It’s time to kick off summer with the best Memorial Day recipes! You’ll find tons of grilled favorites, crowd-pleasing side dishes, and sweet treats brimming with fresh fruits.

As a SoCal native, Memorial weekend is one of my favorites. It officially marks the beginning of summer, which means grilling season is in full swing, the sun is shining bright, and the weekends are spent outdoors almost 90% of the time.

So to make this three-day weekend extra festive, I’ve put together some of my best recipes that I guarantee your crowd will love! My personal favorites are grilled shrimp skewers, a heaping bowl of coleslaw, and a refreshing pitcher of sangria. But I’ve got tons more Memorial Day recipes for you to choose from in this list.

Most importantly, let’s not forget that this special day honors those who have lost their lives serving in the U.S. military. So cheers to a weekend of commemoration, gratitude, friends, family, and good food!

The Best Grilled Recipes Start Here

Memorial weekend is all about the grill! Get ready to devour the best grilled seafood and juicy, flavorful meats.

• Garlic Grilled Shrimp Skewers: Juicy jumbo shrimp are marinated in the most delicious garlic herb mixture. And yes, it only takes 10 minutes to grill these bad boys up.
• Carne Asada: With any long weekend, you can never go wrong with grilled steak and these easy carne asada tacos!
• Greek Chicken Kabobs: These skewers are threaded with lemony chicken, and colorful vegetables, and served with homemade tzatziki. It doesn’t get any fresher than this.
• Grilled Fish Tacos: For a refreshing take on tacos, you won’t want to miss this version topped with an insanely good carrot citrus slaw.
• Turkey Burgers: We love a good burger here, and these turkey burgers are a lot more moist and flavorful than you think! Plus, you can add a schmear of this garlic aioli on top.
• Greek Chicken Burgers: For a Mediterranean spin, these chicken burgers with tzatziki sauce are summertime on a plate.
• Chicken Souvlaki: Grilled chicken skewers that are marinated in garlicky herby Greek flavor.
• Grilled Watermelon: If you haven’t tried grilled watermelon, with hints of smoky, fresh, and cilantro lime flavors – this is your sign to do so.
• Grilled Corn on the Cob: Grilled corn is a quintessential summer grilling recipe. But if you want to give it a big flavor, make this grilled elote topped with cotija cheese, lime juice, and cilantro.
• Cedar Plank Salmon with Maple Ginger Glaze: This is an easy, delicious way to grill salmon. Plus, that maple ginger glaze is to die for.
• Grilled Peach and Burrata Salad: Don’t forget about grilling fruits! Sweet peaches are perfectly grilled and paired with creamy burrata for the perfect summer salad.

Crowd-Pleasing Side Dishes

Let’s be honest, the sides are just as important as the mains. I’ve got the classics like potato salad and coleslaw. But here’s a few more tasty sides that will add big flavors and bold colors to the table.

• Classic Potato Salad: This nostalgic recipe is all sorts of creamy, fresh, and crunchy. Basically, everything you want in a potato salad. And for a no-mayo, vinegar-based potato salad, you’ll love this German potato salad.
• Coleslaw: A big bowl of coleslaw is a must-have. And if you don’t like mayo, this vinegar coleslaw is always a winner.
• Baked Beans: This version is smoky, spicy, and sweet, and will surely get rave reviews.
• Caesar Salad: This is the ultimate summer salad with crisp greens, roasted chickpeas, grated parmesan, and my homemade Caesar dressing that beats the bottled kind any day.
• Mediterranean Chickpea Salad: This is the ultimate summer salad filled with with tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, feta, and fresh parsley.
• Caprese Salad: Juicy tomatoes and creamy mozzarella pair beautifully in this classic Italian salad.
• Classic Fruit Salad: Celebrate all the sweet fruits summer offers in this classic fruit salad tossed in a honey lime dressing.
• Berry Spinach Salad: Toss all your favorite berries into this sweet salad with my raspberry vinaigrette!
• Broccoli Salad: No matter what time of year it is, a broccoli salad always aims to please at any get-together.
• Watermelon, Cucumber, and Feta Salad: If you spot watermelon at your market, this salad is a delicious way to make the most of it.

Memorial Day Appetizers To Start The Party

There’s nothing like finger foods to get the party started. Especially when there’s a big bowl of guacamole involved.

• Best Ever Guacamole: As always, a bowl of my best ever guacamole is a must!
• Pico De Gallo: The freshest chunky salsa made for scooping with tortilla chips. And when you can’t decide between guacamole and pico de gallo – this avocado salsa is it.
• 7 Layer Dip: When you can’t decide on one dip, this seven-layer dip is the next best thing. Plus, it can easily be made ahead of time to make assembly a breeze.
• Ceviche: The most simple and fresh blend of lime-marinated white fish, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, avocado, and cilantro. It’s the ultimate ceviche!
• Mango Salsa: I’m such a mango lover, and this salsa is the best combo of juicy sweet with a kick of jalapeno heat!

Hello Drinks and Cocktails!

Go the extra mile and whip up any of these drinks for your guests – they’ll love them! And yes, I’ve got both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options that are equally delicious.

• Red Sangria: Nothing is more festive than a beautiful sangria pitcher filled with fresh fruits!
• Classic Margarita: For all the tequila lovers, you can’t go wrong with this classic cocktail.
• Agua Fresca: Grab all your favorite fresh fruits and turn them into refreshing fruit juices. Bonus – the kiddos will love these.
• Lavender Lemonade: A pitcher of fresh squeezed lemonade always hits the spot. But the lavender takes it to the next level.

Memorial Day Patriotic Sweet Treats

Since a red, white, and blue theme is a given, here’s a few favorite Memorial day desserts that fall right into that category. They’re deliciously sweet, so easy to make, and make summer berries shine bright!

• Berry Sheet Cake: Oh yes, this softy, fluffy cake is made all in one sheet pan. But don’t forget the coconut whipped cream. It’ll make all the difference.
• Berry Crisp: A fruit crisp always ticks the boxes for a dessert that’s sweet, and comfy cozy.
• Mango Strawberry Popsicles: For an ultra refreshing dessert, homemade fruit popsicles never fail.
• Raw Mixed Berry Vanilla Cheesecake: This is hands down the best vegan cheesecake with an extra fruity berry topping.

Want more recipe roundups? Check out my Best Mango Recipes, Best Chicken Breast Recipes, and Easy Salmon Recipes!

This Memorial Day recipes roundup was originally published May 2021, but updated to include new recipes I know you’ll love!