15 Memorial Day Recipes to Kick off Summer
these are the recipes I’m craving as soon as it hits 75° and we have an excuse to eat outside.
Memorial Day weekend always sneaks up on me, and suddenly I’m like—okay it’s summer now, right? The grill’s out, everyone’s texting in the group chat about what to bring (to which, I always say just yourselves !!! ) and I’m in my kitchen trying to come up with dishes that feel fun, easy, flavorful, and slightly impressive. The kind of recipes you can prep ahead, travel with, or serve to friends while sipping something cold. So you don’t have to go through that brainstorming / researching phase, I put together the list for you!
If you're hosting, potlucking, or just hanging out with your people and need ideas for what to cook—this list is stacked with seasonal salads, pasta moments, herby sides, a grilled main or two, and a few dishes that taste even better the next day.
If you want a more cohesive menu that is 10000/10 with prep lists, grocery lists, wine pairings, etc, you should just go ahead and make my Citrus & Smoke Menu that I dropped on May 1 just for the occasion! This is what I’ll be making for my own Memorial Day weekend BBQ :)
Here’s the grilled chicken from that menu just to get you drooling before we kick off this list
Aaaand if you want to do something else and put your own menu together, are 15 other options!!
Buttery Maine Style Shrimp Rolls
Because you deserve to feel like you're on the coast of Maine even if you're just in your backyard. These are buttery, briny, and packed with tarragon and scallion—serve with kettle chips and call it a party.
BBQ Spatchcock Chicken with Mustardy Peach Basil Salsa
This is your go-to “I want to impress without stress” grilled main. Juicy spatchcocked chicken + sweet-and-savory peach salsa = guaranteed crowd pleaser. Plus, it looks like you tried way harder than you did.
Marry Me Tortellini Salad
If pasta salad and antipasto had a baby. It's creamy from the mascarpone, salty from the mortadella and Pecorino, and loaded with fresh herbs. I bring this to every gathering and it’s always gone first.
Honey Mustard Dill Pickle Chicken Salad
She’s bold, tangy, a little sweet, and majorly addicting. Perfect for sandwiches, wraps, or snacking from the fridge in sweats the next day
Herby Potato Salad with Corn and Bacon
If you’re over gloopy potato salad, this one is for you. It’s light, fresh, and packed with herbs—still nostalgic, but with a major upgrade.
Balsamic Cherry & Halloumi Salad
A little sweet, a little salty, a little crunchy—this is one of those salads that people will ask for the recipe immediately. Great with grilled anything or as a stand-alone moment.
Primavera Pasta Salad with Goat Cheese
This one’s bright, springy, and packed with roasted veggies. The goat cheese adds a creamy, tangy punch that melts into the pasta and makes it feel luxe but super laid-back.
Chili Lime Watermelon Salad
This one is so refreshing and honestly feels like air conditioning in salad form. If it’s hot out, you want this. Don’t skip the mint or the lime.
Lemony Pistachio Pesto Pasta Salad
I love this one because it’s bright, nutty, and holds up beautifully in the fridge. It’s the kind of pasta salad that still feels fresh after a few hours outside.
Grilled Hummus & Pita Veggie Flatbread
This is my move when I want a dish that looks impressive but is secretly the easiest thing ever. Just layer, grill, drizzle hot honey, and boom—people are obsessed.
Ratatouille Orzo Salad
A pasta salad for the veggie lovers. Roasted zucchini, eggplant, and red pepper tossed with orzo and a red pepper hummus dressing that’s smoky, creamy, and kind of addictive.
Cantaloupe, Prosciutto, and Burrata Salad with Basil
This one screams summer. It’s salty, creamy, and sweet all at once—and feels like the kind of dish you’d get at a cute wine bar but you made it at home.
Lemon Brown Butter Sage Orzo with Summer Squash
This orzo is cozy but not heavy. It’s buttery, lemony, and earthy with fresh squash mixed in. I love this with anything grilled, or even solo with a crisp glass of white.
Southwestern Corn Salad with Chipotle Shrimp
Corn, beans, lime, smoky shrimp—it’s basically summer in every bite. You can serve it cold, at room temp, in tacos, or just eat it by the spoonful. Your call.
Sheet Pan Pesto Shrimp and Gnocchi with Asparagus, Cherry Tomatoes, and Burrata
We’re ending on this one because it’s a whole dinner in one pan and it’s ridiculously good. Shrimp, gnocchi, tomatoes, asparagus, burrata—it’s fancy-feeling but wildly easy. Make it once and you’ll make it all summer.
What are you making this weekend?
Drop a comment or reply to this post—I’d love to hear what’s on your table! And stay tuned for the Summer Kickoff Menu Drop with a full grocery list, timeline, and prep instructions.
