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Memorial Day weekend is the official kickoff of grilling season at my house. The grill comes out, the kids spend the day outside, and dinner gets way easier — everything just gets thrown on the fire while I’m out there with a glass of wine.
After 13 years of cooking and writing about food, I’ve narrowed our Memorial Day barbecue down to a menu that actually holds up: a few grilled mains, a handful of sides that travel well, fresh salads, drinks you can batch ahead, and one or two desserts you can make the day before.
Almost everything scales easily for a crowd.
Below is the lineup I rotate through every year.
Growing up in Bulgaria, summer meals were always outside — grilled meat, salads, fruit, family.
Memorial Day in the U.S. has the same energy.
Different recipes, same idea: eat outside, eat together, don’t overthink it.
This is my full Memorial Day menu — pick a few, mix and match, and you’ve got the weekend covered.
Memorial Day Grilled Mains
The centerpiece of any Memorial Day cookout. These are my four most-cooked grilled mains — all marinade-ahead, all forgiving on the grill, all guest-tested.
1
Easy Grilled Chicken Thighs
The most reliable thing on my grill. Juicy every single time, forgiving enough to step away from while you talk to your guests, and the recipe I've made more times than I can count. Start the weekend here.
Chicken cubes in basil pesto, on a stick, on the grill. The pesto marinade keeps the chicken tender, the smoky char does the rest. Foolproof — if you've never grilled kebabs before, start with these.
The bacon does double duty — bastes the chicken so it stays juicy and adds smoky flavor while it crisps up on the grill. These disappear first every single time.
Tender, juicy, fast. Twenty minutes on the grill once it's marinated, slice and serve. The recipe I make when I want something that looks impressive but doesn't take all day.
Low and slow in the oven, finished on the grill for that smoky crust. The most-requested thing I make all summer — set them in the morning and you have hours to do anything else.
Grilled Country-Style Pork Shoulder Ribs with Blueberry Peach Salsa
The one your guests will still be talking about next week. Smoky pork ribs paired with a fresh blueberry-peach salsa — sounds unexpected, works beautifully. This is the recipe I bring out when I want to make something memorable.
Marinated pork on skewers, juicy and packed with flavor. A summer recipe I come back to every year — the kind of thing that makes the grill smell incredible from across the yard.
The grill is hot, the meat is resting — perfect time to throw on the vegetables. These five sides do a lot of the work for you and balance out the heavier mains.
8
Grilled Corn On The Cob In Husk
No foil, no boiling. Just soak the corn in husks, throw it on the grill, let the steam do its thing. Soft inside, lightly charred outside, and exactly the side a Memorial Day plate needs.
The foil version — softer kernels, no charred husks to peel off, great if you're feeding kids or a crowd. Drop a pat of garlic butter inside the foil before sealing and you've made the most popular side at the table.
The fastest, most forgiving method — no grill required. Ten minutes in salted water, butter and salt on top, done. Perfect when the grill is already full of meat or when you just want one less thing to think about.
Zucchini, onions, broccoli, carrots — lightly charred and tossed in balsamic. One of those sides that disappears faster than anything else on the table, even when the burgers are right next to it.
12
Grilled Cauliflower Skewers
The side dish that surprises everyone. Smoky outside, tender inside, quietly addictive next to anything else on the table. Even the meat lovers come back for seconds.
The most colorful, effortless thing on the grill. Works as a side or a light appetizer while everything else is cooking. Ready in minutes and gone even faster.
A Bulgarian classic from my kitchen. Sweet peppers charred on the grill, then bathed in a quick tomato sauce — make ahead, serve warm or at room temperature, goes with everything off the grill.
The cold, crunchy contrast that every grilled menu needs. These travel well to a potluck and hold up in the fridge if you’re cooking ahead.
17
The Best Cucumber Salad
Ten minutes, refreshing, goes with everything smoky off the grill. Don't show up to a Memorial Day cookout without this — and make a big batch, it goes fast.
Crispy Smashed Potato Salad with Yogurt Dijon Dressing
Not your average potato salad. Smashed potatoes roasted until crispy and golden, tossed with cucumber, red onion, bell pepper, and a tangy yogurt-Dijon dressing. Lighter than the mayo version, way more interesting.
The hearty salad that turns leftover grilled steak into next-day lunch. Greens, juicy steak slices, blue cheese crumbles, red onion, and a punchy vinaigrette. Make extra steak on Memorial Day specifically so you can have this Tuesday.
A grain bowl masquerading as a salad. Grilled chicken, charred corn cut off the cob, quinoa, herbs, lime — substantial enough to be the main, light enough to bring to a cookout. One of my favorite ways to use leftover grilled chicken.
The cold, creamy, throw-it-together salad that travels well to any picnic or potluck. Crab, celery, red onion, light mayo dressing — fifteen minutes of prep and it actually gets better after a few hours in the fridge.
Easy to batch, make-ahead, and ready when guests arrive — these are the two I keep on rotation all summer.
22
Cherry Lime Mojito
Sweet cherries, fresh lime, mint, rum, sparkling water. Make a big pitcher in the morning and it's waiting when everyone shows up. Refreshing without being too sweet — exactly what a long grill day calls for.
Three ingredients, five minutes, looks like something from a restaurant. Lemon sorbet, limoncello, prosecco. My kind of summer drink — adult dessert and cocktail in one glass.
End the day with something fresh, summery, and make-ahead friendly. None of these need an oven on the day of — exactly what you want when the kitchen is already hot.
24
Watermelon Fruit Cake
No baking, no oven, looks like you spent hours. A fresh watermelon “cake” decorated with fruit — the showstopper that gets every guest taking pictures before they eat it.
If you want a real cake on the table, this is the one. Moist yellow cake layered with homemade Bavarian cream and fresh blueberries. Looks bakery-level, much more doable than it looks.
Graham cracker crust, smooth creamy chia filling, fresh berries on top. No oven, no fuss, keeps in the fridge all week. A lighter ending to a day of grilled food.
If you’re building a menu from scratch, here’s what I’d do:
Pick 1–2 grilled mains (chicken thighs + pesto kebabs is my go-to combo)
Pick 2–3 sides — one grilled vegetable, one cold salad, and corn on the cob
Pick 1 dessert — watermelon cake or fruit salad if it’s a hot day, Bavarian cream cake if you want something more substantial
The whole point of Memorial Day food is that nothing should feel like work. Marinate the meat the night before, prep the salads in the morning, and let the grill do the rest while you’re outside with everyone.
Bulgarian summer note
In Bulgaria, the standard summer cookout — шишчета on the grill, шопска салата on the side, watermelon for dessert — has the same bones as a Memorial Day BBQ. Just swap the kabobs for chicken thighs and the watermelon for fruit salad and you’re already there. Good food, outside, with people you love. That’s the whole holiday.
More grilling recipes for the rest of summer
Memorial Day is just the start of grilling season. Save this post and come back for Father’s Day, July 4, and every weekend in between. (And if you want a corn-specific roundup, that one is coming in late June.)
FAQ — Memorial Day Menu Questions
What’s the best food to make for Memorial Day? A mix of one or two grilled proteins, a couple of cold salads, one grilled vegetable side, and one make-ahead dessert. Trying to do six different mains is what makes hosts melt down at 4pm. Pick less, prep more, enjoy the day.
How do I plan a Memorial Day BBQ menu for a crowd? Plan on about ¾ lb of meat per adult, two sides minimum, one bright fruit-based dessert, and one drink you can batch in the morning. Marinate proteins the night before, prep salads early morning, and the grill carries the rest.
What can I make ahead for Memorial Day? Marinades, every cold salad, the watermelon cake, the chia cheesecake, and both cocktail batches. Even the grilled vegetable salads taste great at room temperature — make them an hour before guests arrive.
What grills in under 20 minutes? Pesto chicken kebabs, pork tenderloin, bacon-wrapped chicken skewers, mini sweet peppers, corn on the cob, and any of the vegetable skewers. If you want fast turnover at the grill, build the menu around these.
I share simple, mostly low-carb and Keto recipes, that don't take a lot of time to make and use mostly seasonal, easy to find ingredients. I'm a supporter of healthy eating, but you'll also find some indulgent treats too.
