Our Best Fourth of July Recipes

Lemon-Lime Lacquered Grilled Chicken (Inihaw Na Manok)

Lemon-lime soda takes center stage in this succulent Filipino grilled chicken, lacquered to perfection for a sweet and savory BBQ twist.

By Laura RussellJune 3, 2019

Pizza with Ricotta, Zucchini and Mint

The bright, summery flavors of this pizza are a nice change from rich, cheesy, tomatoey pies. Be sure to choose medium-sized zucchini or summer squash—that is, one that weighs no more than about 8 ounces. Its texture will be more tender and its core w

By Courtney HillSeptember 11, 2024

Upside-Down Tomato Tart

For a crispy, sog-free tomato tart, bake the crust on top.

By Rose HattabaughSeptember 20, 2021

Pasta with Tomatoes, Sweet Corn and Avocados

This colorful pasta salad is best made with in-season tomatoes and sweet, fresh corn. In non-summer months, however, frozen corn works well. The kernels are dropped into the pasta during the final minutes of boiling and cooked only briefly so they ret

By Dimitri DemopolousOctober 17, 2023

Blender Berries-and-Cream Cake

No mixer needed for this easy berries-and-cream treat. A blender makes quick work of the cake batter and the mascarpone filling is easily whipped by hand with a whisk. The components can be prepared in advance. The cake layers will keep for 24 hours a

By Rose HattabaughMarch 26, 2025

Grilled Mustard-Herb Potato Salad

Tender-yet-crispy grilled potatoes get a double dose of flavor with handfuls of fresh herbs and grainy mustard.

By Courtney HillMay 15, 2024

Frozen Lemon Mousse

Thanks to store-bought lemon curd, you don’t need to spend any time at the stovetop to make this ethereal frozen mousse. With the help of a stand mixer, the base comes together in a few minutes, then is frozen in a loaf pan until firm enough to unmold

By Rose HattabaughAugust 12, 2024

Espetada-Style Grilled Garlic and Bay Beef Skewers

These mouthwatering skewers tap into the power of finely crushed bay leaves to channel the authentic tastes of their traditional Portuguese grilling method.

Lemon and Pistachio Bars

To balance the bright acidity of lemon, our take on this classic bar incorporates a small measure of fruity, savory olive oil in both the custard and crust. We found that using egg yolks in addition to whole eggs boosts both richness and color. Butter

By Courtney HillJune 27, 2024

Cucumber Salad with Sour Cream and Dill

To create this creamy, crunchy dish, we looked to the Polish salad known as mizeria, which features cucumbers, sour cream, dill and sometimes red onion. Though it’s not traditional, we also added prepared horseradish for a spicy kick. Be sure to salt

By Dimitri DemopolousOctober 18, 2023

Batch-Muddled Mojitos

A stand mixer makes muddling mojitos for a crowd a breeze. The syrup and rum can be combined, covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours; any longer than that and the flavors mellow too much. We especially enjoy the slight salinity of San Pellegrino

By Matthew CardMay 31, 2017

S'mores Bars with Marshmallow Meringue

Cheryl Day, pastry chef and co-owner of Back in the Day Bakery in Savannah, Georgia, makes a delightful baked good out of a classic campfire treat: s’mores. A buttery graham cracker crust is topped with a layer of chocolatey brownies and finished with

By Rose HattabaughSeptember 28, 2023

Lemon-Orange Tart

A classic lemon tart requires making a stovetop curd, and too often its flavor winds up harsh and puckery. We found an easier, better way—no stovetop stirring required. We temper the brassiness of lemon with sweeter, gentler orange and simply combine

By Milk StreetSeptember 12, 2024

Pakistani-Style Grilled Marinated Leg of Lamb

A tenderizing trio of papaya, yogurt and lemon juice gives this lamb a rich, juicy texture.

By Courtney HillApril 5, 2024

Summer Tomato Tian

Ripe summer tomatoes are ideal for this all-tomato take on tian, with rich, concentrated flavor.

By Courtney HillSeptember 20, 2021

Thai Grilled Pork Skewers (Moo Ping)

These marinated skewers, coated in an umami-rich mixture of fish sauce, brown sugar and aromatics, are based on Thailand’s street food grilled over hardwood charcoal.

By Dawn YanagiharaApril 8, 2019

Plum Cake with Spiced Almond Crumble

This elegant plum cake, with a plush, sour cream-enriched crumb, uses Middle Eastern-inspired spicing—warming cardamom, cloves, allspice, and coriander. The sweet-tart fruit melds into the cake.

By Rose HattabaughJuly 28, 2021

Drunken Shrimp with Tequila (Camarones Borrachos)

In camarones borrachos, or “drunken shrimp,” tequila is subtle base for layering classic Mexican flavors—lime and cilantro, cutting through rich, garlicky butter.

By Courtney HillApril 1, 2022

Chili-Pineapple Margarita

The inspiration for this spicy margarita came from a cocktail we had at Hartwood, a restaurant in Tulum, Mexico. Chef Eric Werner steeped habanero chilies in tequila for over 36 hours to add kick. We simplified, infusing simple syrup with the same fla

Coconut-Cilantro Rice

To make this colorful, highly aromatic rice, we stir a vibrant puree of cilantro, scallions and jalapeño into the cooked rice after it has had a chance to rest. For the best flavor and texture, make sure to use jasmine rice. If needed, dribble more wa

Ricotta and Cherry Jam Tart

A rustic tart inspired by the traditional Roman combination of milky-sweet ricotta and tangy cherries.

By Rose HattabaughApril 5, 2024

Coconut Macaroon Pie

Adapted from Yelapa—where pie is sold by the slice and eaten by hand—recipe developer Paola Briseño-González describes this as coconut macaroon in pie form.

By Rose HattabaughDecember 15, 2022

Thai Corn Fritters with Sweet Chili Sauce

Sweet, fresh corn kernels punctuate these crispy-crusted fritters, with rich savoriness that pairs perfectly with tangy, sweet, finger-licking chili sauce.

By Courtney HillJune 11, 2021

Meringue-Topped Cake with Cherries

Romanian prăjitură cu rubarbă is a simple, rustic rhubarb-studded cake that is covered with a snowy cloud of meringue after baking, then slid back into the oven. A few minutes later, the two-layer treat emerges with a crown of golden swirls and peaks—

By Rose HattabaughJune 27, 2024

Cuban-Spiced Burgers

Partially freezing the ground beef before mixing in the spices helped prevent the meat from becoming compacted during mixing and shaping. But it's still important to use a light touch when handling the beef. The burgers can be cooked immediately after

By Diane UngerJune 5, 2017

Hawaiian Sweet Bread–Style Dinner Rolls

From its small-town roots in Hilo, Hawaii, King’s Hawaiian Sweet Bread has become a mainland favorite. This is our homemade dinner roll version that delivers the characteristic soft, sweet, feathery crumb. (For a sandwich loaf, see the recipe below.)

By Hisham Ali HassanMarch 26, 2025

Pizza Margherita

The Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana establishes regulations on pizza bearing the name “Neapolitan” or “Napoletana.” So though pizza alla margherita is an Italian classic and our version attempts to re-create the pizza we tasted in Naples, it is n

By Rose Hattabaugh & Courtney HillMarch 3, 2025

Salt and Vinegar Smashed Potatoes

Salt and vinegar potato chips as a smashed potato? Yes! Crisp outside and creamy inside, these smashed potatoes feature the popular, puckery potato-chip flavor. We tried multiple vinegars for this recipe but found that punchy white vinegar was best. T

By Hisham Ali HassanFebruary 24, 2025

Grilled Tacos al Pastor

We figured out how to get dripping, fall-apart tender meat for the best shortcut tacos al pastor.

Rosé Sangria

Our sangria technique worked so well with white wine, we adapted it to rosé. Portuguese rosé vinho verde was our favorite, but any lightly sweet rosé will work.

Japanese Potato Salad

Equal parts tangy and savory, this partially mashed potato salad is creamy without being heavy.

By Elizabeth GermainApril 10, 2017

Chris Kimball’s Fresh Peach and Raspberry Crostata

We look forward to summer peaches all year just for the crostata: the minimalist, free-form tart with a shatteringly crispy crust.

By Chris Kimball & Rose HattabaughJune 7, 2022

Strawberry and Amaretti Fool

This no-cook British dessert combines whipped cream and fruit for a light, almost effortless treat.

By Milk StreetApril 5, 2024

Mexican Sweet Corn Cake

This super versatile reader favorite makes a light and sweet breakfast, dessert, or anytime snack. And it's made in a blender!

By Calvin CoxMarch 25, 2020

Japanese Macaroni Salad

The key to Japan’s creamy-yet-fresh-tasting macaroni salad: Kewpie mayo that’s lush and rich, yet tangy-sweet.

By Dimitri DemopolousApril 25, 2023

Garlic-Rosemary Burgers with Taleggio Sauce

These deeply savory burgers were inspired by a recipe by Ignacio Mattos, chef of Estela in New York and author of a book by the same name. Mattos uses fish sauce as a seasoning for steak, but we opted for similarly salty and umami-rich Worcestershire

By Courtney HillApril 8, 2019

Cherry and Chocolate Crumble Semifreddo

Easier than ice cream cake, but just as delicious.

By Courtney HillOctober 4, 2023

Japanese Fried Chicken (Karaage)

This chicken boasts tangy, bright flavors and delicate crispness, thanks to a quick ginger-spiked marinade and seasoned cornstarch coating. “I can finally bring fried chicken to the table that makes my family's eyes roll in delight!" one reader writes

By Diane UngerApril 10, 2017

White Sangria

This white sangria, our adaptation of Janet Mendel’s Manchegan white wine cooler from “Cooking from the Heart of Spain,” is light, refreshing and relatively low in alcohol, making it a great choice for summer sipping. You might expect a base of Spanis

By Julia RackowMay 24, 2018

Citrus-Cilantro Chicken Skewers

Cuban mojo inspired these tangy-sweet chicken skewers that are cooked under the broiler. A mixture of citrus zest and juice, cilantro, vinegar and garlic doubles as a quick marinade and sauce for serving on the side. Grapefruit or oranges work equally

By Julia RackowOctober 13, 2020

Taiwanese Grilled Corn

This smoky-spicy-sweet grilled corn was the highlight of Chris Kimball’s trip to a carnival-like market in Taipei.

By Diane UngerJune 4, 2018

Smoky Chili-Garlic Pork Burgers

This recipe will make you a pork burger convert—succulent pork uniquely accommodates loads of spicy-sweet-garlicky flavor, with very little effort.

By Calvin CoxJune 23, 2020

Sweet Fresh Corn Pudding

We can’t wait til summer to make Vivian Howard’s light, elegant sweet corn soufflés.

Yellow Blender Cake

A tender all-purpose yellow cake that's almost as easy as a boxed mix, with a pure vanilla flavor you'd expect from a fancy bakery.

By Rose HattabaughFebruary 8, 2024

Pasta Salad with Charred Corn and Cilantro

Creamy-rich yet bright and fresh, this pasta salad takes inspiration from Mexican esquites, corn that typically is grilled or roasted and finished with a mixture of herbs, lime, chili and cheese. We simmer corn cobs in the water that’s later used for

By Dimitri DemopolousOctober 17, 2023

Christopher Kimball’s Double-Crust Apple Pie

It’s only a minor overstatement to say that apple pie is holy for Chris Kimball. This recipe is the product of decades of study.

By Chris KimballNovember 22, 2021

Labne Deviled Eggs with Paprika and Ginger

"They’re a special thing, deviled eggs, and while they seem like a treat that someone took the time to make, at the end of the day, they’re really very simple. I tend to think of them as composed egg salad, something I grew up eating a lot of. To give

Yelapa-Style Sweet Corn Pie (Pay de Elote)

This pie is our adaptation of a recipe from food writer Paola Briseño-González, who was inspired to re-create the pay de elote (corn pie, translated from the Spanish) sold by the slice in the beach town of Yelapa in central Mexico. Use either white or

By Milk Street & Erin BarnhartNovember 14, 2025

Dark Chocolate Terrine with Coffee and Cardamom

Undeniably rich, yet surprisingly light, our chilled chocolate terrine features a touch of cardamom evoking the fragrance and flavor of Turkish coffee.

By Rose HattabaughNovember 8, 2022

Charred Corn with Coconut, Chilies and Lime

In this recipe, inspired by Andy Ricker’s grilled corn from his book “Pok Pok,” cut corn kernels pair with coconut to make a delicious savory-sweet side that’s perfect for cookouts or potlucks. The natural sugars and fat in the coconut milk speed the

By Julia RackowDecember 18, 2019

Tomato, Arugula and Bread Salad with Fresh Corn and Mozzarella

This vibrant, summery salad includes elements of Italian panzanella (bread salad). For best flavor and texture, we mix the tomato wedges and onion slices with the vinaigrette and allow them to marinate briefly before tossing in the leafy greens, herb,

By Rose HattabaughSeptember 7, 2021

Esquites Mexican Roasted Corn

These buttery, savory-sweet corn kernels are possibly Mexico City’s best street food: “an explosion of sweet and creamy corn, tangy citrus, briny cheese and chili heat.”

By Calvin CoxMarch 31, 2022

Hot Milk Sponge Cake

This old-fashioned recipe is everything you wish angel food cake would be—light, but tender and flavorful, rather than vanishing and cotton-candy sweet.

By Milk StreetOctober 28, 2022

Grilled Corn

The best way to grill corn is husks-on.

By Calvin CoxNovember 10, 2021

Shrimp Tostadas with Orange and Avocado

These tostadas are all about contrasts—in flavor and texture, as well as color. Gently poaching the shrimp keeps them plump and tender, and using a skillet ensures quick, even cooking. We use extra-large (size 21/25) shrimp so there are fewer to peel

By Hisham Ali HassanAugust 12, 2024

Miso-Ginger Chicken Salad

This crunchy salad skips the mayo in favor of a tangy, gingery miso-based dressing, with lots of texture from cucumbers and almonds.

Circassian Chicken (Çerkez Tavuğu)

Served at Ottoman empire palaces, this chicken salad is dressed with a rich, creamy walnut sauce, drizzled with a shock of red oil.

By Courtney HillJune 6, 2022

Charred Pineapple with Spiced Honey and Coconut Ice Cream

Charring fresh pineapple under a broiler brings out roasted, caramel notes while also rendering the fruit tender and succulent. For ease, we use store-brought peeled and cored pineapple so the only prep that’s needed is cutting it into rings before br

Austrian Potato Salad (Erdäpfelsalat)

The best potato salads come from outside the US, still creamy, yet made without mayo.

Vietnamese Chicken Salad with Sweet Lime-Garlic Dressing (Goi Gà)

This refreshing salad is a symphony of tastes, colors and textures. Fish sauce, known as nuoc mam in Vietnam, gives the dressing savory, umami-rich underpinnings, while lime juice, sugar and garlic punch up the flavors. The jalapeños add moderate spic

By Julia RackowOctober 15, 2019

Charred Guacamole (Guacamole Tatemado)

A trip to Mexico City revealed that when it comes to guacamole, anything goes. We saw it garnished with peanuts, flavored with all manner of herbs, even studded with seafood. We like the butteriness of avocado paired with smoky notes, so we created th

By Courtney HillApril 28, 2025

Chilaquiles with Salsa Roja and Chorizo

Basic chilaquiles consists of thick, crisp tortilla chips coated with a green or red salsa, and garnished with crumbly Mexican cheese, chopped onion and crema. Chilaquiles parranderos is a deluxe version—parrandero translates as “partygoer”—with more

By Hisham Ali HassanMay 5, 2025

Grill-Roasted Sweet and Sour Peppers with Feta and Herbs

Persian sekanjabin, a sweet and sour syrup made with vinegar, mint and sugar or honey, inspired the dressing for these silky, smoky grill-roasted sweet peppers. (We also include instructions for roasting the peppers under a broiler; see below.) Toaste

By Courtney HillMay 12, 2025

Mexican Cowboy Beans (Frijoles Charros)

Mexican frijoles charros, or cowboy beans, is a brothy stew of beans and a variety of meats, plus aromatics, tomatoes and sometimes chilies. The dish is said to originate with the charros, or cowboys, who worked on the ranches of northern Mexico and t

By Rose HattabaughMay 22, 2025

Thai-Inspired Chicken and Cabbage Salad

This chicken salad draws inspiration from Thai flavors: fish sauce, coconut, lime and fresh chili. You can poach your own chicken to add to the salad, or purchase an average size rotisserie chicken to obtain the 3 cups shredded meat needed for the rec

By Milk StreetMay 22, 2025

Lacquered Pork Ribs with Hoisin, Honey and Five-Spice

These addictive, salty-sweet pork ribs were inspired by char siu, a popular style of Cantonese barbecued meat often made with long, thin strips of pork shoulder. To season racks of baby back ribs, we combine hoisin, honey, soy sauce, fresh ginger and

By Diane UngerOctober 27, 2023

Grilled Corn with Miso Butter and Sesame Salt

We balance the toasty sweetness of grilled corn with the creamy-salty richness of butter, miso, sesame and salt. To keep the cooking simple, we borrow cookbook author J. Kenji Lopez-Alt’s clever idea of using a disposable aluminum pan to contain the e

By Courtney HillMarch 25, 2025

Indonesian Beef and Sweet Soy Sate

Sate street food stalls are ubiquitous in Jakarta. We particularly loved the beef sate manis at Soto Tangkar Kerajinan 46, where cooks use the same sweet-and-savory seasoning paste to flavor their sate and their soup. A blender does most of the work i

By Hisham Ali HassanMarch 26, 2025

Thai-Inspired Smashed Cucumber Salad

Smash your cucumbers! This punchy salad is inspired by ajat, a Thai relish of sweet and sour cucumbers often paired with satay. Smashing the cucumbers creates craggy surfaces that help seasonings cling. It also loosens the seeds so they’re easy to rem

By Hisham Ali HassanMarch 26, 2025

Georgian Tomato and Cucumber Salad with Walnuts

In Georgia (the country, not the state), walnuts aren’t in salad dressing, they are the salad dressing. Crushed and tossed with tomatoes and cucumbers, the nuts create a creamy-savory dressing that adds as much texture as flavor. We learned this versi

By Rose HattabaughMarch 26, 2025

Antipasto-Style Zucchini and Cauliflower Salad

Stop steaming your cauliflower! Thinly sliced and boldly marinated, it’s amazing raw in this salad inspired by Italian antipasto. The cauliflower brings crisp texture as well as a subtle sweetness that combines well with thinly sliced raw zucchini. If

By Courtney HillMarch 26, 2025

Salami and Cheese Stromboli

Stromboli is an Italian-American invention said to have been created in Philadelphia in the 1950s, but the dish takes its name from an island off the coast of Sicily. Like the calzone, it’s a sort of portable pizza—fillings are enclosed in dough and b

By Rose HattabaughSeptember 12, 2024

Romanian Caramelized Onion “Hummus”

We’re pretty dubious of chocolate hummus. But paprika-caramelized onion hummus? Now we’re talking. This dish was inspired by fasole bătută, a Romanian white bean puree topped with tomato- and paprika-enriched caramelized onions. It’s often eaten with

By Courtney Hill & Felisia TanFebruary 12, 2025

Broken Phyllo Baklava Cake

Fussing over delicate phyllo is tedious. Instead, smash it! This dessert is a riff on chef Maria Leivaditaki’s recipe for portokalopita, a Greek syrup-soaked cake made from broken bits of phyllo dough in place of flour. The cake is moist, rich and del

By Milk StreetFebruary 12, 2025

Korean Grilled Marinated Short Ribs (Yangneom Galbi)

One of the most popular Korean BBQ items, this recipe from Hooni Kim’s “My Korea” pulls off a perfect balance of sweet, salty and umami.

By Calvin CoxJune 11, 2021

Sunflower Hummus

We thought we’d had enough hummus bastardizations. Then we went to Georgia and had sunflower hummus! At Craft Wine Restaurant in Tbilisi, chef Giorgi Andghuladze makes hummus with sunflower seeds in place of tahini. Look for sunflower butter in the su

By Rose HattabaughFebruary 11, 2025

Marinated Zucchini with Garlic and Herbs (Concia di Zucchine)

Marinated zucchini, or concia di zucchine (sometimes shortened to concia), is a classic dish in cucina ebraica romana, or Jewish-Roman cuisine. Concia translates as "tanning" (as in the tanning of leather) but in her book "Portico," Leah Koenig explai

By Rose HattabaughFebruary 4, 2025

Homemade Flour Tortillas

Soft, supple and with a satisfying chew, homemade flour tortillas taste far better than store-bought brands and don’t take a lot of effort or time to make. Lard is traditional in flour tortillas; many supermarkets sell non-hydrogenated lard, packed in

By Rose HattabaughOctober 23, 2024

Lebanese Flatbreads with Tomatoes, Za’atar and Sumac

These savory flatbreads are Middle Eastern in origin, but we learned about them in São Paulo, Brazil, where they’re called esfihas (sometimes spelled esfirras). The breads were introduced to Brazil by Arab immigrants, particularly from Lebanon and Syr

By Diane UngerOctober 7, 2024

Three-Seed Beer Pretzels

These soft pretzels offer a chewy, salty crust and soft, slightly sweet interior. Dark, sticky barley malt syrup supplies earthy sweetness and contains enzymes that help the pretzels develop a rich, golden hue. Look for it where you’d find molasses, w

By Courtney HillSeptember 26, 2024

Pizza with Pepperoni, Mozzarella and Hot Honey

These pizzas feature a combination of salty, spicy, tangy and sweet flavors. Pepperoni is the type of chili-spiked salumi that’s easiest to find, but if you can get hot capicola or hot soppressata, they’re also fantastic. Pickled peppers bring vinegar

By Courtney HillSeptember 27, 2024

Baked Ricotta with Sautéed Leek, Walnuts and Dill

This dip gets rich complexity from a trio of cheeses—ricotta paired with mozzarella for gooeyness and Parmesan for sharp, nutty notes. The cooking starts on the stovetop, finishes in the oven and the dish is brought to the table in the same skillet. I

By Kevin ClarkSeptember 19, 2024

Buttermilk Monkey Bread

Monkey bread gets an update that makes the pull-apart loaf even better thanks to buttermilk, a little whole-wheat flour and a lighter hand with sugar. The result is more tender and nuanced—and less sweet—than the versions many of us grew up with. Brow

By Erika BruceSeptember 12, 2024

Tarte Tatin

Tarte tatin is made by baking apples in sugar under a blanket of pastry, then inverting the tart out of the pan for serving to reveal a stunner of a dessert: velvety, caramel-soaked fruits atop a tender, buttery crust. Said to have been invented by ac

By Hisham Ali HassanSeptember 11, 2024

Slab Pizza with Sausage, Chard and Onion

This slab-style pizza boasts a pillowy, focaccia-like dough topped with garlicky tomato sauce, crisp sausage and silky sautéed greens. A flavorful cheese blend brings everything together. We recommend provolone and Asiago for their slightly funkier no

By Courtney HillAugust 21, 2024

Gochujang-Glazed Baby Back Ribs

Korean dwaeji kalbi are pork ribs seasoned with gochujang (a fermented chili paste), garlic, sugar and a few other high-impact ingredients. The ribs typically are grilled for only enough time to cook the pork through, not for hours on end to render th

By Diane UngerDecember 14, 2020