From flavorful Carne Asada, to rich and delicious Warm Butter Lobster Rolls, to the classic cookout staples of Southern Baked Mac and Cheese and juicy Summer Peach Crisp, you'll find everything you need to have the most amazing Labor Day party!
It's that time of year, folks. The unofficial official end of summer holiday, Labor Day! Before we bust out the Fall Recipes and the pumpkin spice, let's send the summer off with a big bang by blessing it with some of the best summer foods of the year! Besides the classic beef burgers and hotdogs, here are some amazing dishes for your cookout, barbecue, or Labor Day party.
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50 Best Labor Day Cookout Recipes
Send summer off with some of the best cookout worthy foods for your Labor Day Party
Grilled Dishes
Carne Asada packs a punch with a marinade full of bright citrus, fresh chilies, and garlic. This marinade not only gives the skirt steak powerful flavor, but makes it buttery and tender!
These Grilled Portobello Mushroom Steaks are perfect for indoor or outdoor grilling. It’s an easy recipe that takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish. Just marinate, grill and enjoy!
Well-known in Brazil, the picanha steak is one of the most flavorful cuts of beef you will find. Also known as the sirloin cap, picanha has a generous layer of fat, bringing forth an amazing flavor in the meat itself.
Nothing brings out the flavor of chicken like grilling and this recipe for The Best and Easiest Grilled Chicken and Rub is finger-licking good!
Juicy ribeye steaks, grilled to perfection, with a smoky, spicy roasted jalapeno chimichurri.
Hyper flavorful, delicious Puerto Rican Pinchos/Pinchos de Cerdo (Puerto Rican Pork Skewers). These are pork chunks marinated in Puerto Rican spices and then cooked over an open flame or grilled and traditionally topped with a sliver of bread.
No summer grill is complete without my skirt or flank steak marinade with chimichurri sauce! Easy, absolutely delicious and beyond flavorful!
Burgers and Sandwiches
It’s smoky, zesty and has a little bit of a kick to it. Pair is with some creamy slaw for a burger that will go down a storm at any BBQ.
Connecticut-style warm butter lobster rolls are a classic New England summer sandwich. Steamed, shelled, then tossed in drawn butter and dressed with lemon zest and scallions, these are the old-school lobster rolls you've been looking for.
Can you believe this pulled mushroom sandwich is vegan?! It looks and tastes surprisingly similar to meat, but it’s made with just mushrooms. Perfect for your next summer bbq – you might even get some carnivores to give it a try!
This copycat recipe from Franklin’s BBQ uses smoked pork, andouille sausage, coleslaw and pickles. The Tipsy Texan is an Austin Favorite and the perfect Summer BBQ sandwich to make with friends.
Smoky, spicy black beans and quinoa burger, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, exactly what a veggie burger should be. Made with black beans, quinoa, bell pepper, red onion and more.
Ham and Cheese Sliders are a fun, easy, and crazy delicious freezer-friendly dish that is a hit at get togethers with adults and kids alike!
Non-Grilling Main Dishes
These Sweet Heat BBQ Braised Rib Tacos are the perfect easy dish for the summer or any season. Packed with bold, savory flavors–this recipe is a sure crowd pleaser and is finger-licking goodness on a plate. Slow Cooker option available.
Low and slow is the way to go to make these tender, succulent ribs with a spicy citrus and brown sugar glaze in the oven! This recipe for oven baked ribs is easy with a homemade spice rub and glaze.
Bring this pulled pork mac and cheese to your next potluck or cookout! Rich and creamy mac and cheese with that summer superstar -pulled pork- make for a match made in heaven any time of the year!
Instant Pot Carnitas are tender, crispy, and delicious, made in less than an hour in your electric pressure cooker!
Sides
This easy spinach dip is creamy, cheesy, and a huge crowd pleaser!
Hold onto your sun visors because this summer salad is going to blow your mind! This Grilled Peach and Burrata Salad is about as good as a salad gets and it happens to be a real eye pleaser too.
This gluten-free appetizer is layered with refried beans, pico de gallo, guacamole, non-dairy cream cheese, lettuce, red bell peppers, and shredded non-dairy cheese.
You must try these grilled scallop kebabs and duck bacon with a finishing glaze of soy and oyster sauce served with grilled vegetable kebabs of corn, zucchini, and red onions.
Your favorite sandwich, the BLT, is here in pasta salad form. Bacon, lettuce, and tomato are tossed in a creamy ranch dressing with rotini pasta to make this flavorful BLT Pasta Salad. Perfect for your next picnic or barbecue.
I love making a big batch of this Black Bean and Corn Salsa to have on hand for a healthy snack, side dish, or topping for salads and tacos!
Southern baked macaroni and cheese, also called soul food mac and cheese, is the ultimate in comfort food. Creamy, rich, ooey-gooey, super cheesy, with those crispy browned cheese edges…no one can resist perfectly baked mac and cheese.
These Raspberry Chipotle Wings are a real crowd pleaser and will surely be a win at your party.
Watermelon, Cucumber & Jicama Salad with Coconut Lime Dressing (Paleo & Vegan)
A healthy summer salad full of hydrating and cooling foods like watermelon, cucumber & jicama and topped with an addicting coconut lime dressing. Serve this quick side dish with your favorite meal or munch on it when you need a refreshing snack on a hot day. {paleo, vegan & gluten-free}
This is the BEST guacamole recipe as it’s is simple to make and uses fresh, high quality ingredients. Authentic guacamole doesn’t contain fillers and unnecessary ingredients. All you need is avocados, onion, tomatoes, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, lime juice, garlic and salt. Easy and delicious!
This Spanish Style Potato Salad recipe is full of flavors like smoked paprika and Spanish olives. It makes a perfect side dish for a summer BBQ or picnic!
Looking for the best homemade baked beans recipe? This is it! A handful of ingredients plus a half hour in the oven equals the yummiest, most crowd-pleasing baked beans from scratch!
Desserts
These pineapple spears are grilled to perfection with a jalapeno honey glaze! An easy and healthy summer dessert idea that everyone will LOVE!
Grilled Nectarines with Coconut Cream is an easy fresh summertime dessert you can make on the grill in about 5 minutes. (Dairy Free – Vegan and Gluten free)
This Grilled Peaches Recipe is the perfect treat for the warm summer weather! This quick and easy recipe works great as a dessert or an appetizer to parties. Pair with Honey Mascarpone and fresh thyme for the perfect finish.
This was my mother’s favorite dessert and I have fond memories of this cake coming out of the oven all hot and bubbly. The fun, but scary part was flipping a super hot iron skillet over on a plate to see caramelized pineapple and the sweet red cherry on top. Today I am putting the One Hot Oven twist on this classic dessert and making Grilled Pineapple Upside Down Cakes.
Vegan Strawberry Shortcake with Coconut Whip! This all-American summer dessert is the perfect way to take advantage of the season’s perfect berry.
Yum! These peach hand pies are simple as you can see, but they really are a true celebration of peach flavor and I think you guys are going to love them. They’re easy to double, or make smaller if you’re serving them at a summer cookout.
Experience the tropics with every bite of this refreshing no bake pineapple coconut cream pie. From the sweet and tangy crushed pineapple to the fluffy whipped coconut cream to the crunchy toasted coconut, this is summer in a pie!
This year I wanted something really easy, NO Bake, and something that could quickly be made with frozen raspberries. This Raspberry Dulce de Leche Icebox Cake was the delicious result! It takes about 15 minutes to throw together and it is unbelievably yummy.
This delicious summer peach crisp will win over everyone! Juicy peaches with warm spices and an amazing crumble topping are a sure fire hit for any occasion.
Drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic)
Sweet, bubbly, tangy, this sparkling ginger strawberry lemonade is THE drink of the summer! It's easy and inexpensive to make, with fresh ginger, lemons, and strawberries!
Here are 5 easy homemade lemonade recipes for you to cool yourself on a hot summer day. This recipe includes how to make your own lemonade concentrate at home using fresh lemons and instructions on how to use to further to make the 5 flavors
These Strawberry Grapefruit Mint Spring Sodas are the perfect balance between tart and sweet with a nice fizz. Made with a simple mint syrup along with freshly sliced strawberries, grapefruit juice, and a coconut flavored carbonated water, these homemade sodas will leave you feeling refreshed on any sunny day. Vegan option available.
Turn a simple bottle of white wine into a bubbly, fruity spritzer that will quench your thirst during the hot months and warm your belly during the cold ones. Make a pitcher of this light & refreshing cocktail for parties (it goes down easy, has a lower alcohol content & is budget friendly when you're serving a crowd) or fix it by the glass for a relaxing night at home.
Don't let watermelon season pass you by! Treat yourself to this refreshingly tasty frozen watermelon margarita!
Looking for a refreshing beverage with fresh fruit? Try our strawberry horchata recipe. Yummy and satisfying, it has become one of our favorites and it’s so easy to make.

Eden Westbrook is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind Sweet Tea and Thyme. A classically trained chef, Eden has inspired home cooks into the kitchen with cultural comfort foods, easy family-friendly eats and sweets, and glorious spreads for date night and entertaining since 2015.
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