4th of July Party Food5 (1)
It’s one of the best holidays of the year, and a true celebration of everything Americana. There’s nothing better than enjoying an awesome 4th of July holiday weekend with friends and family. Sitting outside in the sunshine, perhaps by a pool, enjoying a few awesome cold beverages. Then, of course, there’s the food! There are so many delicious recipes you can make to celebrate this wonderful holiday weekend! This is our definitive guide to 7 of the best 4th of July Party Food dishes that are perfect for the warm weather
The key to great 4th of July Party Food is that it is appropriate for the hot weather
A great 4th of July Party is going to be held outside. We’re in the peak of the Summertime and hot weather and sunshine is (hopefully) on the menu for the holiday weekend. So, when it comes to making some awesome food to celebrate this weekend, the food must be appropriate for hot weather, and dining outside
Of course, there’s a very high probability that the grill is going to be fired up with all kinds of meat being cooked over an open flame. To us, that’s a given. However, what we want to share in this list are some other dishes that can compliment the masses of grilled goods coming off that fire. From delicious appetizers to graze on, to some heartier dishes to tuck into to help soak up that booze. There’s a little bit for everyone in this list. So, time to party!
4th of July Party Food Recipes
- Shrimp Cocktail
- Steak Crostini with Horseradish Cream
- Spicy Deviled Eggs
- Pepperoni Pizza Rolls
- Holiday Seafood Platter
- Nacho Fries
- Juicy Lucy Burgers
Perfect Appetizers for a 4th of July Party
Appetizers are a great way to eat at a 4th of July party. As people are gathering and the drinks are starting to flow, it’s always good to have some readily available food for people to enjoy. Sure, you could open a bag of Doritos and call it a day. Or you could make some of these delicious and very easy to prepare Apps to elevate your 4th of July Party Food
Shrimp Cocktail
Seafood, Sunshine, and Swimming Pools. If that sounds like your perfect combination of things then this Shrimp Cocktail recipe is for you! Beautifully poached Shrimp are served cold alongside that beautiful, spicy Cocktail Sauce that we all know and love. It’s a very easy dish to make and takes no time at all. Poaching the Shrimp only takes minutes, and all that is required for the sauce is to mix a few ingredients together
For extra punch, we recommend going heavy-handed with the Horseradish in the sauce. It’s what gives the Cocktail Sauce its refreshing, spicy edge. It goes perfectly with a cool beverage, and even better if you can serve the Shrimp over ice. Sure to be a crowd pleaser to kick off the party!
Steak Crostini with Horseradish Cream
With that grill starting to fire up, what better way to start it off than searing some beautiful Tenderloin Steaks for this next recipe. We give the Beef a very generous coating of crushed Peppercorns and then sear the Steak to a rare cook. Allow it to cool and then slice thinly to plate on top of lightly toasted bread
To finish off the Steak Crostini, why not use some of that leftover Horseradish from the Cocktail Sauce to make a tasty and refreshing Horseradish Cream. The combination of flavors in this dish is light, refreshing, and flavorful, making for delicious 4th of July Party Food
If you like you can prepare the Steak in advance the day before and simply slice it up before serving once the party starts. That way you’ve got these great bite-sized Crostini’s ready to go. But trust us; they will go fast!
Spicy Deviled Eggs
Another cold served appetizer is the world-famous Deviled Eggs. These wonderful morsels of eggy goodness are always crowd pleasers at parties. They’re so easy to eat and ‘almost’ easy to make! Boil the Eggs until the internal Yolk is completely cooked. Scoop out that Yolk then mix it all up with your favorite Mayonnaise (we use Japanese Kewpie Mayo for our recipe) along with some spices and you’re set
Depending on the crowd you can omit the spicy stuff in the mixture. This will allow the Eggs to be kid friendly too. If, however, you’re looking for a bit of heat to match the temperature outside then we highly recommend mixing in some Cayenne Pepper to get those Deviled Eggs lovely and hot!
Pepperoni Pizza Rolls
For an appetizer that is a little heartier we highly recommend our Pepperoni Pizza Rolls. They’re an American classic and taste amazing. We use a delicious Pizza Dough recipe that has been inspired by the famous NY Pizzerias and it is phenomenal. You will need to prepare the dough in advance, as it does require an overnight proof for the best result
Then, simply roll out the dough and line it with some Pepperoni, Mozzarella, and a simple homemade Tomato Sauce. Roll it all up tight then bake until the bread is completely cooked through. The result – a gooey, melty, delicious filling encased with crispy, light Pizza dough. It’s great for the kids and adults. Everyone will love them!
For something a bit more fulfilling
Appetizers are always a hit when it comes to 4th of July Party Food, but for those hearty appetites you will likely need some more fulfilling dishes. Here are some fun dishes that are super easy to prepare and will go down a treat at your party
Holiday Seafood Platter
To go all-out on an epic looking centerpiece you can’t go wrong with a Seafood Platter. The best part about Seafood Platters is you can include whatever seafood you want, and it’ll be awesome! For our Holiday Seafood Platter, we include a broad combination of raw, cooked (cold), and cooked (warm), ingredients. This will give the platter a bit more variety and all your party guests to experience different flavors, textures, and heat with every bite
These can end up being pricy, but if you are out to impress there is simply nothing better than a Seafood Platter centerpiece for a 4th July Party. Depending on your budget situation you can go all-out with Caviar and Uni. If, the budget is a little tight you can still make a phenomenal looking platter with some more affordable, yet delicious ingredients like Salmon, Tuna, and Shrimp
Nacho Fries
All hail Taco Bell and their glorious Nacho Fries! Seriously, it’s a great inspiration for making your very own version at home and they are so good! Basically, Nacho Fries are prepared just like your typical Nachos are, but instead of using Corn Chips, they are replaced with French Fries! It’s a genius move to be honest, as the fries are a perfect vessel to hold all those classic and tasty Nacho Ingredients
Nachos make for great 4th of July Party Food because they are such a communal eating experience. Whip up these delicious Nachos and serve them on the largest plate / platter you have. Your guests can grab a plate and just spoon on a generous helping of Fries from the big plate and dive in
You will be surprised at how light these Nacho Fries are, making them a perfect hearty meal for the Summertime. The lightness comes from only using melted American Cheese, and not heavier, stodgier cheeses like Cheddar. It works great, looks amazing, and tastes phenomenal!
Juicy Lucy Burgers
It just can’t be a list for ultimate 4th of July Party Food without there being a recipe from the grill. We know that the grill is going to be fired up, so instead of making those regular old burgers, why not mix it up with a classic burger from Minnesota – the Juicy Lucy!
This famous burger is just like any regular old cheeseburger, but with a twist. The cheese is not on the outside of the burger but stuffed inside the burger itself! To make it you simply press out two 5 – 6 oz. burger patties and then place 2 slices of American Cheese in the middle. Smoosh them both together and then grill until cooked. When you break into the Burger all that gooey, melty cheese oozes out and it is so good!
For a little bit of fun, why not whip up a batch of Juicy Lucy Burgers and not tell your guests. So, when they bite into their burger they’ll be met with a cheesy surprise that’ll be sure to be a hit at your 4th of July Party!
However you plan on enjoying the holiday, we wish you all a happy 4th of July and hope that you get to enjoy some yummy food with your family and friends. If you’ve got any great recipes perfect for a summer holiday party then we’d love to hear from you. Comment below or share with us on Pinterest or Instagram and let us know
Happy Cooking!
