Celebrate Memorial Day 2026 with 75 summer-ready recipes! From pulled pork to poppers, these delicious dishes are summer on a plate and the perfect way to kick off the long weekend.
Oh, hello, 3-day long weekend! I am so looking forward to your sexy, carefree attitude, your grilling scents, and your tempting dishes! For most folks, Memorial Day weekend signifies the start of summer.
In this post, you’ll find the following:
Memorial Day Appetizers and Finger Food Recipes
If you ever went to a cookout or gathering my parents or I threw, there were always, ALWAYS, appetizers and finger foods. Traditionally, Mom would have a single 8′ bingo table at the front of the ‘line’ full of nothing but these snacky-type nibbles of food.
Easy Cranberry Jalapeno Smoked Cream Cheese
Smoked Cream Cheese with Blueberry and Jalapeno Jam
Smoked Mango Chipotle Cream Cheese with Hot Honey
Easy Parmesan Peppercorn Bacon Twists
Air Fryer Sausage and Shrimp Kabobs Recipe
Smoked Bacon Wrapped Cheesy Big Daddy Mac Meatballs
Elevated Southern Pimento Cheese Spread
This pimento cheese recipe has been handed down through the generations. It’s an elevated classic with a perfect balance of flavors, boasts a creamy, irresistible texture, & is easy to whip up! It’s the only recipe you’ll ever need!
Smoked Cream Cheese Jalapeño Popper Dip
Easy Cheesy Hot Honey Kielbasa Pinwheels
Loaded Bacon Wrapped Buffalo Chicken Hash Browns
Lil Smokies Corn Dog Cups
Easy Smoked Cheddar Ranch Fritos
Easy Queso Nacho Seasoned Pretzels
The Best Smoked Garlic Onion Parmesan Potato Chips
Elevate your boring potato chips by seasoning them with garlic and onion powder, coating them in Parmesan cheese, and smoking them to perfection!
The Best Cheesy Dill Pickle Bacon Cheese Ball
Elevate Your Grill Game with Flame Kissed Cheesy Jalapeño Poppers
Ultimate Buttery Maple Bourbon Glazed Candied Bacon Pineapple Spears
Be a Hosting Guru with this Ultimate Charcuterie Board!
Bacon Wrapped Cheese Cracker Sandwiches
Blueberry Jalapeno Jam Burrata
Triple Pepper Roasted Salsa
Crispy Chili Dog Wonton Cups
Crispy Baked Bacon Wrapped Pierogies
The Best Smoked Cream Cheese Ball Loaded Bites
Main Dish Recipes for Memorial Day
Sure, I can share hot dogs and burgers (traditional) with you, but nowadays, folks want a full-on experience when it comes to food. I’ll still serve grilled dogs and killer bacon cheeseburgers, but I also need other stuff there.
As Mom would say, “something for everyone!”
Juicy Smoked Butterflied Pork Butt with Extra Bark
If you love a juicy, tender, pull-apart pork butt but don’t want to wait all day for it to cook on the smoker, this butterflied method is for you. This pit master approved recipe produces some of the best pulled butt you’ll ever have with tons of those crispy bark bits we all love!
Easy Smoked Fall-Apart Country Style Pork Ribs
My Secrets To The Best Fall-Apart Pork!
Smoked Pulled Pork Stuffed Loaded Baked Potatoes
Don’t settle for a plain baked potato when you can pile it high with smoky pulled pork, melty cheese sauce, crispy bacon, lip-smacking BBQ sauce, cool sour cream, and green onions! Forget basic – this is next-level eats!
Slow Cooker Pulled Banana Pepper Roast Beef
Fire up the Flavor with Grilled BBQ Chicken Lollipops
Ultimate Smoked & Candied Pork Belly Burnt Ends
Smoked Hot Honey Butter Spatchcock Chicken
Level up your chicken dinner! Spatchcock-style smoking means a faster, more even cook, plus tips for getting crispy skin on a pellet smoker. Grab my competition secret hot honey butter injection tips! It’s the secret to getting incredibly tender, juiciest, flavorful chickens you’ll ever eat!
Easy Cheesy Jalapeño Popper Sausage Boats
How to Smoke The Best Picanha (Top Sirloin Cap)
Ricotta Stuffed Italian Sausage Boats
Mom’s Classic Easy Stuffed Cabbage Rolls – The Best Recipe!
No summer cookout is complete without a tray of stuffed cabbage! Tender cabbage leaves stuffed with rice, seasoned ground meats, and a rich tomato sauce make this the perfect summer comfort food. Plus, these freeze beautifully!
Garlic Butter Herbed Crispy Wings – 3 ways to make them!
The Best Three Meat Stuffed Italian Banana Peppers
The Best Pittsburgh Haluski – Fried Cabbage and Noodles in Butter
The Best Buttery Texas-Style Smoked Turkey Breasts
These butter-bathed smoked turkey breasts are tender and juicy, with a rich, smoky flavor that melts in your mouth. With just four ingredients, this irresistible bird delivers holiday-level indulgence any day of the week!
Memorial Day Sandwiches, Burgers, and Dogs
You must have these at your Memorial Day gathering. Stuffing on a bun or stuffing in a bun is pretty much the law!
Blueberry Jalapeño PB&J Bacon Cheeseburger
This Blueberry Jalapeño PB&J Bacon Cheeseburger is the best burger of the summer! Smoked ground brisket, melted cheddar, crispy bacon, and a sweet heat kick of blueberry jalapeño balsamic jam.
Irresistibly Amazing Smoked Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwiches
The Best Smoked Hot Dogs
Seriously The Best Smoked Brisket Burgers
Ultimate Ground Chicken Bacon Ranch Burger
German Bratwurst Burgers Stuffed With Cheese & Sauerkraut
Italian Artichoke Boursin Croissant Sandwiches
Buttery, flaky croissants stuffed with garlic butter spread, Boursin cheese, Italian meats, artichoke hearts, and mozzarella cheese. Topped with tomato slices, fresh basil, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze, they bake up perfectly golden, freeze beautifully, and are an easy Italian-inspired meal anytime!
Italian Sliders with Italian Parmesan Butter Crust
My Favorite Italian Ricotta Meatballs
Grilled Bacon Wrapped & Stuffed Hot Dogs
Salads, Slaws, and Sides for your Memorial Day
Sides complete the dish, don’t you agree?
The Only Homemade Chili Dog Sauce You’ll Ever Need (No Beans!)
This Homemade Chili Dog Sauce is thick, savory, and the only recipe you’ll ever need. It’s a bean-free, pantry-staple meat sauce that stays on the dog and tastes like it simmered all day. Perfect for your next backyard BBQ, game day nachos, or loaded fries! One bite and you’ll never go back to store-bought.
Homemade Blueberry Jalapeño Jam
Charred Corn Black Bean & Shrimp Salsa
Esquites Recipe (Street Corn Dip)
Competition Peach Pie Chipotle Baked Beans
These Smoked Peach Pie Chipotle Baked Beans bring a bold, irresistible twist to a classic side dish. Slow-smoked beans soak up a rich, smoky sauce that combines the natural sweetness of peach filling with the smoky heat of chipotle peppers.
Refreshing Ultimate Summer Watermelon Berry Feta Salad
Easy Boursin Oven Roasted Asparagus
The Best Classic Diner-Style Coleslaw
Creamy & Easy 5-Cheese Smoked Mac & Cheese
Caramelized Sweet Vidalia Onions On The Smoker
By smoking and caramelizing Vidalia onions, you’re transforming a humble vegetable into a mouthwatering dish that will elevate any dish! From burgers to pizza, casseroles to dips, smoked caramelized onions add a savory culinary delight to any dish!
Best Broccoli Slaw Salad
Ultimate Bacon Chicken Ranch Pasta Salad
Simple Italian Arugula Blueberry Pastina Salad
Creamy & Easy 5-Cheese Smoked Mac & Cheese
Arugula Feta Salad with Fruit, Prosciutto, and Candied Nuts
Ramen Cabbage Salad
Sweets & Treats Recipes for Memorial Day
Growing up, I don’t recall a single cookout, BBQ, or gathering that didn’t include at least one sweet treat. From pies to cookies, freeze pops to Jell-O salad, we had it all.
Elevated Easy Strawberry Pretzel Jell-O Salad
Elevating that classic Jell-O pretzel salad and putting an upscale twist on it in the most delicious way. A pretzel tart crust, vanilla cheesecake creamy filling, and fresh strawberries in a Jell-O glaze.
No Bake Italian Ricotta Cheesecake
Grandma’s Orange Cream Ice Box Pie
White Chocolate Cheesecake Frosted Berry Cookie Pizza
Black & Blue Berry Crisp
Brown Butter Malted Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars
These bars are a decadent blend of nutty brown butter, sweet toffee, malt powder, and chocolate chips, all tied together with a delicate finishing touch of sea salt flakes and additional chocolate chunks.
The Ultimate German Chocolate Cookies
Ultimate No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Party Platter
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