There is no better excuse to go all out in the kitchen than the 4th of July!
It’s the one day of the year where the menu practically writes itself: something off the grill, a few cold sides, and a dessert that turns heads.
I’ve pulled together 20 of my favorite recipes for Independence Day, from crowd-pleasing appetizers to the kind of burgers that make people ask for the recipe.
Go through the list and let me know what’s making it onto your table this year!
20. Chocolate Chip Strawberry Shortcake
Strawberry shortcake is one of those desserts that everyone loves, and this version takes it up a notch with mini chocolate chips studded through the vanilla cake layers.
The chocolate plays a supporting role while the strawberries stay front and center, layered between homemade jam and strawberry-swirled whipped cream. It’s a three-layer showstopper that’s worth every bit of effort.
Set this out at the end of the night and watch it disappear.
19. Peach Blueberry Cobbler
Fresh peaches and juicy blueberries bake together under a coconut-pecan crust for one of the best summer desserts you’ll make all season.
The crust is the real star here. Crumbly, sweet, and packed with texture, it pairs beautifully with the soft, caramelized fruit underneath. Make it in a cast iron skillet and bring it straight to the table.
Serve warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.
18. Patriotic Star Sugar Cookies
These star-shaped sugar cookies are buttery and crisp, all dressed up in red, white and blue for the holiday.
The dough uses sour cream and lemon zest for a subtle tang that sets them apart from your average sugar cookie.
Decorating with gel food coloring, piping bags, and a small paintbrush is easier than it looks, and the finished cookies are a real crowd-pleaser for all ages.
Great for making ahead and transporting to any 4th of July celebration.
17. Honey Cornbread
This from-scratch honey cornbread is moist, sweet and better than anything that comes out of a box.
Buttermilk keeps it tender while honey adds just the right amount of sweetness without going overboard.
It comes together in one bowl and has a gluten-free option using a measure-for-measure flour swap.
Serve it warm alongside ribs, pulled chicken, or chili.
16. Steakhouse Mac and Cheese
This creamy mac and cheese is inspired by the famous Outback Steakhouse side dish, and it’s every bit as good as the original.
A combination of Velveeta and sharp cheddar creates a rich, smooth cheese sauce that coats every piece of pasta.
It gets topped with a seasoned breadcrumb mixture and baked until golden brown. It works as a side or a main, and it feeds a crowd.
Serve it hot, right out of the baking dish.
15. Black Bean, Corn and Avocado Salad
This is one of those salads that goes with everything on the cookout table, and it always gets requests for the recipe.
Black beans, fresh corn, cherry tomatoes, creamy avocado, scallions and cilantro come together in a light honey lime dressing.
It’s fresh, filling and gluten-free. Serve it as a side, spoon it over grilled chicken or set out a bag of tortilla chips for scooping.
Make it ahead and add the avocado just before serving.
14. Sweet Summer Corn & Scallion Salad
Summer corn at its peak is something special, and this simple salad lets it shine.
Corn is grilled or boiled and shaved off the cob, then tossed with diced avocado, scallions and crumbled cotija cheese in a light honey vinaigrette made with champagne vinegar and olive oil.
It’s sweet, salty and fresh all at once.
Serve at room temperature alongside grilled meats or fish.
13. Healthy Southwestern Coleslaw
If you want a slaw that’s lighter but still full of flavor, this is the one.
Red and green cabbage are tossed with corn, jalapeño peppers and scallions in a creamy avocado dressing.
There’s no mayo and no dairy, making it vegan, gluten-free and low carb. The avocado dressing blends up smooth in seconds and adds serious creaminess without the heaviness.
It tastes even better after a few hours in the fridge, so make it ahead!
12. Honey Old Bay Chicken Wings
These air fryer wings are a serious upgrade from traditional buffalo wings.
Chicken wings are tossed in salt, pepper and Old Bay seasoning, then air fried until crispy and golden.
A homemade sauce made from butter, honey, garlic and more Old Bay gets whisked together on the stove until slightly thickened, then poured over the hot wings. Sweet, savory and just a little coastal.
No air fryer? They bake just as well at 425 degrees in the oven!
11. Potato Salad
This is a copycat of Red Hot and Blue’s famous potato salad, and it only takes six ingredients to make!
Red-skinned potatoes are cooked with the skins on, then combined with hard-boiled eggs, mayonnaise, chopped scallions, celery seed and salt.
The result is a simple, creamy potato salad with great texture and a distinct celery seed flavor that people always ask about.
Serve at room temperature for the full Red Hot and Blue experience.
10. Crab Cakes
These are steakhouse-style crab cakes where the crab is the star and filler is kept to a minimum.
Lump crab meat is gently combined with panko breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, fresh herbs including parsley and tarragon, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice.
Pan-fried in canola oil until golden brown, they come out with a crispy crust and a sweet, tender center.
Serve with cocktail sauce or tartar sauce and fresh lemon wedges.
9. Restaurant Style Coleslaw
This is the coleslaw that reminds you of the ones from your favorite barbecue spots, and it’s incredibly easy to make at home.
Shredded green cabbage and matchstick carrots are tossed in a tangy-sweet dressing made with mayonnaise, white vinegar, sugar, paprika, garlic powder and dry mustard.
Finely chopped so you get that classic restaurant texture, it’s a timeless side that pairs with everything from burgers to fried chicken.
Make it a few hours ahead for the best flavor.
8. Smoked Fish Dip
One bite of this creamy smoked fish dip and you’ll feel like you’re sitting dockside in South Florida!
Smoked white fish is blended with cream cheese, mayonnaise, Old Bay seasoning, lemon juice, hot sauce, diced celery, red bell pepper and pickled jalapeños.
It’s salty, smoky and just a little spicy. Grab your fish already smoked at the grocery store for easy prep.
Serve chilled with plain crackers or saltines for an authentic Florida experience.
7. Baked Dry Rub Wings
These naked wings are coated in a bold homemade spice blend inspired by the Buffalo Wild Wings dry rub, then baked until golden and crispy.
The rub combines garlic powder, onion powder, brown sugar, chili powder, paprika, cumin, cayenne and a few other spices for layers of flavor that hold up without any sauce.
For extra juicy wings, brine them in chicken broth before baking. No frying, no mess and no sauce required!
Serve with ranch or blue cheese dressing for dipping.
6. Honey Butter Old Bay Salmon
Old Bay seasoning on salmon is one of those combinations that just makes sense, and this one-pan recipe proves it.
A thick glaze of honey, garlic, Old Bay and butter goes onto each fillet before it hits the oven. Ten minutes later, you’ve got salmon that’s sweet, savory and packed with flavor.
It’s naturally gluten-free and comes together faster than almost anything else on this list.
Serve it over greens or with your favorite side for a crowd-pleasing plate.
5. Turkey Burger Sliders
Sliders are made for holiday parties, and these turkey burger ones with two kinds of melty cheese are a guaranteed hit on any 4th of July spread.
The ground turkey gets a flavor boost from mayonnaise and fish sauce before it ever hits the pan, which is the reason people always ask what’s in these.
Baked in a sheet pan and piled onto soft buns with sharp cheddar, American cheese, caramelized onions, and special sauce, they come out golden, gooey and impossible to resist.
Set these out alongside your wings and watch them go fast!
4. Sticky Sweet BBQ Chicken Wings
No Fourth of July spread is complete without a great BBQ wing, and these sticky sweet ones are hard to beat.
The wings get coated in a flour and paprika mixture before cooking, which gives the homemade sauce something to cling to.
That sauce is made from scratch with ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, honey, smoked paprika, cumin and a hit of hot sauce.
Grill them for the full backyard cookout experience, or bake and air fry them if you’re keeping things simple.
Put these out at your Independence Day party and they will be the first thing to go.
3. Hot Honey BBQ Chicken Sandwiches with Crispy Onion Strings
These pulled chicken sandwiches are a backyard party dream, and they can be prepped entirely in advance.
Chicken gets slow-cooked in a thick, from-scratch hot honey BBQ sauce made with sautéed onions, garlic, ketchup, ancho chili powder, honey, brown sugar and hot sauce.
Piled high on thick-sliced grilled bread with crispy buttermilk onion strings on top, these sandwiches are sticky, smoky and seriously satisfying.
Set out a crockpot and let guests serve themselves.
2. Best Ever Fried Chicken
This recipe produces crispy, flavorful, restaurant-quality fried chicken using boneless skinless chicken breasts, and it skips the brine entirely.
The chicken gets dredged in a seasoned buttermilk mixture with paprika and hot sauce, then through a flour and cornstarch coating that fries up impossibly crispy.
No special equipment needed, just a deep pan and some vegetable oil. It’s faster than you’d expect and the results are genuinely outstanding.
The kind of fried chicken people talk about for weeks.
1. Classic All-American Burgers
At the top of any 4th of July menu is a great burger, and this is the one!
Ground beef gets mixed with a small amount of mayonnaise and fish sauce, the unexpected ingredient that adds a rich, salty depth that people can never quite put their finger on but always love.
Form the patties with a thumb depression in the center to keep them from puffing up, flip only once, and never press down.
Top with two slices of American cheese, crisp iceberg lettuce, a thick slice of beefsteak tomato, kettle chips, and a tangy special sauce made with mayo, ketchup, relish and horseradish.
Serve on a toasted potato roll with a cold beer. It doesn’t get more American than this!
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