50 Cheap Recipes for the 4th of July
The 4th of July is one of the most fun holidays in terms of food – don’t you agree? Independence Day is all about eating outdoors, grilling, icy drinks, cold salads, and red, white, and blue dishes.
Even if you’re not celebrating the 4th, don’t despair. Lots of these recipes are ones that you can enjoy all summer, no matter where you’re from.
Consider this the ultimate list of cheap summer recipes.
50 Cheap Recipes for the 4th of July
Red, White, and Blue Recipes
- Red, white, and blue deviled eggs
- Red, white, and blue Greek yogurt bark
- Red, white, and blue rock candy
- Red, white, and blue finger Jell-O
- Berry and mascarpone crostini
- Red, white, and blue meringues
- Red, white, and blue ice cream sandwiches
- Breakfast banana splits
- Patriotic peppermint patties
- 4th of July Rice Krispies treats
- Frozen chocolate-covered bananas
- 4th of July tie dye fudge
- Blueberry, strawberry, and jicama salsa
- Red, white, and blue popcorn (use raspberry and blueberry Jell-O)
Summery Drink Recipes
- Watermelon juice
- Fruit, veggie and herb-infused water recipes
- Patriotic polka dot milkshakes
- Hibiscus tea sparkler
- Sangria slushies
Grilling Recipes
- Grilled asparagus
- Honey-glazed grilled watermelon
- Grilled chicken fajita platter
- Grilled pesto chicken and tomato kebabs
- Juicy lucy burgers (cheese-stuffed burgers, famous in Minnesota)
- BBQ sweet corn
- 50+ hot dog recipes
Summery Salads
- Summery kitchen sink salad with creamy BBQ dressing
- Classic potato salad
- Potato salad with pickled vegetables
- Cilantro lime coleslaw
- BBQ chicken salad
- 4th of July salad
- Spicy cornbread salad
4th of July Desserts
- Banana-Nutella “ice cream”
- Sangria sorbet
- Pineapple-strawberry-rhubarb crumble
- Frozen chocolate-peanut butter banana bites
- We The People cake
- Edible flower popsicles
- Granola-stuffed strawberries
- Fruit pizza
Miscellaneous Recipes For July 4th
- 50 recipes from each of the 50 states
- Strawberry soup
- Spice roasted chicken with lemon slices
- Pimento-green olive cheese spread
- Baked beans
- Spicy banana salsa
- Million dollar dip
- Grilled BBQ chili dogs
- Scandinavian-style open-faced sandwiches
- Sundried tomato and chickpea dip
- Charcuterie platter on a budget
- Veggie platter on a budget
- 4th of July charcuterie board
- DIY hot dog bar
Tips For A Budget-Friendly 4th of July
You can enjoy all the great foods of summer without spending a fortune. These cheap 4th of July recipes are a great starting place. But the overall goal is to build your menu around affordable staples and in-season food.
Another great tip: Make it a potluck! If you’re hosting, ask your foodie-friendly guests if they would care to bring a dish to share. Most are happy to bring something and you’ll have a more expansive spread when more people contribute.
Want to save this recipe?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
What a great list! Potato salad is definitely on my list of must-haves for the 4th. I want some of those bourbon baked beans too…although I don’t know if I’d be able to actually summon the willpower to turn on the oven just now. 🙂 It will happen eventually, though!
I try to avoid using the oven in the summer… but those beans had to make the list!
Thanks for the link back! It is difficult to keep meals inexpensive, especially when entertaining guests, but these ideas are perfect!
I was so inspired looking through everyone’s sites for ideas!
What a beautiful roundup – so many great ideas here! Thank you so much for including a link to my Strawberry Soup!
Thanks Faith! I really enjoyed being part of the prop swap, by the way 🙂
What a great list Haley! I love entertaining for parties in the summer. It’s so much fun to grill out!
Hi Haley! Thanks for including my chicken recipe 🙂 That one is actually roasted in the oven. I do have a bunch of great grilling ones though – this is perfect for July 4th – https://www.everydaymaven.com/2012/herb-marinated-grilled-chicken/
Have a great weekend!
Oops – my bad! I’ll put it in the “miscellaneous” section. It looks so delicious 🙂
I have a 4th party this Friday, a bridal shower next month, my daughter’s birthday in September. Then comes Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, … With so many parties your blog is going to be a wallet saver! The BBQ chicken salad sounds great!
What a lovely list of recipes. Thank you for including my recipe.
Some of these may show up at my backyard birthday BBQ this weekend! 🙂
Awesome! Can’t wait to see what you come up with 🙂
Thanks for including my French style hot dog in this delicious group. Great roundup of super approachable, super fun holiday recipes.