23 Fourth of July Barbecue Recipes for the Ultimate Cookout

These "BLT" hot dogs are topped with crispy bacon, fresh tomatoes and crunchy lettuce dressed with a creamy caraway-pickle mayonnaise.

Pulehu is Hawaiian for "to cook over hot coals." In this grilled steak tip skewer recipe from Hawaiian chef Sheldon Simeon, a punchy, bright basting sauce of sake, soy sauce, brown sugar, sherry vinegar, garlic, ginger, and scallions flavors the beef. Pulverized toasted barley is the secret ingredient in the sauce-it thickens it and helps it coat the beef so it gets crispy when grilled. Simeon layers on even more flavor into finadene, a soy-based sauce, to serve with the skewers, with the addition of sweet Maui onions and Agrumato lemon olive oil, a citrusy finishing oil produced by pressing whole lemons and olives.

Chef Sheldon Simeon's recipe for a Hawaiian twist on Mexican elote features grilled corn slathered in a creamy, cheesy calamansi mayonnaise, which gets its acidic tang from a sour citrus fruit native to the South Pacific (you can substitute Key Limes in a pinch).

These brownies take on a deliciously smoky flavor on the grill from "baking" in a skillet set over hot coals.

This spritzy, summery drink from Julia Momose has distinct pink and yellow layers to make it  a showstopper . It's also incredibly versatile: Swap in raspberries or strawberries for the blackberries, double the recipe for a crowd, or serve the homemade soda and the turmeric-spiked lemonade on their own.

A quick brine produces super-moist burgers. The brining also helps the burgers cook faster, so flip them often to help them cook evenly and prevent charring.

This modern take on potato salad forgoes mayo for a base of vinegar and olive oil. Justin Chapple also grills the potatoes to add a great smoky flavor before tossing them with quickly pickled red onions. But the best part is the playful salt-and-vinegar potato chip topping, which adds a wonderful crunch.

Scholar Regina Bradley (nicknamed Gina Mae as a child) added a few special touches to her husband's baked beans recipe to make it her own. "A cookout's DNA is found in the sides and who made them. This task is not for the faint of heart or the thin-skinned," wrote Bradley, in an essay on the hierarchy of the cookout  for Food & Wine. "If your beans taste burnt or your potato salad has raisins or olives, we talking bad about you 'til your grandchildren hear about it." For this summer-perfect side, Bradley dresses up store-bought barbecue sauce with extra brown sugar. Apple cider vinegar cuts through the smoky sweetness.

Traditionally called malaiwala, "the one with cream," this casserole is a Punjabi twist on a ratatouille-style summer side. Make this a main dish by adding cubed paneer.

Fresh raspberries and the tangy punch of hibiscus tea make this rosy-red sangria from bartender Chelsea Leigh Barrett bright and tart.

Maydān, Rose Previte's Washington, D.C., restaurant and wood-fired homage to Lebanon, is justly famous for its massive hearth, where this whole marinated cauliflower is cooked. While the Maydan chefs truss and hang the cauliflower heads over the fire to slowly cook them, we've adapted the recipe to slowly grill-roast them over indirect heat with an oak or hickory log at the center of the grill alongside lit coals. This imbues the dish with smoky flavor and a rich color before lightly charring the cauliflower over the coals to finish. Simply put, this is one of the most delicious dishes we've ever grilled at home.

Smoky, melty "pimentón" cheese, crispy jamón serrano, and a savory-sweet aioli top beef patties in this towering tapas-inspired burger from Urdaneta, a popular tapas spot in Portland, OR. Kalimotxo, a Spanish red wine and cola cocktail, is the inspiration for the marvelously mauve aioli.

Burnt ends are, strictly speaking, the extra-dark, chewy, extremely delicious ends of a barbecued beef brisket-not pork belly at all. But if you find burnt ends irresistible, then this recipe is for you. Slow-smoking chunks of spice-rubbed pork belly then tossing them in a quick, not-too-sweet barbecue sauce and smoking them some more yields a crispy-chewy pile of pork that will win over the most passionate burnt-ends purist. Enjoy them with piles of white bread to sop up the sauce, along with tangy pickles and raw onion to cut through the richness.

At Cantinho do Aziz, a family-owned Mozambican restaurant in Lisbon, Portugal, chef Jeny Sulemange prepares a grilled coconut chicken that's crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, which she serves with coconut rice. When making this crispy grilled chicken at home, it's all about the marinade. To make it, use full-fat coconut milk; you'll skim the cream to make the marinade and use the remaining milk to infuse the rice with rich coconut flavor. Basting the chicken with more marinade on the grill gets the skin doubly crisp-the sugars in the marinade caramelize while the skin cooks and traps moisture and flavor in each bite.

These simple, one-bite snacks are quick to assemble and grill just as your guests arrive. Sticky-sweet pork belly, tender, meaty shrimp, and bright, quick-pickled tomato variations offer something for everyone at the cookout.

These upgraded BLTs combine tender, sweet lobster meat with smoky, salty bacon, juicy tomatoes, and pillowy potato buns, lightly toasted in bacon drippings.

Fried green tomatoes are a classic Southern treat, perfect for summer months when green tomatoes are plentiful. Served with fried pickles and okra and a cooling crème fraîche riff on ranch dressing, a platter of super-crunchy, tangy fried veggies will make you the star of every summer party or weeknight dinner.  Be sure to pat your vegetables dry before you fry them so the breading will stick and stay crisp.

Slow-grilling whole unpeeled pineapples concentrates their flavor and tenderizes the fruit, which pairs wonderfully with salty country ham and crispy panko seasoned with barbecue spices. Peel the fruit with a large serrated knife, thinly slice it like ham, and serve it hot.

This vegan cheesecake is just as creamy and tangy as the conventional versions thanks to cultured nut-based cream cheese from Miyoko's Creamery, founded by vegan visionary Miyoko Schinner.

"In summer, I cook them [scallops] on the grill until just kissed by the flames and pile them on top of warmed veggies with a bright dressing," Gail Simmons writes. "This version, a favorite for quick and easy backyard dinners, incorporates miso, ginger, and toasted sesame, adding a savory dimension to the salad and a rich contrast to the corn and scallops' inherent sweetness."

Traci des Jardins' take on a classic, produce-forward summer salad features juicy tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, and lightly sweet slices of jicama. The simple lime dressing gets a hit of fresh, herbal brightness from plenty of cilantro leaves.

When it's so blazing hot outside that you can't bear the thought of firing up the grill, this no-fuss slow-cooker barbecue chicken recipe will come to the rescue. A quick sear in a cast-iron skillet awakens the flavors of the herbs and spices and gives the chicken a nice crust that makes the finished barbecue taste more authentic. The real star here is the Burnt Honey Barbecue Sauce; added just before serving, it retains a distinct honey flavor that balances this tangy-sweet chicken perfectly. Combine this chicken with our Quick Red Cabbage Slaw on a Buttery Brioche Hamburger Bun to create our ultimate barbecue sandwich.

This easy pasta salad comes together in just 15 minutes with help from the grocery store olive bar. Fresh oregano, cherry tomatoes, and feta cheese bring bright flavor to this easy summer salad, perfect for weeknight dinners, pool parties, and backyard barbecues.