These Recipes Are Perfect For Your July 4th Celebration

Grilling corn is one of the easiest and tastiest ways to prep a side dish. This roasted garlic butter corn recipe calls for paprika, which adds a ton of flavor, but the real difference-maker here is the garlic and herb butter loaded with, well, garlic and herbs, like rosemary, thyme, and basil. You can pop these into the oven or onto the grill and douse them generously in that butter before serving.

Those of you who live near a Publix have probably tried their (incredible, amazing, iconic) buffalo chicken dip from the deli section. It’s basically the gold standard of savory dips. That said, this buffalo chicken dip recipe from Simply LaKita definitely seems like it’ll stand up to the grocery store’s version. Serve with celery, crackers, tortilla chips, or just a spoon, honestly.

If your party will be outdoors, cool everyone down with a frozen lemonade livened up with just a pinch of fresh mint. Kate of Cookie + Kate recreated this recipe based on a frozen mint lemonade she tried in Morocco, and it’s a delicious way to beat the heat in your own backyard, too.

Want a pasta salad that hits a little different? This summertime version includes black beans, cherry tomatoes, fresh corn, feta crumbles, and avocado. And rather than a basic oil and vinegar dressing, it calls for an easy-to-make jalapeño and herb pesto. Serve it room temp or cold, but either way, it’ll be gone quickly.

So, you want to make the perfect hamburgers. Instead of winging it on the seasoning or wondering if they’re the right thickness, follow this In-N-Out-inspired recipe to create animal style burgers. (Animal sauce optional, but who would opt out of that?) Spread out all the fixings on a picnic table and boom: 4th of July burger bar.

If you want to enjoy something a little lighter on the stomach but still burger adjacent, consider this vegan black bean burger recipe. It’s easy to customize with whatever seasonings and toppings you have on hand, and to make a large or small batch for your vegetarian and vegan friends.

Watermelon is the summertime fruit. You could serve it up in slices, or make it into this exciting salad tossed with blueberries, papaya, cucumbers, herbs, and just a hint of jalapeño. Or, if you’re looking for a classic salsa recipe to serve with some chips and guac, check out this homemade quick tomato salsa.

Why serve brisket with macaroni and cheese when you could serve brisket in macaroni and cheese? This brisket mac and cheese dish from Dude That Cookz takes about 40 minutes to prepare if you’re using leftover brisket. It would be a unique option to take to the 4th of July potluck, or at the very least, an inventive way to freshen up the leftovers on July 5.

If you make this strawberry lemonade, please post a picture and tag me in it because OMG it’s so pretty. But more importantly, it sounds seriously good. It’ll impress the heck out of your guests that you made it yourself, and it’d be pretty easy to serve with some champagne for a sparkling summer cocktail.

Just like this charred okra recipe’s post begins, could you get more summery than a combo of okra, corn, and tomatoes? This would be an unexpected twist on a summer salad and the perfect side to any burger or barbecue you’re planning to serve. Also, if you’re typically not an okra person, this method of cooking keeps it from getting slimy.

It’s not July 4th without potato salad; that would just be July 3rd for the second day in a row. This recipe from Lick My Spoon is the perfect guide for whipping up that traditional dilly, scallion-topped version everyone knows and loves, but with a little whole grain mustard to make it even more flavorful. And it only takes a little more effort than picking up a container of potato salad at the store.

Hot dogs are a 4th of July staple, but if you want to serve them a little more creatively than the usual bun-and-condiments setup, these spicy gochujang pigs in a blanket are definitely the move. They’re a bite-sized app (just pop a toothpick into each one for easy snacking) and the little dollop of gochujang sauce takes this party app to a whole new level. You can also use store-bought crescent roll dough to shorten the prep time.

Wings are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser at any summertime get-together, and these mango, pineapple, and habanero hot wings incorporate some of the season’s most flavorful fruits into every bite. The habanero makes them both sweet and spicy, and baking them in the oven adds the perfect amount of crisp to the skin.

Who doesn’t love a kebab loaded with bell peppers, onions, zucchini, and other summer veggies? They’re yummy made with tofu, veggies only, or your meat of choice, and so easy to put together and toss on the grill. This summer BBQ tofu recipe includes instructions on seasoning the tofu with a homemade barbecue sauce for extra flavor points.

If someone else has already claimed the red, white, and blue dessert idea for the potluck, why not pivot to this marg-inspired cake? It’s based on everyone’s favorite hot-weather cocktail and includes plenty of fresh limes, tequila, and orange liquor, just like the real thing. The only difference is you’ll clink forks instead of glasses.

If the grill is otherwise occupied with burgers, hot dogs, kebabs, or chicken wings, you can make pulled pork using your old faithful slow cooker. Serve it up with traditional barbecue sides like potato salad and mac and cheese, or pile it high on buns with pickles and extra sauce.

While you’re thinking about easy barbecue classics, has there ever been a successful cookout without baked beans? This homemade version is vegan, so you can safely serve them at a group gathering, yet it packs all the flavor punch of the traditional bacon-laden version. They only take about 45 minutes, too.

Make use of peach season and impress everyone at the party with this broiled peach summer salad recipe. It’s loaded with greens, burrata (yes, please), and a yummy-sounding vinaigrette that comes together with just a few ingredients. It’s a great way to serve something light that isn’t your typical boring salad.

If you want to make a cocktail for your partygoers, this peach, ginger, and vodka number ought to do the trick. It’s a little fruity, sort of spicy, a tad sweet, and really refreshing thanks to the bubbles from the sparkling water. If you want to serve them sans alcohol, they’ll be just as yummy.

Maybe I’m just a pizza person, but if I saw little personal pizza flatbreads at my next picnic, potluck, or summer party, I’d be pretty delighted. These wee pies incorporate sweet, summery pineapple (often controversial as a pizza topping), crunchy red onion, and plenty of melty cheese. Why not make a few, slice them up, and serve them as a unique appetizer?

Fresh strawberries. Rich cream cheese. An easy, lemony, press-in crust that’s easy to make gluten-free. This strawberry tart is just everything you could ask for in a cookout dessert. You could easily swap the fruit out for another you prefer, or add blueberries to make it more July 4th-themed. In any case, it’ll be equally delicious.