Ultimate Guide to the Fourth of July

By Food & Wine
May 30, 2019
CON POULOS
This Fourth of July, you should go big. Summer entertaining is at its peak and you must take advantage. Throw a pool party, a dinner party, a pre-fireworks party, a post-fireworks party—whatever. And no matter which you decide on, you'll definitely require food and drinks. And that's where we come in. We've designed the Ultimate Fourth of July Guide with hundreds of recipes that highlight barbecue, summer produce, patriotic dishes and more. We have full menus you can cook from start to finish, as well as inspiration for your own creations. And don't worry, we have a few detox recipes for July 5, too. So decide between juicy burgers or fall-off-the-bone ribs, blackberry or stone fruit pie with almond streusel, a mango margarita or a cold, local IPA, and you will be absolutely set with the tools you need to have the best July Fourth ever. Thanks, America, for being born.
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23 Phenomenal Fourth of July Recipes

CHRISTINA HOLMES

You shouldn't be without options on the 4th and we have plenty for you. 23 in fact. From creamy cucumber and grilled potato salad to apple-glazed barbecued baby back ribs, you'll be set.

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Fourth of July Snacks You Definitely Need

LINE KLEIN

For any all day party or celebration, snacks are key. Obviously the meal is the main event, but having tasty snacks on hand to nibble on throughout is ideal. Celebrate the Fourth of July by indulging in easy and refreshing snacks, including ice pops, summer parfaits and crispy kale chips.

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Celebrity Chefs' Best Fourth of July Recipes

JOHN KERNICK

From watermelon salad with feta and mint one-pot sticky chicken wings, it's obvious that chefs know exactly what to cook on the Fourth of July. Here, some incredible recipes from incredible chefs like Wolfgang Puck's hot dog melts and Richard Blais's tomato salad with pickled walnuts and blue cheese.

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Standout Fourth of July Cookout Additions

MARTIN MORRELL

Menu inspiration can be quite a challenge. That is why we have gathered our best ideas for all Independence Day culinary brainstorms. From a delectable triple pork burger to a refreshing grilled watermelon dish with yogurt, here are some exciting food ideas to cook up during your Fourth of July celebration.

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Fourth of July Party Ideas

LUCAS ALLEN

Celebrate summer, America and all the delicious food our great country has to offer. Get festive for America's birthday this year with red sangria, a firecracker salsa, color-coded hors d'oeuvres and much more.

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Red, White and Blue Food for Fourth of July

JOHNNY MILLER

Everyone knows that red, white and blue are the beautiful colors of our country, and luckily many delicious foods also share this color scheme. Here, 12 recipes for festively colored foods for an amazing Fourth of July party like juicy, grilled watermelon, cool white gazpacho and a fresh blueberry tart.

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15 Fourth of July Barbecue Recipes

KRISTEN STEVENS

Hosting a cookout this Fourth of July? Follow these summer grilling recipes and enjoy the most delicious BBQ you've ever tasted. From glazed chicken breasts with coffee BBQ sauce to easy BBQ chicken enchiladas to BLT hot dogs with caraway remoulade, you'll be all set with the grill.

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The Ideal Roasted Pork Ribs Menu for Fourth of July

TINA RUPP

Are you too busy (or just not in the mood) to plan out an entire menu for your Fourth of July celebration? Well you're lucky we're here to help. Here, a complete July 4th menu, with tasty, Tuscan-style spareribs with balsamic glaze and a fresh, summery chopped salad with beets, beans, goat cheese and hazelnuts.

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An Impressive Jerk Chicken Menu for the Fourth of July

DANA GALLAGHER

Spicy, flavorful jerk chicken is an excellent centerpiece dish for your festive celebration. This multi-course meal features a roasted sweet potato and okra salad and a decadent black-bottom banana cream pie.

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Laurent Tourondel’s Fourth of July Recipe

JOHN KERNICK

Star chef Laurent Tourondel, known for his BLT Restaurant Group, let us in on all his Fourth of July celebration secrets with seven stellar recipes you should definitely make this holiday. From four cheese-stuffed portabellos to Asian-style spicy coleslaw, Laurent Tourondel showcases his incredible ability to revitalize traditional American flavors.

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30 Essential Grilling Recipes for a July Fourth Feast

CON POULOS

Temperatures are up and the sun is out, which means grilling season is upon us. From mains like expertly-seared steaks and crispy grilled fish to desserts like grilled lemon pound cake and even drinks like smoky sangria, here are 30 essential grilling recipes that you and your guests will love to eat.

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Super Fast Grilling Recipes for a Last-Minute Barbecue

JOHN KERNICK

Sometimes things don't go as planned. When it's supposed to rain on Fourth of July, but the sun comes out or the party you were supposed to go to gets cancelled, you may have to throw together a last-minute barbecue. Luckily, that isn't so hard with these quick grilling recipes. These delicious recipes include juicy bacon burgers on brioche buns and a brilliant grilled eggplant Parmesan.

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33 Juicy Burgers to Make for Fourth of July

MARCUS NILSSON

Everyone loves a tasty burger, and your Fourth of July guests won’t be an exception. These incredible burger recipes offer unique twists on the classic hamburger, incorporating ingredients like pimento cheese, sesame oil and serrano chiles. The flavors don't stop there, though. Whip up a few of our favorite Umami burgers, chicken burgers and buffalo burgers this Fourth of July.

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36 Grilled Vegetable Dishes to Make for July Fourth

CHRISTINA HOLMES

Whether you're looking for delicious side dishes or ideas for vegetarian mains, throwing veggies on the grill is always a great idea. With everything from grilled potato salad to flavor-packed corn on the cob, these recipes are sure to be crowd-pleasers. Here, grilled vegetable dishes that you and your party guests will love.

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Easy Grilled Appetizers

CHRISTINA HOLMES

Appetizers set the mood for the entire party, so it's important that you make them well! From incredible oysters with tangy chorizo butter to smoky grilled kale toasts, we've got everything you need right here. We present nine easy (but impressive) grilled appetizers to kick off your 4th of July cookout.

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Awesome Grilled Chicken Wings

LUCY SCHAEFFER

Let's be real. Everyone loves a good wing (or ten). From spicy-sweet apricot wings to Andy Ricker's fish sauce-coated ones, you don't even need an oven for these cookout-ready wings. Just for you, we're serving up seven of the best grilled chicken wings to make for a Fourth of July bash.

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Advanced Grilling Recipes to Show Off on the Fourth of July

PEDEN + MUNK

We don't know about you, but the whole long weekend is the best part of the Fourth of July. Take advantage of the extra day of prep time and get to work making one of these time-consuming (but incredibly rewarding and impressive) grilling recipes. You only get one Fourth of July a year—go ahead and show off.

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Best Finger Foods

KATE WINSLOW

There are so many reasons you should celebrate the Fourth of July with crowd-pleasing finger foods. They're easy to serve, they're super festive and eating with your hands is always more fun. From hogs in a blanket to lobster sliders to Greek salad skewers with anchovy aioli, you're going to have a tough time choosing.

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How to Cook for Vegetarian Guests on the Fourth of July

CON POULOS

On a holiday that is known for its barbecued meats and sumptuous sides, feeding a vegetarian guest an equally summery meal may seem like a challenge. But it's a delicious one! We've got veggie burgers, juicy grilled tomatoes and more meatless ways to celebrate Independence Day that your vegetarian friends and family will love.

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17 Fourth of July Picnic Recipes

JOHN KERNICK

The Fourth of July is a great excuse to get the family outside for a meal. However, it takes a surprising amount of time to plan an easily portable menu. Luckily for you, we've already done just that. Here are 17 simple picnic-friendly recipes to celebrate—from ratatouille and goat cheese subs to butter bean salad with lime and mint.

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30 Summer Tomato Recipes for July Fourth

CON POULOS

Summer means many things, but one of the best is the arrival of tomato season. Tomatoes picked at the height of summer are the most delicious, juiciest, plump red fruits you may ever come across. Recipes like risotto-style penne with tomatoes and zucchini blossoms are just the thing for a July Fourth barbecue.

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30 Summer Drinks to Sip On This Fourth of July

JOHN KERNICK

The weather is warm and sunny, everyone is happy to be outside and some of the most delicious (and nutritious) produce is in season. Indeed, summer is the best season of the year. Summer is also prime drinking season and we think the best way to celebrate the sunniest time of the year is with some cold cocktails.

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Iconic American Cocktails

LUCAS ALLEN

This Fourth of July, don’t just toast the birth of the nation with any old cocktail. Do it with an iconic American invention. From the sazerac to the mint julep to fish house punch, this is a boozy list you won't want to miss. Here, seven delicious drinks that are American to the core.

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Frozen Drinks to Mix for Fourth of July

DAVID MALOSH

We don’t care what anyone says, there is nothing like a frozen cocktail on a hot July day. These summery, fruity frozen drinks include a mango margarita, basil limeade slushies and a watermelon-honey-citrus refresher. So pick a drink you think your guests might like and sip the heat away together.

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9 Baller Beer-tails for July Fourth

CON POULOS

A hot summer’s day calls for a frosty cold mug of beer—especially when that hot day is America’s birthday. Take your Fourth of July brews to new heights by making them into sublime, spritzy cocktails. Here, nine exceptional beer cocktails to serve guests at your Fourth of July party.

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50 Best IPAs in America

LEWIS COMMUNICATIONS

As the craft beer world has grown to support over 4000 unique breweries around the United States, no style has kept up with India Pale Ale. As of 2015, IPAs accounted for over a quarter of all craft beer sales in America. That means there is fierce competition amongst the brewers of the country’s hoppiest beers. But this is a big country and with the IPA's popularity, every state has something to offer. Here, a standout from each member of the union, so you can enjoy something local and American.

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27 Ice Cream Recipes for Fourth of July

ABBY HOCKING

Ice cream is one of the world's best inventions — especially on a hot summer day. Make your Fourth of July celebration into an ice cream party and all of your guests will be very thankful. From mile high ice cream pie to cardamom-oatmeal cookie ice cream sandwiches, you'll be set.

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10 Stunning Pies (Other than Apple) for the Fourth of July

QUENTIN BACON

Pie is the quintessential American dessert, which makes it both an obvious and delicious, choice for the celebration of our great country's birthday. While apple pie might be a popular classic, you must not limit yourself, especially because summer offers the most delicious fruits. Here are 10 bright and tangy summer fruit pies to make for July Fourth.

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7 Best Cookie Recipes for the Fourth of July

FREDRIKA STJÄRNE

From rich chocolate cookies to zesty, lemon-scented sugar cookies, we've got you covered with all the cookies you might want for your July Fourth celebration. Take them over-the-top with patriotic flag- and star-shaped cookie cutters and red, white and blue frosting. Here are seven fantastic treats to make for a Fourth of July party.

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9 No-Bake Desserts for the Fourth of July

PETRINA TINSLAY

Dessert is an important part of any celebration, but baking in the middle of the summer can be uncomfortably hot and time-consuming. Leave the oven off and spend more time outside this Fourth of July. From over-the-top cheesecake to instant ice cream sandwiches, here are nine amazing no-bake desserts to make this weekend.

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9 Fantastic Fourth of July Cakes

TINA RUPP

With Fourth of July around the corner, we rounded up our best recipes for super-summery, festive cakes. With options like goat cheese cake with mixed berries, banana split cake and lemony semolina-jam cake, you will want to make all of them. Here, nine delicious and crowd-pleasing cakes for your Fourth of July menu.

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10 Incredible Cookies for the Fourth of July

EMILY FARRISÂ

There are few things that a good cookie can't fix. Everything about your Fourth of July party could go wrong, but a cookie will save the day. Sugar cookies, peanut butter cookies, oatmeal cookies...We've got them all! Celebrate the Fourth of July by devouring every single one of these cookies.

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Fourth of July Table Setting Ideas

JOHN KERNICK

While the food often speaks for itself, it never hurts to have festive decorations to really bring your party together. Here, we have stylish ways to set the table, from stars-and-stripes napkins to spice shells. And have you ever seen "Menu in a Bottle"? You're going to absolutely love that one.

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7 Sandwiches for Your Fourth of July Leftovers

TINA RUPP

Got a refrigerator chock full of delicious grilled meats and vegetables from your Independence Day blowout? Like every good host, you probably made a little bit too much food for your guests to consume. Not to worry—use them as a spectacular sandwich filling. Leftover grilled asparagus has never tasted better than this.

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Healthy Detox Dishes for the Fifth of July

CON POULOS

If you're anything like us, your Fourth of July is all about the eating. But after an entire weekend of devouring thick, stacked burgers, hot dogs with all the fixings and pitchers of cocktails, you might be ready for something healthy. Here, five light and delicious dishes to help you recover from the Fourth of July.

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