July 4 is the day we celebrate freedom with family, friends and great food. Here are 14 simple, festive and mouth watering recipe ideas for your grill that will make your July fourth, Independence Day party a success.
July fourth is the day Americans celebrate freedom and the birth of the country. We do this in a typically low key American fashion, spending the day with friends and family, enjoying outdoor cooking and ending the day with a fireworks extravaganza. Many limit their grill to burgers and dogs, but why? Read below for ideas to supercharge you grill and Fourth of July menu!
Celebrate Independence Day with These Delicious Recipes
Looking for the perfect menu to fire up your grill this Fourth of July? We’ve just released our ultimate grilling guide for 2024, packed with delicious options to make your celebration unforgettable. These recipes are simple, unique and diverse. You will find an amazing variation to the classic burger, simple seafood tacos, chicken and of course a delicious pasta salad. We hope this guide will assist you in creating the best Fourth of July barbecue ever.
The guide features 14 amazing recipes, including four refreshing salads and sides along with ten mouthwatering main courses. Whether you want to keep it simple with one dish or create a full spread, we’ve got you covered!
Four salads and sides
Everyone talks about the main course, but sides and salad are also important! These sides will complement any outdoor party.
Homemade Guacamole
Guacamole and chips have become a favorite appetizer at any get together. If you love guacamole but have never made it fresh, we suggest you give it a try. It isn’t difficult and the difference in flavor from the store bought is astronomical. No fillers involved, just all fresh ingredients.
Guacamole
Difficulty: EasyA simple blend of avocado, garlic, onion, cilantro, jalapeño, tomatoes and lime. That’s it!
Costco Copycat Tortellini salad
Macaroni salad is a staple at virtually every barbeque or cookout. Most store bought salads are not very good, made of mushy pasta swimming in mayonnaise or dressing. The good news is, this recipe is simple to make, can be prepared ahead of time, and is delicious. There’s no reason to serve bad pasta salad again.
Our Costco copycat tortellini salad recipe is the ultimate macaroni salad that we call macaroni salad on steroids. It is comprised of cheese filled pasta, salami, fresh grape tomatoes, olives and chunks of mozzarella with Italian dressing and a drizzle of balsamic dressing. This recipe is not heavy and laden in mayonnaise, but a light and delicious version of this classic salad. Whenever we serve this, it’s always a hit with both adults and children. Prefer a Greek salad? Substitute feta cheese and Greek dressing.
Costco Copycat Tortellini Salad
Difficulty: EasyThis copycat Costco tortellini salad tastes better than the store-bought version and is kinder to your pocketbook. Think of it as macaroni salad on steroids.
Grilled Puff Pastry
Upside down puff pastry is a tik tok sensation that can be made with a variety of fillings and covered with puff pastry dough. Our version is cooked on the grill making it unique from the others you may have seen. The variations you can prepare are endless. Our recipe focused on a tomato, mushroom and ricotta pastry and a jalapeño, onion, pancetta/bacon and hot honey pastry for a spicier version. It is unlikely you have ever seen this side at an outdoor barbecue. Make a few of these to impress your guests.
Grilled Upside Down Puff Pastry
Difficulty: EasyThree different upside down puff pastry ideas cooked either on an outdoor griddle or in the oven.
Parmesan Crusted Zuchini Bites
This appetizer is one of those that can be so addictive you don’t need a main course. In season zuchini are available at a local farmers market or supermarket. The crunchy Parmesan coating on these zuchini bites are fantastic alone, but a side of marinara creates a heavenly combination. Give these a try!
Healthy Parmesan Crusted Zucchini Bites
Difficulty: EasyA healthy, simple, quick and delicious side using zucchini, an abundant summer vegetable
10 Main Courses For Your July Fourth Party
Sides and salads are great, but a good party menu is all about the main course. We provide a diverse selection of protein including seafood, chicken and ground turkey or beef. Pick one, two or all of them. You and your guests will love these delicious and unique main courses prepared on the grill.
Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken
Huli Huli Chicken will elevate your ordinary cookout into a Hawaiian luau! The sweet and spicy sauce combined with the slight char on the marinated chicken and pineapple creates a complex texture and flavor that will transport your guests taste buds to the islands.
We all know that chicken is a low fat protein included as part of a healthy diet. Despite being a healthy choice of protein, chicken can often be boring, bland and dry when not prepared well. Many won’t touch chicken at a party, after enduring it all week. The sweet and tangy flavor of Huli Huli chicken is finger-licking good. These kabobs will be a favorite at your party. Some may even ask for the recipe.
Grilled Huli Huli Hawaiian Chicken
Difficulty: EasyA simple recipe that will turn your ordinary BBQ or cookout into a Hawaiian luau!
Nashville Burgers with Horseradish
What Fourth of July party is complete without burgers? Burgers are a simple and amazing barbeque food loved by most carnivores. Burgers may be a quintessential barbecue entree however, they can become quite predictable. What if you could include burgers on your menu but transform them into something that are anything but ordinary?
Our Nashville burgers with horseradish are not for the faint of heart. We combine the signature spice of the Nashville burger with the zesty and sharp taste of horseradish to create a new and exciting twist to the classic summer BBQ burger. Additional toppings are up to the chef, but we love caramelized onions and mushrooms or jalapeños. Another option is to cook them on the griddle and prepare as a smash burger. Whatever you choose, the result will be notable, unique, spicy and your guest will be asking for seconds!
Nashville Burger with Horseradish
Difficulty: EasyA sharp, spicy and savory alternative to the classic grilled burger.
Seafood Tacos with Monkfish and Pineapple Habanero Salsa
A July fourth party is all about simple and delicious handheld foods. Tacos definitely fit the bill for a handheld food that is simple and delicious. The recipe we are sharing is for a seafood taco made with grilled monkfish, a walnut spinach topping and finished with a chunky, sweet and spicy pineapple habanero salsa.
We use monkfish in the recipe due to its tight and flakey texture making it perfect for the grill. If you wish to try a different fish, you may want to utilize a griddle on your grill to avoid the fish flaking and falling between the grill grates. When done, slice the fish into large chunks and assemble. Assembling the tacos is easy. Place the fish, spinach-walnut topping and pineapple habanero salsa on a charred flour or corn tortilla. Fold and enjoy!
Seafood Tacos with Grilled Monkfish
Difficulty: EasyA light and delectable seafood taco prepared on your grill. Perfect to up the ante at your Summer BBQ or cookout.
Uncle Giuseppe’s Sausage and Peppers
Sausage and peppers are another staple at most outdoor parties. Conveniently simple to prepare, delicious and a crowd pleaser! Our recipe can easily be made ahead of time and placed in aluminum trays. Heat up the tray on the day of the party. This will save you time and effort on the day of the party with no loss in the quality of the dish. It is traditionally made with pork Italian sausage. To improve the health profile, there are some very good Italian seasoned chicken sausages available.
The recipe is simple to prepare and is easily scalable making it a terrific choice to assist with feeding a large group. Try it once and you will never pay $50 -$75 for a tray of sausage and peppers from your local Italian restaurant or pizzeria.
Uncle Giuseppe’s Sausage and Peppers
Difficulty: EasyThis popular sausage and peppers Italian dish is flavorful, colorful and hearty.
Grilled Pizza
Pizza has become as American as hot dogs, burgers and apple pie! So why not add pizza to your July fourth celebration. We absolutely adore pizzas made on the grill and have a wide variety to choose from. Hot honey pepperoni, sausage and pepper, pesto, even sloppy Joe pizza. We chose our most recent “fancy pizza” made with prosciutto, goat cheese and arugula to present for this article. If you are a bit nervous using goat cheese, just go with traditional mozzerella. But why not try a touch on a small part of the pie. We think you will love it.
A Simple Goat Cheese and Prosciutto Pizza
Cooks in 70 minutesDifficulty: EasyA simple yet modern pizza using some of the best of Italian and American toppings.
Grilled Chicken Breast Stuffed with Spinach, Mushrooms and Pancetta
The next recipe is a simple modification to an oven baked chicken breast recipe. This recipe takes a simple chicken breast and stuffs it with spinach, mushrooms, cheese and ham or pancetta. The result is a juicy breast exploding with flavor.
The recipe below instructs you to cook the stuffed breasts in the oven. For your outdoor party we recommend you fill the chicken breasts that morning or the day before. Then cook on the grill instead of the oven. On the grill preheat to high and sear both sides of the breast. Then cook via indirect heat maintaining a temperature of 375F within the grill until the breast is cooked. Use of a remote thermometer will be a huge assist allowing the chicken to cook until done without having to continually open the grill to check the doneness of the breasts.
Spinach and Mushroom Stuffed Chicken Breast
Difficulty: EasyA simple modification to chicken dinner that is easy, healthy and delicious.
Tortas
The next recipe on our list is a Mexican torta. The chicken for these can be from a rotisserie chicken that you slice and season the day before, or cutlets seasoned and prepared ahead of time. If you plan to make guacamole from our recipe above, simply double or triple the recipe so that you have enough to assemble these amazing Mexican sandwiches at your July fourth party. Store bought guacamole can work, but we recommend homemade.
To make the Tortas, simply heat the precooked chicken on the grill, then assemble with lettuce, tomato, some refried beans and guacamole. These sandwiches are simple to assemble and will be another recipe to make your party memorable. Some may ask, a Mexican sandwich for a July fourth party? We would counter and point out the culture and history of the American southwest. Mexican and Tex Mex food have become a part of our country’s culture and history.
Mexican Torta with Chicken and Guacamole
Difficulty: EasyA layer of seasoned roasted or grilled chicken, refried beans, cheese, guacamole and lettuce.
Grilled Cilantro Lime Striped Bass
Living in the northeastern USA, summer and fall are all about fishing and throwing your catch on the grill. This cilantro lime striped bass recipe lets the fresh fish speak loudest and the marinade elevate the flavor while not overpowering your fresh catch. If you live somewhere that strippers aren’t available, use whichever fresh fish you can as a substitute. Fresh seafood on the grill is a perfect way to celebrate July fourth.
Grilled Striped Bass
Difficulty: EasyA simple, healthy and delectable recipe to prepare grilled striped bass.
Grilled Chicken Florentine
Want easy, delicious and different? This take on Chicken Florentine made on the grill is a great option. With only 8 ingredients this recipe is epitomizes simple and healthy food.
Make the spinach a day or two before to make preparation a snap. Serve as a sandwich or alone. With one of our sides above.
8 Ingredient Grilled Chicken Florentine
Cooks in 70 minutesDifficulty: EasyOur low calorie version of Chicken Florentine, made on the grill!
Chili Lime Spiced Salmon
The final recipe we will share on our ultimate list of July fourth recipes is another seafood entree. Chile lime spiced salmon is made by applying a delicious homemade rub and lime juice onto the salmon filet. The recipe provided utilizes the oven to cook the salmon. To cook on a grill we recommend using a cedar plank and cook using the indirect heat method. Maintain an internal temperature inside the grill of 375-400F. A remote thermometer would be helpful allowing the salmon to cook without having to open the grill repeatedly. When done, remove from heat and slice into strips.
Chili Lime Spiced Salmon
Difficulty: EasyA healthy seafood entree packed with flavor, protein and Omega-3 fatty acids. This is a weekday meal idea you can prepare in under 30 minutes the whole family will love.
Please enjoy and let us know what you made and how it came out!
Susie these recipes look awesome like all others I’ve made.. Thankyou so much
Mary
Mary, Thank you so much! So glad you are enjoying this. We soon hope to create a forum where people can share photos of the dishes they create using our “help”. Thanks again.