Holidays & Occasions Memorial Day Main Dishes That’ll Steal the Show For Memorial Day They're better than fireworks By Mary Alice Russell Mary Alice Russell Mary Alice Russell is a Southern Living fellow who is starting her career in lifestyle journalism. Primarily focused on social media and digital production, Mary Alice is excited to hone her skills and dedicate her professional life to beautiful things, from homes to hearts.A recent graduate of Washington and Lee University, Mary Alice majored in journalism and art history. At W&L, she was co-editor-in-chief of her school paper, The Ring-tum Phi, with her best friend and interned for The Welcome Home Podcast. Now based in Birmingham, Alabama, Mary Alice is a Virginia native who is proud to hail from the land of ham and peanuts. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on May 14, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Jennifer Davick; Prop Styling: Allison R. Banks; Food Styling: Marian Cooper Cairns Memorial Day is the unofficial start of the summer, and while we take this day to remember those brave men and women who have fought for our country, we also take a moment to spend time with those we love in the country we love. You might as well fire up the grill now because most of these mains are primed for backyard cookouts. We’ve got your hot dogs here as well as burgers, ribs, kebabs and even some more unique choices like BBQ Cedar Plank Salmon. All of which go well with the classic cookout sides and desserts. Everyone should be able to find something they like at the party from this list, we promise! While the memories of fireworks and backyard stargazing will live on forever, this year, remember what hit your grill or at least your taste buds. If it turns out that Memorial Day weekend is full of showers, we’ve got several options that will not turn out sad and soggy with a little rain. 01 of 25 Fish Tacos And Topping Bar Greg DuPree Nothing fishy here! Our Fish Tacos And Topping Bar is a delicious way to entertain a crowd. The Asian Slaw and a Quick Chipotle Cream make this recipe bright and fresh. This is a recipe you'll turn to all summer long. 02 of 25 Quesadillas al Pastor Do something a little but different on the grill and heat up these quesadillas. The smoked pork with sweet pineapple cannot be missed. 03 of 25 Grilled Cajun Shrimp Kabobs With Sausage Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Dinner is ready in 20 minutes with this two-step recipe. Just because it's simple, don't let that fool you. This recipe is full of Cajun flavor, from the seasoning blend to the sausage. 04 of 25 Turkey Cheeseburgers With Grilled Vidalia Onion Rings Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis We've created a recipe that will keep your turkey from drying out as well as taste absolutely delicious. The addition of sweet Vidalia onions makes this recipe a winner in any Southern crowd. 05 of 25 Grilled Chicken Sandwich With Tangy Honey Barbecue Sauce Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Mix up your own barbecue sauce with no refined sugars for this delicious chicken sandwich. We'll be enjoying ours with a side of sweet potato fries. 06 of 25 Grilled Grouper Photographer and Prop stylist: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Melissa Gray Since everything is closed for Memorial Day, why not bring the restaurant to you? Grilled Grouper is restaurant quality with the perfect level of sophistication that you can still enjoy on a paper plate. 07 of 25 Spicy Grilled Chicken Breasts Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis The secret to making Spice Grilled Chicken Breasts is all in the brine. Let this chicken chill for 30 minutes in four cups of water and salt and be amazed at how it transforms on the grill. 08 of 25 Southern-Style Grilled Cobb Salad Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas Memorial Day is usually spent by the grill or the pool, so why not make something that's an old favorite with a bit of a twist. Our Southern-Style Grilled Cobb Salad is perfect to make when it's too hot to turn on your oven. 09 of 25 Lamb Burgers With Feta And Dijonnaise Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Cooking with lamb might seem a little intimidating, but anyone can grill up this burger. The gaminess of the lamb is cut by the sharpness of the feta, making an unbeatable burger combination. 10 of 25 Beer Can Chicken Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall This dry rubbed chicken has a flavorful secret: It is grilled with a can of beer. The skin of the chicken will get crispy, and it pairs with all the classic summer sides. 11 of 25 Bacon Cheeseburger Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall We love a Bacon Cheeseburger, especially when it's served in the backyard with our best friends. This recipe is relatively simple, but every step counts. 12 of 25 BBQ Cedar Plank Salmon Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Looking for something that will wow guests and go beyond the classic burgers and hot dogs? Try this BBQ Cedar Plank Salmon out for a change. 13 of 25 Cast-Iron Cowboy Steak Hector Sanchez Memorial Day is a big celebration, so treat your guests like Southern royalty (yes, we mean cowboys) and serve up our Cast-Iron Cowboy Steak. 14 of 25 Sweet Heat Hot Dogs Jennifer Davick; Prop Styling: Allison R. Banks; Food Styling: Marian Cooper Cairns Many American families enjoy hot dogs on Memorial Day, but we're taking the classic to a whole new level by brushing the meat with chili sauce before it hits the grill. Don't forget to top the buns with pickled and shredded cabbage. 15 of 25 Grilled Clambake Foil Packets With Herb Butter Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Anna Hampton We've discovered that foil packets are a great way to catch all of the buttery juices and sauces we love in a clam bake. We've added smoked sausage to make this version especially Southern. 16 of 25 Grilled Chicken Legs Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely We put mayonnaise into the brine of these chicken legs and you'll discover that it yields magical results. Serve it to your weekend crowd and they'll be asking about your secret ingredient. 17 of 25 Cheesy Mushroom Sliders Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Vegetarians won't miss out on the fun when you serve our Cheesy Mushroom Sliders. Full of flavor and delightfully fun to eat, even carnivores might try this recipe. 18 of 25 Bourbon- And Cola-Glazed Steak Kebabs Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Our Bourbon-And Cola-Glazed Steak Kebabs taste like summer on a stick. With a great char and smokey flavor, as well as a bit of sweetness from the glaze, everyone will love this main. 19 of 25 Cast-Iron Skillet Burgers photographer: Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer If you want a burger with layers of flavor that come together in just one skillet, you should make this one. Everything is kissed by the wonders of the cast iron from the onions to the bacon to the burger itself. 20 of 25 Buttermilk-Soaked, Bacon-Fried Chicken In Gravy John Lee Showers might be in the forecast Memorial Day weekend, but don't let that rain on your parade! Make the most mouth-watering fried chicken you can think of instead. 21 of 25 Brisket Sandwich With Texas BBQ Sauce Photography and Styling: Karen Rankin Contrary to popular belief, you don't need a fancy smoker to make great brisket at home, and we'll teach you how. It might take some time, but everyone at the cookout will thank you. 22 of 25 Memphis Dry-Rubbed Baby Back Ribs Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: MindI Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox A rack of ribs right out of the smoker is just what a Memorial Day celebration needs. We recommended putting a slice of white bread under the ribs to catch every bit of the flavor. 23 of 25 Classic Fried Catfish Beth Dreiling Hontzas Is there anything better than Classic Fried Catfish? We don't think so. Make sure to keep your fried pieces warm in the oven while you are cooking up more. 24 of 25 Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwiches Greg DuPree There's no need to watch the grill or smoker with our Carolina Pulled Pork. Everything comes together in a slow cooker and it takes just 30 minutes of hands-on time. 25 of 25 Supreme Pizza Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Rishon Hanners, Prop Stylist Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland You might already be tired of hotdogs and hamburgers by the time Memorial Day weekend rolls around. For something a bit different, turn the celebration into a pizza party! This recipe uses store-bought dough, making it a snap to pull together. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit