Welcome Summer With These 31 Memorial Day Recipes
As soon as the weather creeps past the mid-60s, we’re diving headfirst into summer recipes. Memorial Day signifies the start of summer (unofficially), and we’re celebrating accordingly: with fresh herbs, juicy berries, and all cooking happening on the grill. In this warm-weather recipe lineup, you’ll find all the requisite cookout foods: pasta salad, grilled corn, and classic BBQ baked beans. But the party doesn’t end there. Whether you’re looking for easy, breezy appetizers, mains that aren’t just burgers, or simple, no-bake desserts, these Memorial Day recipes will carry you through every phase of the cookout—and probably the rest of the summer too. To go along with these summer-ready recipes, we’ve got plenty of refreshing cocktails (these frozen watermelon margaritas are calling to us).
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton1/31Easy Pasta Salad
We could fill an entire Memorial Day recipe roster with different types of salad: potato salad, pasta salad, fruit salad…shall we go on? Pick a few summer salad recipes to round out your spread and keep on repeat this season.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton2/31Raspberry and Pistachio Ice Cream Icebox Cake
Looking for a fun dessert to cap off the first cookout of the summer? With layers of Biscoff cookies, raspberry-jam-infused whipped cream, and store-bought pistachio ice cream, this icebox cake is surprisingly easy to assemble. It’s proof that the best Memorial Day desserts are also the simplest.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Frances Boswell3/31Foolproof Grilled Chicken
You don’t need to be a grillmaster to perfect this grilled chicken. A streamlined technique (plus a flavorful vinaigrette) yields charred, juicy, anything-but-bland meat every time. Once you’ve got the recipe down, move on to another staple chicken recipe: crispy, crunchy homemade fried chicken.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell5/31Grilled Beet Salad With Burrata and Cherries
Around Memorial Day, fresh cherries will be just starting to pop up around the country. If you’re lucky enough to get some, toss them into this salad that’s equally at home as a side or as the star of a vegetarian grilling feast.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson6/31Grilled Corn on the Cob With Salt-and-Pepper Butter
No Memorial Day barbecue is complete without grilled corn on the cob. Take it to the next level by slathering the ears with a flavor-packed compound butter. We love this simple salt-and-pepper combo, but you could add any herbs or spices you’d like.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks7/31Easy Guacamole
So you brought all the grilling accoutrements but forgot entirely about the appetizers. No problem: Dump tortilla chips into a bowl, mash some avocados with lime and cilantro, and feed a crowd of hungry beach bums.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova8/31Easy Grilled Salmon in Foil With Lemon-Garlic-Herb Butter
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Simon Andrews9/31Ginger-Grilled Chicken and Radishes with Miso-Scallion Dressing
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich10/31German Potato Salad With Dill
If you’re already making creamy mac and cheese and coleslaw, this mayo-free oil-and-vinegar-dressed potato salad is the perfect companion.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Judy Haubert12/31Negima (Grilled Chicken Skewers With Green Onion)
These Japanese chicken skewers are a classic yakitori dish. Use the white parts of the scallion here, which hold up to the heat of the grill. Use the green tops to garnish any number of summer sides, or make a bowl of creamy scallion-avocado dip as an appetizer.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Christopher Barsch14/31Grilled Zucchini and Bulgur Salad With Feta and Preserved-Lemon Dressing
