Go 4th and Grill! Best 4th of July Recipes For Any Backyard BBQ
One of America’s favorite patriotic holiday, the 4th of July, is just a few days away. Whether you’re throwing a BBQ or attending one, chances are you’ll need to whip something up to share with a crowd. For Memorial Day (our other favorite patriotic holiday), we shared with you our favorite Pinterest-inspired patriotic desserts. These are clearly ideal 4th of July recipes too, so you’ve got your 4th of July desserts covered. Thus, we’ll share a few favorites for the grill.
Whether you’re looking for healthy 4th of July recipes, easy 4th of July recipes, or just something unique, we’ve got you covered.
5. For The Vegetarian: Houston’s Copycat Veggie Burger
Danielle Omar / foodconfidence.com
Let’s face it: the majority of 4th of July recipes involve either something thrown on the grill or something thrown in a bowl. What’s on the grill is typically meat-related, leaving slim pickings for vegetarians. Thus, we bring you one of our favorite vegetarian 4th of July recipes: a veggie burger even omnivores will love, Houston’s Copycat Veggie Burger, courtesy of Danielle Omar ofFood Confidence.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5-7 minutes on the grill
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 4 Tbs hickory barbecue sauce
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 1 15 ounce can black beans, drained
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- 1 tablespoon oat bran
- 2 tablespoons onions finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped canned beets
- 1 teaspoon beet juice
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh (or pickled) jalapeno pepper chopped
- 1 egg white for binding purposes (add more if needed)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 4 slices Monterey jack cheese (optional)
Directions
Stir together barbecue sauce and molasses. Set aside. In a large bowl or food processor, mash beans. Stir in 3 tablespoons of the barbecue mixture (reserving remaining for brushing), rice, oat bran, onions, beet and beet juice, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper, jalapeno, and egg white.
4. For Those That Hate Cooking: Grilled Salsa
Real Simple
Not everyone enjoys cooking or is good at it. Which is why we love grills. Grills make everything easier! The cooking process, the cleanup, and even the presentation. If you’re standing at a grill, people will just assume you’re a great chef! If you hate cooking and are looking for easy 4th of July recipes, look no further than this Grilled Vegetable Salsa we found on Real Simple.
Want to add a bit of extra 4th of July flair? Serve with red, white and blue corn chips.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 6-8 minutes
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
- 1 cup store-bought refrigerated fresh salsa
- 1/2 bell pepper (any color), grilled and diced
- 1/2 medium red onion, grilled and diced
Directions
- Heat grill or grill pan to medium-high.
- In a large bowl, toss the pepper, onion, and oil. Grill, turning occasionally, until tender and charred, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board.
- Cut the pepper and onion into 1/4-inch pieces and transfer to a bowl.
- Add the store-bought salsa and stir to combine.
3. For The Traditional 4th of July: Grilled Hotdogs with “Fixin’s”
Country Living
Would it really be a 4th of July without hot dogs? They’re a grill staple for pretty much every backyard BBQ, particularly the 4th of July. While you can serve “basic” hotdogs, you can also jazz them up a bit with some extra “fixin’s,” thanks to Country Living’s 4th of July recipe.
Don’t like “fixin’s”? Feel free to just use ketchup and mustard, but you’ll be missing out!
Prep Time: 5
Cook Time: 30 (including “fixin’s” marinating time)
Serves: 8
Ingredients
- 8 hotdogs
- 1 package hotdog buns
- 4 finely chopped pickles
- 1/4 finely chopped small white onion
- 3 tbsp. fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 2 tbsp. whole-grain mustard
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- 3 tbsp. prepared horseradish
- 2 tbsp. sour cream
- 1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp. mayonnaise
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1/4 head finely shredded purple cabbage (about 2 cups)
- 1 finely chopped scallion
- 1 grated large carrot
- 2 tbsp. chopped fresh dill
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- 1 c. white wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp.sugar
- 1 tsp. SDcoriander seeds
- 1/4 tsp.kosher salt
- 2 thinly sliced Fresno chiles
- 1 thinly sliced medium red onion
Directions
- Grill 8 hot dogs over medium-high heat, turning often, until slightly charred and heated through, 4 to 5 minutes. If desired, grill the buns until lightly toasted. Serve with any or all of the following fixin’s.
- Make Zesty Pickle and Onion Fixin’: Stir together pickles, white onion, fresh flat-leaf parsley, and whole-grain mustard in a bowl. Season with kosher salt and black pepper. Makes about 2 cups.
- Make Tangy Horseradish Fixin’: Whisk together prepared horseradish (squeezed of excess moisture), sour cream, white wine vinegar, mayonnaise, and sugar in a bowl. Add purple cabbage (about 2 cups), scallion, carrot, and fresh dill. Season with kosher salt and pepper. Let sit, tossing occasionally, for 15 minutes. Makes 2 cups.
- Make Spicy Chiles Fixin’: Bring white wine vinegar, sugar, coriander seeds, and kosher salt to a simmer in a small pot over medium heat. Remove from heat and add Fresno chiles and red onion. Let sit, tossing occasionally, at least 25 minutes or up to 3 days. Makes 1 1/2 cups.
2. For The Carnivores: Tuscan-Style Spareribs with Balsamic Glaze
Food and Wine
Is there anything more delicious than baby back ribs? It’s the ultimate BBQ delight, but few can pull it off. If you like to cook, and don’t mind spending a bit of time both in front of the oven and at the grill, this is one of the most impressive 4th of July recipes the carnivores at your party will be drooling over. Thank you to Food and Wine for sharing your Tuscan-Style Spareribs recipe with us.
Prep Time: 4 hours and 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped rosemary leaves
- 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fennel seeds
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons chopped sage
- 2 teaspoons chopped thyme
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 6 pounds pork spareribs
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, preferably one aged for at least 5 years
Directions
- In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, rosemary, kosher salt, fennel, black pepper, sage, thyme, paprika, crushed red pepper, coriander and allspice. Rub the spice paste all over the spareribs and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours or refrigerate overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 325°. Arrange the ribs on a large, rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan, meaty side up. Roast the ribs for 2 hours, or until tender.
- Fire up the grill. Brush the meaty side of the ribs with the balsamic vinegar and grill until crispy, about 2 minutes per side.
- Let stand for 5 minutes, then cut between the ribs and serve.
1. For Those That Hate Grilling: Red, White, And Blue Potato Salad
House of Yumm
This is one of the best 4th of July recipes, as anyone can make it. If you hate grilling, let someone else handle the Weber and you can focus your efforts on this delicious Red, White, and Blue Potato Salad, courtesy of House of Yumm. With blue cheese, bacon and green onion, it’s guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser, and the perfect complement to whatever may come off the grill!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 6
Ingredient
- 2 lbs baby red potatoes
- 1 teaspoon course sea salt
- 6 strips of cooked bacon, crumbled
- 5 ounces of blue cheese
- 1/2 cup chopped green onion
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Directions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil over medium heat.
- Chop the baby red potatoes into small 1 inch cubes, place into the boiling water, add in the course sea salt. Boil for approximately 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft and tender and able to be mashed with a fork.
- Remove the pot from the heat and pour the potatoes into a strainer to drain out all the water. Place potatoes into a large bowl and allow to cool to room temperature, or place into the refrigerator to cool down. Once cooled add the bacon, cheese, and green onion.
- In a small bowl combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, dill, salt, ground mustard, and onion powder. Stir to combine. Add to the potatoes and stir until completely coated.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
- Can be stored in refrigerator in a sealed container, may need to add more mayonnaise mixture to the salad as it will soak into the potatoes over time.
What are your favorite 4th of July recipes? Tell us in the comments!
