25 Labor Day Recipes With 5-Star Reviews for One Last Summer Celebration
Just kidding, you can’t freeze time — but you can still celebrate late-summer flavors for a delicious season finale.
Sure, summer isn't technically over for a few more weeks — but school vacations, summer Fridays, and the lazy days of August? Those end at Labor Day, and tradition demands celebrating with one last bash. Spending as much time at the grill as possible is relatable end-of-summer behavior, and our Labor Day recipe roundup includes options for grilling nearly every course, with smoky salads and charred sides, delicious grilled meat and seafood, and even desserts baked over the coals . And of course, this is the time of year when peppers, tomatoes , corn, and okra are near-bursting, and berries, melons , and stone fruits are at their peak. We have dishes featuring enough late-season produce to tide you over (almost) until summer 2026 — and our readers have rated each one five stars.
01 of 25
Mango Sticky Rice Rolls
Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless
Inspired by Thai sticky rice, Julia Levy Freeman's handheld version wraps ripe mango and coconut-scented sticky rice in tender rice paper for a tropical dessert.
02 of 25
Al Pastor Meatballs with Pineapple Jelly
Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Props Styling by Josh Hoggle
The meatball mixture can be made a day in advance for this 40-minute appetizer from Marianne Williams. The glaze and charred pineapple sweeten the snack.
03 of 25
Summer Squash Carpaccio
Credit: Jennifer Causey
Freshly picked summer squash can shine with just olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon, chef Marcela Valladolid explains — but for this seasonal carpaccio, she dresses it up a bit more with chopped dates, pepitas, Tajín, and torn mint leaves. Take time fanning out the coins of thinly sliced yellow squash for a striking presentation.
04 of 25
Classic Deviled Eggs
Credit: Kelsey Hansen / Food Styling by Annie Probst / Prop Styling by Breanna Ghazali
There are lots of creative takes on deviled eggs out there, but with some things, the simplest, most classic version will always be the best. This recipe comes from the iconic Genova Delicatessen, a Napa institution — the ingredients list is short, and the only adornments are a sprig of dill and a shake of paprika.
05 of 25
Peach, Tomato, and Feta Salad with Candied Jalapeño Dressing
Credit: Guillermo Riveros / Food Styling by Dana Beninati
The sweet-tangy combination of tomatoes and peaches is one of our favorite ways to celebrate late-summer eating. For this colorful, zippy salad, we serve wedges of both over a bed of arugula, finishing with fresh basil leaves, crumbes of feta, and a dressing made with candied peppers.
06 of 25
Chile-Coconut Watermelon Crudo
Credit: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
There's almost nothing better on a hot late-summer day than a wedge of juicy watermelon — but this sweet, spicy, punchy appetizer brings even more flavor and texture to the mix. The melon marinates in coconut water and lime before finishing with toasted coconut, fried shallots, chile, salted sugar, and a drizzle of olive oil.
07 of 25
A Proper Shrimp Boil
Credit: Photo by Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Mary Clayton Carl
F&W editor-in-chief Hunter Lewis grew up with summer shrimp boils and has perfected his approach over the years, cooking wild shrimp, smoked sausage, corn, and potatoes in a white wine–clam juice liquor. This one-pot meal is best prepared and eaten outdoors — ideally poured out onto a paper-lined communal table.
08 of 25
Chile Crisp Shrimp Rolls with Cucumber Salad
Credit: Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christine Keely
This isn't just any shrimp roll: Skip the mayonnaise and lemon and instead toss the shellfish with chile crisp, lime, and fresh ginger, then stuff it into a toasted brioche bun and top with a tangy celery-scallion-cilantro relish. A simple cucumber salad on the side adds some complementary coolness and crunch.
09 of 25
Grilled Prawns with Okra and Eggplant
Credit: Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell
When the okra pods are plump, try this West African–inspired dish from chef Zoe Adjonyoh in which the vegetables are as much the star as the delicious grilled prawns. The shellfish is served over a simple but flavorful sauté of okra, spinach, and baby eggplant, seasoned with grains of paradise and cooked in coconut oil.
10 of 25
Buffalo Chicken Smashed Potato Salad
Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Caley Ellenburg / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling
What better way to transition from summer vacation to football season than with this hearty mashup from Nicole Hopper?
11 of 25
Chorizo and Kimchi Dogs
Credit: Victor Protasio
Chef Claudette Zepeda once served a version of this dish at her San Diego restaurant El Jardín, envisioning it as her SoCal ode to the Sonoran hot dog. Instead of wrapping the dogs in bacon and adding beans and salsa to the bun, she piles on crumbled chorizo, kimchi slaw, and a homemade cilantro crema.
12 of 25
Grilled Italian Sausage with Apple Mustard and Giardiniera
Credit: Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
Chef Tyler Florence plays with Italian American flavors, grilling hot or sweet pork sausages and topping them with a homemade grilled-apple and onion mustard (reminiscent of a more traditional mostarda) and tangy, chunky giardiniera. The result is sweet, savory, juicy, crunchy, and sure to be a cookout hit.
13 of 25
Big Bob's Smoked Chicken with White Barbecue Sauce
Credit: Brie Goldman / Food Styling by Holly Dreesman / Prop Styling by Alexandria Juhl
Northern Alabama barbecue is distinguished by its tangy, white, mayonnaise-and-vinegar-based barbecue sauce, classically paired with hickory-smoked chicken. The sauce was allegedly invented at Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in the 1920s — barbecue expert Steven Raichlen's recipe is as close to the original as you can get.
14 of 25
Pollo Yucateco Asado (Yucatán-Style Grilled Chicken)
Credit: Eva Kolenko / Food Styling by Carrie Purcell / Prop Styling by Nidia Cueva
Chef Bricia Lopez shares a version of this juicy grilled chicken in her 2023 cookbook Asada, co-authored with Javier Cabral. The flavors are straight from the Maya cuisine of the Yucatán Peninsula, where it's common to marinate meats in sour orange juice and season dishes with peppery, stainingly red achiote.
15 of 25
Grilled Halibut with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Credit: Photo by Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Halibut, delicate in flavor but sturdy and meaty, is a great fish for grilling, especially when it's coated in a tangy, garlicky roasted-red-pepper marinade. Grill a few hunks of summer squash and crusty bread alongside it and you've got yourself a meal. Here, the marinade does double duty as a sauce you'll want to put on everything.
16 of 25
Grilled Summer Squash with Roasted Pistachio Sauce
Credit: Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely
This dish highlights summer zucchini, yellow squash, chiles, and herbs — plus tomatillos, another kind of produce that's at its juicy peak around this time of year. Charred in a cast-iron skillet, they add a punch of sweet-tart flavor to the creamy pistachio sauce (a combination inspired by 2022 F&W Best New Chef Rob Rubba).
17 of 25
Grilled Halloumi Burgers with Citrus Tapenade
Credit: Photo by Jennifer Causey / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn
Vegetarian burgers need not be confined to black bean patties and meat substitutes. Halloumi, the squeaky, tangy cheese designed for grilling and frying, makes for a sturdy and delicious alternative, especially when dusted with cumin, charred over the flames, and loaded with a citrusy olive tapenade.
18 of 25
Warm Puttanesca Pasta Salad
Credit: Victor Protasio
Sure, many of us have a favorite pasta salad recipe toted along to picnics and potlucks year after year — but this summer, consider trying something new. This dish, meant to be served warm, complements classic puttanesca fixings (anchovies, olives, tomatoes, capers, garlic) with basil and crispy prosciutto.
19 of 25
Potato Salad with Fresh Corn and Basil
Credit: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
If you want to shake up your potato salad, consider this seasonal riff from Prince Edward Island chef Lucy Morrow, who adds texture with pops of fresh summer corn. Vinegar-soaked onions and a generous helping of chopped fresh basil and dill fronds help brighten up the mayonnaise-based dressing.
20 of 25
Tomatillo Salsa Cruda
Credit: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Nidia Cueva
For the snack table, try swapping out jarred salsa for this tart, fresh version from 2021 F&W Best New Chef Fermín Núñez. Simply pulse raw tomatillos in a food processor with chiles, onion, and herbs; it's begging to be scooped up with salted tortilla chips but also goes beautifully with grilled meats.
21 of 25
Mixed Fruit Pico
Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
This fresh salsa gets its sweet-tart-spicy vibrance from chopped mango, pineapple, and a surprise hit ingredient: kiwi. The juicy fruits are a natural pairing for fresh chiles and lime juice and a sprinkling of Tajín. The fruity pico is great with tortilla chips, but we also like it with cassava or plantain chips to mix it up.
22 of 25
Cucumber-Mint Agua Fresca
Credit: Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
What's more refreshing than cucumber in the late summer heat? We harness that cool freshness to make a vegetal nonalcoholic drink, blending and straining English cucumber and sweetening it with a spearmint syrup. Tipplers can feel free to add a splash of gin, if they're so inclined.
23 of 25
Lemony Polenta Cake With Peaches
Credit: Carson Downing / Food Styling by Holly Dreesman / Prop Styling by Gabriel Greco
This moist, dense polenta cake — fragrant with almond flour and lemon zest — gets its almost custardy tenderness from the addition of sour cream and extra-virgin olive oil into the batter. We love it topped with lemony macerated peaches, but other seasonal stone fruits and berries would also be delicious.
24 of 25
Blueberry Buckle
Credit: Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Prissy Montiel
Nicole Hopper folds 3 cups of fresh blueberries into this soft, buttery snacking cake with a cinnamon-and-nutmeg-spiced streusel.
25 of 25
Grilled Okra, Corn, and Tomato Salad
Credit: Victor Protasio
Vishwesh Bhatt's punchy, crunchy, 40-minute salad is served with a vibrant charred jalapeño–and-herb-spiked dressing.
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