18 Memorial Day BBQ Recipes for a Backyard Party

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Memorial Day is the perfect time to fire up the grill and enjoy delicious BBQ food with family and friends. From juicy grilled chicken and smoky burgers to BBQ skewers, hot dogs, and easy side dishes.

These Memorial Day BBQ recipes for a backyard party are simple, flavorful, and perfect for cookouts, summer parties, and holiday gatherings.

These easy BBQ recipes use simple ingredients, beginner-friendly cooking methods, and tasty summer flavors everyone will enjoy.

Whether you are planning a small family BBQ or a big Memorial Day cookout, these grilled food ideas will help make your celebration fun, tasty, and memorable.

18 Memorial Day BBQ Recipes

1. Grilled BBQ Chicken Drumsticks

Ingredients:

  • 12 chicken drumsticks
  • 1 cup BBQ sauce
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper

Method:

  1. Preheat the grill to medium heat, around 190°C, so it is hot and ready for cooking.
  2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and place it in a large bowl. Add olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Rub the seasoning evenly over the chicken.
  3. Place the drumsticks on the grill and cook for about 25–30 minutes. Turn them every few minutes, so they cook evenly on all sides.
  4. Brush the chicken with BBQ sauce during the last 10 minutes of grilling. This helps the sauce become sticky and flavorful.
  5. Cook until the chicken is juicy inside and slightly charred outside. Allow it to rest for a few minutes before serving.

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2. Classic Cheeseburgers

Ingredients:

  • 1kg ground beef
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 8 burger buns
  • 8 cheese slices
  • Lettuce leaves
  • Tomato slices

Method:

  1. Heat the grill to medium-high heat until hot.
  2. Place ground beef into a bowl and mix it with salt and black pepper.
  3. Shape the meat into burger patties of equal size.
  4. Cook the patties for 4–5 minutes on each side until browned and fully cooked.
  5. Add cheese slices over the patties and let them melt slightly.
  6. Toast the burger buns lightly and fill them with lettuce, tomato slices, and cheeseburgers.
  7. Serve warm with fries or potato wedges.

3. Honey BBQ Chicken Wings

Ingredients:

  • 1kg chicken wings
  • ½ cup BBQ sauce
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp salt

Method:

  1. Preheat the grill to 190°C so the wings cook evenly.
  2. Place chicken wings into a bowl and coat them with olive oil, garlic powder, and salt.
  3. Arrange the wings on the grill and cook for about 30 minutes, turning often.
  4. Mix BBQ sauce and honey in a small bowl.
  5. Brush the sauce mixture over the wings during the last 10 minutes of grilling.
  6. Cook until the wings become sticky, smoky, and slightly crispy.

4. Grilled Corn on the Cob

Ingredients:

  • 8 corn cobs
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp salt

Method:

  1. Heat the grill to medium temperature before cooking.
  2. Brush the corn lightly with melted butter.
  3. Sprinkle garlic powder and salt evenly over the corn.
  4. Place the corn directly on the grill and cook for about 10–12 minutes.
  5. Turn the corn every few minutes so all sides get lightly charred.
  6. Serve warm as an easy BBQ side dish.

5. BBQ Chicken Skewers

Ingredients:

  • 1kg boneless chicken cubes
  • 1 cup BBQ sauce
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder

Method:

  1. Place chicken cubes into a large bowl and add olive oil, paprika, and garlic powder.
  2. Mix well until the chicken is coated evenly with seasoning.
  3. Thread the chicken pieces onto skewers carefully.
  4. Preheat the grill to 190°C and place the skewers on it.
  5. Cook for about 15 minutes while turning occasionally.
  6. Brush BBQ sauce over the skewers during the last few minutes of cooking.
  7. Serve hot with dipping sauce or salad.

6. Loaded BBQ Hot Dogs

Ingredients:

  • 8 hot dogs
  • 8 hot dog buns
  • ½ cup BBQ sauce
  • ½ cup chopped onions
  • 1 cup shredded cheese

Method:

  1. Heat the grill to medium heat before cooking.
  2. Place the hot dogs on the grill and cook for 6–8 minutes while turning occasionally.
  3. Warm the buns lightly for a soft texture.
  4. Place grilled hot dogs into the buns and top with BBQ sauce, chopped onions, and shredded cheese.
  5. Serve immediately while warm and cheesy.

7. Garlic Butter Shrimp Skewers

Ingredients:

  • 1kg shrimp peeled and cleaned
  • 3 tbsp melted butter
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp salt

Method:

  1. Place shrimp into a bowl and mix with melted butter, garlic powder, paprika, and salt.
  2. Thread the shrimp onto skewers carefully.
  3. Preheat the grill to 200°C so the shrimp cook quickly.
  4. Place the skewers on the grill and cook for 2–3 minutes on each side.
  5. Cook until the shrimp become pink and lightly charred.
  6. Serve warm with lemon wedges.

8. BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups shredded chicken
  • 1 cup BBQ sauce
  • 8 burger buns
  • 1 cup coleslaw

Method:

  1. Heat shredded chicken in a large pan over medium heat.
  2. Add BBQ sauce and stir until the chicken becomes warm and coated evenly.
  3. Toast the burger buns lightly.
  4. Fill the buns with BBQ chicken and top with coleslaw.
  5. Serve warm as an easy Memorial Day BBQ meal.

9. Grilled Veggie Skewers

Ingredients:

  • 2 zucchinis
  • 2 bell peppers
  • 2 onions
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper

Method:

  1. Wash and cut the vegetables into medium-sized pieces.
  2. Thread the vegetables onto skewers in colorful patterns.
  3. Brush olive oil over the vegetables and sprinkle salt and pepper evenly.
  4. Place the skewers on the grill and cook for 10–12 minutes while turning occasionally.
  5. Serve warm with burgers or grilled chicken.

10. BBQ Sausages

Ingredients:

  • 12 sausages
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 2 onions sliced

Method:

  1. Preheat the grill to medium heat before cooking.
  2. Brush sausages lightly with olive oil.
  3. Place the sausages on the grill and cook for about 12–15 minutes while turning often.
  4. Cook sliced onions beside the sausages until soft and slightly golden.
  5. Serve warm with buns or dipping sauces.

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11. BBQ Beef Sliders

Ingredients:

  • 500g ground beef
  • ½ cup BBQ sauce
  • 12 slider buns
  • 6 cheese slices
  • ½ tsp salt

Method:

  1. Mix ground beef and salt together in a large bowl.
  2. Shape the beef into small slider patties.
  3. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and cook the patties for about 4 minutes on each side.
  4. Brush BBQ sauce over the patties during the last few minutes of cooking.
  5. Add cheese slices and let them melt slightly.
  6. Place the patties inside slider buns and serve warm.

12. BBQ Baked Potatoes

Ingredients:

  • 6 potatoes
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • ½ cup shredded cheese
  • ¼ cup chopped green onions
  • ½ tsp salt

Method:

  1. Preheat the grill to 200°C and wrap each potato in foil.
  2. Place the potatoes on the grill and cook for about 40 minutes until soft inside.
  3. Remove the foil carefully and cut the potatoes open.
  4. Add butter, shredded cheese, green onions, and salt on top.
  5. Serve warm as a filling BBQ side dish.

13. BBQ Meatball Skewers

Ingredients:

  • 20 cooked meatballs
  • 1 cup BBQ sauce
  • 1 bell pepper chopped
  • 1 onion chopped

Method:

  1. Thread meatballs, bell peppers, and onions onto skewers carefully.
  2. Preheat the grill to medium heat before cooking.
  3. Place the skewers on the grill and cook for about 10 minutes while turning occasionally.
  4. Brush BBQ sauce generously over the skewers during grilling.
  5. Cook until everything becomes warm and slightly charred.
  6. Serve hot as a fun BBQ appetizer.

14. Grilled Pineapple BBQ Slices

Ingredients:

  • 1 pineapple sliced
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp cinnamon powder

Method:

  1. Heat the grill to medium temperature.
  2. Brush pineapple slices with honey on both sides.
  3. Sprinkle cinnamon powder lightly over the fruit.
  4. Place the slices on the grill and cook for 2–3 minutes on each side until grill marks appear.
  5. Serve warm as a sweet BBQ side or dessert.

15. BBQ Turkey Burgers

Ingredients:

  • 1kg ground turkey
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 8 burger buns

Method:

  1. Place ground turkey into a bowl and mix with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
  2. Shape the mixture into burger patties evenly.
  3. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and cook the patties for 5–6 minutes on each side.
  4. Toast the burger buns lightly.
  5. Place the turkey burgers inside the buns and serve warm with salad or fries.

16. BBQ Chicken Quesadillas

Ingredients:

  • 4 tortillas
  • 2 cups shredded chicken
  • ½ cup BBQ sauce
  • 1½ cups shredded cheese

Method:

  1. Mix shredded chicken and BBQ sauce in a bowl.
  2. Place the mixture onto one side of each tortilla and top with shredded cheese.
  3. Fold the tortillas carefully in half.
  4. Cook on a grill pan over medium heat for about 3 minutes on each side until crispy and golden.
  5. Slice and serve warm with salsa or sour cream.

17. Grilled Lemon Herb Fish

Ingredients:

  • 4 fish fillets
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp mixed herbs
  • 1 tsp salt

Method:

  1. Place fish fillets into a shallow dish and drizzle lemon juice and olive oil over them.
  2. Sprinkle mixed herbs and salt evenly on both sides.
  3. Preheat the grill to 180°C and place the fish carefully on it.
  4. Cook for about 4–5 minutes on each side until flaky and fully cooked.
  5. Serve warm with grilled vegetables or salad.

18. BBQ Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dogs

Ingredients:

  • 8 hot dogs
  • 8 bacon strips
  • 8 hot dog buns
  • ½ cup BBQ sauce

Method:

  1. Wrap each hot dog with one bacon strip tightly.
  2. Preheat the grill to medium heat before cooking.
  3. Place the wrapped hot dogs on the grill and cook for about 10 minutes while turning often.
  4. Brush BBQ sauce over the bacon during the last few minutes of grilling.
  5. Place the hot dogs into buns and serve them warm.

Final Thoughts:

These Memorial Day BBQ recipes are perfect for summer cookouts, backyard parties, picnic gatherings, and family celebrations. From smoky grilled chicken and juicy burgers to cheesy sliders and easy BBQ side dishes, these recipes are simple to make and packed with delicious flavor.

You can mix different grilled foods, BBQ snacks, summer salads, and cookout meals to create the perfect Memorial Day menu for family and friends. The easy ingredients and step-by-step cooking methods also make these recipes beginner-friendly and stress-free.

Serve these tasty BBQ dishes with cold drinks, fruity desserts, and fun outdoor games to make your Memorial Day celebration extra fun, festive, and memorable.

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