Holiday recipes and ideas for July 4th typically include a full BBQ spread with main dishes, sides, and of course dessert. This list includes recipes for grilling, summer salads, and no-bake meals. If you are looking to plan your Independence Day menu, you have come to the right place!
A great 4th of July spread is filled with cold salads, watermelon, great music, and lots of love! You will also hear people asking who made and brought the potato salad! Don’t worry, our potato salad recipes are foolproof and guaranteed to please any crowd.
Holiday Planning: Determine How Many People Will Be in Attendance
When planning your July 4th BBQ menu ideas, figure out how many people are coming by. One of the great things about BBQ menus is that you can always make more to share. If you have a small family of three to four, a main dish and two sides are often enough. If you add extras, you will have plenty of delicious leftovers.
If you have a larger family or plenty of guests, it’s best to load up on the sides and showcase the best recipes. Plan to have around six to seven dishes on the table.
Menu Planning Tips:
- Ask for help and volunteers to cook entrees ahead of time. Enlist the best cooks in the family or friend circle.
- Consider trying one new recipe. Traditional recipes are great, but people love to see new additions, too.
- Prioritize recipes that can be made ahead of time. You will run out of time and keep guests waiting if you don’t.
- Ask guests if they have any food allergies or special dietary needs. Safety first!
- Relax and enjoy the festivities. Friends, family, and fun are always what matter the most.
More Holiday Recipe Collections
Black Cookout Food Menu
Best Juneteenth Recipes
Soul Food Easter Dinner Recipes
Best Vegan Soul Food Recipes
Main Dishes for July 4th
At a black family cookout, barbecue food makes up most of the main dishes. Nothing beats the aroma of juicy seasoned meat roasting on open flames. These main dish recipes include staples like ribs, but also a few alternative options like vegan and keto versions of some staple dishes.
Power up your smoker with this easy recipe. It uses just a few spices and ingredients for the ribs and sauce.
Slow Cooker BBQ pulled pork is an easy recipe that the entire family will enjoy. Using only a few ingredients, you can also make this shredded pork recipe in your Instant Pot.
Level up your nacho game with these BBQ Nachos topped with delicious BBQ pork, jalapeño slices, corn, and other delicious toppings. It’s a quick and easy dinner idea that’s full of bold and amazing flavors.
Smoked Spatchcock Chicken – That’s a tongue twister right there, but it indeed brings satisfying flavors to the table. Fall-off-the-bone juicy chicken with smoky goodness is faster with the now-famous spatchcocking method. That makes for an easy weeknight dinner or soul-satisfying deliciousness after a long week.
This easy recipe will show you how to grill crispy chicken wings using a charcoal or gas grill set at the perfect temperature. Serve these dry or drizzle them in BBQ sauce, buffalo sauce, or ranch.
It’s so quick and easy to make a batch of shredded BBQ chicken in your pressure cooker. You just need four ingredients and it’s ready to enjoy in less than 30 minutes!
Make sure that you have something for everyone at the cookout with this vegan BBQ main dish.
We all know that BBQ is the most popular main. But, seafood is always at a Black cookout too. I'm not sure about your family, but mine always breaks it out at the end and only offers it to a few select folks!
Deliciously flavorfully spiced, tender and moist turkey BBQ Meatballs are glazed with the ultimate homemade barbecue sauce with hints of spice, pineapple and molasses! These are the ultimate appetizer for entertaining!
This Hennessy BBQ sauce adds so much flavor to regular sauce. Use it on anything including grilled wings.
July 4th BBQ Side Dishes
Even though BBQ foods are the star of the BBQ, the side dishes make up most of the Black Cookout menu. This next collection of easy Soul Food and Southern side dish recipes will make your 4th of July pop.
They say everything tastes better with bacon and that is true of this corn salad. It includes less than 10 ingredients and uses fresh or canned corn.
Collard greens have a special place in family cookouts and thanksgiving get-togethers. This dish is prepared from fresh collards, simple spices, and ham hocks.
If you're going to offer to make the potato salad, you better make sure that you have a tried and tested recipe. This one is from Ms. Patti and uses red potatoes.
Learn from Ms. Patti with this easy macaroni and cheese recipe.
This is the perfect recipe for a beginner. It saves so much time by using Jiffy Cornbread mix.
Round up the family, preheat the oven and whip up my Mama’s Southern Baked Beans! Made with ingredients like brown sugar, aromatics, and barbecue sauce, my Mama’s Southern Baked Beans are smoky and sweet in all the best ways.
Are you looking for deas to carry the day in a cookout? The Southern potato salad is your sure bet, any day. It’s made from simple ingredients like potatoes, boiled eggs, celery, and mayonnaise, yet has a rich flavor that will leave the guests asking for more.
Want southern-style coleslaw minus the sugar? This recipe is super easy, but uses a sugar-replacement to give all the flavor.
Cook your cabbage in bacon fat using this quick recipe. Though it's optional, I love the brown sugar that adds a tad of sweetness.
This Easy Southern Coleslaw Recipe has the best sweet and tangy flavor. It’s served creamy and chilled. Perfect for loading onto pulled pork sandwiches or served as a side dish for any BBQ or cookout spread.
If you’re wondering what simple side dish to bring to a black cookout, this is it. The Southern candied sweet potatoes are easy to prepare but are loaded with enough flavor to create great memories.
Add this easy vegan staple to the family cookout menu. It's soft, fluffy and moist with the help of vegan buttermilk.
July 4th Desserts
No July 4th Cookout is complete without some sweet treats. Make these desserts ahead of time and bring them with you for everyone to enjoy.
This Berry icebox cake recipe is a summer dream! Composed of layers of decadent strawberry and creamy vanilla ice cream and homemade berry sauces sandwiched between a moist, tender pound cake, frosted with a creamy whipped cream and topped with fresh berries.
Get patriotic with these fun and festive raspberry and blueberry spiked snow cones perfect for the summer holidays like Fourth of July!
Refreshing summer flavors are accented in a dense, rich, and moist Strawberry Pound Cake. This quick and easy dessert is sure to be a winner at any family dinner!
This pie has the creamiest mixture of gooey, sweet, and sour. Make it ahead in about an hour.
After a sumptuous black cookout meal, you want to top up with an equally tantalizing dessert to keep your taste buds in high spirits. Nothing does this better than the traditional sweet potato pie. Eggs, cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg are the secret ingredients in this feel-good snack.
This creamy fruity salad takes 10 minutes or less to make. You simply throw the ingredients in a bowl and stir.