The Fourth of July is almost here, and it is time to get ready with some great food. Try one of these 32 mostly small and easy recipes for your celebrations this year.
Independence Day is one of our favorite holidays. It is all about happy things, not only the birth of our nation but also fun and family. It is one of the biggest summer holidays and represents the middle of summer.
A special call-out to our great friends in Canada, who are celebrating Canada Day on July 1. It is commonly known as Canada's Independence Day, which is somewhat correct but not entirely.
While we enjoy the holiday, please remember the freedoms we enjoy and thank those responsible—the military and our heroic first responders.
🐄Grilled Beef Recipes
There are many ways to enjoy beef for the holiday. These popular ones are easy to scale to the desired amount to keep it small or make it big.
How to Grill Hamburgers
Grill juicy, flavorful hamburgers with ease! This beginner-friendly guide provides step-by-step instructions and simple seasoning with grill settings and timing, allowing you to cook perfect burgers every time with no guesswork and no dry patties.
Grilling Hamburgers
How to Grill Filet Mignon
Grilling filet mignon to perfection on a gas grill is easy with this foolproof method. Learn how to select, season, and grill filet mignon using just a few simple steps. Juicy, tender, and full of flavor—no steakhouse required.
Grilling Beef Filet
Grilled New York Strip Steak (Juicy & Foolproof)
Learn the simple way to grill a perfect New York strip steak—crispy outside, juicy inside, and no guesswork. Perfect for beginners.
Grilled NY Strip Steaks
Grilled Porterhouse Steak (Gas or Charcoal Grill)
Grill a Porterhouse (or T-bone) steak to juicy, tender perfection. This easy method works on gas or charcoal and needs just salt, heat, and a few smart tips.
Grilling Porterhouse or T-Bone Steaks
How to Make Juicy Lucy Burgers
Learn How to Make Juicy Lucy Burgers, a delicious Minnesota bar classic. Quick and easy, make these cheese-stuffed burgers on the grill or stovetop tonight.
Making Juicy Lucy Burgers
Grilled Sirloin Steak
Grilled Sirloin Steak is quick and easy. Use marinade to tenderize and add taste or the seasoning of your choice. Grill the perfect steak juicy and tender steaks every time.
Grilling Sirloin Steaks
Marinated Beef Kabobs
A simple beef kabob marinade with only 3 ingredients is the secret to our juicy and flavorful Marinated Beef Kabob for grilling or in the oven. We love this quick and easy weeknight dinner recipe for two using sirloin steak with added veggies.
Marinaded Sirloin Beef Kabobs
🐓Grilled Chicken Recipes
Nothing can beat some great grilled chicken. A classic grilled entree that you can adjust to small or big.
How to Grill Chicken Drumsticks (Easy and Juicy Every Time)
This easy method shows you how to grill chicken drumsticks with juicy meat and crispy skin. No marinade—just salt, pepper, and the right temperature.
Grilling Drumsticks
Grilling Chicken Thighs on a Gas Grill (Bone-In or Boneless)
Learn the easy method for grilling chicken thighs on a gas grill. Works with bone-in or boneless—just season and grill for juicy, flavorful results.
Grilling Chicken Thighs
How to Grill Chicken Breasts on a Gas Grill
Are you tired of dry, rubbery grilled chicken breasts? Learn to grill juicy and flavorful chicken breasts with this never-fail recipe, including pro tips on preparation, grilling temperature, timing, and seasoning. Just follow these simple step-by-step instructions.
Grilling Chicken Breasts
Ground Chicken Burgers
Delicious and juicy Ground Chicken Burgers are easy to cook on your backyard BBQ grill or stovetop. Crispy and flavorful chicken burgers are a perfect fast weeknight dinner.
Cooking Ground Chicken Burgers
Easy Grilled Chicken Tenders
Juicy, flavorful chicken tenders ready in just 10 minutes on the grill. Simple seasoning, quick prep, and always a hit with the whole family.
Grilling Chicken Tenders
Grilled Split Chicken Breasts—Crispy and Delicious
These Grilled Split Chicken Breasts are extra crispy, moist, and tender on your gas grill. It is a quick, easy, and economical dinner everybody will love.
Grilling Split Chicken Breasts
🐖Grilled Pork Recipes
First, fire up the grill for great chops, or try one of our most popular BBQ recipes—the Memphis pork tenderloin.
Juicy Grilled Pork Chops (Easy for Beginners)
Learn how to grill pork chops that turn out juicy and flavorful every time, whether using a gas or charcoal grill. This foolproof method works with boneless or bone-in chops and takes just 30 minutes from start to finish. Finish with BBQ sauce or keep it simple with pantry spices—either way, these chops are always a hit.
How to Grill Pork Chops
How to Grill Pork Tenderloin (Juicy, Tender, and Easy)
Grill perfectly juicy, tender pork tenderloin over direct heat. It's easy, fast, and beginner-friendly with no zone grilling needed.
Grilled Pork Tenderloin
The Best BBQ Pork Tenderloin – Memphis Style
BBQ pork tenderloin is outstanding and is the best grill pork tenderloin—period. Moist, tender, and the most wonderful sweet-spicy taste of Memphis BBQ. This will become your top recipe for company grilling.
The Best BBQ Pork Tenderloin
Grilled Baby Back Ribs for Beginners
Learn how to cook perfect Grilled Baby Back Ribs on a gas grill that are tender, juicy, and packed with BBQ flavor without a smoker or years of experience. With a simple dry rub and a few tips, this foolproof recipe will have you cooking ribs like a pro.
Grilling Ribs
Grilled Boneless Pork Ribs
Learn how to grill boneless country-style ribs with fantastic tenderness and moisture in 30 minutes. Using just a dry rub and BBQ sauce, you can quickly and easily barbecue country-style pork ribs on your gas grill with these step-by-step instructions.
Grilling Boneless Country Style Ribs
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Side Dishes
The main dishes are great, but the sides can easily make the meal.
Simple Spinach Salad with Bacon
This is a simple spinach salad with bacon and an easy homemade spinach salad dressing with ketchup on fresh baby spinach. You can add toppings of your choice and other greens like kale. Make it your way, or follow my suggestions. Use it as a side dish or load it with protein for a delicious summer lunch.
Simple Spinich Salad with Bacon
Broccoli Slaw Salad
Broccoli Slaw Salad has great crunch and flavor. It has broccoli slaw salad, veggies, almonds, and rice noodles. The homemade dressing is a delicious touch.
How to make Broccoil Slaw Salad
Microwave Corn on the Cob in the Husk
Microwave Corn On the Cob in the Husk is super easy. No husking, just short microwaving, and you will have perfect sweet corn every time with no mess.
Microwaving Corn on the Cob
Easy Macaroni Salad (Small Batch & Creamy)
This easy cold macaroni salad makes a small batch—perfect for two meals with no waste. Creamy, fresh, and better than deli.
Making Homemade Macaroni Salad
Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Raisins
The best broccoli salad recipe is homemade for freshness. It has crunchy broccoli, crispy bacon, juicy raisins, cheddar cheese, and a creamy, sweet, tangy homemade dressing.
Making Broccoli Salad
Grilled Mixed Vegetables
Delicious Grilled Mixed Vegetables cooked on the grill compliments any meal. You can easily add them to your grill while you cook dinner to complete your meal.
Grilling Mixed Vegetables
Bigger main dishes
Not all parties are smaller. While all the suggested recipes may be scaled up, you can check out these bigger recipes that may fit your needs.
How to Cook a Brisket on a Gas Grill
Cook smoked Grilled Brisket low-and-slow on your backyard gas grill—moist and tender meat with crusty bark and a smokey taste. Make classic BBQ brisket without a smoker.
Grilled Brisket
Easiest Oven Baked BBQ Beef Brisket
Learn how simple it is to make smoky and tender Oven Baked BBQ Beef Brisket with this never fail brisket recipe—just two ingredients and 5 minutes of prep time—everybody deserves great BBQ.
Oven Baked BBQ Brisket
Oven Pulled Pork from Pork Butt (Low and Slow at 250°F)
This easy pulled pork recipe uses a pork butt, dry rub, and low oven heat to create tender, juicy pork with crispy bark. No smoker needed—just big BBQ flavor, right from your kitchen.
Oven Baked Pulled Pork
Pulled Pork Loin in the Oven
Pulled pork loin in the oven, baked in spicy braising fluid, is tender and easy to shred for healthier, low-fat pulled pork. Serve with BBQ sauce for easy shredded pork sandwiches for two or a crowd.
Pulled Pork Loin in the Oven
Chicken for a Crowd
It is easier than you think to feed a crowd fresh baked chicken. From a small party to a large group of a hundred or more, this recipe for baked chicken is perfect for any size crowd. Start with skin-on chicken breasts and drumsticks. Trim to finger food size, season to taste, and bake. Also, learn to keep your party safe with the food safety tips.
Chicken for a Crowd
Ground Beef Taco Meat
This easy ground beef taco meat recipe has bold flavors and takes just 25 minutes to prepare.
Ground Beef Taco Meat
Desserts and treats
Easy Old Fashioned Apple Crisp
This easy Old Fashioned Apple Crisp is a small-batch recipe requiring only three apples and a few pantry ingredients. It's easy to make for two or a crowd. I love this delicious apple dessert, with cinnamon apples and a delicious crumble topping, just like Grandma would make.
Easy Apple Crisp
Chocolate Chip Cheesecake and Cheesecake Bars
This easy Chocolate Chip Cheesecake recipe can be made as a whole cheesecake or, as we prefer, impressive Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars. It is simple and almost foolproof, using cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, and an Oreo crust. Please try our go-to recipe for parties or take-a-dish occasions.
Chocolate Chip Cheesecake and Cheesecake Bars
Easy Cheesecake Bars
These Easy Cheesecake Bars are creamy and delicious with a Graham cracker crust and lemon—the quick small-batch recipe you need with great tasting cheesecake bars.
Small Batch Cheesecake Bars
Blueberry Cream Cheese Bars
Blueberry Cream Cheese Bars are the perfect blueberry dessert recipe with sweet berries, cream cheese filling, a buttery shortbread crust, and a crumble topping. Get blueberry cheesecake flavor without the fuss. Easy to make in about an hour.
Blueberry Cream Cheese Bars
Fresh Strawberry Jello Pie (Easy & Reliable)
This fresh strawberry Jello pie has been a family favorite for nearly 50 years. Made with real strawberries, a simple Jello glaze, and a premade crust, it's an easy, no-fuss dessert anyone can make—and everyone loves.
Strawberry Pie with Jello
Grilled Pineapple Slices with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Glaze
Glazed grilled pineapple slices are an easy delicious summer side dish. With a buttery caramelized brown sugar glaze, it also makes a great dessert when combined with ice cream—Ready in less than 15 minutes.
Grilling Glazed Pineapple
Food Safety
Please don't forget food safety. Every year, after every summer holiday, I see several families with food-borne illnesses—always preventable with some easy precautions. Check out the USDA Food Safety Recommendations.
Please enjoy the recipes, and don't forget the party animals; check out the Homemade Low Calorie Dog Treats.
Have great fun and a safe holiday.
Wifo, Molly, Lilly, and DrDan
Editor's Note: Originally Published July 1, 2017. Updated yearly for republication.
Ed says
Thanks for the shoutout to Canada, you have a great 4th of July.
Betty Wickett says
As a Canadian, (immigrant), I thank you for acknowledging our special day. Here in Canada we are acknowledging some unpleasant truths about our history while also celebrating this wonderful country. Looking forward to visiting when the borders open up.
Betty Wickett says
As a Canadian I thank you for acknowledging our special day. This year especially we in Canada are facing some unpleasant truths about our history while still celebrating our wonderful country. Looking forward to visiting your country when the borders open up.
Helen Arano says
What Beautiful Dogs, great with kids too.
Have a wonderful 4th.!
Ashley says
Everything looks delicious!!