Cooking

37 Memorial Day Recipes for the Ultimate Summer Party

Smash burgers, citrusy carne asada, hot dogs—plus the sides, desserts, and drinks you need for a complete holiday cookout.
A smash burger beef patty on a toasted potato bun with mayonnaise shredded iceberg lettuce a slice of American cheese...
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne, Prop Styling by Alexandra Massillon

Memorial Day weekend is the soft launch of summer. The group chat comes to life, the grill gets dusted off, and meals migrate outdoors. These 37 Memorial Day recipes—including cheesy brats, classic coleslaw, and no-bake cheesecake bars—are built for easy hosting, with everything you need for a backyard barbecue or casual cookout. Consider this your long-weekend game plan for starting the season right, with all the burgers, potato salads, and cobblers you could ever want. And don’t forget the watermelon wedges.

Jump ahead

  • Carne asada sliced against the grain on a platter with a herby dressing on top
    Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Spencer Richards, Prop Styling by Marina Bevilacqua
    1/37

    Super-Citrusy Carne Asada

    Doused in a lime-garlic-cilantro dressing, this grilled steak comes out juicy, bright, and full of flavor. Slice it thinly and serve with warm tortillas for a Memorial Day grilling recipe that’ll steal the show.

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  • chicken burger on a colorful plate on pink surface with a blue backdrop and basket in the background
    Photograph by Maria Be, food styling by Thu Buser, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua
    2/37

    Spiced Chicken Burgers

    There’s nothing dull about these chicken burgers, packed with the bold flavors of chicken tikka kebabs: green chiles, ginger, garam masala, and more.

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  • A hand holding a black bean veggie burger on a bun topped with onions tomato lettuce and pickles.
    Photo Alex Lau, food styling by Chris Morocco, prop styling by Emily Eisen
    5/37

    Easiest-Ever Grilled Veggie Burgers

    Grilling burgers on Memorial Day weekend just feels right. For a vegetarian option, this recipe delivers: hearty, flavorful veggie burgers that hold together on the grill.

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  • Charred SpriteGrilled Chicken Skewers served on a platter with herb sauce.
    Photograph by Scott Semler, food styling by Mieko Takahashi, prop styling by Emma Ringness
    6/37

    Sprite-Grilled Chicken Skewers

    Got Sprite? Add it to a garlicky fish sauce marinade for chicken. It brings a subtle sweetness and citrusy lift. Let guests take a guess at the secret ingredient while they go back for seconds. Use the rest of the bottle to make a lemony 7UP cake.

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  • St. Louisstyle spare ribs marinated in chipotle in adobo sauce brown sugar garlic powder cumin orange marmalade salt and...
    Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton, Prop Styling by Erica Lutz
    7/37

    Chipotle-Citrus Ribs

    Sticky, smoky, and spicy-sweet—everything you want from a rib situation, with a welcome citrusy twist.

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  • A hot dog loaded with chili onions and mustard on top of a slim green plate.
    Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Food Styling by Sean Dooley, Prop Styling by Erica Lutz
    8/37

    Coney Island Hot Dogs

    Bring Brooklyn to your BBQ with these fully loaded, Coney Island–style hot dogs. Just make sure you’ve got extra napkins on hand—these bad boys are unapologetically messy.

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  • Grilled banh mi with a tray of cucumbers radishes carrots jalapeños and cilantro
    Photograph by Peden + Munk, food styling by Adriana Paschen, prop styling by Ceci Garcia
    9/37

    Grilled Banh Mi for a Party

    Aromatic pork patties, quick-pickled vegetables, and fresh cilantro come together in this party-ready take on banh mi.

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  • Smoked brisket sliced into thin layers on a wooden cutting board.
    Photo by Christopher Testani, Food Styling by Chris Lanier, Prop Styling by Kaitlyn Du Ross.
    10/37

    Texas-Style Smoked Brisket

    With a charcoal grill and a handful of wood chips, you can pull off a smoked brisket that tastes like it came from a proper smoker. Add potato salad and coleslaw, maybe some grilled corn, and you’ve got a full-on Memorial Day cookout spread.

    More grilling recipes for summer →
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  • Boneless skinless chicken thighs tossed in oregano cumin sugar black pepper and salt and roasted on skewers on a sheet...
    Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, Prop Styling by Kelsi Windmiller
    11/37

    Sheet-Pan Chicken Souvlaki

    No grill? No problem. This sheet-pan souvlaki brings backyard energy indoors, with chicken skewers and a fresh tomato-feta salad, making it ideal when the weather, or your setup, doesn’t cooperate.

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  • A smash burger beef patty on a toasted potato bun with mayonnaise shredded iceberg lettuce a slice of American cheese...
    Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne, Prop Styling by Alexandra Massillon
    12/37

    Best-Ever Smash Burgers

    Crispy edges, melty cheese, pillowy potato buns. Smash burgers are a must for any long summer weekend.

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  • A spread of vegetarian spiced mushroom tacos with toppings including lime wedges cilantro charred tortillas and more.
    Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Cyd McDowell, Prop Styling by Paige Hicks
    13/37

    Adobo Mushroom Tacos

    All you need is a hot oven to cook these spiced mushrooms to golden-brown perfection—but if you’d rather take things outside, they work just as well on a grill pan. Pile them into tortillas with your favorite taco toppings for a winning vegetarian cookout recipe.

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  • A BBQ pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw and pickles
    Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Catherine Campbell Pearson
    14/37

    Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork

    Set it in the morning and forget about it until your kitchen smells like a barbecue joint. Saucy, tender pulled pork is made for piling onto soft buns—and feeding a hungry Memorial Day crowd.

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Phoebe Fry is a Brooklyn-based food writer, cook, and illustrator. She’s worked in kitchens in Ireland, Italy, and NYC, and she currently writes The Dish on Substack. Her work has appeared in Real Simple, Wine Enthusiast, and more. You’ll most often find her haunting the cookbook section of her local ... Read More
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