29 Recipes for the Ultimate Fourth of July Cookout

By Food & Wine
Updated June 20, 2019
Credit: Jennifer Causey
Burgers, hot dogs, chicken wings—the Fourth of July always demands a feast, and a big one at that. If you’re planning on hosting a cookout this year, we’ve rounded up over 20 recipes to help you craft the perfect menu. Potato salad? Check. Lobster rolls? Check. Barbecue pulled pork sandwiches? Check, check, check. And don’t worry, we didn’t forget dessert—but you’ll have to read on for the rest
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Creamy Cucumber and Grilled Potato Salad

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“When I was a kid, my mom would marinate cucumbers, red onions and canned potatoes in jarred creamy Italian dressing,” says Jamie Bissonnette. “I’m not saying she was a great cook, but creamy Italian dressing is still my favorite. I make a version of it for this salad.”

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Apple-Glazed Barbecued Baby Back Ribs

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These sticky, apple-scented ribs are cooked in the oven, then finished on the grill. They’re a simpler version of a recipe by champion pit master Chris Lilly, who cooks his ribs entirely on the grill. To follow Lilly's example, use a thermometer to keep the temperature at a steady 250° and wrap the ribs in foil after adding the apple cider mixture.

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Blue Ribbon Barbecue Chicken Cheeseburgers

Credit: Con Poulos
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These knockout chicken burgers are topped with cheddar cheese, bacon, and barbecue sauce.

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Watermelon Salad with Mint and Lime

Credit: © John Kernick
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Matt Neal calls this supremely simple fruit salad the ultimate refresher on a hot day. For a grown-up version, he adds splashes of rum. “It’s even more satisfying, then,” he jokes.

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Deluxe Lobster and Potato Chip Rolls

Credit: © John Kernick
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“Putting potato chips inside sandwiches has always been a favorite trick of ours,” says chef Jon Shook. He and co-chef Vinny Dotolo serve chips on Tabasco-spiked lobster salad tucked into buttery toasted buns.

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Pasta Salad with Grilled Sausages and Peppers

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This hearty salad combines gemelli pasta with summery grilled sausages and slice vegetables.

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Grilled Chicken with Spiced Red-Pepper Paste

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To mimic the flavor of Turkish red-pepper paste, Silvena Rowe uses a combination of red bell peppers and jalapeños.

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Beet Salad with Watercress and Fresh Pecorino

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Seattle chef Ethan Stowell uses beets two different ways in this recipe. He roasts some of them, giving the salad a sweet flavor, and he thinly shaves the rest for a fresh, earthy crispness.

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Peach Shortcake with Vanilla Whipped Cream

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Tim Love’s shortcake reflects his easygoing style: Instead of making individual biscuits or multiple layers, he simply pours the batter into a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. For smaller cakes, bake the batter in 24 muffin tins.

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Slow Cooker Barbecued Pulled Pork

Credit: HANNAH QUEEN
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Serve the pulled pork with coleslaw and pickles, or mound it on hamburger buns and top with coleslaw and thinly sliced onion and dill pickles.

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Green Bean Slaw

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In this salad, tender haricots verts get tossed with crunchy strips of carrot, red pepper and parsnip.

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Open-Face Grilled Eggplant Sandwiches

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For this smoky version of eggplant Parmesan, Sam Calagione looked for a beer that could stand up to the grilled eggplant without overwhelming it. Sam opted for Guinness. “People often think dark beers are heavy in body, alcohol and calories,” he said. “I like that Guinness has roasty flavors but is still relatively light.”

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Caribbean Jerk Chicken

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The spirit of Jamaica’s popular jerk sauce comes through in this superspicy, fragrant grilled chicken. To punch up the flavor even more, let the marinade sit for an additional 24 hours before adding the meat. To lower the heat, swap out Scotch bonnet chiles (among the world’s hottest) for jalapeños.

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Summer Farro Salad

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Marco Canora says you can swap in any starch—like bread or pasta—for the farro (a nutty Italian grain) in this recipe.

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Mark Bittman's Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Credit: © Tina Rupp
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New York Times columnist Mark Bittman uses this tangy, salsa-esque Argentinean sauce as a complement to rich skirt steak.

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Barbecue Shrimp Bagna Cauda with Crudités

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New Orleans-style “barbecue” shrimp is made with Creole seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, beer and butter, but David Kinch switches out those flavors here for a garlicky Italian anchovy sauce known as bagna cauda. No actual barbecuing is involved in either version.

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Corn and Green Tomato Salad

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This simple succotash-style treat is the perfect side dish for most any summer meal.

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Salted Fudge Brownies

Credit: © Tina Rupp
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Kate Krader has been making these fudgy, sweet-salty brownies since she was 10 years old. As a kid she used regular table salt; now she recommends a flaky sea salt like Maldon, because the flavor is less harsh and it melts so nicely into the batter, accentuating the chocolaty sweetness.

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Strawberry-Ricotta Tartlets

Credit: © Con Poulos
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Heather Tirrell uses buttermilk to make the ricotta she piles on graham tartlet shells. But any good, store-bought ricotta would be fine, she says.

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Lobster-Roll-Style Salmon Sandwiches

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In this clever take on the summertime classic, salmon replaces lobster and yogurt stands in for mayonnaise. Topping rolls with potato chips adds crunch and fun.

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Lemony Chickpea Salad

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Serve Tom Colicchio’s fresh-tasting chickpea salad with warm, soft pita bread to soak up the olive oil dressing.

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Grilled Potato Salad with Mustard Seeds

Credit: © John Kernick
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Chicago chef Stephanie Izard grills sliced potatoes in butter to give them an amazing crust, then dresses them with a supertangy mustard seed vinaigrette, fresh scallions and celery.

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Grilled Corn with Mango-Habanero Butter

Credit: © John Kernick
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Bobby Flay likes to cook corn on the cob with the husk tied back into a kind of handle. He soaks the bundle in cold water before it goes on the grill for two reasons: It steams the kernels a little, making them tender, and it prevents the husks from burning.

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Greens Pasta Salad

Credit: © Con Poulos
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Justin Chapple set out to improve pasta salad, which is often bland, thick and laden with mayonnaise. Here, he dresses pasta with a tangy and creamy mix of buttermilk, vinegar and mayo, then mixes in plenty of greens to add a fresh, bright flavor. It’s the best pasta salad ever.

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Quick Red Cabbage Slaw

Credit: Jen Causey
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Seasoned with a simple mixture of lemon juice, mustard seeds, and salt, this slaw lends itself a variety of uses—try it on barbecue sandwiches, tacos, and turkey or chicken burgers—or serve it as a side dish at your next barbecue or potluck.

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Ultimate Loaded Chili-Topped Hot Dogs

Credit: Jen Causey
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Like any “loaded” situation, this hot dog is all about constructing your plate. Split-top buns allow you to hollow out the sides a bit, fitting extra toppings into each bite. A touch of sweetness in the chili balances out the salt from Corn Nuts and the hot dog, while the sharp bite of pickled jalapeños creates balance. Radishes and sour cream offer a welcome hit of freshness. The chili can easily be made ahead of time for quick assembly the day of.

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Steak Burgers with au Poivre Special Sauce

Credit: Victor Protasio
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A duo of briny green peppercorns and cornichons combined with a dash of cognac dress up store-bought mayo to create a creamy sauce that’s just sharp enough to cut through the fatty heartiness of these salt-crusted burgers.

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Whole-Fruit Rocket Pops

Gail Simmons makes a spin on Rocket Pops with strawberry-lime, coconut-banana and ginger, and blueberry-mint layers. Making the simple base for the layers is easy using a home blender; just be sure to freeze each layer sufficiently before pouring in the next, and use a small funnel to get even layers and keep the sides of your popsicle mold clean.

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Spicy Margarita Punch

Credit: © Con Poulos
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Food & Wine’s Justin Chapple loves making a big bowl of punch with his spicy and fresh maragaritas.

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Whole-Fruit Rocket Pops

Credit: Jennifer Causey
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Gail Simmons makes a spin on Rocket Pops with strawberry-lime, coconut-banana and ginger, and blueberry-mint layers. Making the simple base for the layers is easy using a home blender; just be sure to freeze each layer sufficiently before pouring in the next, and use a small funnel to get even layers and keep the sides of your popsicle mold clean.

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