Our Best Fourth of July Recipes

Pasta salad, corn on the cob, burgers and more recipes to celebrate Independence Day.

There’s no doubt about it: When the Fourth of July has arrived, summer is officially — and fleetingly — here. Mark the holiday with these dishes (and many, many more) from New York Times Cooking. Whether you’re in charge of the grill — are you focusing on chicken or vegetables this year? — or the sides, we have recipes to make your day.

Mushroom-Beef Burgers

Make the most of a pound of ground beef with these burgers from Kay Chun. The addition of cremini mushrooms adds earthiness and juiciness in great measure. Treat them as you would any regular all-beef burger: Top with cheese and whatever condiments you like — and see if anyone can spot the secret ingredient. (Still, if it’s a classic grilled burger you seek, there’s always Sam Sifton’s recipe.)

Recipe: Mushroom-Beef Burgers

Elotes

Grilled corn on the cob is always a good idea, but slathering the cobs with a mixture of lime, chile, mayonnaise and grated cheese to make elotes, a classic Mexican street food, is the best idea yet. If you don’t have a grill, Melissa Clark suggests using the broiler, but keep on eye on the corn, so it doesn’t burn.

Recipe: Elotes

Lemon Zucchini Bundt Cake

A towering Bundt cake is a welcome addition to every picnic table, and Yossy Arefi takes this version in a summery direction with the addition of zucchini, lemon and cinnamon. The finished cake is coated with two layers of lemon glaze for a crackly finish.

Recipe: Lemon Zucchini Bundt Cake

Green Bean and Black Eyed Pea Salad

Another classic Southern salad from Kia Damon, this one features crisp green beans and hearty black-eyed peas in a mustardy-sweet vinaigrette. If you can’t find frozen black-eyed peas, canned is fine, but be sure to rinse them well, especially if they are salted.

Recipe: Green Bean and Black Eyed Pea Salad

Beeritas

For an easier, less-sweet version of margaritas, try beeritas this summer. Limeade concentrate is combined with equal parts lager and tequila for a refreshing, kind of fizzy drink that goes great with barbecue and sunshine.

Recipe: Beeritas

Cucumber and Onion Salad

Kia Damon’s Southern-style tangy and sweet cucumber salad is as easy as can be: cucumbers, white onion, vinegar, sugar, salt and black pepper. It takes just minutes to throw together, but benefits from resting in the fridge for one hour before serving, so plan ahead.

Recipe: Cucumber and Onion Salad

Pepperoni Pasta Salad

A heartier version of a classic 1990s pasta salad, this one from Amelia Rampe includes rounds of pepperoni, Parmesan, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, chopped radicchio and a tangy, Italian-style honey vinaigrette. Serve it at room temperature or chilled.

Recipe: Pepperoni Pasta Salad

No-Bake Lime and Speculoos Cake

“Oh. My. Word! I had my doubts about this while putting it together but!!! It is absolutely delicious!” wrote one reader about this breezy, no-bake icebox cake from Zaynab Issa. Speculoos cookies (or gingersnaps) are nestled between layers of whipped heavy cream, condensed milk, cream cheese and lime zest, all of which rests in the fridge until the cookies are soft and sliceable.

Recipe: No-Bake Lime and Speculoos Cake

Charred Corn and Pickled Jalapeño Potato Salad

I was lucky enough to get to try this very special potato salad from Sue Li when it was being photographed. I took one bite, then another and another. I couldn’t stop, so I packed up the leftovers and ate it for breakfast the next day. The combination of crunchy sweet corn, spicy-tangy pickled jalapeños and soft potatoes is, in a word, perfect.

Recipe: Charred Corn and Pickled Jalapeño Potato Salad

Classic Deviled Eggs

More than 3,500 readers can’t be wrong: These deviled eggs are five-star good. Adapted from Sheila Lukins, of “Silver Palate” cookbook fame, they’re classic for good reason. Pass them around as the grill heats up, and you’ll look like the most put-together of hosts.

Recipe: Deviled Eggs

Grilled Tofu Tacos

Inspired by Baja tacos, which typically include fish, these quick vegetarian tacos star tofu, which has been marinated in a spicy adobo sauce, then grilled for smokiness. If you don’t have a grill, don’t worry: Sear the tofu in a cast-iron skillet to mimic the grill’s charred flavor.

Recipe: Grilled Tofu Tacos

Watermelon Salad With Fried Shallots and Fish Sauce

There’s always watermelon at the barbecue, but what everyone really wants is this salty, funky, mouthwatering salad from J. Kenji López-Alt. Fish sauce, red onions, garlic, chiles, palm sugar, fresh herbs and lime juice dial the classic watermelon salad flavors up several notches. And whether you’re using store-bought or homemade, don’t skip the fried shallots — trust us.

Recipe: Watermelon Salad With Fried Shallots and Fish Sauce

Perfect Peach Pie

Sam Sifton’s classic take on this pie piles lush peaches — tossed with just lemon juice, sugar and a bit of nutmeg to let their flavor shine — into a butter-based crust mixed with the smallest splash of cider vinegar for extra flakiness. But if you prefer more fruit to crust, Edna Lewis’s peach cobbler can’t be beat.

Recipe: Perfect Peach Pie

Oven BBQ Ribs

You don’t need to turn on the grill to get succulent, fall-off-the-bone ribs. Millie Peartree coats ribs with a simple but richly flavored dry rub, then wraps them in aluminum foil and pops them into the oven for a low and slow cook until tender and easily pulled apart. Finished with a sticky-sweet, caramelized barbecue sauce (store-bought or quickly homemade) puts them squarely in celebratory summer territory.

Recipe: Oven BBQ Ribs

Strawberry Shortcake

Is there anything more joyful than a strawberry shortcake? Peak summer berries shine when treated simply, as they are here, gently tossed with sugar until their juices drain and their flavors intensify. They’re layered into a flaky sweet biscuit with whipped cream for a three-part dessert, adapted from “Jane Grigson’s Fruit Book,” that’s ethereally good.

Recipe: Strawberry Shortcake

Herby Cottage Cheese Dip

No cookout is complete without dip or two (or ten), and Yossy Arefi’s hearty, herb-packed cottage cheese dip is a solid choice. The cottage cheese won’t melt in the heat, and holds up deliciously when slathered onto a burger, pita chips, crudités or anything else on your plate.

Recipe: Herby Cottage Cheese Dip

S’mores Brownies

If you don’t want to make a real campfire, these chewy-crunchy bars from Eric Kim are part fudgy brownie and part s’mores, which means they are not only crazy delicious, but also wonderfully nostalgic. Microwave them for 10 seconds to get a molten center, then enjoy messily, just like you would the real thing.

Recipe: S’mores Brownies

Bulgogi Eggplant

This vegetarian side, from Eric Kim, applies the elements of Korean bulgogi — soy sauce, garlic, sugar, a quick cook over high heat — to thin slices of eggplant. Once the eggplant drains its excess water, the dish comes together quickly. Its charred edges and tender middles are great for eating on their own or alongside grilled meats.

Recipe: Bulgogi Eggplant

Chicago-Style Hot Dogs

Like most delicious things in life, there are rules to a Chicago hot dog: An all-beef frankfurter (Vienna Beef, anyone?) is nestled into a poppy seed bun, then topped with lots of vegetables (“dragged through the garden”) and finished with celery salt. Grill these over direct medium heat, or cook them on the stovetop, and you’ll get a true taste of Chicago, summer and joy.

Recipe: Chicago-Style Hot Dogs

Cherry Pie

Melissa Clark lets you make this classic cherry pie all your own: Choose sweet or sour cherries, fresh or frozen, based on preference or availability, and adapt the filling to just the consistency you like. Then serve with ice cream, and tuck in, letting the cherry juice serve as a sauce.

Recipe: Cherry Pie

Churrasco (Grilled Marinated Skirt Steak)

Steak becomes intensely flavorful in this take on a Puerto Rican favorite from Von Diaz. The meat gets a garlicky adobo marinade before grilling and, after it’s nicely charred, it’s slathered with wasakaka, a Dominican parsley and cilantro sauce tangy with lime juice. You can marinate the meat and make the sauce a day ahead, so all you have to do at your party is grill. GENEVIEVE KO

Recipe: Churrasco (Grilled Marinated Skirt Steak)

Corn and Miso Pasta Salad

A quick read through the comments will tell you that this recipe from Ham El-Waylly scores very high on the payoff-to-effort scale. The use of ditalini ensures that you get same-size, satisfying crunchy bites of pasta, corn and celery in every bite, and you can eat it by the heaping spoonful.

Recipe: Corn and Miso Pasta Salad

Classic Caprese Salad

Mozzarella, tomatoes and basil: That’s it! And, sure, a little salt, pepper and olive oil, too. This easy version of the classic dish, from Melissa Clark, gets better as it sits — an ideal side for your festive spread. Because there are so few ingredients, pick them thoughtfully: gorgeously ripe tomatoes, juicy fresh cheese, full-flavored olive oil. (None have to be expensive, just good.) But whatever you use, it’s still sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

Recipe: Classic Caprese Salad

Shish Kebab

There are many ways to make shish kebab, and this version, from Naz Deravian, prioritizes Turkish flavors, like yogurt and tomato paste, Aleppo pepper, paprika and cumin. If grilling isn’t in the cards this holiday, you can also make these in the broiler or on the stovetop. You may not get the char, but you’ll absolutely still get bold flavor.

Recipe: Shish Kebab

Rum Punch

Based on a sweet brown sugar syrup and dark Caribbean rum, this recipe from Brigid Washington for a Trinidadian favorite is bright from lime and warm from a bit of nutmeg. “Every single note sings, whacks, reverberates!” wrote Alexa Weibel, who tested the recipe. “It tastes like sunshine.” And, best of all, it makes enough for a crowd.

Recipe: Rum Punch

Coleslaw

What’s a summer cookout without coleslaw? This Kay Chun version is the Platonic ideal, packed with two kinds of cabbage, carrots and a smattering of celery seeds for an earthy complexity. Leftovers, should you have any, are great as a topping for all your grilling favorites.

Recipe: Coleslaw

Macaroni Salad

“This is the perfect macaroni salad.” Millie Peartree’s recipe gets a tiny bit of sweetness from some sugar and carrots. But do as Millie recommends and use a more savory brand of mayonnaise as a complement for the ultimate barbecue side.

Recipe: Macaroni Salad

Classic Potato Salad

This recipe, which Millie Peartree got from her mother, Millie Bell, will leave your guests asking, “Who made the potato salad?” And in the best possible way. Sweet relish balances the rich potatoes, which, to Millie’s point, you should take care not to overcook: “You want potato salad, not mashed potatoes.”

Recipe: Classic Potato Salad

Marinated Green Beans

This bright-green, snappy side from Dan Pelosi is simple, but truly shines among a spread of grilled meats and mayo-laden salads. The beans are blanched briefly and marinated as they come up to room temperature in red wine vinegar, garlic and herbs.

Recipe: Marinated Green Beans

Southern Broccoli Salad

Raw broccoli meets dried fruit in this classic Southern broccoli salad. This Kay Chun version is sweet from a tablespoon of sugar and a half cup of golden raisins, a nice contrast to the tart vinegar and bracing red onion. It gets better with time, so prepare it early and keep it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve, then finish it with crispy bacon. For a vegan take (especially great for a long sit in the sun), check out Hetty McKinnon’s broccoli salad.

Recipe: Southern Broccoli Salad

Nimbu Pani (Limeade)

You can use limes or lemons for this South Asian drink that’s punchy and a little funky from Himalayan black salt and sea salt. Zainab Shah calls it “nourishing” — and that’s just the right word. It lifts as it refreshes, a reprieve from those hot summer days that take it right out of you.

Recipe: Nimbu Pani (Limeade)

Sugar Cookie Bars With Berries

These festive sugar cookie bars from Yossy Arefi are the perfect use of summer berries. Cream cheese gives the cookie part a chewy texture, while brown butter adds a nutty flavor. They are very shareable for any event — just use a long, sharp knife to cut them into squares and watch them disappear.

Recipe: Sugar Cookie Bars With Berries

Classic Bean Salad

In this classic three-bean salad, Melissa Clark opts for chickpeas, cannellini and red kidney beans in a delicious marinade of apple cider vinegar Dijon mustard, shallots and olive oil. Like all bean salads, it’s light yet hearty, and improves with time in the fridge. If you want to make this a day ahead, Melissa cleverly recommends adding the celery and parsley just before serving so they retain their crunch and brightness.

Recipe: Classic Bean Salad

Follow New York Times Cooking on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Pinterest. Get regular updates from New York Times Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice.