Recipes for Your Next Fourth of July Picnic
Headed to a Fourth of July picnic or hosting? Here are some easy recipes to help you get the party started!
If you find yourself heading to a Fourth of July picnic every year and wondering what to bring with you, wonder no more! There are so many great picnic food ideas that you can easily whip up to bring with you!
Before you get cooking, there are a few things to keep in mind. While you’re busy planning your menu for the Fourth of July, you may forget something very important. Keeping your food fresh and your guests happy and healthy!
During the summer months, there tends to be a large increase in incidents of food poisoning. The warmer temperatures cause bacteria to multiply faster. According to new research released by the International Food Information Council, nearly two-thirds of Americans are not using a food thermometer to regularly check the temperature of meat and poultry.
Four Steps to Food Safety: Clean, Separate, Cook and Chill
- Clean: Make sure you clean all utensils, hands, and surfaces with soapy water. If you’re going to be outside, using a moist towelette is a good idea.
- Separate: Don’t put meat items back on the same plate you used for the raw meat! Make sure you bring two plates for grilling and separate raw meat from fruits and veggies.
- Cook: Hamburgers should be cooked to 160 °Fahrenheit before serving. Remember, just because it’s brown doesn’t mean its safe, use a food thermometer every time.
- Chill: The general rule is to never let food sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours, but once the temps reach 90 °Fahrenheit, that’s reduced to 1 hour.
When cooking this summer simply remember the Four Steps to Food Safety: Clean, Separate, Cook and Chill!
Recipes for Your Next Fourth of July Picnic
Classic BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders: No 4th of July picnic is complete without a finger-licking barbecue favorite. Slow-cooked, tender pulled pork smothered in a tangy and smoky BBQ sauce is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Serve it on soft slider buns, along with a side of coleslaw for that perfect balance of flavors. This savory delight is sure to be a hit among your picnic-goers.
Refreshing Watermelon and Feta Salad: Beat the summer heat with a refreshing watermelon and feta salad. Cut juicy watermelon into bite-sized cubes and combine it with crumbled feta cheese, fresh mint leaves, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. The sweet and salty combination, enhanced by the hint of mint, creates a burst of flavors that will leave your taste buds satisfied and refreshed.
Zesty Grilled Chicken Skewers: Fire up the grill and prepare some zesty grilled chicken skewers that are sure to impress. Marinate bite-sized chicken pieces in a flavorful blend of lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, and herbs like rosemary and thyme. Thread the marinated chicken onto skewers and grill until cooked through, with a beautiful charred exterior. Serve them with a cool and creamy tzatziki sauce for dipping.
Caprese Pasta Salad: Add a refreshing twist to the classic Caprese salad by transforming it into a satisfying pasta dish. Cook al dente pasta such as rotini or fusilli and let it cool. Toss the pasta with fresh mozzarella balls, cherry tomatoes, basil leaves, and a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic glaze. Season with salt and pepper to taste. This salad is not only visually appealing but also bursts with the flavors of summer.
From dips to salads to dessert, we have you covered!
Recipes for Fourth of July Picnic
Headed to a Fourth of July picnic or hosting? Here are some easy recipes to help you get the party started!
Appetizers
The best picnic appetizers for your Fourth of July Party!
Bacon Cheddar Deviled Eggs
They say bacon makes everything better, right? Deviled eggs are usually a must-have at any picnic. Keep it up a notch by adding bacon and cheddar!
Easy Layered Taco Dip {A Fun Patriotic Side Dish Recipe}
Bring this Patriotic Easy Layered Taco Dip to your next summer picnic! It’s a quick and easy side dish that you don’t have to bake. Serve with tortilla chips.
Easy Italian Hoagie Dip
Your favorite Italian hoagie flavors and meats, chopped and served dip-style with crusty baguette slices.
Antipasto Skewers - An easy, impressive party appetizer!
Delicious ingredients all together in one little appetizer skewer. These Antipasto Skewers are a super easy, make-ahead, grab-and-go party snack!
An Easy Appetizer for the 4th of July - Whipped Feta
his festive whipped feta with tomatoes and blue corn chips is an easy appetizer for the 4th of July. No cooking is involved, you just need to mix up the whipped feta and assemble the ingredients to form a flag.
Sides
From pasta to potato, salads are the perfect side dish for your Fourth of July picnic!
BLT Pasta Salad
This bacon, lettuce and tomato pasta salad will be a hit at your summer cookouts and picnics
Red, White & Blue Spinach Salad
This Spinach Salad is perfect for the 4th of July and the summer! Red strawberries, blue blueberries and white feta!
Very BEST LOADED Potato Salad Recipe
Serve up the VERY BEST Loaded Potato Salad! It has Red (crispy bacon), White (potato), & Blue (cheese) with crisp celery and green onions.
Macaroni Salad Recipe and Recipes for Labor Day Picnics
A Macaroni Salad Recipe is the perfect addition to any picnic or BBQ celebration during warmer months. Luckily for us, Labor Day BBQs and Picnics are just around the corner.
Main Course
Burgers, hot dogs, and sliders are the perfect main course for your Fourth of July picnic!
Easy 3-Ingredient Tornado Hot Dogs
Easy 3-ingredient Tornado Hot Dogs will be a smashing hit at your 4th of July barbecue!
Barbecue Chicken Sliders with Mango Slaw
Barbecue pulled chicken sliders with a mango jicama and cilantro slaw
Blue Cheese and Bacon Sliders
These Blue Cheese and Bacon Sliders are easy baked sandwiches that you can make for your next potluck, picnic, or weeknight meal.
Perfectly Grilled Hamburgers and Homemade French Fries for the Fourth of July!
Whether you stay with the traditional ingredients or try something daring, enjoy this taste of Americana with your family and friends as you watch the fireworks and celebrate our country’s independence.
Drinks
Make a toast this Fourth of July!
Firecracker Punch recipe: Fruity Fizzy Punch with a Bang!
Punch recipes make any occasion feel like a celebration. Firecracker Punch celebrates summer and Fourth of July with fruity flavors and a bang (from a secret ingredient)!
Red White and Blue Slushy Cocktail ⋆ Sugar, Spice and Glitter
A fun summer twist on our slushy cocktail recipe, these Red, White and Blue Berry Slushies are a patriotic way to cool down this 4th of July.
Sparkling White Sangria Recipe for July 4th!
Serve this light and refreshing Sparkling July 4th White Sangria recipe at your Independence Day celebration. Made with sweet fruit and white wine, serve it all summer!
Popsicle Cocktails & Tassel Stir Sticks
Two ingredient cocktails made with your favorite popsicles.
Dessert
End the day with these sweet patriotic desserts!
Patriotic Chocolate Covered Strawberries-Perfect for 4TH OF JULY!🇺🇸
Fourth of July, Memorial Day and Labor Day – these Red, White and Blue Chocolate Covered Strawberries will be the perfect way to celebrate these patriotic holiday’s!
Red, White, and Blue Icebox Cake
This easy Red, White, and Blue Icebox Cake is a delicious no bake dessert that’s perfect for the 4th of July (and other patriotic occasions) or any summer party!
Easy 4th of July Dessert Pizza makes an American Flag
4th of July dessert is the highlight of the holiday especially this American Flag Fruit Cookie Dessert Pizza. Irresistible in red, white and blue (and easy to make).
Fourth of July Berry Angel Food Cake Parfait
These Red, White, and Blue Berry Angel Food Cake Parfaits are a great dessert to whip up before your Fourth of July celebrations.
EASY 4TH OF JULY BROWNIES
Looking for a creative, red, white, and blue, show-stopping dessert recipe for a 4th of July party? Easy 4th of July Brownies taste amazing, look spectacular, but are completely manageable to pull off. No baking extraordinaire experience required!
This 4th of July, take your picnic to the next level with these mouthwatering food ideas that combine flavors, colors, and the spirit of celebration. From fiery chicken skewers to refreshing fruit parfaits, these dishes are not only delicious but also easy to pack and enjoy outdoors.
YUM! Those hot dogs look delish!
Yum! So many delicious recipes! Love a good cucumber feta salad
Oh this made me drool. I’m interested to try the deviled eggs – I just might. Wishing you a great 4th of July celebration.
I love the hot dogs- I make those quite often and add cheddar. My husband works 2 jobs on the 4th of July so I don’t have a menu planned. He works 7am until 11 pm. Probably having pizza or something quick.
I love planning holiday foods! Thanks for the inspiration, and I agree that bacon makes every better!
Living in South Africa, we don’t have a 4th of July, BUT after reading about these recipes, i wish we did
I’ve got to check out the deviled egg recipe. My husband loves them, but I always hated Mayo as a kid so I’m trying to learn them from scratch. This week is a good time to try them out.
All yummy!!!! I am working on some sort of jello creation.
That looks delicious! Thank you for sharing. My wife loves to cook and has a degree background in the culinary industry. She will love this!
This is a fabulous roundup! Thanks for including me. 🙂
You included a Gluten Free recipe, you have my heart!! OH, and cocktails… Thank you so much! 😉 These look AWESOME, I haven’t even started my 4th of July menu yet. I’ll definitely have to try some of these!
I want some eggs and I want some eggs NOW!!!
Lots of good recipes here! I may have to try some of them out!
With allergies in my house, we’ll stick to the black bean salsa, yum!!
Seriously LOVE 4th of July BBQ foods. YUM!
What an awesome recipe! Thanks for including me! Can’t wait to try all of these….