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The Only Memorial Day BBQ Cookout Menu You’ll Ever Need (22 Recipes, 1 Page, 1 Article)
Published On: 5/18/2023 Last Modified: 5/12/2025
Memorial Day is a time to honor those who gave their lives in service of our country. This holiday also marks the beginning of summer, and it’s a time-honored US tradition to gather outside with friends and family to enjoy a barbecue over Memorial Day weekend.
Since burgers and chicken are among America’s most popular backyard dishes, they take center stage in our holiday BBQ and grilling menu. From steakhouse burgers to smash burgers and from crispy Cornell chicken quarters to whole spatchcock chickens, we’ve got you covered. For pork lovers, try the easy pulled pork and last meal ribs!
The rest of the menu features time-honored American classics like coleslaw, potato salad, mac-and-cheese, and baked beans, as well as some extra special offerings like grilled lemonade, bacon-wrapped corn, grilled strawberry shortcake, and more. So pull up a chair and your favorite drink, gather around the table with your family, and enjoy America’s most popular foods on our most venerable holiday.
Big Bob Gibson’s Bama Birds With White BBQ Sauce Recipe
Packed full of flavor, this recipe for Alabama white BBQ sauce is the perfect addition to grilled and smoked chicken. Adapted from the original white BBQ sauce that was created by famed Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Que in Decatur, Alabama, this isn't your ordinary sticky sweet BBQ sauce as it relies on mayonnaise and vinegar.
Sweet Georgia’s Brown Smoked Chicken Recipe, Parts Or Pulled
You've never truly had BBQ chicken until you bite into smoked chicken, Georgia style. Read on for our best smoked bbq chicken recipe.
Grilled Citrus Herb Spatchcocked Chicken Recipe
If you’ve been frustrated by unsuccessful grilled chicken, this recipe for citrus herb rubbed spatchcocked chicken will be a revelation. By removing the backbone and grilling it bone-side down, the chicken slow roasts without drying out or burning while also making sure the dark and white meat cook evenly.
Crispy Grilled Cornell Chicken Will Have You Clucking With Joy
If you like grilled chicken with golden crispy skin then you're about to fall in love with this recipe for crispy grilled Cornell chicken. In New York's Finger lakes, Bob Baker's famous Crispy Cornell Chicken recipe is served in every home, every fire department cookout, and little league BBQ and now you can enjoy it!
You’ve Never Experienced Better Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
There's no reason to settle any longer for dry, flavorless grilled boneless skinless chicken breasts. The secret? My famous mustard marinade.
World Famous Simon & Garfunkel Grilled Chicken Recipe
Grilled chicken has never tasted better thanks to this recipe featuring our amazing Simon & Garfunkel Dry Rub, a wonderful herb based rub that is great on chicken, turkey, and veggies. As with most grilled chicken recipes, we recommend you cut the bird into parts so that you can ensure each is cooked to perfection.
An Easy BBQ Pulled Pork Recipe With Mouthwatering Results
This easy pulled pork recipe skips the slow cooker to create authentic low-and-slow smoked pulled pork on a smoker or grill. With smoke woven through the moist meat, bits of seasoned crust, and a gentle splash of BBQ sauce, pulled pork is perfect for your next backyard cookout.
An Epic Smoked Ribs Recipe (Baby Back or St. Louis Spare Ribs)
Mastering smoked BBQ ribs -- whether they are St. Louis style ribs, spare ribs, or baby back ribs -- with our comprehensive tutorial and recipe will make you a backyard all star.
The Best Basic Creamy Southern Coleslaw Ever
Just say no to bland store bought coleslaw and hello to this delicious homemade recipe. This classic simple creamy Southern coleslaw recipe is not only the perfect side dish for your next BBQ and grilling cookout but is also amazing on a Memphis and South Carolina style pulled pork sandwich or on a West Virginia style hot dog.
Make This Easy Deli-Style Coleslaw At Home
Here's the recipe for that great creamy cole slaw they sell in the delis, and the secret ingredient is sour cream mixed with mayonnaise.
Mom’s Old Fashioned Potato Salad Wows ‘Em Every Time
Make mom proud with this recipe for the perfect potato salad. No backyard BBQ is complete without potato salad but often times it can be lacking in flavor. The secret to old fashioned potato salad is the dressing, a simple blend of mayonnaise and sour cream that perfectly complements the other ingredients.
Pesto Potato Salad: Summer’s New Favorite Side
It's time to rethink serving ordinary potato salad as a side dish at your next BBQ and grilling cookout thanks to this delicious recipe for pesto potatoes. Pesto is a savory pasty green sauce that traditionally includes basil leaves, olive oil, plenty of garlic, pine nuts or walnuts, and parmesan cheese.
Fried Pickles Are An Addictive Appetizer, Especially When Prepared On The Grill
Why fry inside? Your outdoor grill handles the job better and makes incomparable fried pickles. Coated in a light and airy tempura batter, this delicious fried pickle recipe is a novel appetizer for your next cookout. Be prepared to make multiple batches, as everyone will be clamoring for more.
Bourbon BBQ Baked Beans, A Simply Amazing Side
Step up your next cookout with this recipe for the ultimate BBQ baked beans featuring a kiss of Bourbon. This will arguably result in the best baked beans you've ever had, certain to wow your guests. While there are a lot of ingredients, it's actually quick and easy to assemble then stew to perfection.
Simple Boston Baked Beans Recipe, As Easy As They Are Delicious
Looking for the perfect side dish for your next cookout? Nothing screams BBQ more than a sticky and smoky bowl of Boston baked beans. It was in Beantown that the notion of mixing dried beans with molasses was conceived. This flavorful recipe is an ode to the original while offering suggestions for amping them up.
Smoked Mac and Cheese May Be The Best Version Ever
Macaroni and cheese rises to new heights after hitting the grill in this smoked mac and cheese recipe. Baked over live fire with the perfect touch of smoke, the end result is a rich and smoky mac-and-cheese that you’ll dream of for days to come. Served as a main course or side dish, smoked mac and cheese is a surefire hit.
The Best Grilled Corn You’ve Ever Eaten
You will never look at corn the same way again after trying this recipe for the ultimate grill roasted corn on the cob recipe. While boiling and steaming are popular methods of cooking corn, the smokiness and caramelization achieved by grilling it directly over live fire. Butter and tarragon help round out the flavor.
Griddle Grilled Bacon Jalapeño Wrapped Corn
This griddle grilled corn dish makes a perfect accompanying act to almost any recipe, but it could star as a lunch all by itself. The sweetness of the corn works great with the saltiness of the bacon, and the punch of heat from the jalapenos is tempered by the cream cheese.
Griddle Grilled Corn Cakes, Fresh Corn At Its Finest
This griddle grilled corn cakes recipe is the perfect side dish for any backyard cookout. The recipe begins with fire roasting fresh ears of corn. The kernels are then removed and added to a light and airy batter that is grilled on a griddle until fluffy and golden brown. You can even customize your corn cakes!
Benchmark Barbecue Sauces And How To Make Them
The US has several distinct barbecue sauce styles from Kansas City to South Carolina, Eastern Carolinas, Western Carolinas, Texas, Alabama, Kentucky, Hawaii, Florida, Memphis and more. Here is a description of them, and links to buy them, and recipes.
Grilled Lemonade, Summer’s Smokiest Beverage
When life gives you lemons and a grill, why not make grilled lemonade! Nothing is more refreshing on a hot day than lemonade and this recipe takes it over the top. Lemons are halved then grilled until lightly charred before creating a smoky homemade lemonade that will be a surefire hit at any backyard BBQ bash.
Grilled All-American Apple Pie Recipe
Surprise the guests at your next BBQ cookout with this recipe for apple pie on a grill. What could be better after an All-American BBQ than all-American apple pie, cooked on the already warm grill. To make it easier to prepare, the recipe uses a crumble topping versus a second crust on top or a lattice topping.
Smoked Whipped Cream: The Secret To Amazing Grilled Strawberry Shortcake
Briefly grilled strawberries and smoked whipped cream are the stars of this delicious BBQ twist on southern strawberry shortcake. This delicious strawberry shortcake grilled dessert recipe features lightly charred grilled strawberries, blueberries for a patriotic touch, and whipped cream that has been lightly smoked.Related articles
- Myth: Chicken Is Ready When the Juices Run Clear
- What Is Barbecue?
- Grilled, Seared Or Smashed, Every Burger Recipe You’ll Ever Need (19 Recipes, 2 Articles)
- Sweet Georgia’s Brown Smoked Chicken Recipe, Parts Or Pulled
- Big Bob Gibson’s Bama Birds With White BBQ Sauce Recipe
- Grilled Citrus Herb Spatchcocked Chicken Recipe
- Crispy Grilled Cornell Chicken Will Have You Clucking With Joy
- You’ve Never Experienced Better Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- Perfect Grilled Chicken Breasts, The Sous-Vide-Que Method
- World Famous Simon & Garfunkel Grilled Chicken Recipe
- Having A Luau? Here’s The Easiest Hawaiian Huli-Huli Chicken Recipe Ever
- The Best Basic Creamy Southern Coleslaw Ever
- Make This Easy Deli-Style Coleslaw At Home
- Mom’s Old Fashioned Potato Salad Wows ‘Em Every Time
- Pesto Potato Salad: Summer’s New Favorite Side
- Oktoberfest Hot German Potato Salad Is A Hot Take On A Popular Side Dish
- Fried Pickles Are An Addictive Appetizer, Especially When Prepared On The Grill
- Simple Boston Baked Beans Recipe, As Easy As They Are Delicious
- Smoked Mac and Cheese May Be The Best Version Ever
- The Best Grilled Corn You’ve Ever Eaten
- Griddle Grilled Bacon Jalapeño Wrapped Corn
- Grilled Lemonade, Summer’s Smokiest Beverage
- Smoked Whipped Cream: The Secret To Amazing Grilled Strawberry Shortcake
- Benchmark Barbecue Sauces And How To Make Them
- Grilled All-American Apple Pie Recipe
- Bourbon BBQ Baked Beans, A Simply Amazing Side
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