With the Fourth of July just days away, it's time to fire up the grill and round up the neighbors for an epic backyard feast. But instead of saving all the holiday-worthy meals for one day, we'll be serving seven nights' worth of impressive dinners that your guests (or roommates) will adore. Don't let their Insta-worthy looks fool you: These recipes are as tasty and photo-worthy as they are easy to prepare.
65 Delicious 4th of July Recipes to Make for an Epic Summer Cookout
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Produce
7 ears corn
1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 large zucchini
2 lemons
1 banana shallot
Baby gem lettuce, for serving
1 small yellow onion
1 pint Sungold tomatoes
1 small red cabbage
2 medium carrots
2 medium heads fennel
4 limes
One 1-inch piece ginger
1 European cucumber
1 jalapeño
1 garlic clove
1 pound baby potatoes
1 bunch asparagus
1 bunch basil
1 bunch dill
2 bunches scallions
1 bunch chives
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch parsley
Meat
1 pound 5 ounces skinless, boneless white fish fillets
6 large eggs
4 ounces guanciale or pancetta
2½ pounds chicken drumsticks
1½ pounds flank steak
1 pound unpeeled shrimp
1 pound smoked andouille sausage
Dairy
2 sticks unsalted butter
5 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
1 ounce grated Pecorino Romano cheese
8 ounces plain Greek yogurt
Grains
1 pound lasagna noodles
Brioche buns or white bread, for serving
Hamburger buns, for serving
1 pound spaghetti
12 white corn tortillas
Canned and Packaged Goods
3 ounces capers
4 ounces panko breadcrumbs
1 preserved lemon
3 cornichons
French fries, for serving
7 ounces green lentils
Coleslaw, for serving
Pantry Ingredients: extra-virgin olive oil, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, all-purpose flour, za'atar, canola or sunflower oil, mayonnaise, ketchup, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, yellow mustard, honey, cumin, garlic powder, seasoned rice vinegar, sriracha, vegetable oil, dried cumin, dried coriander, chili powder, smoked paprika, dried thyme, dried oregano, cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper flakes
Does it get more summery than a pasta dish starring corn, tomatoes, zucchini and asparagus? We think not. This twist on lasagna is just right for a Monday night, since it comes together in a single pan-no layering or baking required.
You'll be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to make chippy-caliber fish at home. The secret is chilling the fillets after dredging them. This allows the egg to set with the flour, resulting in breading that adheres like a charm once it's fried. We'll bring the chips.
Green lentils stand in for traditional ground beef in this plant-based take on the nostalgic sammy. The sauce has all the essentials (ketchup! mustard! apple cider vinegar!), so it'll be just as lip-smackingly savory as you remember, despite there being no meat.
Carbonara is beloved for its richness, but vibrant Sungold tomatoes add a welcome punch of brightness that complements the dish better than you might think. If you can't find traditional guanciale, substitute pancetta or smoked bacon.
Sure, the sweet-and-spicy sauce will work on thighs or breasts, but it's so much more fun (and summer-appropriate) to eat with your hands, so we're partial to drumsticks. The tangy, crunchy slaw will cut right through the heat of the char-kissed chicken.
Juicy, expertly seasoned flank steak meets cool, herbaceous cuke salsa for a handheld your guests will rave about. Be sure to let the meat rest for about 15 minutes after cooking and to slice it against the grain (across the parallel muscle fibers of the meat) for supremely tender results.
All the flavor of a Cajun-style seafood boil, minus the massive pot (and mess). Instead, we skewer the essentials, slather them in spicy seasoned butter and grill them to perfection. Once cooked, lay newspaper over your patio table, place the skewers on top and let your guests go to town.
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Taryn Pire is PureWow's associate food editor. A former bartender and barista, she's been writing about all things delicious since 2016, developing recipes, reviewing restaurants and investigating food trends at Food52, New Jersey Family Magazine and Taste Talks. When she isn't testing TikTok's latest viral recipe, she's having popcorn for dinner and posting about it on Instagram @cookingwithpire.