These Fourth of July Party Recipes Will Make Menu Planning So Much Easier
Looking for even more options? We've got a handful of recipes in several categories—put them together in any combination you wish!
Sunset Staff
Has it been a while since you’ve thrown a Fourth of July party? Or any party? Not to worry; we can help you with the all-important menu planning. We’ve rounded up some favorite recipes to serve all day and evening long, from drinks and cocktails to cool off with during the heat of the day to celebratory desserts to enjoy with fireworks.
Greet your guests with a refreshing drink as soon as they arrive. A go-to for us is an easily-batched cocktail we call the party starter; with a watermelon base it’s summer in a glass. This one can easily be made non-alcoholic by omitting the hard liquor, but consider mixing up a big pitcher of strawberry lemonade, too, to be sure you’ve got something for everyone.
Now whet your guests’ appetites with an array of light bites, sides, and salads. Deviled eggs are a party classic; our version has a little kick to it. Shrimp salad served in cucumber rounds is cooling and complements the grilled items you’ll undoubtedly be serving, and chili lime corn on the cob is a great (and irresistible) choice because while you can’t cook it ahead of time, it goes right on the grill while you’re preparing proteins.
Now for the main course. What’s your pleasure? Sirloin? Ribs? Burgers? Seafood? We’ve got plenty of options, most of which cook up right on the grill—although meatball sliders are a great choice if you want to make a batch ahead of time and let guests assemble their own sandwiches.
And of course, you’ll be wanting dessert. For the Fourth of July, this flag-themed blueberry pie is the perfect patriotic end to the evening. Happy Independence Day!
Get the Recipes:
Beverages and Cocktails
Starters and Sides
1 of 4Thomas J. Story
Chorizo Deviled Eggs
Ryan Pollnow, the chef at the San Francisco Spanish restaurant Aatxe (“Ah-chay”), always has hard-cooked eggs on his tapas menu. This version–with its smoky, creamy filling and crunchy topping of fried chorizo sausage–is especially delicious.
2 of 4Leo Gong
Honey-Sesame Grilled Chicken Wings
Sticky sweet replaces blazing buffalo with these tasty wings. Serve them as finger food appetizers for an outdoor party or as the main course for a family dinner when paired with seasonal sides.
3 of 4Ericka McConnell
Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus with Citrus Dip
You can make these hors d’oeuvres even simpler: Without their scallion ties or lemon zest, the asparagus and prosciutto still taste terrific. To make lemon-zest strips, use a vegetable peeler to shave off the lemon’s thin outer peel, then cut this zest into strips.
4 of 4Ericka McConnell
Mediterranean Shrimp Salad in Cucumber Cups
Shrimp with lemon, parsley, and garlic echoes classic shrimp scampi, but here it’s a cooling salad. They’re juicy, so serve with napkins.
Grilled Meats
1 of 8Dave Lauridsen
Top Sirloin
The pit crew at the Santa Maria Elks Lodge prefer top sirloin to tri-tip for its rich flavor, juiciness, and tenderness. Cuts of top sirloin (also called top block) usually weigh 10 to 15 pounds, so unless you’re feeding a crowd, freeze half for later. At home, most Santa Marians slice the meat into thick steaks to cook on a backyard-style Santa Maria grill. Your gas or charcoal grill will work too.
2 of 8Iain Bagwell
Garlic-Basil Grilled Chicken with Caprese Salsa
You’ll love the classic Italian flavors of this grilled chicken, and the caprese salsa with sweet, tart grape and cherry tomatoes is the perfect accompaniment to the charred flavor from the grill.
3 of 8Coral Von Zumwalt
Ginger Rosemary Smoked Pork Ribs
These maple-glazed ribs with a subtle touch of ginger are a mainstay at Odys + Penelope restaurant in Los Angeles. At home, chef-owner Quinn Hatfield smokes them using either a Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker or a Pit Barrel Cooker.
4 of 8Lisa Romerein
Herb-Rubbed Baby Back Ribs
The black pepper in this rub picks up on the black-pepper notes in Zinfandel. The fruitiness of the wine and its juicy character cool the heat. You can coat the ribs with the herb rub and wrap in foil up to a day ahead of time; chill, then bring to room temperature before grilling.
5 of 8Thomas J. Story
Mojito Shrimp
Marinate shrimp in a combination of fresh herbs, juices, rum, lime zest, salt, and sugar for a fresh, tropical take on the classic mojito cocktail.
6 of 8Thomas J. Story
The Perfect Burger
Six easy recipes and the secret to hamburger heaven.
7 of 8Iain Bagwell
Puttanesca Meatball Sliders
Behold, the perfect meatball sandwich.
8 of 8Annabelle Breakey
Argentine-Style Sausage Sandwiches
These big, bold, juicy sandwiches are from Morgan Robinson, chef-owner of Smoke Open Fire Cooking in Napa. He grills the sausages and melts the cheese on the grill too, in a small cast-iron skillet, then puts both on the table with crusty rolls and chimichurri–Argentina’s answer to pesto–so guests can serve themselves.
Salads
1 of 9Peden & Munk
Grilled Corn Poblano Salad with Chipotle Vinaigrette
When cutting corn kernels from the cob, stand it in a bowl and slice down the cob’s sides; the bowl corrals the flying kernels.
2 of 9Coral Von Zumwalt
Watermelon, Corn, and Tomato Salad
Karen Hatfield, chef-owner of Odys + Penelope and Sycamore Kitchen restaurants in Los Angeles, calls this refreshing and slightly unusual savory-sweet summer salad a perfect example of the saying “if it grows together, it goes together.”
3 of 9Thomas J. Story
Tomato and Herb Salad with Fresh Chive Cheese
This is the salad to make with tomatoes from the farmers’ market or your backyard, ideally when they’re still warm from the sun. The surprise is the easy homemade cheese.
4 of 9James Carrier
Artichoke, Fennel, and Tricolor Tomato Salad
If making up to 4 hours ahead, don’t add basil; cover and chill. Add basil just before serving, and mix gently.
5 of 9Iain Bagwell
Warm Bacon and Herb Coleslaw
We think everything is better with bacon, and this bacony coleslaw will be perfect with BBQ ribs or chicken.
6 of 9Annabelle Breakey
Carrot, Apple, and Corn Slaw
This light salad, based on one our reader had while vacationing in Germany, is great alongside grilled meat or fish. Squeezing out excess liquid from the fruit and vegetables keeps the salad from getting watery.
7 of 9Thayer Allyson Gowdy
Chili Lime Corn on the Cob
Cooking corn on the cob in its de-silked husk keeps the kernels moist and adds a nice grassy flavor. For less fuss, feel free to fully husk the corn and wrap it in foil.
8 of 9Iain Bagwell
Potato Salad Stacks
Sunset reader Dawn McHenry needed an appetizer for a summer party, so she took her mom’s family’s potato salad recipe from Germany, grilled the potatoes, and stacked the rest on top.
9 of 9Andrea Gomez
Garlic Smashed-Potato Salad
This chunky potato salad is a cool summer version of everybody’s favorite garlic mashed potatoes.
Desserts
1 of 6Iain Bagwell
Grilled Strawberry Shortcake Kebabs
You’ll need 32 bamboo skewers (each 8 in.); there’s no need to soak them before they go on the grill, because they won’t char with such a short cooking time.
2 of 6James Carrier
Old Glory Cherry-Blueberry Pie
Top a juicy cherry and blueberry pie with a pastry crust cut into stars and stripes for a festive 4th of July dessert.
3 of 6Annabelle Breakey
Spiced Blueberry Pie
Black pepper, nutmeg, and cloves play up the underlying spicy note of blueberries in this pie. Serve with whipped cream if you like.
4 of 6Thayer Allyson Gowdy
Ginger Chocolate Cookies
Part chewy molasses cookie, part homey chocolate chip cookie, part spicy gingersnap: These cookies have it all.
5 of 6Dan Goldberg
Coconut Cupcakes
Coconut cakes are always showstoppers at family gatherings. Package all that delicious dessert flavor into a pint-sized liner for a single-serving treat that’s a guaranteed crowd pleaser. Instead of paper liners, use the shiny kind instead to dress the cupcakes up.
6 of 6Thomas J. Story
Granita
Featuring fresh, summertime watermelon, the only other ingredients you need to complete this simple and stunning dessert is sugar, lime rind, watermelon, and lime juice.