41 Summer Cookout Favorites for a Delicious Season

Barbecue-Spiced Potato Chips

These golden, smoky-sweet chips get their signature crunch from a vinegar soak before frying.

Herb Guacamole

Chef Enrique Olvera’s guacamole is vibrant and herbaceous thanks to basil, mint, tarragon, and cilantro, herbs that help bring out the butteriness of ripe avocados.

Spicy Cashew-Lemongrass Snack Mix

Buttery cashews, toasted coconut, and crispy garlic get a citrusy lift from lime leaves and lemongrass in this make-ahead snack from Night + Market’s Kris Yenbamroong.

Tomatillo Salsa Cruda

This raw salsa from 2021 F&W Best New Chef Fermín Núñez is tart, spicy, and vibrant, starring fresh tomatillos and a trio of green chiles. It's delicious with chips or spooned over any dish on your cookout buffet.

Mustard Slaw

Steven Raichlen’s no-mayo slaw balances tangy mustard and vinegar with a hit of hot sauce and sugar. Lots of crunch and punch will balance out your smokiest, meatiest cookout mains.

Pineapple and Serrano Ham Salad with Thai Red Curry Vinaigrette

Sweet pineapple, bitter radicchio, and savory Serrano ham meet in a striking salad dressed with a Thai red curry vinaigrette.

Charred Cabbage Salad with Pecan Dukkah and Chile-Lime Butter

Char meets crunch in this cabbage salad from chef Nick Cobarruvias of San Francisco's Otra, which pairs grilled cabbage with toasted pecan dukkah — all tossed in a chile-lime butter.

Grilled Corn on the Cob with Calamansi Mayo

Chef Sheldon Simeon reimagines Mexican elote through the lens of Hawaii, layering creamy calamansi mayo, seaweed flakes, and Japanese chile onto grilled corn.

Stone Fruit Salad with Collard-Peanut Pesto

This savory fruit salad of juicy plums and nectarines and fluffy fonio dressed in a collard green–peanut pesto is how Nicole Taylor likes to celebrate Juneteenth at “parties where we dapped, hugged, boogied, and kissed under the moonlight.” Keep the party going all summer.

Grilled Summer Squash with Roasted Pistachio Sauce

A tangy, nutty pistachio-tomatillo sauce transforms this dish of grilled zucchini and squash, inspired by 2022 F&W Best New Chef Rob Rubba of Oyster Oyster in Washington D.C.

Gazpacho Salad

1995 F&W Best New Chef Anne Quatrano tosses peak summer vegetables in a gazpacho-inspired viniagrette. “It’s a perfect way to highlight all that is right about summer vegetables at their peak,” she says.

Grilled Watermelon with Chamomile-Cocoa Salt

Nicole A. Taylor draws on childhood memories for this smoky-sweet grilled watermelon, topped with chamomile, fennel, cocoa, and benne seeds.

Tomato Pie

In the south, tomato pie means piecrust. Here, ripe tomatoes, crisp panko, fresh basil, creamy mayonnaise, and cheesy cheddar and Gruyère are layered into a flaky par-baked crust and baked until lightly browned.

Green Goddess Pasta Salad

Packed with radishes, asparagus, and artichokes, this tangy, bright, and refreshing pasta salad was made for outdoor eating. It's all tossed in a classic creamy, herby Green Goddess dressing.

Classic Potato Salad

Creamy, cool, and made from baby potatoes that don't need to be peeled, this dish is as simple as it is delicious. Best of all, it's barbecue-ready in under an hour (but can be refrigerated for up to one day).

Gina Mae's Baked Beans

Regina Bradley’s take on baked beans doubles down on smoky sweetness with store-bought barbecue sauce, brown sugar, and vinegar.

“This task is not for the faint of heart or the thin-skinned,” says Bradley (nicknamed Gina Mae as a child). “If your beans taste burnt or your potato salad has raisins or olives, we talking bad about you 'til your grandchildren hear about it.” 

Lemony Chickpea Salad

Scoop up this lemony chickpea salad from Tom Colicchio with warm pita bread, chips, or your favorite grilled main. It's delicious cold or at room temperature – ideal for outdoor eating.

Roasted Hot Honey Sweet Potato Salad

Sweet, smoky, and spicy, this hot honey–dressed sweet potato salad brings both crunch (with toasted pecans) and tang (with pickled onions). The colorful side dish just might steal the show.

Mac Salad

Chef Sheldon Simeon’s creamy, dreamy mac salad is a plate lunch staple in Hawai‘i. Loaded with mayo, it achieves its velvety texture with one strict rule: do overcook the pasta.

Hatch Chile Smash Burgers

Swap out ketchup for homemade Hatch chile salsa in these New Mexico–inspired smash burgers. Gooey cheese, crispy edges, and just enough heat make them cookout gold.

Swordfish Steaks with Salmoriglio

A lemony five-ingredient Italian sauce does double duty here, infusing swordfish with herbaceous brightness as a marinade and finishing it as a sauce with a verdant drizzle. It's as impressive to taste as it is easy to make.

Smoky Mushroom Skewers with Labneh and Salsa Verde

These grilled king trumpet and oyster mushrooms are smoky, savory, and satisfyingly meaty. Piled into warm pitas with tangy labneh and an herby salsa verde, they make for a fresh and filling main.

Smoked Pork Butt

This classic barbecue centerpiece is a cookout star. Rubbed with mustard and brown sugar, pork butt smokes low and slow for tender, juicy meat with a deep bark.

Barbecue Jackfruit Sandwiches with Cabbage Slaw

These jackfruit sandwiches are saucy, sweet, and smoky proof that barbecue isn't just for carnivores. Crunchy, creamy slaw and quick-pickled red onions give it extra snap.

Grilled Lobster Tails with Stelline and Lemon

This luxurious-yet-simple meal from food writer and cookbook author Paula Disbrowe piles grilled lobster tails on a bed of star-shaped pasta. “Lobster tails are at their most delicious when the sweet, luxurious meat absorbs a whiff of smoke,” she writes, and the stelline “provides a tender contrast that’s fun to eat and soaks up the buttery juices.”

Grilled Italian Sausage with Apple Mustard and Giardiniera

Chef Tyler Florence brings major flavor to grilled sausages with a sweet apple mustard and tangy giardiniera. His secret to a perfect link is to sear it on the hottest part of the grill, then to finish cooking it over indirect heat.

Grilled Halloumi Burgers with Citrus Tapenade

A thick slice of charred halloumi serves as the patty for these punchy vegetarian burgers. With lemony aïoli, briny olive-citrus tapenade, and sweet roasted red peppers, they’re salty, tangy, and totally satisfying.

Lahem Meshwy (Lamb Shish Kebabs)

These paprika-dusted lamb skewers from League of Kitchens instructor Jeanette Chawki are a Lebanese cookout classic. Deeply savory and tender, they go great with creamy muhammara (roasted red pepper and walnut dip), biwaz (onion-parsley salad), and of course, warm pita.

Al Pastor–Style Chicken Skewers

These smoky, spice-rubbed skewers bring the flavors of al pastor to the backyard. With ancho and árbol chiles, warm spices, and juicy thighs, they’re perfect with tortillas, lime, and avocado.

Grilled Oysters with Spicy Tarragon Butter

Chef Bobby Flay serves up smoky grilled oysters that swim in a golden tarragon butter. Choose oysters with a deep shell to hold the reservoir of butter and oyster liquor.

Yogurt-Marinated Grilled Chicken

This yogurt marinade ensures juicy grilled chicken flavored with garlic, cumin, and cayenne. Make it ahead, let it rest, and don’t worry if you overcook it a little — it can take the heat.

Strawberry-Saffron Shortcake

This strawberry shortcake goes for gold with saffron and lemon syrup. Mascarpone whipped cream and ripe berries are heaped on top for a floral, fragrant, and festive summer dessert.

Banana Pudding Paletas

Chef and cookbook author Paola Velez turns banana pudding into dreamy frozen pops made with browned butter, vanilla wafers, and whipped cream. It's nostalgia on a stick.

Sour Cherry Pie

This two-cherry pie — made with both sour and Bing cherries — gets extra richness from almond frangipane and a golden butter crust. A modern lattice of cut-out dough makes it as pretty as it is tart-sweet.

Red Velvet Cake Ice Cream Sandwiches

In this recipe from chef Taffy Elrod, cakey red velvet cookies sandwich a tangy, no-churn cream cheese ice cream. Make ahead and let them soften slightly for the perfect chewy-bite combo.

Salty-Sweet Chocolate Pretzel Bars

Justin Chapple brings together crunchy pretzels, rich chocolate, and a buttery graham cracker crust for a delicious dessert that's designed for easy transport and serving.

Pineapple Jalapeño Agua Fresca

Sweet pineapple and spicy jalapeño blend into this vibrant agua fresca. Make sure you strain the crowd-ready concoction well. It comes together in just a few minutes and can be kept in the fridge for up to two days.

Agua de Jamaica

This classic Mexican hibiscus cooler is tart, floral, and refreshing. The recipe from Oscar Hernandez, the culinary director and master taquero behind New York City's Tacombi restaurant group, calls for just three ingredients: dried hibiscus, water, and agave.

Charred Citrus Margarita

Grilled oranges, grapefruit, and tangerines give added depth and smoky flavor to this pitcher-ready margarita recipe. Rim the glass with chili salt and pour freely.

Red Sangria

Sangria is a party classic for good reason: It's flexible, it's beloved, and it's easy to make. While this recipe calls for a low-tannin red wine, feel free to swap it out with white or rosé.

Blackberry Chipotle Michelada

Savory meets sweet in this smoky-spicy cross between a michelada and a smash. Fresh blackberries, lime, chipotle hot sauce, and lager come together in a glass, a hybrid that is fizzy, fruity, and utterly refreshing.