4th of July Recipes

Let’s be honest—I celebrate all holidays with food. It’s my love language. But the Fourth of July is one of my absolute favorites. My family has always spent time together outdoors—at the beach, at the lake, or in the last few years, in our own backyard.

We’ve built memories with our friends, our children, and now our grandchildren. We step away from our screens and spend some quality time. We love it all—hiking, camping, being on the water, in the sun. Wherever we are, we are with each other. 

And you can’t have awesome outdoor adventures without some food for fuel. So this Independence Day, whether you are casually firing up the grill or ready to color coordinate in red, white, and blue—I’ve got you covered with all my festive favorites for the Fourth. 

Grilled meat, fresh salads, pasta, side dishes, cakes, and cocktails… ooooh all are perfect summer recipes for the 4th of July!

Make some food you love, for the people you love, in this country we love. From my family to yours, may you have a safe, happy, and delicious Fourth of July.

Easy 4th of July Dessert Recipes Red, White, And Blue

• Red White and Blue Poke Cake-Bring on the fireworks and sparklers — this 4th of July poke cake is everything you need to celebrate the Fourth in style.
• 4th Of July Cake Mix Cookies –These cookies are party-perfect patriotic cookies! Super easy to make with a soft texture and rich vanilla flavor. Only needs 5 ingredients!
• Berry Chantilly Cake– This Berry Chantilly Cake is a tall 5-star masterpiece with a moist sweet consistency, plenty of fresh fruit, and velvety Chantilly icing. Perfect for your 4th of July celebration!
• Summer Berry Icebox Cake– This icebox cake is a cool creamy concoction of triple berry bliss. It’s a no-bake cake so you won’t heat up your kitchen on the 4th. It comes together in the most delicious and refreshing way.

Cool And Refreshing Fourth of July Cocktails

• Planters Punch– the perfect combination of sparkling and sweet, a refreshing summer drink for every gathering! Make it by the glass or pitcher. When the weather gets warmer and the cookout parties become frequent, there is nothing better to cool you down than a tall, icy mason jar of Planters Punch.
• Pineapple Margarita– Tropical fruit meets your favorite restaurant cocktail in this easy-to-make, icy cold, and fruity deliciousness recipe for Pineapple Margarita!
• Jungle Bird– Cool, refreshing, and oh so tropical. Pineapple rum and pineapple juice are a flavor marriage made in tropical heaven when you indulge in my Jungle Bird recipe!
• Peach Moonshine– Peach moonshine pulls together the spiced-up flavors of peaches & cinnamon with the perfect balance of alcohol to get a refreshing summertime sipper.
• Strawberry Frose– Cold, icy, and perfect for a HOT 4th of July. Frozen fruit blended with your favorite rose wine makes for a refreshing holiday cocktail
• Hippie Juice– the perfect simple, easy, refreshing summer drink for your holiday party. It’s a fruity, fun, Big Batch cocktail perfect to make for a crowd!
• Gin and Ginger Ale– This sweet and easygoing Gin and Ginger Ale cocktail is a hostess’ best friend. Three ingredients + one step = many happy faces. Tall, cool, and all you need is ice, ginger ale, gin, and lime! Perfect for a busy 4th of July party.

Best Appetizers For The Fourth

• The BEST Pimento Cheese Dip-  a classic southern appetizer that’s easy to make a crowd-pleasing favorite! Also known as the caviar of the south! Pimento Cheese is truly one of my all-time favorite dips.
• Classic Deviled Eggs– This is my Grandma’s creamy and delicious deviled egg recipe and it’s hands down an absolute favorite. It’s a must-make for all my family gatherings, potlucks, and holiday parties.
• Mississippi Sin Dip– Creamy, ooey-gooey, party favorite dip that’s baked in a hollowed-out loaf of bread. Guaranteed to be a new favorite!
• Sausage Balls With Cream Cheese– Heavenly little bites of YUM!
• Rotel Dip– This dip is the epitome of ooey-gooey cheesy deliciousness! You’ll only need 4 ingredients and 10 minutes to prep.
• Bacon Wrapped Smokies– These are the perfect combination of gooey sweetness,  bacon, and a little spice in our Bacon Wrapped Smokies creating a perfect paradox of simple and spectacular!
• Million Dollar Dip– Thick, creamy, rich, and decadent! Made with 4 different kinds of cheese, bacon bits, and almonds.
• Everything Pigs in a Blanket– Take pigs in a blanket to the next level with these little piggies! All the deliciousness of Everything bagels in a dippable appetizer.
• Crack Dip– Our cheesy, creamy, gooey Crack Dip is the gold standard of yum! Loaded with bacon, ranch, and cheddar you’ll be the belle of the ball with this party dip!
• Classic Knorr Spinach Dip– Rich, creamy, and full of flavorful, aromatics, and crispy water chestnuts! This easy classic Knorr Spinach Dip recipe is the classic, luxurious, creamy dip we’ve all come to love.  This just may be the easiest appetizer you’ll ever make!
• Cowboy Caviar- Beans, corn, and avocados, this trio of flavor perfection is the backbone of Cowboy Caviar! Add tomatoes and cilantro, and you’ve got a rodeo-worthy, party-perfect, good time!

4th Of July Main Courses

• The Best Barbecued Smoked Ribs– My ribs are dry-rubbed, smoked over hickory chips, then sauced with our homemade bourbon barbecue sauce! Now, These Are Good Eating!
• Steak Marinade– Looking to add even more flavor to your grilled steak? This is the recipe you’ll use over and over again!
• Easy Tropical Flank Steak– My family is crazy about flank steak. This easy and really delicious recipe comes from my sister, Christine, and is a HUGE favorite in our house. I love that the fruity marinade has no oil in it so it’s super easy to grill without any annoying firey flare-ups from the grill. It’s best if you marinate it overnight, so plan ahead.
• Beer Brats- This is my all-time favorite brat recipe. Charring beer brats on grill grates imparts a special flavor. The beer, mustard marinade, and sauce are perfectly flavored and accented with just a touch of caraway seed.
• Hot Dog Chili– I always make a big batch of this on the 4th to go with Hubby’s grilled hot dogs. It’s super quick and easy to put together and my kids love it!
• Burgers– Dressed with my indispensable, crazy delicious burger sauce of course!

My Favorite 4th Of July Chicken Recipes

• Chicken Gyro– yummy grilled chicken, soft fluffy pita bread, my creamy tzatziki sauce. These are so much better than the ones from your best local kabob shop!
• Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken– This zesty Mexican-inspired marinated dish has a subtle sweetness and a fresh pop of flavor that is insanely delicious and refreshing on a hot 4th of July party.
• Grilled Chicken Marinade– This marinade is easy-peasy, down-home delicious, grilled chicken at its best. Sweet and tangy balsamic flavor and sliced onions make this a real home run.

My Favorite 4th Of July Party Side Dishes

• Pasta Salad – This pasta salad recipe has a zesty vinaigrette dressing, spiral pasta, and crisp summer veggies for a classic dish that welcomes every single taste bud. It’s the pasta salad of your dreams!
• KFC Coleslaw– This coleslaw recipe has been the most popular, viral, most loved by reader recipe in the history of my site! I promise it’s a must-try recipe for your holiday or just about anytime. Coleslaw for breakfast, anyone? LOL
• Classic macaroni salad– This is recipe is just like the one my Grandma used to make. Generously dressed with a rich, ultra-creamy dressing and loaded with all the best goodies. Is it really a 4th of the party if you don’t have this on your menu?
• Ina Garten Potato Salad– Ina’s potato salad is simply incredible with layers and layers of fabulous flavor that come together quickly and does not disappoint. You know I love the classic recipes passed down from my Grandma and Mama, but this new version of potato salad has become a new staple in our house!
• BBQ Baked Beans– These baked beans are everything you want from classic baked beans only MORE! Jazzed up with fresh thyme, Creole mustard, molasses, and strong brewed coffee. You bet these beans are All That! Only Betta!
• 7 Layer Salad– This 7 layer salad uses creamy homemade dressing, crumbled bacon, and shredded cheddar to smuggle in tons of awesome veggies, like a culinary Trojan horse!
• Broccoli Salad– This bright tangy broccoli salad combines the best flavors and textures in a sweet zesty homemade vinaigrette for a crave-worthy salad sure to please!
• Dill Pickle Pasta Salad-This is one of those delightful chilled pasta salad recipes that complement almost any food. Using dill pickles instead of sweet ones coaxes out a brand-new flavor profile full of aromatic deliciousness and simple pleasures. It’s surprisingly addictive, too.
• Carrot Salad- Straight from Grandma’s recipe box comes this creamy, sweet classic Carrot Salad. It’s loaded with crushed pineapple, pecans, and raisins. Quick and easy, this is a family favorite.
• Crack Potatoes– This delicious potato casserole is creamy, cheesy, and loaded with bacon. It’s ridiculously addicting and promises to be an instant family favorite. 
• Calico Beans– This old-fashioned casserole recipe comes from my Grandma. Four different types of beans and a pound of ground beef make these baked beans a huge hit. Sweet, a little tangy, and a nice smokey flavor these beans are off the charts delicious!
• Marinated Tomato Salad– This salad is fresh and light and every bite tastes like summer sunshine!
• Tortellini salad– This is my hubby’s favorite pasta salad of all time! It’s absolutely delicious. Hearty, zesty, and meaty enough to eat like a meal.
• Strawberry Pretzel Salad– My family expects this recipe to be served on every holiday and the fourth is no exception. Layers of cheesecake, strawberry jello, and pretzels. It’s the absolute perfect combo of sweet, salty, creamy and crunchy!
• Crockpot Creamed Corn – super-rich, creamy, and utterly delicious! Made with only 5 ingredients it’s super easy to put together.

More Independence Day Desserts

• Red Velvet Cake Balls- My cake balls can be made totally from scratch (recipe for cake included) or you can use a cake mix as a shortcut. They look perfectly patriotic if you decorate them with red and blue sprinkles or jimmies.
• Southern Peach Cobbler– Fresh peaches, fluffy cake topping, and loads of your favorite spices make a Southern Peach Cobbler that truly celebrates this summertime fruit favorite.
• Coca Cola Cake– This cake has been a Southern tradition for generations. A sweet, fudgy, crazy moist cake with thick fudgy icing. Quick and easy to put together! This is one of those easy, always made from scratch cakes my family grew up eating. It’s an old-fashioned recipe that’s tried and true!
• Cherry Pineapple Dump Cake– This cake has a golden cake topping over pineapple cherry filling. It only takes 1 pan, 4 ingredients,  and 5 mins to assemble. It’s literally everyone’s favorite dump cake!
• Cherry Delight Recipe– This recipe is loaded with layers of flavor! It has a crunchy graham cracker crust, a rich, creamy cheesecake layer, and is topped with sweet-tart cherry pie filling!
• Heaven On Earth Cake– One of my favorite summer desserts. Easy to make, pretty to look at, and best of all— juicy red cherries are the star of the show. It’s like a delicious cherry trifle prepared in a 9X13-inch serving dish
• Texas Sheet Cake– One of the most famous chocolate cakes ever. Thick, fudgy icing fused to the top of a moist cake chocolate masterpiece.
• Strawberry Jello Cake– This cake is loaded with amazing strawberry flavor! The strawberry jello really gives it a big flavor punch. The chopped fresh strawberries add another layer of fresh fruit flavor. The homemade buttercream is studded with strawberries and its creamy goodness is the perfect topping for this sheet cake.
• Watermelon– Is it even a summer event without a huge platter of sliced watermelon?