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Our 30 Best Memorial Day Recipes

All-grilled-everything and the perfect picnic sides

By SAVEUR Editors

Updated: April 30, 2018

Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for those who have sacrificed their lives serving in our armed services. In their honor, we come together at the start of summer to celebrate with friends and family—traditionally through the annual tradition of al fresco cooking and feasting.

Don't wait till the the last minute to plan out your Memorial Day menus. Whether you're planning a backyard family cookout or packing for a fancy picnic, we've got you covered with the best of summer eats. That means our favorite burger recipes, the absolute juiciest steaks, and even grill-friendly veggies worth busting out the charcoal for.

Once you've got all our essential grilling tools, pour yourself some sangria and fire up the grill for the 25 most mouthwatering Memorial Day recipes in our arsenal.

Connecticut-Style Lobster Rolls — Buying fresh, live lobster and good-quality buns will result in the most delicious lobster rolls. Look for live crustaceans from Maine that have all their claws and antennae intact, and toast fresh, squishy buns on a griddle with butter before filling and serving. Get the recipe for Connecticut-Style Lobster Rolls »Matt Taylor-Gross

Alabama-Style Chicken Sandwiches with White Sauce — These hickory-smoked chicken sandwiches are served with a tangy, mayonnaise-based white sauce. Get the recipe for Alabama-Style Chicken Sandwiches with White Sauce »Todd Coleman

The "Grill Everything but the Burger" Brisket Burger — The all-brisket patty for this burger—from San Francisco's Wes Rowe, a pop-up burger slinger—is grilled, but in a cast-iron pan over the flame. Get the recipe for The "Grill Everything but the Burger" Brisket Burger »Michael Turek

Warm Red Potato Salad — Tender grilled red-skinned potatoes are doused in herb vinaigrette in this warm salad. Get the recipe for Warm Red Potato Salad »Laura Sant

Grilled Watermelon, Avocado, and Shrimp Salad — Grilling makes everything better—watermelons get even sweeter from the flames, shrimp gets crisp and plump, and avocado turns deliciously smoky. Get the recipe for Grilled Watermelon, Avocado, and Shrimp Salad »Farideh Sadeghin

Houston, Chris Shepherd, Grilling, Cantaloupe — In this elegant dessert, cantaloupe is grilled until it caramelizes and is then dressed with agrodolce, a sour-sweet Italian sauce made by reducing vinegar and sugar. Get the recipe for Grilled Cantaloupe with Peach Agrodolce »Drew Anthony Smith

Grilling, Smoked Ribs — Grilling—then—smoking these ribs gives them a crackly crust and soulful flavor. Get the recipe for Char-Smoked Baby Back Ribs »Michael Turek

Grilled Romaine with Blue Cheese and Bacon — Fresh heads of romaine lettuce are split down the middle, grilled until charred and smoky, and then topped with blue cheese and bacon for this satisfying salad. Get the recipe for Grilled Romaine with Blue Cheese and Bacon »Penny De Los Santos

All About Ribeye — Season the steak off the grill to accentuate the flavor of this smoky, slow-grilled ribeye. Get the recipe for Grilled Bone-In Ribeye »Jake Cohen

Potato Salad — This cool, creamy potato salad is spiked with pickle relish and red onion. Get the recipe for Potato Salad with Red Onion »Matt Taylor-Gross

Seared Apricot Ginger Cooler — Unlike other stone fruit, apricots stay quite resilient when ripe and stand up to a quick sear on the grill with aplomb. Once the flesh warms through and its juices bake a bit, the apricot takes on deeper flavors that pair nicely with a spicy bourbon or rye and an equally spicy ginger beer. Swap out apricots for peaches or nectarines as the summer gets on toward the dog days. Get the recipe for Seared Apricot Ginger Cooler »Eric Medsker

Houston, Chris Shepherd, Grilling, Cabbage Slaw — In this offbeat slaw, raw red cabbage adds a textural contrast to the grilled green cabbage, and a zippy, spicy-sweet-salty dressing goes well with the charred bits. Get the recipe for Charred Cabbage Slaw »Drew Anthony Smith

Fried Mozzarella Sandwiches — These crisp mini-sandwiches are deep-fried and filled with molten cheese. Get the recipe for Fried Mozzarella Sandwiches »Matt Taylor-Gross

Grilled Pineapple Margarita — The Margarita is essential to America's canon of summertime drinks, and adding a grilled element makes it that much more American. Burnished pineapple adds a rich layer of fruitiness while mezcal lends a veil of smoke and spice. For even more smoke and spice, add a salt rim laced with chile powder and coriander. Get the recipe for Grilled Pineapple Margarita »Eric Medsker

Maryland Crab Hot Dog — Buttery corn, fresh crab, and Old Bay-spiced potato chips are piled on top this Maryland-inspired hot dog. Get the recipe for Maryland Crab Hot Dog »Farideh Sadeghin

cheesesteak recipe, chivito sandwich — This is chef Ignacio Mattos' version of a hearty cheesesteak sandwich that is served in restaurants and cafés throughout Uruguay. Get the recipe for Chivito (Uruguayan Cheesesteak) Sandwich »Matt Taylor-Gross

Parker's BBQ Fried Chicken — This simple fried chicken recipe, from Parker's BBQ in Wilson, North Carolina, produces shatteringly crisp results and lets the bird's flavor shine. Get the recipe for Parker's BBQ Fried Chicken »Nicole Franzen

Ultimate Grilled Cheeseburger — This burger, inspired by one created in Modernist Cuisine co-author Nathan Myhrvold's culinary lab, is topped with a tangy cream and vermouth sauce. Adding egg yolks to freshly ground meat makes for a supremely rich burger. Get the recipe for Ultimate Grilled Cheeseburger »Todd Coleman

grilled eggplant — Sliced, grilled vegetables served in a simple marinade or vinaigrette are a fixture at many Tuscan meals. Get the recipe for Grilled Eggplant With Basil Vinaigrette »Matt Taylor-Gross

Memorial Day White Sangria — Choose a high-acid, no-oak sauvignon blanc or similar white for this sophisticated version of the party wine drink from bartender Jon Santer of Prizefighter in Emeryville, California. Get the recipe for White Sangria »Matt Taylor-Gross

Cucumber Pepper Slaw — Sliced cucumber is tenderized with kosher salt in this zesty slaw. Cucumber Pepper Slaw »James Oseland

Smoked Lemon-Lime-Ade — This lemonade is rendered smoky-sweet with the juice of grilled lemons and limes and toasted simple syrup, which has a mild caramel flavor that does a lot to complement the grilled fruit. Get the recipe for Smoked Lemon-Lime-Ade »Eric Medsker

Strawberry-Lillet Crush — Muddled strawberries and mint star in a refreshing, lightly sweet cocktail that packs a punch. Get the recipe for Strawberry-Lillet Crush »Farideh Sadeghin

Cheddar Cheese Biscuit — When making these buttery little biscuits, opt for a true American cheese—fourth-generation Wisconsin cheese maker Sid Cook, of Carr Valley Cheese, advised us to use a 3-year-old extra-sharp cheddar. Get the recipe for Cheddar Cheese Biscuits »Vanessa Rees

Grilled Steakhouse Steak — What does it take to grill a great steak? Careful technique. These steaks are all about the "reverse sear," in which you start the steak over a low fire and then brown it over high to finish. Recipe adapted from Meathead by Craig Goldwyn. Get the recipe for Grilled Steakhouse »Matt Taylor Gross

THOMAS KELLER'S COCONUT CAKE — The ultimate coconut cake, bar none. Get the recipe for Thomas Keller's coconut cake »Matt Taylor-Gross

New Orleans Doberge Cake — This version of the classic NOLA dessert combines a rich buttermilk cake with both lemon curd and chocolate fillings, surrounded by a vanilla German buttercream and ganache. New Orleans Doberge Cake »Ryan Liebe | Food Styling Mariana Velasquez

Strawberry Rhubarb Hand Pies — For these portable fruit pies, Georgia-based chef-restaurateur Hugh Acheson uses rice wine vinegar to make the flavors pop. Get the recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb Hand Pies »SAVEUR

Meyer Lemon Sandwich Cookies — Fragrant Meyer lemon zest goes into these shortbread cookies, while the sweet–tart juice is made into a silky curd that sandwiches two cookies together. Get the recipe for Meyer Lemon Sandwich Cookies »Paul Sirisalee | Food Styling: Eugene Jho

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