27 Labor Day Recipes Perfect for an End-of-Summer Grill-Out

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Published on August 4, 2023

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Charred Corn & Pepper Salsa

Kick back, relax and eat healthy and delicious food this Labor Day. From juicy burgers made of lean proteins and legumes to creamy, tangy sides packed with seasonal veggies, this collection contains recipes for a fun and delicious grill-out. Recipes like our BBQ Carrot Dogs and Heirloom Tomato Salad with Charred Corn & Pepper Salsa are the perfect summer holiday crowd pleasers.

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Salsa-Black Bean Burgers

Salsa and some pantry staples give this vegetarian bean burger recipe tons of flavor. We use crushed tortilla chips to bind the burgers together, making them a great vehicle for using up those crumbs that inevitably fall to the bottom of the bag.

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Loaded Broccoli Salad

Loaded Broccoli Salad — Photographer / Brie Passano, Food Stylist / Annie Probst, Prop Stylist / Holly Raibikis

This is the broccoli salad you will get special requests for. The combination of bacon, sour cream, mayonnaise, scallions and Cheddar is hard to resist.

03 of 27

Slow-Cooker Baby Back Ribs

This easy load-and-go crock pot recipe is a great dinner to make with your kids. Let the kids stir the sauce while you rub the ribs, then just let the slow cooker do the rest of the work! Serve with a colorful coleslaw and brown rice.

04 of 27

BBQ Carrot Dogs

Shock everyone with this recipe for veggie dogs that actually taste like hot dogs. They're an amazing (and healthy!) vegan alternative to traditional meat hot dogs. Serve in whole-wheat hot dog buns and top with all your favorite toppings, such as sauerkraut, relish, ketchup and mustard, for the ultimate barbecue meal.

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Charred Green Beans with Mustard Vinaigrette & Hazelnuts

Our go-to trick for this crunchy, mustardy vegan side dish: Use a grill basket--it lets you cook all the things that would ordinarily fall through the grill grates, no skewering required. Pick one up from the hardware store or order one online for less than $15.

06 of 27

Grilled Beef & Vegetable Kebabs

These easy grilled beef & vegetable kebabs are not only delicious--they're economical too. Tri-tip is an inexpensive and flavorful cut of beef that takes beautifully to cooking over an open flame. Thread it onto skewers with colorful veggies and marinate for up to eight hours before cooking on the grill or over your campfire. Either way, it's a healthy and tasty summer meal.

07 of 27

Jalapeño Popper Burgers

two burgers

We've taken a simple burger recipe and made it pop with an easy three-ingredient jalapeño cheese topping. Ground sirloin is lean ground beef made exclusively from the center loin cut. It has less connective tissue than regular ground beef for a super-tender burger.

08 of 27

Zucchini-Chickpea Veggie Burgers with Tahini-Ranch Sauce

Zucchini-Chickpea Veggie Burgers with Tahini-Ranch Sauce

This veggie burger recipe is one you'll want to make again and again. Savory chickpea and zucchini patties are topped with a creamy, herb-flecked tahini ranch sauce, juicy tomato slices and peppery arugula for a satisfying and healthy homemade veggie burger. Serve these vegan burgers on buns or stuff them in pitas. We recommend making extra sauce—it's a great dip for veggie sticks and, thinned with a little water, it makes a wonderful salad dressing.

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Heirloom Tomato Salad with Charred Corn & Pepper Salsa

The roasted pepper and corn salsa that tops this gorgeous tomato salad has a kick from the tart sherry vinegar and moderately spicy and fruity Aleppo pepper. Red-wine vinegar and ground ancho chile are good alternatives. Grill some chicken, fish or other protein along with the corn for an easy summer dinner.

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Chicago-Style Carrot Dogs

Whether you're vegan, vegetarian or none of the above, these plant-based "dogs" are magically delicious--period. This recipe makes these vegan hot dogs Chicago-style, but feel free to doctor them up any way you like. Break with convention and add shredded cabbage, sprouts and cilantro, for example.

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Dill-Pickle Pasta Salad with Creamy Dill Dressing

If you're a fan of pickles, this easy pasta salad will easily become your go-to. If you want to give it some extra kick, an additional teaspoon or two of hot sauce will do the trick. Pair it with anything hot off the grill or pack it up for a picnic. It can also easily translate from a side dish to an entree by adding a can of flaked tuna or shredded chicken.

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Lobster Roll

Lobster Roll — Becky Luigart-Stayner; Mary Catherine Muir

We might be a little biased, but we think this is the best lobster roll recipe of all time. This is the classic New England lobster roll recipe: a basic hot dog bun filled with lobster salad. There are no fancy seasonings here; the lobster is showcased in a simple mayonnaise dressing. This salad is also great over greens for a main dish.

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Pasta Salad with Black Beans & Avocado Dressing

Everyone will love this pasta salad recipe that's packed with tomatoes, corn and black beans. We lighten up the creamy dressing with avocado for a healthier version of a picnic favorite.

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Grilled Salmon and Peaches with Basil-Pistachio Gremolata

Grilling a large salmon fillet is a surefire way to wow guests at the table. It's also easier than grilling individual fillets and adds a little insurance against overcooking. If you're nervous about grilling the fish, take heart: You don't have to flip it, the skin keeps it intact, and even though you're cooking it over both direct and indirect heat, it stays put on the grill. The skin crisps up beautifully, and the spice rub adds bold notes that pair well with sweet peaches and red onion.

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Grilled Eggplant Salad

This easy grilled eggplant salad is the healthy side dish you'll want to serve all summer long. It comes together in just 25 minutes and can be served warm or at room temperature, so it's equally suited to casual parties and weeknight dinners. The combination of eggplant, cherry tomatoes, red peppers, red onions and fresh herbs makes for a salad that's full of bright flavors and colors. Serve it with grilled chicken or fish or as part of a vegetarian mezze platter with dips like hummus and pita bread.

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Crab Roll

This healthier take on a lobster roll uses crab because it's usually easier (and less expensive) to buy. Serve this crab roll with coleslaw and an ice-cold beer.

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Caprese Pasta Salad

Caprese Pasta Salad — Photographer / Jennifer Causey, Food Stylist / Karen Rankin, Prop Stylist / Christine Keely

This light and fresh caprese pasta salad is brought together with a bright and tangy dressing, with fresh mozzarella pearls adding creaminess to every bite.

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Mojito-Marinated Chicken Kebabs

Mojito-Marinated Chicken Kebabs

A quick mint, lime and rum marinade does double duty as a sauce for these easy grilled chicken kebabs. Using agave cuts the sugars in this recipe by half compared to granulated sugar. Plus, we love the added south-of-the-border flavor. Grill some vegetables and corn on the cob along with the kebabs and you have a healthy weeknight dinner that's special enough to serve to company.

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Vegetarian All-American Portobello Burgers

Portobello mushrooms stand in for meat patties in this recipe for veggie burgers with all the fixings. Mushrooms are a source of glutamate, a naturally occurring compound that gives the fungi their umami flavor. But to really give these "patties" a savory boost, we brush them with steak sauce. Add a simple side salad or some grilled veggies for a satisfying and easy dinner on the grill.

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Grilled Zucchini with Parmesan

Grilled zucchini is one of the great food joys of summer. In this easy recipe, the crunchy, bright breadcrumbs offset the sweet, soft zucchini in the most delightful way. Serve this healthy side with grilled chicken, fish or shrimp or as part of a vegetarian summer meal. This recipe is easily doubled or tripled if you have a bumper crop of zucchini.

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Grilled Cauliflower Steaks with Almond Pesto & Butter Beans

Need some new meatless dinner ideas? This vegan recipe for grilled cauliflower steaks with buttery (but butter-free!) butter beans and almond pesto comes together in just 25 minutes but is impressive enough to serve to guests. We're sorry to ask you to buy 2 heads of cauliflower to make this recipe when you only cut a couple of "steaks" from each, but it guarantees the best results. Just think of it this way: having leftovers gives you an excuse to try one of our many other healthy cauliflower recipes!

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Grilled Eggplant & Summer Squash Salad

The homemade balsamic reduction is the key to this healthy grilled eggplant and summer squash salad. It's easy to make but watch the vinegar as it reduces; it can burn easily. If you have any left over, drizzle it on strawberries.

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Grilled Fish with Peperonata

This healthy grilled fish dish is made for easy summertime entertaining. The peperonata can be made in advance and reheated while you grill the fish.

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Chickpea & Beef Burgers with Whipped Feta

Chickpea & Beef Burgers with Whipped Feta — Johnny & Charlotte Autry

Chickpeas add fiber to this blended burger, but the real joy here is the light and fluffy feta sauce that tops the whole shebang.

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Smash Burgers

Smash Burger — Fred Hardy

This garlicky smash burger recipe includes a hefty amount of portobello mushrooms, which adds a light texture and rich umami flavor. Using a hot skillet and flattening the burgers evenly forms the crispy golden brown crusts that smash burgers are known for. The sweet and smoky balsamic sauce pairs well with the meatiness of the burgers.

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Grilled Steak with Chimichurri

Chimichurri is a robust, herby sauce from Argentina that's typically partnered with grilled beef--here we're serving it with grilled flank or hanger steak, two lean and flavorful cuts of beef that are great for grilling, for an easy dinner recipe that takes just 30 minutes to prep. The sauce is equally delicious over grilled fish, pork or chicken.

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Easy Grilled Shrimp with Cilantro Salsa Verde

Fresh cilantro, parsley, and lime juice make a tangy green salsa that adds lively flavor to this easy grilled shrimp recipe.

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