Looking for Memorial Day recipes for your weekend barbecue or cookout? From desserts and salads to drinks and side dishes, you'll find tried and true favorites and some unique recipe ideas.
These Memorial Day weekend recipes will have you ready for the official kickoff to summer. Grilling, picnics, eating outside, and enjoying the weather is what it's all about.
And you'll need the full gamut, from Memorial Day dessert recipes, to grilling and side dishes, to salads and even drinks! Personally, the appetizers are always my favorite, so bring on the dips and let's get this delicious cookout started.
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Appetizers
First things first, we've gotta talk about Memorial Day appetizers! All the dips and nibbles you could want!
Blistered Shishito Peppers
Blistered shishitos are a perfect Memorial Day appetizer, their smoky flavor goes well with grilling. You can even cook them in a cast iron skillet right on the grill!
Elote Dip
Memorial Day is the harbinger of summer produce season, and it doesn't get much better than fresh corn! Everyone will love this dip recipe based on the Mexican street food of the same name, made with corn, fresh lime juice, mayo, and cotija cheese. So good—make a double batch!
Mango Avocado Salsa
If you're like me, you wait all year for mango season! The sweet mango and creamy avocado are an unbeatable combination, fresh lime juice lifts the flavors and cilantro adds freshness.
Old Fashioned Pimento Cheese
It's not a Memorial Day weekend cookout in the South without some pimento cheese. This simple preparation is made in the food processor, and adds the pimento juice from the jar for added punch. Tip: my favorite way to serve it is with butter crackers.
Dill Pickle Dip
Creamy and tangy from both sour cream and cream cheese, and you can zhuzh it up with spice to your liking. Bonus: it is ready in literally 5 minutes!
Avocado Crema
As an alternative to guacamole, this avocado crema made with sour cream makes a great Memorial Day appetizer recipe. You can also spread it on burgers and serve it alongside anything you're grilling.
Tomatillo Salsa
Make homemade tomatillo salsa for a fun Memorial Day recipe! Just boil the tomatillos and peppers, zip it all in the blender, then cook it down to thicken. It's tangy and fresh, and so easy! You'll impress all of your friends!
Roasted Red Pepper Dip
This creamy roasted red pepper dip is something special. It's based on the flavors of Romesco, a Spanish sauce made with almonds and paprika.
Salad recipes for Memorial Day
Summer salads, but make it fun! These are not your same old boring salad choices.
Chickpea Salad
This chickpea salad recipe will satisfy all of the vegetarians at your Memorial Day bbq. Cucumbers add crisp crunch, feta makes it creamy and the fresh herbs take it over the top.
Strawberry Arugula Salad
Speaking of fresh herbs, how about we use basil and mint like lettuce, then macerate some strawberries and let the juices run all over. Yes, let's.
Snap Pea Salad
This is always a crowd pleaser when I take it to cookouts. Slice fresh snap peas, add radishes and herbs, then drizzle with lemon yogurt and olive oil. YUM!
Zucchini Salad
Slice zucchini and squash into batons, add capers for zing, almonds for crunch, and herbs for freshness and you've got an easy Memorial Day salad recipe that will blow the minds of everyone at the barbecue.
Ottolenghi Green Bean Salad
Start with some blistered red peppers, then mix with lightly blanched green beans and add capers, lemon, garlic! It tastes great at room temp, so it's a perfect potluck recipe for Memorial Day weekend, and it's vegan, too.
Sweet Corn Salad
Fresh corn, fresh lime, fresh cilantro, what's not to love? Just slice that corn right off the cob and put it in the bowl. Blistered shishito peppers add smokiness that goes perfectly alongside anything you're grilling.
Nectarine Salad
Nectarines and tomatoes are the stars of the show in this salad that is an explosion of summer flavor! Only 6 ingredients, and it tastes better the longer you let all those juices run together in the bowl!
Memorial Day side dish recipes
As they say about so many holiday meals, "It's all about the sides", and that's no exception when it comes to Memorial Day recipes. Try these ideas.
Dill Potato Salad
Yes, I know the word salad is in the title, but to me, potato salad is really a side dish. This one is ultra creamy, made with both sour cream and mayo!
Creamy Cucumber Salad
This Hungarian-style cucumber salad gets a quick pickle in apple cider vinegar, then load it up with as much dill as possible! It's the perfect cool and creamy side dish recipe for Memorial Day grilling!
Mango Slaw
Why have the same old coleslaw at your cookout when you can have mango slaw? It stays crisp and fresh, with just the right amount of sweetness from the mango and tartness from fresh lime.
Corn Succotash
Succotash is a classic Southern summer side dish recipe and it goes well with just about anything you might serve on Memorial Day weekend. Endless opportunity to swap and substitute the veggies, too. Don't like lima beans? Try green beans or black beans instead!
Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese
Roasted beets on Memorial Day? Hear me out. They are tossed in a vinaigrette made with fresh orange juice while still warm, and soak up all that sunshine flavor. Serve them at room temp on the buffet and your crowd will go wild!
Sautéed Beet Greens
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Instead of traditional collard greens, why not serve sautéed beet greens? They cook so much faster and are just as satisfying.
Grilling and mains
Yes, we all want to barbecue on Memorial Day weekend, but there are other recipes too, like crock pot or quick stovetop preparations to feed a crowd.
Grilled Turkey Burgers
These grilled turkey burgers are so flavorful, made with sautéed garlic and onion, and they stay moist and don't stick to the grill! They're always a favorite when we barbecue in the summer.
Beer Brats
Beer brats are a no brainer when it comes to holiday weekend cookouts! They cook quickly, and with some of those yummy toppings built right in—the onions!
Grilled Short Ribs
Flanken cut short ribs cook really fast on the grill. Try this recipe with a lemongrass, chili, and ginger marinade to change up the usual flavors of your Memorial Day barbecue recipes.
Grilled Pork Tenderloin
Pork tenderloin might be an unexpected grilling recipe for Memorial Day weekend, but it cooks fast and it's not labor intensive when feeding a crowd. Serve some spicy chimichurri sauce on the side to keep things interesting.
Grilled Flank Steak Sandwiches
Flank steak cooks in mere minutes on the grill, and how about grilling some balsamic-marinated radicchio to put on top? It's full of Italian flavor!
Low Country Boil
My family in South Carolina will tell you it's not Memorial Day weekend without a low country boil. Simple prep and simple serving, just boil everything in a big pot, then dump it on the table and eat with your hands! So much fun!
Tequila Lime Shrimp
It is supposed to be a relaxing holiday weekend after all, so give yourself a break and make some shrimp on the stovetop. Cooks in 15 minutes, and did I mention there's tequila in it?!?!
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Let the crock pot do the work for you! Cook pork shoulder overnight in this amazing blend of spices and you can make sandwiches, sliders, or serve it just as it is!
Memorial Day dessert recipes
When thinking about dessert recipes for Memorial Day, remember: keep it summer and keep it simple! You can't go wrong with any of these sweet treats.
Strawberry Galette
This strawberry galette gets jammy and gooey just like you want it. The simple crust is made with yogurt so it's easy to roll out and shape. And if it leaks a little, such is life, don't sweat it. That's why galettes are better than pie!
No Bake Mango Cheesecake
An easy food processor preparation method makes this mango cheese cake so smooth and pretty much foolproof. Fresh lime and lime zest balance the sweetness of the mango. A cool and refreshing dessert recipe for Memorial Day weekend!
Mixed Berry Cake
You couldn't cram any more summer berries on top of this cake if you tried! The batter stays moist from yogurt and loads of fresh lemon juice to lift the berry sweetness. And if there's any left (not likely) enjoy it for breakfast the next day.
Apple Crisp
Apple crisp is always a hit for dessert, even on Memorial Day. The topping is made with oats and a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg. I like to keep the apple chunks on the larger side so they retain a bit of their texture.
Plum Upside Down Cake
Plums don't get enough love. This upside down cake recipe is foolproof, no need to make caramel ahead. Arrange the plums with brown sugar and softened butter in the bottom of a cast iron skillet, top with the batter and bake. It flips out perfectly every time!
Peach Crumble
Leave the skin on the peaches for easy prep and a beautiful color as it bakes. A little lemon juice and cornstarch give you that perfectly flavored filling that's just the right texture. This is summer in a bite, just what you want from a Memorial Day dessert recipe!
Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Let's take care of all of our friends when it comes to dessert. These cookies are made with almond flour, natural peanut butter, and they're loaded with chocolate chips! Everyone will love them.
Drinks
It's not a holiday weekend without drinks! These Memorial Day cocktail recipes are simple and refreshing.
Dirty Shirley
They say it's the official drink of summer, so you might as well serve it on Memorial Day! It's a Shirley Temple, your favorite kiddie cocktail, with a shot of vodka (or gin!) to make it adult.
Frozen Mango Margaritas
Using frozen mango makes these cocktails easy to whip up on a whim, and ensures you use far less ice, so they don't get watered down. They'll make your Memorial Day barbecue feel like a beach party!
Mezcal Negroni
Smoky mezcal is the perfect cocktail pairing for all of your Memorial Day bbq recipes. A simple twist on the classic Negroni that replaces gin with Mezcal.
Campari and Soda
This simple 2-ingredient drink is low in alcohol so it makes a great all-day sipper when summer cookout season rolls around.
Strawberry Prosecco Cocktail
Make a homemade strawberry syrup, get yourself a bottle of prosecco and a bunch of fresh basil. Sounds like summer in a glass, doesn't it?
Old Cuban Cocktail
You might think champagne is too fancy for a Memorial Day cocktail recipe, but when the temps heat up, this is the only drink I crave. With rum, lime, and muddled mint, it's just about as refreshing as it gets.
These Memorial Day barbecue recipes have unique flavors that will please a crowd.
- Every recipe you need for a fun and easy Memorial Day weekend gathering from desserts and grilling, to side dishes and drinks.
- Choices for everyone: vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free.
- You don't have to grill! Find some main courses you can cook on the stove.
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