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Home | July 4th and Labor Day Recipes

July 4th and Labor Day Recipes

When summer holidays roll around, I’m all about easy, flavor-packed recipes that are made for grilling, sharing, and soaking up the sunshine. Whether it’s the Fourth of July or Labor Day weekend, these are the dishes I keep coming back to for backyard barbecues and casual get-togethers.

I usually kick things off with juicy Oven-Baked Ribs or something hot off the grill like Greek Chicken, Flank Steak, or colorful Veggie Skewers. A drizzle of Chimichurri Sauce takes everything to the next level, and I always round things out with a big, refreshing bowl of Fruit Salad.

Hand scooping fresh pico de gallo with a tortilla chip from a bowl garnished with lime and green chiles.

Authentic Homemade Pico de Gallo (Salsa Fresca)

A wooden basting brush drips thick Korean BBQ sauce back into a glass jar. The sauce is deep red and glossy, showing its ideal sticky consistency.

Homemade Korean BBQ Sauce Recipe (Sweet, Savory & Spicy)

Overhead view of sliced chicken breast on Greek salad with pita and avocado.

Greek Chicken Salad Recipe

A minimalist shot of a tall glass filled with creamy poppyseed dressing, with salad greens and lemon in the soft-focus background.

Creamy Poppyseed Dressing Recipe

A dark, glossy bowl of homemade Japanese BBQ sauce, topped with white sesame seeds and ready to serve as a dipping sauce or glaze.

Japanese BBQ Sauce Recipe

Oven baked sliced spare ribs glazed with BBQ sauce and topped with green onions resting on a foil-lined pan with a red-tipped basting brush beside them.

Oven Baked Ribs (How to Make Juicy BBQ Ribs in the Oven)

A close-up shot of Alabama White Sauce being drizzled over crispy golden-brown baked chicken legs.

Alabama White Sauce Recipe (White BBQ Sauce)

Homemade Dr. Pepper BBQ sauce in a glass storage jar with a spoon set to its left and a Dr. Pepper can in the background.

Dr. Pepper BBQ Sauce Recipe (No Ketchup Needed)

A plate of slow cooker BBQ chicken thighs garnished with fresh parsley. A small bowl of extra BBQ sauce is nearby for dipping.

Super Easy Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Thighs

Slow-cooked baby back pork ribs on a large cutting board lined with parchment paper coated in sweet and tangy BBQ sauce.

The Easiest Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs Recipe

Homemade BBQ sauce dripping off a large wooden spoon back into a medium saucepot.

Best Ever Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe (Kansas City-Style)

Cast iron skillet filled with juicy cooked tail-on shrimp marinated in cilantro lime marinade.

The Best Cilantro Lime Shrimp Recipe

Cooling rack topped with perfectly baked bone-in skin-on BBQ chicken thighs and drumsticks coated in sticky BBQ sauce.

Easy Oven-Baked BBQ Chicken Recipe

Large white salad bowl filled with a cold Italian pasta salad made with cherry tomatoes, fresh spinach, mozzarella pearls, salami, black olives, artichoke hearts and rotini pasta all tossed in a homemade Italian dressing.

Italian Pasta Salad

Beautiful slice of golden baked Southern tomato pie on a white plate with the tomato layer on the bottom and cheety mayo layer on top.

Best Tomato Pie Recipe

Thinly sliced chicken al pastor arranged over a large cutting board and served with sliced pineapple, flour tortillas, and lime wedges.

Chicken al Pastor

Small glass jar filled with homemade Nashville hot sauce.

Nashville Hot Sauce

Overhead image of a large serving bowl filled with cold Olivier salad made with cooked potatoes, carrots, hard boiled egg, diced egg, peas, dill pickles, and onion in a creamy mayonnaise dressing.

Olivier Salad (Russian Potato Salad)

Garlic herb lamb chops in a large skillet.

Garlic Herb Lamb Chops Recipe

Spatula scooping hot blackberry cobbler from a white baking dish.

Blackberry Cobbler

Three prepared elote on a baking sheet and garnished with paprika and chili powder, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges.

Elote Recipe (Mexican Street Corn)

Thicked Boston baked beans with bacon in a large pot garnished with fresh parsley.

Boston Baked Beans

Dinner plate filled with two chicken skewers, lemon slices, and a side of greek salad.

Chicken Skewers

Overhead image of a large white bowl filled with fresh pineapple salsa made with diced red onion, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and pineapple and mixed with fresh lime juice, pineapple juice, and minced cilantro.

Pineapple Salsa

Small white bowl filled with thickened teriyaki sauce and sprinkled with white sesame seeds.

Teriyaki Sauce Recipe

Overhead image of a large white bowl filled with mango salsa made with mango, red onion, cilantro, and lime juice.

Mango Salsa

Spooning chimichurri sauce over grilled marinated flank steak.

Flank Steak Marinade

Pollo Asado

Grilled Shrimp and Veggie Bowls

Shrimp Bowl

Marinated and grilled skirt steak sliced against the grain on a large cutting board.

Skirt Steak Marinade

Large white platter filled with white rice and topped with pineapple and grilled Hawaiian chicken thighs.

Hawaiian Chicken

A Mediterranean turkey burger sitting on top of a wooden table

Mediterranean Grilled Turkey Burgers

Looking down at a small tray filled with three cooked turkey burgers on buns with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, and cheese.

Turkey Burger Recipe

Close up image of a single hamburger patty with cheese on a sesame bun with lettuce, mayo, red onion, and tomato.

Hamburgers Recipe

A large white bowl filled with creamy potato salad and garnished with chopped parsley.

Easy Creamy Potato Salad Recipe

Large white oval serving dish filled with homemade classic macaroni salad garnished with a light dusting of paprika and fresh chopped parsley.

Macaroni Salad

Bowl filled with cooked beef birria garnished with white onion, cilantro, and lime wedges.

Birria Recipe (How to Make Birria)

White plate with two grilled kalabi with a side of kimchi and white rice.

Korean BBQ Short Ribs Recipe (LA Galbi/LA Kalbi)

Tray filled with four carne asada tacos made with corn tortillas and topped with a fresh onion, cilantro, and lime juice salsa.

Carne Asada Tacos

Large serving plate filled with thinly sliced carne asada garnished with limes and fresh cilantro.

Carne Asada

Large Dutch oven filled with a stew made with shredded pork, frozen lima beans, corn, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, and bbq sauce.

Brunswick Stew

Easy Chicken Gyros

20-Minute Chicken Gyros

Overhead image of a large white serving bowl filled with Tortellini salad garnished with fresh oregano.

Tortellini Pasta Salad

Large white bowl filled with chopped Mediterranean salad made with fresh veggies, artichoke hearts, avocado, chickpeas, feta cheese.

Mediterranean Salad

Overhead image of grilled jerk chicken on a white plate with Jamaican rice and peas.

Jerk Chicken

Grilled Salmon Burgers with Garlic Lemon Aioli

Salmon Sliders with Garlic Lemon Aioli

Large rimmed baking sheet with six cooked bone-in skin-on chicken thighs with honey soy marinade.

Honey Soy Chicken Thighs

Overhead image of bowl filled with simple chicken salad and fluffy pita bread triangles.

Chicken Salad Recipe

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