The 57 Best Recipes to Make for Your Memorial Day Cookout
Whether you’re curating a full menu or just looking for something to pack in a cooler, choose your Memorial Day dishes from this collection of bright and flavorful recipes. In this roundup, you’ll find anything from refreshing potato salad and frozen drinks to barbecued meats and festive desserts—every type of dish you and your loved ones would want to enjoy while spending the day in remembrance. Not to mention, these recipes already have a seal of approval from EatingWell readers’ glowing four- and five-star reviews, so we’re sure you’ll love them, too. Please a crowd with a few batches of our mouthwatering Turkey Burgers with Spinach, Feta & Tzatziki and Air-Fryer Buffalo Wings. And send a cool welcome to summer with cold items like our delicious Esquites (Mexican Corn) and Whipped Blueberry Lemonade.
Turkey Burgers with Spinach, Feta & Tzatziki
Creamy tzatziki and crisp sliced cucumber add a refreshing twist to this easy burger recipe loaded with feta and spinach. No tzatziki? No problem! Make your own at home by combining plain strained yogurt with a squeeze of lemon, dill and finely chopped cucumber.
Creamy Cucumber, Radish & Tomato Chopped Salad
A mix of cool, crunchy vegetables gives this healthy salad satisfying bite for a perfect potluck side.
Grilled Shrimp Tostadas
Grilling gives these shrimp tostadas a boost of smoky flavor. Skewering the shrimp prevents them from falling through the grates while getting even char on each side. If you have a grill basket, you can throw them in that instead; just make sure to get them into a single layer so they don't steam.
No-Bake Berry Flag Cake
This American flag cake has a no-bake cheesecake base and is decorated with fresh berries for a patriotic treat that takes just 20 minutes to assemble. Make this easy dessert recipe for a Fourth of July party or any festive summer occasion.
Loaded Black Bean Dip
This is a 7-layer black bean dip simplified: Just heat and season refried beans, then top with fresh vegetables for a texturally exciting dip.
Air-Fryer Buffalo Wings
A sports bar favorite comes home with these deliciously crispy chicken wings in the air fryer, which require just 10 minutes of active prep time.
Pulled Pork with Carolina-Style BBQ Sauce
Try this pulled pork as a baked potato topping: the vinegar-based sauce brightens up the earthy potatoes.
Whipped Blueberry Lemonade
This whipped blueberry lemonade whirls coconut milk, lemon-infused simple syrup and fresh blueberries together into one thirst-quenching beverage perfect for a hot summer day. Keep the extra simple syrup on hand to whip up another batch of lemonade, or combine it with lemon-flavored seltzer and a splash of vodka for a light cocktail. To keep this drink extra cool, serve it over ice cubes.
Creamy Roasted Potato Salad
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
Roasting potatoes is the ultimate way to avoid watery, mushy or bland potato salad. Boiled potatoes can hold on to moisture (even if they seem dry!), which can affect the texture of the final dish. Roasted potatoes hold their shape without the risk of them falling apart, and the roasting process concentrates the flavor of the potatoes so your potato salad will be extra savory. We love the anise flavor of tarragon in the dressing but feel free to use a mix of fresh herbs to make this easy side dish your own.
Vegetarian Antipasto Sliders
These vegetarian sliders are a delicious twist on the classic Italian app. Look for soft, pull-apart dinner rolls in the bakery section of your grocery store. If you can't find them, swap in 6 whole-wheat burger buns and make larger sandwiches.
Orzo Salad with Chickpeas & Artichoke Hearts
This hearty orzo salad features feta, lemon and dill, three ingredients often found in Greek cuisine. Enjoy for lunch or dinner.
Rhubarb-Raspberry Crumble
Rhubarb is a tangy counterpart for sweet raspberries in this fruit crumble recipe. For a nutty flavor and a boost of nutrition, this healthy dessert uses whole-grain rye flour and toasted pecans. Serve the crumble with your favorite vanilla frozen yogurt or a dollop of whipped cream.
Guacamole Chopped Salad
All of the delicious guacamole flavors you love in a healthy veggie-packed salad. Want to pump up the protein? Add leftover roast chicken or sautéed shrimp. Serve with tortilla chips on the side (or crumbled over the top) to take it up a notch.
Esquites (Mexican Corn)
This street corn dish, known as esquites, is served in cups instead of on the cob for all the flavor of elote without the mess.
Classic Southern Appetizer Board
Treat your party guests to a classic Southern spread with deviled eggs, spiced pecans, ham, cheese and fresh fruit with this festive party board. We've included a combination of homemade and store-bought ingredients for an abundant board that doesn't take too long to assemble. A note on nutrition: This board is hearty enough to stand in for dinner or lunch, but if you're planning on serving it as an appetizer before the main meal, go light on things like nuts, crackers and cheese dip to keep sodium and calories in check.
Strawberry Fruit Salad
This summer berry fruit salad recipe makes enough for a crowd. Serve with granola and yogurt at brunch, as a healthy potluck side, or halve the recipe to serve 4.
Spinach-Feta Dip with Dill
Try this spinach dip, infused with fresh dill and briny feta cheese, as a sandwich spread—or serve alongside crackers or crudité.
Watermelon, Cucumber & Feta Salad
Here's a healthy salad recipe to make at the height of summer when watermelon and cucumbers are at their juiciest and most flavorful. Feta adds the perfect creamy, salty, tangy edge, and mint makes this salad taste even brighter. This is one easy side salad you'll want to serve at all your summer BBQs.
Macaroni Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing
Give classic pasta salad a fresher, more flavorful spin. This fast pasta dish calls for avocado to replace some of the mayonnaise, which makes it extra creamy. Whole-wheat elbow macaroni and fresh vegetables round out this healthy pasta salad that you'll be making all summer long.
Carrot Cake
Carrots give carrot cake a health-halo effect--people think it's health food, but it's usually very high in fat and calories. But our version has about 40 percent less calories and 50 percent less fat than most. First, we use less oil in our batter. Then we skip the butter in the frosting (don't worry, it's still light and smooth). To ensure the cake is moist, we add nonfat buttermilk and crushed pineapple.
No-Sugar-Added Frozen Strawberry Piña Coladas
This frozen strawberry piña colada is super fresh and fruity with just the right amount of sweetness for a cocktail. Use a pineapple-flavored rum that uses 100% juice to avoid excess added sugars like we do here. You can use store-bought frozen pineapple, or if you have a perfectly ripe fresh pineapple on your hands, you can cut and freeze it instead (reserve a few fresh spears for garnish). To freeze pineapple, peel off the skin with a sharp knife and slice the fruit into 1-inch chunks. Freeze in a single layer on a small baking sheet or large plate to prevent the pieces from sticking together.
Grilled Pizza with Summer Squash, Feta & Basil
Spreading roasted red pepper hummus on this easy grilled pizza makes a fast and easy base for tender summer squash and salty chunks of feta. Best of all? This healthy pizza is ready in 20 minutes.
Iced Mint Green Tea
Crisp and refreshing, you just may find yourself craving this beverage on a hot summer's night.
Peach-Blueberry Pie
Sweet summer peaches and blueberries shine in this peach-blueberry pie recipe. While they can't compete with fresh fruit, thawed frozen peaches and blueberries can be used in a pinch. Just be sure to add more cornstarch (up to double the amount if you're using all frozen fruit) to soak up the extra liquid.
Garlic Butter Campfire Corn
This flavorful corn couldn't be easier to prepare. Just cover the ears of corn in a quick garlic-and-chive-flavored butter and wrap in foil and they're ready to throw on the grill at home or over coals at the campsite.
Sheet-Pan Chicken Fajitas
Photography: Carson Downing, Food: Holly Dreesman, Props: Gabe Greco
One sheet pan is all you'll need to whip up this chicken fajita recipe. They're quick and easy to make and cleanup is even faster!
Light Lemon Meringue Pie
Smooth and soothing; a great classic pie right down to the crust, redefined with a generous amount of lemon and fewer egg yolks in the filling.
Loaded Broccoli Salad
This is the broccoli salad you will get special requests for. The combination of bacon, sour cream, mayonnaise, scallions and Cheddar is hard to resist.
Lemonade Mimosas
Photographer: Greg DuPree Food Stylist: Anna Kelly Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman
Fresh-squeezed lemonade perks up the citrus notes in sparkling wine in this twist on a classic mimosa. We like a dry sparkling wine like Champagne or even rosé in this refreshing summer drink to keep the sweetness subtle. For a nonalcoholic version, use lemon-flavored seltzer in place of the wine, or use an alcohol-free wine that has a hint of effervescence.
Marinated Grilled Vegetable Kebabs
Tender vegetables soak up this tangy marinade and turn delicately smoky and tender on a hot grill. These kebabs make a wonderful side dish with grilled meats or fish.
Cucumber Pasta Salad
This light and tangy cucumber pasta salad is fresh and bright. The orecchiette pasta holds the dressing for flavor in every bite, but you can use another small pasta shape if you like. This easy salad is perfect for a warm day or to serve as a lunch dish for company! For a fruitier flavor, try apple-cider vinegar in place of white distilled vinegar.
Jalapeño Popper Burgers
We've taken a simple burger recipe and made it pop with an easy three-ingredient jalapeño cheese topping. Ground sirloin is lean ground beef made exclusively from the center loin cut. It has less connective tissue than regular ground beef for a super-tender burger.
Fresh Tomato Salsa
This easy fresh tomato salsa recipe yields about 5 cups of salsa—plenty to serve a crowd. If you like spicy salsa, use the full amount of jalapeños and add more cayenne pepper. Serve with chips, tacos and more.
Sausage, Mushroom & Pesto Grilled Pizza
Healthy homemade sausage-and-mushroom pizza in the comfort of your backyard? Yes, please. All you need for a Naples-worthy pie is a hot grill, store-bought pizza dough and easy prepared ingredients. Serve with a glass of Chianti.
Slow-Cooker Beef Tacos with Rhubarb Salsa
The fresh salsa in this easy load-and-go taco recipe is a great way to use spring rhubarb. If you don't have rhubarb, try subbing in fresh tomatillos or red bell pepper for an equally beautiful and delicious taco topper.
Fresh Fruit Salad
This refreshing and easy fruit salad recipe will be the favorite at any potluck or cookout. And if you like creamy fruit salad or fruit salad with yogurt, we've got you covered with an optional tangy lime yogurt dressing to serve on the side—instead of making fruit salad with whipped cream. This is a colorful and healthy fruit salad recipe for all occasions.
Sweet Potato-Black Bean Burgers
These vegan sweet potato-black bean burgers spiced with curry powder are easy to make. Blending the mixture with your hands gives you a soft, uniform texture then the outside gets crispy by cooking in a cast-iron pan. To make this recipe gluten-free too, use gluten-free oats and serve the patty in a lettuce wrap, omitting the bun.
Big Beautiful Summer Salad
This gorgeous and healthy summer vegetable salad is loaded with pretty produce, including golden beets, avocado, corn, microgreens and radishes. Chickpeas and edamame add substance, and an herb-filled buttermilk-avocado dressing makes this salad really special. Serve it on its own for a light vegetarian meal or add grilled chicken for an easy weeknight dinner.
BBQ Carrot Dogs
Shock everyone with this recipe for veggie dogs that actually taste like hot dogs. They're an amazing (and healthy!) vegan alternative to traditional meat hot dogs. Serve in whole-wheat hot dog buns and top with all your favorite toppings, such as sauerkraut, relish, ketchup and mustard, for the ultimate barbecue meal.
Dill-Pickle Pasta Salad with Creamy Dill Dressing
If you're a fan of pickles, this easy pasta salad will easily become your go-to. If you want to give it some extra kick, an additional teaspoon or two of hot sauce will do the trick. Pair it with anything hot off the grill or pack it up for a picnic. It can also easily translate from a side dish to an entree by adding a can of flaked tuna or shredded chicken.
Spicy Cabbage Slaw
Sliced radishes add a peppery kick to this 10-minute slaw, which can serve as both a side and a topping for sandwiches.
Carrot Dog Pigs in a Blanket
Carrots replace cocktail wieners in this healthy update of pigs in a blanket. Soaking the carrot "dogs" in a smoky marinade is the key to giving them that hot dog flavor, for a vegan app meat-eaters will love too. Serve with dipping sauces like honey mustard or ranch dressing to take these to the next level.
Cucumber Chickpea Salad with Feta & Lemon
Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food Stylist: Annie Probst
This cucumber chickpea salad with feta and lemon is tangy and refreshing. You can enjoy it on its own or toss it with greens for an easy lunch or dinner. We love the grassy flavor of dill, but another fresh herb like oregano, parsley or chives will work well in its place.
Pulled Pork with Caramelized Onions
Traditional pulled pork is barbecued, which gives it a smoky flavor. But the slow cooker happens to be the absolute easiest way to cook pulled pork--and you can get a hint of smoke by adding chipotle chile. Serve the pulled pork with potato salad, collard greens and grits. Or make it into a sandwich and serve it on a bun with coleslaw.
Crispy Oven-Baked Lemon-Pepper Chicken Wings
These crispy oven-baked chicken wings are crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Baking powder helps to crisp up the skin in the oven—making them taste like they've been fried, but with less fat and calories. Tangy lemon and zesty pepper work together to add a balanced flavor profile to these easy wings.
Summer Vegetable Gnocchi Salad
This riff on pasta salad is best served warm while the gnocchi are nice and tender. Plus, the grilled veggies taste extra-good fresh off the fire in this easy gnocchi recipe.
Mozzarella, Basil & Zucchini Frittata
This vegetable-studded frittata recipe is one of the quickest meals you can make. Make it for breakfast, or serve for lunch or dinner with a tossed salad and a slice of olive oil-drizzled crusty baguette.
Southern-Style Oven-Fried Chicken
A blend of dried spices gives the crispy panko coating on these oven-fried chicken thighs plenty of flavor, and marinating the chicken in buttermilk makes it moist and juicy. If you don't have an oven-safe skillet, you can roast the chicken in a baking dish in Step 5. Serve with your favorite vegetables (bake them alongside the chicken to make it easy) for a healthy comfort food dinner that requires just 20 minutes of active prep time.
Chocolate Raspberry Tofu Pie
This chocolate raspberry tofu pie gets an amazing smooth, rich, creamy texture from pureed tofu. But no need to reveal that tofu is the secret ingredient--we're sure no one will guess.
Hot-Honey Chicken & Pineapple Kebabs
Photographer: Stacy k. Allen, Props: Christina Brockman, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf
These grilled chicken kebabs are sweet and hot thanks to hot honey, juicy chunks of pineapple and the grill itself, which caramelizes the bell peppers, onion and chicken pieces to smoky perfection. Because the glaze (and the pineapple) are sweet, the kebabs may burn if left in one spot for too long. Be sure to move them from any hot spots on the grill and brush on the glaze in only the last couple of minutes on the grill.
Blackberry-Rosemary Vodka & Soda
Blackberries give this vodka cocktail its gorgeous hue and jammy flavor. Use the leftover simple syrup to mix up drinks for friends or skip the vodka for a mocktail.
Hawaiian Steak Fajitas with Grilled Pineapple Salsa
Prepeeled pineapple, presliced peppers and onions and fresh pico de gallo help this quick, healthy dinner recipe come together in a flash. Chicken tenders are a good substitute for the steak if you prefer. Blend up some margaritas and call it a party.
Curried Potato Salad
In this healthy and creamy potato salad recipe, yogurt replaces half of the mayo and we keep the potato skins on for more fiber and potassium. Red bell pepper and green peas add even more color to the yellow-tinted potato salad.
Pan-Seared Strip Steak
Photographer: Alexandra Shytsman
This fantastic strip steak is the perfect dinner for date night or any special occasion that deserves something extra delicious on the table. A little butter adds richness and keeps the leaner-than-usual beef moist without adding much in the way of total fat. Don't know how to cook steak on the stove? No worries! Not only is this one of our best steak recipes, it's incredibly easy. However, a word of caution: This recipe is smoky! Keep your exhaust fan on high or cook in a skillet on a hot outdoor grill.
Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings
These are the best baked chicken wings around. Cooking the wings in the oven, not the fryer, reduces fat and calories. Just like the original Buffalo wings, these baked Buffalo wings are coated in a tangy, spicy sauce and served with carrots, celery and your favorite creamy dipping sauce.
Cheesy Jalapeño Corn Dip
Creamy melted cheese brings sweet corn and spicy jalapeño together with a nice pop of brightness from lime juice and cilantro in this tasty dip inspired by Mexican elote and esquites. This creamy and satisfying dish can be served with tortilla chips and veggies for dipping.
Peach Custard Pie
We use low-fat milk along with nonfat Greek yogurt in the creamy custard for this peach pie. The yogurt gives the custard a smooth texture without using cream or too many egg yolks. A slice is just as delicious served warm from the oven as it is chilled. For an added treat, serve topped with fresh blueberries.
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