAPPED SHRIMP

Easy BBQ Bacon wrapped shrimp that I love making with Smokin’ J’s Fiery Foods Ninja BBQ Sauce from Asheville, NC

Recipe from Big Bears Wife – Click Here for the Recipe

5. Carolina-Style Instant Pot Shredded BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

These insanely delicious, ridiculously EASY Carolina-Style Instant Pot Shredded BBQ Chicken Sandwiches are an adaptation of our crazy-popular, beloved slow cooker recipe. Inspired by our epic family beach vacations along the Eastern Carolina shore, this recipe takes just minutes to prep and is a total snap in your pressure cooker (so you can spend more time at the beach)!

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6. CAROLINA COLESLAW

This creamy, sweet and tangyCarolina Coleslawis the perfect side dish to just about any meal!

Recipe from The Blond Cook – Click Here for the Recipe

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7. CHEERWINE LAYER CAKE WITH EASY CHEERWINE MARSHMALLOW BUTTERCREAM

Happy 100th Birthday, Cheerwine! In honor of their Centennial, I give you theCheerwine Cakewith Easy Cheerwine Marshmallow Buttercream. Birthdays just got a bit Cheer(wine)ier!

Recipe from Pastry Chef Online – Click Here for the Recipe

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8. THE BEST HOMEMADE BAKED MAC AND CHEESE

TheBEST Homemade Mac and Cheese of your LIFE. Outrageously cheesy, ultra creamy, and topped with a crunchy Panko-Parmesan topping, this mac and cheese recipe is most definitely a keeper. Three different cheese and a homemade cheese sauce to take this macaroni and cheese recipe over the top.

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9. LAZY PEACH SONKER

You are going to love thislazy peach sonker, friends. I started with a recipe for spiced peaches from my friends’ Jane Bonacci and Sara de Leeuw’s cookbook,The Gluten-Free Instant Pot Cookbook, and then I turned them into the filling for a lazy sonker.

Recipe from Pastry Chef Online – Click Here for the Recipe

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10. THE LAZY SOUTHERN’S SHRIMP AND GRITS

We love shrimp and gritsbut we need quick and simple after work!This is the version that we love when we’re in a hurry or when we’ve had a super long day at work! We call this, “The Lazy Southern’s Shrimp and Grits”.

Recipe from Big Bears Wife – Click Here for the Recipe

Bonus Recipe

PERFECT GRITS AND GREENS BREAKFAST BOWL

This breakfast bowl is a copy cat of a breakfast I had at Corner Kitchen in Asheville, North Carolina a few years ago!

Recipe from Big Bears Wife – Click Here for the Recipe

10 of the Best North Carolina Recipes

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10 of the Best North Carolina Recipes - Big Bear's Wife (2024)

FAQs

What is the signature dish of North Carolina? ›

Iconic and unique foods in North Carolina
  • Barbecue. A staple dish in North Carolina is a barbecue that uses different wood types of meats to smoke them. ...
  • The Debate Between Whole Hog and Pulled Pork. ...
  • Chicken-fried steak. ...
  • Pimento cheese grits. ...
  • Hatteras style clam juice. ...
  • Livermush. ...
  • Pepsi bbq chicken. ...
  • Appalachian Kilt.
Feb 14, 2022

What is the number one food in North Carolina? ›

1. North Carolina-Style Barbecue. Dishing up a plate of premium Southern cuisine should always include a stop at the nearest barbecue place. First discovered in the 16th century, BBQ was brought to the region by Sir Walter Raleigh.

What food is native to NC? ›

Some Indigenous foods from our region include favorites like corn or cornbread, beans, squash, greens, field peas, tomatoes, chocolate, chili, sweet potatoes, turnips, pecans, pine nuts, rice, soups, venison, bison, game, fish, and stews.

What seafood is North Carolina known for? ›

North Carolina is close to the Gulf Stream, where fisherfolk catch mahi-mahi, tuna, swordfish, and other large migratory species. Coastal species like drum, trout, shrimp, and blue crabs feel at home in the state's extensive network of sounds, rivers, and estuarine environments.

What is the state sandwich of NC? ›

Pulled Pork Sandwich

What is the most popular side dish in North Carolina? ›

North Carolina's Top Side Dish

The top five most popular holiday side dishes include mashed potatoes, stuffing/dressing, mac & cheese, yams/ sweet potatoes, and green bean casserole.

What fast food is NC known for? ›

7 famous restaurant chains with NC roots
  • Bojangles' Famous Chicken 'n Biscuits. ...
  • Cook Out. ...
  • Biscuitville. ...
  • Hardee's. ...
  • Char-Grill. ...
  • Smithfield's Chicken 'N Bar-B-Q. ...
  • Krispy Kreme.
Feb 13, 2024

What soda was invented in NC? ›

Did you know that Pepsi, Cheerwine and Sun Drop all have roots in North Carolina?

What candy is made in NC? ›

Red Bird Puffed Peppermints — Lexington

Named for North Carolina's state bird, the cardinal, these soft, crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth mints have been made by Piedmont Candy Company since 1933, when founder Edward Ebelein revived the brand from his previous business.

What is the best food to eat in North Carolina? ›

14 Must-Try Dishes and Food Items in North Carolina
  • Lexington-Style Barbecue. Lexington-Style Barbecue. ...
  • Eastern-Style Whole-Hog Barbecue. Eastern-Style Whole-Hog Barbecue. ...
  • Sonker. Sonker. ...
  • Biscuits and Gravy. Biscuits and Gravy. ...
  • Pork Chop Sandwich. photo credit: Travis Dove. ...
  • Calabash Seafood. ...
  • Sweet Potato Pie. ...
  • Mountain Trout.
Oct 27, 2023

What fruit is North Carolina known for? ›

North Carolina's local and regional food system includes the production of apples, blackberries, blueberries, figs, kiwifruit, muscadine grapes, pecans, peaches, nectarines, raspberries, and strawberries.

What is Charlotte, NC known for food? ›

What Food Is Charlotte, North Carolina Known For
  • BBQ. This is an all-time favorite in Charlotte. ...
  • Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. We all know that Americans love their morning coffee with their go-to egg sandwiches and bagels. ...
  • Burgers. ...
  • Seafood. ...
  • Mount Olive Pickles. ...
  • Cheerwine.

What is South Carolina's signature food? ›

7 Southern Foods You Must Try
  • Frogmore Stew. Frogmore Stew is a staple dish in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. ...
  • Shrimp and Grits. Shrimp and grits has been a South Carolina specialty for generations. ...
  • Oyster Roasts. Oyster roasts are just one of South Carolina's tasty culinary traditions. ...
  • Barbecue. ...
  • Peaches. ...
  • Boiled Peanuts.

Does North Carolina have soul food? ›

Best Soul Food In Charlotte

Mert's Heart & Soul has been bringing joy & soul food in Charlotte, NC for over two decades. As a result of that we have been voted as the top soul food restaurant in Charlotte multiple times.

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