Credit: Huge Galdones / Food Styling by Christina Zerkis
The Kentucky Derby race famously takes just two minutes, but the occasion — on the first Saturday in May — warrants an afternoon of food and drink. Kick things off with a Mint Julep (which boasts a more complex history than what you might expect) or a Vodka Rose Punch that’s garnished with care for the Run for the Roses. Snack on spiced pecans, deviled eggs, and pimiento cheese until it’s time for Southern fried chicken and a Kentucky-inspired mac and cheese mashup. Chocolate Pecan Pie with Bourbon (aka Derby Pie) is the traditional dessert for the day, but we’d serve bourbon balls as well. These are our favorite Kentucky Derby foods for entertaining: With them, you’re off to the races.
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Classic Pimiento Cheese
Credit: Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Barrett Washburne
Sometimes called the “pâté of the South,” classic pimiento cheese dip is a Kentucky Derby staple. Cheddar, mayonnaise, and pimientos are its three essential ingredients; F&W’s Justin Chapple adds more complex flavor to his version with a small amount of grated onion.
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Mint Julep
Credit: Huge Galdones / Food Styling by Christina Zerkis
To make this Derby Day favorite, you’ll need mint, simple syrup, bourbon, and finally, crushed ice. Equipment-wise, make sure to have a chilled julep cup or fizz glass on hand, as well as a muddler and a swizzle stick or bar spoon for mixing the drink.
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Kentucky Hot Brown Macaroni and Cheese
Credit: Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Created by Fred Schmidt in 1926 at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, the Kentucky Hot Brown is a classic open-faced sandwich featuring thick Texas toast layered with slices of roast turkey, tomato, and bacon, all smothered in Mornay sauce. Here, we take the essential components and adapt the format for an irresistible mac and cheese with the soul of the original.
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Chocolate Pecan Pie with Bourbon
Credit: Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Cookbook author and pastry chef David Lebovitz’s Chocolate Pecan Pie with Bourbon is everything you want in a dessert. A nip of sweet, caramel-scented bourbon adds depth to the traditional super-sweet filling; chocolate enhances it with its rich texture and just a hint of balancing bitterness.
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Vegan Pimiento Cheese
Credit: Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
This vegan rendition of the iconic Southern spread makes a stellar snack. Sweet pimientos stud a creamy, savory base made with extra-firm tofu; pickle brine and apple cider vinegar lend an acidic brightness to the mixture while nutritional yeast and miso provide deep umami notes that keep you coming back for more.
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Spiced Pecans
Credit: Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Barrett Washburne
This sweet and spicy recipe can be made with any combination of raw nuts. They’re seasoned with cayenne, cinnamon, and brown sugar, then baked until crisp and toasted.
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Kentucky Mule
Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
This whiskey-based cross between a Moscow Mule and a Mint Julep swaps vodka for bourbon and is combined with ginger beer and fresh lime juice.
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Green Goddess Pasta Salad
Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Tucker Vines
Churchill Downs has a Green Goddess pasta salad on its official Derby menu for 2026. Our version combines sharp, peppery radishes with creamy artichokes; bright, earthy asparagus; and a tangy herb-packed dressing to coat twisty gemelli.
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Burgoo
Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Tucker Vines
The Food & Wine Test Kitchen took on this classic Kentucky dish, developing a three-hour version with chicken, pork, beef, and vegetables that feeds a crowd and can be made ahead.
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Burnt Ends with Bourbon Sauce
Credit: Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox & John Somerall / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis
2021 F&W Best New Chef Matt Horn shares recipes for his go-to rub and sticky Bourbon Sauce to accompany this take on burnt ends: crispy, caramelized, and delightfully smoky.
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Sorghum and Carrot Pilaf
Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Priscilla Montiel
Also on this year’s Churchill Downs Derby menu is brown sugar–glazed carrots with dill-sorghum butter. This pilaf features a similar flavor combination, swapping out the sweetness with nutty Gruyère and brightening the dish with lemon. If you’re planning a full-on Derby meal, this is a terrific side to include.
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Beer Cheese
Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Jason Donnelly / Food Styling by Holly Dreesman / Prop Styling by Addelyn Evans
Particularly popular in Kentucky, this dip blends sharp cheddar and cream cheese with flat beer, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. It’s great served with crackers, pretzels, or fresh vegetables.
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Bourbon Balls
Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless
Combine chocolate, bourbon, and pecans in 40 minutes without an oven for this easy treat that’s beloved throughout the South, especially at Derby time.
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Kentucky Buck
Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Jason Donnelly / Food Styling by Annie Probst and Shannon Goforth / Prop Styling by Breanna Ghazali
With bourbon, fresh lemon juice, ginger syrup, muddled strawberries, Angostura bitters, and club soda, the Kentucky Buck is a terrific seasonal sipper for Derby Day.
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Soft Pretzels
Credit: Julia Hartbeck
What to serve with all that cheese dip? Pretzels, of course — just like at Churchill Downs this year. Chef Grant Achatz’s recipe delivers German-style soft pretzel sticks that are simple to form and hit all the right notes — deeply golden, generously salted on the outside, and satisfyingly chewy within.
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Oysters Rockefeller with Pimiento Cheese
Credit: Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Shell Royster
These oysters are chef John Ondo’s Lowcountry riff on classic Oysters Rockefeller. He swaps out the usual pureed greens for finely chopped collard greens and bacon melted with pimiento cheese. The oysters are topped with buttery cracker crumbs, making them a perfect party appetizer.
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Buttermilk Biscuits
Credit: Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Torie Cox
These towering, flaky biscuits from Carla Hall, which combine cold grated butter and vegetable shortening for the ideal balance of flavor and tenderness, can be frozen and baked straight from the freezer. Just add a few minutes to the cooking time.
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Caramel Bourbon Shake
Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Jake Sternquist / Food Styling by Holly Dreesman / Prop Styling by Sue Mitchell
Derby Day is a great opportunity to celebrate Kentucky bourbon in all kinds of ways. Fold homemade caramel sauce into softly whipped cream to crown these boozy bourbon shakes, then drizzle additional caramel on top for a decadent grown-up dessert. The recipe makes enough to serve four.
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Hummingbird Cream Puffs
Credit: Farrah Skeiky
2021 F&W Best New Chef Paola Velez riffs on the flavors of traditional Southern hummingbird cake by filling choux pastry with naturally sweet banana whipped cream, coconut, and pineapple for a tropical treat topped with buttery cookies. The single-serving format makes them a great choice for your Derby spread.
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Pigs in a Blanket
Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Jake Sternquist / Food Styling by Holly Dreesman / Prop Styling by Lexi Juhl
Pigs in a blanket are a playful accompaniment to Champagne, according to wine expert Jen Pelka. To make these snacks just right for Derby Day, she brushes puff pastry with Dijon, brown sugar, butter, and honey. Serve with a honey mustard dipping sauce.
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Barbecued Shrimp with Cheese Grits
Credit: Cara Cormack
Chef and Kentucky native Amber Huffman adds extra-sharp cheddar and barbecue shrimp to old-fashioned grits, pairing Lowcountry staples for one delicious bowl. “I seriously have received three marriage proposals over a bowl of my cheese grits,” she says.
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Blackberry-Mint Julep
Credit: Peden + Munk
Sweet-tart blackberries add fruity flavor to this classic warm-weather cocktail, playing off the bourbon’s caramel notes with brightness and refreshing acidity.
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Deviled Eggs with Country Ham
Credit: Wendell T. Webber
To make his tangy deviled eggs, chef Ford Fry folds goat cheese, Dijon, and chopped cornichons into the yolk filling, then tops each egg with a paper-thin slice of country ham for a smoky-salty finish. A shower of fresh chives adds a fresh pop.
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Cucumber-Rye Tea Sandwiches
Credit: Con Poulos
Benedictine is a cucumber–cream cheese spread created in the late 19th century by Kentucky caterer, restaurateur, and cookbook author Jennie Carter Benedict. Here, the Derby favorite is slathered on party rye; each open-faced sandwich is topped with a thin slice of Persian cucumber and freshly ground black pepper.
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Kentucky Hot Brown
Credit: Barnard & Meyer
This isn’t just any old turkey sandwich. Chef Bobby Flay makes his version of the over-the-top Louisville classic by dousing open-faced turkey sandwiches with cheddar sauce, then layering on crisp, thick-cut bacon slices.
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Vodka-Rose Punch
Credit: John Kernick
Cookbook author and TV host Padma Lakshmi uses floral rose syrup in this lovely pink-hued punch that’s ready in 10 minutes.
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The Ultimate Southern Fried Chicken
Credit: Con Poulos
This fried chicken from chef Shaun Doty of Bantam + Biddy in Atlanta is a no-fail, no-fuss version of classic fried chicken with a perfectly crunchy seasoned crust (the trick is the cornstarch) and juicy meat. If you want to serve wine with the dish, try pairing the chicken with Champagne, Lambrusco, or Pinot Noir.
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Bacon-Bourbon Brownies with Pecans
Credit: Fredrika Stjärne
F&W’s Kat Kinsman mixes bacon fat into her brownie batter for a smoky flavor and tops the rich brownies with bacon and pecans.
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