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Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne, Prop Styling by Alexandra Massillon

Memorial Day weekend is the soft launch of summer. The group chat comes to life, the grill gets dusted off, and meals migrate outdoors. These 37 Memorial Day recipes—including cheesy brats, classic coleslaw, and no-bake cheesecake bars—are built for easy hosting, with everything you need for a backyard barbecue or casual cookout. Consider this your long-weekend game plan for starting the season right, with all the burgers, potato salad, and cobbler you could ever want. And don’t forget the watermelon wedges.

Jump ahead

• Grilled mains
• Non-grilled mains
• Appetizers
• Sides and salads
• Desserts
• Drinks

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  Super-Citrusy Carne Asada

  Doused in a lime-garlic-cilantro dressing, this grilled steak comes out juicy, bright, and full of flavor. Slice it thinly and serve with warm tortillas for a Memorial Day grilling recipe that’ll steal the show.

Spiced Chicken Burgers

There’s nothing dull about these chicken burgers, packed with the bold flavors of chicken tikka kebabs: green chiles, ginger, garam masala, and more.

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  Cheesy Brats With Celery-Pickle Relish

  Think ballpark, but better: snappy brats (or classic hot dogs) with melty cheddar and a punchy celery-pickle relish that cuts through the richness and keeps every bite balanced.

Grilled Flatfish With Spoon Sauce

Flaky fish with a punchy herb sauce keeps things fresh and vibrant along richer BBQ fare. This would be great with corn on the cob or grilled zucchini.

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  Easiest-Ever Grilled Veggie Burgers

  Grilling burgers on Memorial Day weekend just feels right. For a vegetarian option, this recipe delivers: hearty, flavorful veggie burgers that hold together on the grill.

Sprite-Grilled Chicken Skewers

Got Sprite? Add it to a garlicky fish sauce marinade for chicken. It brings a subtle sweetness and citrusy lift. Let guests take a guess at the secret ingredient while they go back for seconds. Use the rest of the bottle to make a lemony 7UP cake.

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  Chipotle-Citrus Ribs

  Sticky, smoky, and spicy-sweet—everything you want from a rib situation, with a welcome citrusy twist.

Coney Island Hot Dogs

Bring Brooklyn to your BBQ with these fully loaded, Coney Island–style hot dogs. Just make sure you’ve got extra napkins on hand—these bad boys are unapologetically messy.

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  Grilled Banh Mi for a Party

  Aromatic pork patties, quick-pickled vegetables, and fresh cilantro come together in this party-ready take on banh mi.

Texas-Style Smoked Brisket

With a charcoal grill and a handful of wood chips, you can pull off a smoked brisket that tastes like it came from a proper smoker. Add potato salad and coleslaw, maybe some grilled corn, and you’ve got a full-on Memorial Day cookout spread.

More grilling recipes for summer →

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  Sheet-Pan Chicken Souvlaki

  No grill? No problem. This sheet-pan souvlaki brings backyard energy indoors, with chicken skewers and a fresh tomato-feta salad, making it ideal when the weather, or your setup, doesn’t cooperate.

Best-Ever Smash Burgers

Crispy edges, melty cheese, pillowy potato buns. Smash burgers are a must for any long summer weekend.

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  Adobo Mushroom Tacos

  All you need is a hot oven to cook these spiced mushrooms to golden-brown perfection—but if you’d rather take things outside, they work just as well on a grill pan. Pile them into tortillas with your favorite taco toppings for a winning vegetarian cookout recipe.

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork

Set it in the morning and forget about it until your kitchen smells like a barbecue joint. Saucy, tender pulled pork is made for piling onto soft buns—and feeding a hungry Memorial Day crowd.

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  Crispy Gnocchi Caprese

  Pan-crisped store-bought gnocchi bring texture and heft to this caprese-inspired dish, with fresh tomatoes and mozzarella. It’s a summery mash-up that lands somewhere between comfort food and salad.

Green Falafel Smash Burgers

Falafel, but make it a smash burger. Crispy, herby, and tucked into a bun with all the fixings, it’s a veggie burger that doesn’t feel like an afterthought.

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  Grilled Shrimp With Old Bay and Aioli

  These shrimp cook fast and disappear faster. Tossed in Old Bay and paired with lemony aioli, they’re a no-brainer for Memorial Day grilling.

BA’s Best Guacamole

Creamy avocado, fresh lime, and a tinge of chile heat (serrano is our preference over jalapeño) make this a go-to guacamole for any gathering. A must-have Memorial Day dip for snacking with tortilla chips while the grill gets going.

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  Marinated Mozzarella and Peppadew Peppers

  This low-lift appetizer combines pearl mozzarella and peppadew peppers in a garlicky, vinegary marinade. Make it ahead and let the flavors deepen—it only gets better with time.

Tomato Bruschetta

Keep it simple and start things off with this summery favorite: crispy garlic-rubbed bread topped with marinated tomatoes.

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  Classic Potato Salad

  Potato salad belongs at every cookout, and this is our tried-and-true recipe: creamy, tangy, and forever nostalgic. It’s one of our all-time favorite side dishes.

Green Bean and Farro Picnic Salad

With a bright vinaigrette, pickled peppers, and two types of cheese (mozzarella and Parmesan), this make-ahead grain salad is anything but boring. It pulls double duty as a side or vegetarian main—and only improves as it sits.

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  Lemony Pasta Salad With Crisped Capers

  Not your grandma’s pasta salad. This version is lemony, bright, and (gasp!) mayo-free, with crisped capers and toasted pine nuts bringing crunch and depth.

Classic Coleslaw

This cool, crunchy classic plays a crucial supporting role alongside smoky mains like brisket and burgers, bringing brightness and balance to the menu.

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  BA’s Best Caprese Salad

  Caprese salad screams summer, so it only feels right to kick off the season with the timeless trio of tomatoes (a combo of cherry tomatoes and heirlooms is nice), mozzarella, and basil. A drizzle of olive oil, plus flaky salt and black pepper, is all it takes to let the ingredients shine.

Grilled Summer Salad With Creamy Miso Dressing

The grill isn’t just for meat and fish. Here, corn and shishitos get a nice char before getting tossed into a bright, summery salad with an umami miso dressing.

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  Creamy Sesame Pasta Slaw

  Creamy, nutty sesame dressing makes this coleslaw–pasta salad hybrid a true standout. Don’t be surprised if guests ask for the recipe before they’ve even finished their serving.

Strawberry Shortcake Roll

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  Ginger-Lime No-Bake Cheesecake Bars

  This zippy no-bake dessert comes together with ease—just be sure to give each layer time to set in the freezer before adding the next.

Earl Grey–Chocolate Cupcakes With Blackberry Frosting

Floral Earl Grey and rich chocolate unite in these tender cupcakes, topped with a vibrant blackberry frosting. An elegant way to elevate cupcakes for a Memorial Day dessert spread.

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  Blueberry Cobbler

  Easier than pie but just as satisfying, this cobbler pairs bubbling blueberries with a golden, cakey topping. Lean into summer by serving each portion with a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream.

Lush Vanilla Berry Pudding

Layers of creamy vanilla pudding, juicy berries, and Nilla Wafers come together in this old-school dessert, best served family-style so everyone can dig in.

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  Rum-Soaked Fruit and Coconut Crisp Sundaes

  Boozy fruit, coconut-almond crunch, cold ice cream—this sundae hits all the right notes for a playful, summery Memorial Day dessert. Plus, it’s gluten-free.

Salty Grapefruit Refresher

Tart, lightly salted, and endlessly sippable. Make this if you want a refreshing non-alcoholic drink that isn’t too sweet.

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  One-Bottle Vermouth Sangria

  Low effort, high payoff—exactly what your holiday weekend calls for. A bottle of sweet vermouth does most of the work here; just add citrus juice, club soda, and fresh fruit, and you’ve got a crowd-pleasing sangria.

Chile-Cucumber Agua Fresca

Cool cucumber with a gentle chile kick to keep things interesting. This is a refreshing non-alcoholic option that earns its place on any summertime drink table.

Phoebe Fry is a Brooklyn-based food writer, cook, and illustrator. She’s worked in kitchens in Ireland, Italy, and NYC, and she currently writes The Dish on Substack. Her work has appeared in Real Simple, Wine Enthusiast, and more. You’ll most often find her haunting the cookbook section of her local … Read More

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Welcome to Open Tab, a weekly roundup of news, gossip, and stories that have stayed open in my tabs all week. Last week we covered the president’s DoorDash order.

If you read Open Tab last week, you’ll be pleased to know that we’re starting this week’s edition by tying up some loose ends. First, the Philz coffee Pride flag drama—which I promise to never bring up again—is finally over. A statement from Philz Coffee emailed to me last week reads, in part, “every Pride flag that is up stays up, and any Pride flag that was previously removed can be put back up.” Complaining works!

The rotisserie chicken affordability discourse continues—this time in the halls of government. A bipartisan bill called the Hot Rotisserie Chicken Act is being introduced in the US Senate. The bill would allow SNAP recipients to buy hot rotisserie chicken—currently they can only buy cooked but cooled rotisserie chickens.

And finally, Nara Smith, the OG trad wife, has announced she’s releasing a cookbook in October. Finally, you will all learn what I, the child of a granola mom, have always known: The homemade versions of junk food don’t taste as good. They just don’t—unless you’re Claire Saffitz, I guess.

Also this week: Prego wants to record your dinner conversations, and Jia Tolentino indulged in some light shoplifting. Chaos ensued. Plus, Wagyu simply isn’t what it used to be, and lab-grown meat faces growing pains.

Prego, who you may know for its pasta sauce, is releasing an Alexa-like device called The Connection Keeper, that will record your conversations around the dinner table. It’s meant to be a screen-free way to “capture the laughter, stories, and check-ins that happen naturally over a meal,” but it feels distinctly surveillance state coded. It’s not Wi-Fi enabled, and there’s no cloud connection, but users are encouraged to upload the conversations to a StoryCorps’ website.

Personally, I’d feel uncomfortable recording my personal conversations and uploading them anywhere—websites can (and do!) get hacked, and data is often leaked or sold. Wait, sorry, let me adjust my tinfoil hat.

New Yorker staff writer Jia Tolentino (and occasional BA contributor) was a guest on the New York Times podcast The Opinions this week, and, in an episode literally entitled “The Rich Don’t Play by the Rules. So Why Should I?” she admitted to occasionally shoplifting one or two items from Whole Foods. The mega-corporation (owned by Amazon), as Tolentino argues, budgets for this kind of light shoplifting anyway. The New York Post disagreed, characterizing it as a “shocking admission” that Tolentino had stolen a few lemons.

Yes, stealing is wrong. But Tolentino is hardly the only person to ever dip a toe into shoplifting at Whole Foods. Why else would they have created Whole Food jail? Plus, as Bon Appétit reported in 2023, some employees are on board with your shoplifting. You’ve never eaten a grape in the produce aisle? You’ve never accidentally bagged a banana before scanning it at self checkout? Go ahead! Live a little! Ed. note: For legal reasons, this is a joke.

If you’ve been eating out recently, chances are you’ve seen Wagyu crop up everywhere. It might have appeared as a pricey supplement to a luxe tasting experience, or perhaps you tried it when it was on the menu at Arby’s. It’s the protein du jour, but as it has enjoyed its turn in the spotlight, non-Japanese Wagyu has taken hold of the market.

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Dometic Tumbler

Dometic hasn’t created the best travel mug ever, but it may have created one of the most versatile mug systems I’ve seen. Interchangeable accessories like a snap-locking sip spout, a chuggable water spout, a closable straw lid, and a splash-guarded open sip lid can screw into the mug itself—or you can add a “collar” including one with a wrist strap or another with a silicone lined handle. It’s essentially just adding another layer to the lid. And yet, even with all of those collars and lids stacked up, it still passed the leak tests and held a passable coffee temperature for five hours too. It comes in a more coffee-appropriate 350 ml or 500 ml and a water bottle (or iced coffee) sized 650 ml, and yes, all the parts are interchangeable—except the straw, which only works on the larger size. I wish the hot liquid lid had a more secure lock, considering Dometic is targeted at more rough-and-tumble travelers (some travel cups have screw-on lids), but it still managed not to leak, even when held upside down.

Yeti Rambler with Magslider Lid

People love their stainless-steel Yeti mugs, and there’s a good reason for that: They’re a well-built, affordable option that comes in a bunch of fun colors and swappable list styles. We think the Magslider lid by Yeti is a great option if you are mostly keeping your drink in a cupholder or on your desk, as its lid slides open and snaps shut easily; however, it is by no means leakproof, which is why it doesn’t take the top spot when compared to the Owala. The entire thing is dishwasher-safe, so we’d also consider it a strong runner-up to the Brümate too.

Yeti Rambler Travel Mug with Stronghold Lid

If water or cold beverages are your primary concern, then we also like this handled mug version of the Rambler for the same reasons we like the Magslider Rambler, with the added benefit that the Stronghold lid is slightly more leak-resistant (but not as leakproof as the Owala or Brümate). The high-set handle and tapered bottom keep this large mug cupholder-friendly too. But you’re stuck with only 20- and 30-ounce options, so it’s probably not going to be the top pick for pour-over and espresso machine users.

RTIC Road Trip Travel Mug

Of the two RTIC products we tested in the latest update, this slim, handled mug quickly became my favorite. Its high-set handle and narrow base fit perfectly in cupholders and backpacks without hogging space. Like the RTIC Essential Tumbler, it has a clear leakproof lid, ceramic interior, dishwasher-safe design, and excellent heat retention. The 20-ounce size (also available in 16 ounces) works equally well for hot or cold drinks. The only drawback is the recessed drinking spout, which takes some getting used to. Still, between its thoughtful design and the option to customize in 19 colors, it’s a solid and stylish everyday mug.

Zojirushi GoCafe Insulated Mug

The GoCafe is Zojirushi’s updated take on its beloved bottle-style tumbler, introduced as a new product line rather than a replacement. It kept our coffee hot all day in testing and now comes in cool ombré colors with a more sustainable build. The leakproof, locking lid is now constructed with fewer pieces and less plastic than the original tumbler. This simpler design and larger opening make cleaning the interior a breeze. Instead of nonstick, the interior uses a polished Slicksteel finish that resists buildup. The only drawbacks: its wider base won’t fit every cupholder, and the smallest size is 16 ounces versus the OG Zojirushi’s 12-ounce option. We think 16 ounces is actually a great mid-range coffee mug size, but you may only want one cup of coffee, so the fact that you can still get the OG Zojirushi in a 12-ounce option tipped the scales.

Zojirushi Travel Mug

Take everything we love about the Zojirushi and turn it into a travel tumbler, and you get this cup that feels a little more like it’s meant for drinking coffee rather than containing it like a thermos. The good thing about Zojirushi’s substantial flip tops is that they are super effective at sealing shut. The bad is that they’re substantial, which means they kind of get in the way of drinking. For example, we took this mug on a test drive and were a little leery about how much it blocked our view while taking a sip. Personally, we just preferred the less obtrusive Owala or Brümate, or even the RTICs, as more streamlined options. But like its more carafe-y counterparts, the Zojirushi Tumbler held on to heat incredibly well—though, by the numbers, not as well as the brand’s bottles.

Yeti Rambler Mug

When it comes to capacity, Yeti’s Rambler Mug collection does offer the more coffee-friendly array of options, with 10-, 14-, and 24-ounce sizes. The downside is that none are cupholder compatible, and all come with the Magslider lid, which isn’t ideal, especially when the leaking liquid is extremely hot coffee. The handle wasn’t the most ergonomic either, but if you’re camping, hanging out at the beach, or using one of these on your desk, they’re great at being mugs without looking like giant water jugs.

Yeti Rambler with Hotshot Cap

Yeti’s Hotshot Cap essentially turns its water bottles into hot beverage-ready travel mugs. The lid can be twisted to an open or closed position and then you can drink from any part of the rim. When sealed tight, this makes it the most leakproof of the Yeti mugs we tested. But similar to the Miir 360, it leaves too much room for human error when relying on that seal to keep the contents of a backpack protected from drops and spills. Yeti bottles are also not designed as universally cupholder compatible, but with this one, you may get lucky.

Stanley AeroLight Transit Bottle

This bottle-style tumbler may come closest to Zojirushi, with its excellent heat insulation and leakproof, flip-up lid that snaps securely in place. However, the lid is difficult to open without using two hands, and it can also get in the way of your nose when sipping. Cleaning is a little trickier; it took us a while to figure out that the locking mechanism pops out, not as separate pieces, but enough to get a thorough cleaning inside your dishwasher. (Unlike the Zojirushi, it’s dishwasher-safe, so while not as completely immune to leaks and drips, it’s a trade-off worth considering.)

Brümate Müv

Take everything we liked about the Brümate Nav, add a handle, and you get the Müv. It shares the same features but also comes in a smaller 15-ounce size, which we found more convenient for a single cup of coffee, though it didn’t hold heat quite as well as the larger versions. The handle makes the smaller size less cupholder-friendly, but the taller Müv models should fit just fine. One detail we grew to appreciate is the lid: Instead of a screw-on system, it clicks into eight notches around the rim, letting you rotate the sipping spout to your preferred angle. It’s handy for both right- and left-handed users, or anyone who doesn’t sip straight on. Like the Nav, most (but not all) colors are dishwasher-safe, so just double-check the listing if that matters to you.

Klean Kanteen Rise

Compact and attractive, the Rise is a solid tumbler with decent heat retention—satisfactory for five hours, less so after 10. And that’s fine enough, because this mug isn’t necessarily for the long-haul drinking experience. The splash-proof lid isn’t leakproof, and the protruding latch could get knocked open in a bag, but it’s fine for desktop or home use. However, if you prefer a more open-mouthed sip (as weird as it feels to type that out), then you’ll appreciate that the Rise’s lid flips up to reveal a semicircular opening. The curve where your lip meets the lid has a smooth, rounded contour and doesn’t allow for too much dribbling, something we tend to experience with fully open-top containers and bottles. The iced coffee experience was particularly nice, as I was able to occasionally crunch on an ice cube, something you can’t get from a lid with a teeny-weeny opening. The Rise collection also includes a 26-ounce tumbler, plus a lowball and a handled mug. With few moving parts, easy cleaning (it’s dishwasher-safe), and cool color options, put this one in the “solid desk mug” category.

Simple Modern Voyager Tumbler and Voyager Signature Tumbler

If you do a general google or Amazon search for travel coffee cups, you’ll probably see Simple Modern pop up in your results, which is why we were compelled to test them. Available in dozens of colors and three sizes (12, 16, and 20 ounces), the brand offers two lid types: a clear flip lid with a straw or a 360º pop-up lid. Both are leakproof, cupholder-friendly, and comfortable to hold. The flip lid works well, but it can unlatch if caught, and its vent nub poked our nose while drinking. The 360º lid clearly signals when it’s open but feels abrupt on the lip and, like most push-down lids, isn’t bag-safe. Heat retention was mid-range—good for the first five hours, less so over the long haul. Still, they’re affordable, customizable, and practical picks.

Travel coffee mugs we don’t recommend

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I like to believe that I am a sustainability-minded person in many areas of my life. However, this has not always been the case with my kitchen habits. I keep boxes of plastic bags and cling film in my kitchen drawer at all times. I have always been a proponent of efficiency and utility in the kitchen. I want food storage and cleanup to become a no-brainer so that I can focus on the cooking process. After seeing so many products available on the market that are geared towards replacing single-use plastics, I decided to test out some of the most popular eco friendly kitchen swaps. After over a month of testing, here are the products that have become part of my everyday routine–and the ones I quickly abandoned.AnydayAnydeli Mixed Set 6-Pack$22 AnydayOne of my first assignments when I started this job was a story for our sister site, Epicurious, about whether you should be reusing plastic take-out containers. These containers are made of silicone and retain the same features as classic delis, such as their stackability, one size fits all lid, and lightweight feeling. They’re available in all of the standard deli sizes (8-, 16-, and 32-ounce), each of which are dishwasher-, microwave-, and freezer-safe and have stainless-steel-reinforced rims to help mitigate warping, sealable vents for steam release, and cup and milliliter markings on the sides for easy measuring.I’ve been on a Sunday meal prep kick lately, and these containers have proved ideal for storing a week’s worth of food in the fridge. I’ve transported containers of saucy curry and berry-laden yoghurt to the office without a leak (a real feat!). I love the fact that I don’t have to transfer my food to another bowl to microwave it. Dare I say that I have officially retired my take-out plastic containers? I never imagined the day would ever come.

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Healthy cooking does not have to be complicated. In fact, what’s the truth? The simpler the recipe, the better. Rebecca Firkser, Test Kitchen’s editor, shares recipes that are nourishing and delicious, with 10 ingredients or less. It’s not for me to judge! We could all benefit from eating more fibre–in reality, only 5% of us do–especially if you eat a lot of proteins. Here’s why: fiber is a plant-derived carbohydrates that cannot be digested. This may sound bad, but it is extremely beneficial for gut health. If you eat a diet that is high in protein and low in fiber – which is the norm for Americans, and it’s not your fault – your digestion can slow down. Fiber, when combined with protein, helps keep things moving. It also aids in protein absorption. How can we achieve this without adding yet another powder to our diet? Many everyday ingredients are high in fiber. Think of whole grains, seeds and vegetables (especially those with the skin on), beans, and fruit. You could pile a grain dish with chickpeas, broccoli, and beans and call it good. Sure. Enter this new Good for You salad, a high fiber–and yes–protein–rich salad that doesn’t seem like a chore. The recipe uses barley, lentils and fennel as fiber-rich ingredients. Sunflower seeds and fennel are also included. The tiny grains and chewy grains provide a solid base that absorbs all the flavors from the warm harissa-spiked salad without going limp. Barley is usually sold in both “hulled” or “pearled”. The former is what I prefer. Hulled barley, which has only the husk removed from it, offers almost twice as much fiber as its branless and germless counterpart. There’s also a double-time cooking requirement, but you can find a simple solution. You can reduce cooking time without losing any fiber by soaking hulled barley over night. The earthy grains are cooked with the nutty lentils. Toss the warm lentils with a caramelized Harissa dressing. Then, top the salad with a layer of seasoned Greek yogurt and a crunchy layer of sliced fennel. Sprinkle over toasty sunflower seeds, and all that’s left to do is grab a big spoon.Need-More-Fiber Lentil SaladBecause most of us do!View Recipe