Our 27 Best Father's Day Recipes to Celebrate Dad

Browse steaks, ribs, seafood, barbecue, and dessert for Father's Day menu ideas.

By

Jodie Kautzmann

Updated on June 7, 2024

Grilled picanha with Piri Piri on a wooden board with finishing salt and beers — Photo:
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

The United States' annual celebration of dads falls in June, making it the perfect time to bring on the festivities with a Father's Day menu of summer favorites on the grill. Think burgers, brisket, and grilled brownies (yes, brownies!), as well as fresh produce. Treat the father figures in your life to Charred Chile–Marinated Grilled Chicken Tacos or these Perfect Smoked Pork Ribs. Not grilling? No problem — whip up next-level Butter-Basted Rib Eye Steaks or this irresistible Summer Crab Carbonara with Lemons and Capers. Whatever you're wanting to include in your celebratory spread, we've got you covered. These are our best Father's Day recipes.

01 of 27

Tavern Burgers with Drunken Mushrooms

Tavern Burgers with Drunken Mushrooms — Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

Dad will love these thick, pub-style burgers, topped with sautéed mushrooms, white cheddar cheese, and a smear of garlicky mayonnaise, served alongside a frosty beer. A hard sear followed by a quick braise in beer gives these mushrooms a caramelized exterior, lightly chewy texture, and malty finish.

02 of 27

Beer Cheese

Beer Cheese — Food & Wine / Photo by Jason Donnelly / Food Styling by Holly Dreesman / Prop Styling by Addelyn Evans

Salvage stale or flat beer or crack open a fresh one for this spicy, tangy spread that's ready in 10 minutes and can accompany pretzels, fresh veggies, and more.

03 of 27

Summer Salmon Cobb Salad

Summer Salmon Cobb Salad — Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Shell Royster

This summer salmon salad pairs grilled corn and red onions with Cobb standbys like bacon, avocado, and hard-boiled eggs. Brush rendered bacon fat on salmon before grilling to keep the fish super moist and to add an extra dose of smoky flavor.

04 of 27

Mac and Corn Cheese

Mac & Corn Cheese with Jalapeno Bread Crumbs — Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

Brightened with snappy kernels of sweet corn, pungent onion, and zippy jalapeño, food writer Eric Kim's stovetop macaroni and cheese is table-ready in just 40 minutes and goes with a variety of mains.

05 of 27

Burnt Ends with Bourbon Sauce

Burnt Ends — Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox & John Somerall / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis

The crispy, caramelized "burnt" pieces of a smoked brisket are often the best part because the flavor is concentrated and the texture is pleasingly chewy. Pitmaster Matt Horn's bourbon sauce works well with any type of barbecue.

06 of 27

Cornflake-Crusted Fried Chicken Drumettes

Cornflake-Crusted Oven Fried Chicken Drummettes — Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Crunchy on the outside and moist and juicy on the inside, this fried chicken is a classier eating affair than most. The bone of meaty chicken wing drumettes creates a playful, lollipop-like handheld appetizer that's drizzled in mildly spicy hot honey that works so well with the chicken.

07 of 27

Butter-Basted Rib Eye Steaks

Butter-Basted Rib Eye Steak Recipe — Diana Chistruga

Based on a recipe from chef Alain Ducasse, these bone-in rib eye steaks are simply basted with butter, garlic, rosemary, and thyme while they cook in a cast-iron skillet. Be sure to allow half an hour for the seasoned steaks to come to room temperature first.

08 of 27

Pork Schnitzel with German Potato Salad

classic schnitzel with german potato salad — Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Jillian Knox

Crisp, golden thyme-scented cutlets and warm, meltingly tender potatoes tossed with bacon is an undeniably delicious meal combination. Thankfully, it's also easy to achieve at home in only about an hour.

09 of 27

Chocolate Chess Pie

Chocolate Chess Pie — Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by ydia Purcell

Espresso powder, bourbon, and a heavy pinch of salt enhance the depth of flavor in this rich treat for chocolate lovers with a fudgy, brownie-like filling that crisps up in the oven for an irresistible crackly top.

10 of 27

Beef Satay with Mushrooms and Coconut-Peanut Sauce

Mushroom and Beef Satay with Coconut-Peanut Sauce — Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

For Indonesian-style skewers, marinate meat and fresh mushrooms in a combination of kecap manis (sweet soy sauce), lemongrass, warm spices, and fish sauce. Then thread onto skewers and grill, brushing with coconut-peanut sauce and cooking until delightfully charred and caramelized.

11 of 27

Honey-Pepper Coconut Shrimp

Honey Pepper Coconut Shrimp Recipe — Photo by Greg DuPree / Prop Styling by Christine Keely / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer

Chef Rich Cundiff was kind enough to create this special riff on his coconut shrimp since the breading technique at Rocky's Hot Chicken Shack in Asheville, North Carolina, is top secret. A drizzle of syrupy honey glaze, infused with black pepper and lemon, adds a tart-sweet bite.

12 of 27

Sheet-Pan Salmon with Gin-Soaked Tomatoes

SLOW-BAKED SHEET PAN SALMON WITH GIN-SOAKED TOMATOES — Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Thom Driver

If you're looking for a hands-off meal that's packed with flavor, this is your dish. The tender roasted tomatoes and shallots meld with the complex botanical flavors of gin, while briny capers add pops of bright acidity. Be sure to spoon the juices in the pan over the fish when serving.

13 of 27

Grilled Picanha with Piri Piri

GRILLED PICANHA WITH PIRI PIRI — Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Chef Junior Borges grills Brazil’s most famous beef cut, the ultra-flavorful picanha (or top sirloin cap), for a steak that’s juicy and tender. He serves it with a piri piri sauce featuring malagueta chiles — small but mighty peppers with bracing sweet heat.

14 of 27

Viet-Cajun Fried Catfish Po’boy

Viet-Cajun Style Fried Catfish Po’Boy — Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle

This salty, sweet, spicy, and crisp sandwich features fried catfish with punchy tart pickles. The catfish is fried the traditional New Orleans way, but instead of being seasoned with classic Creole seasoning, it is glazed with a fish sauce caramel.

15 of 27

Summer Berry Galette

Berry Galette — Food & Wine / Photo by Jason Donnelly / Food Styling by Holly Dreesman / Prop Styling by Addelyn Evans

Juicy, sweet-tart berries are tucked into a buttery, flaky crust for an unfussy dessert that sings the song of summer. Keep it classic and serve with scoops of vanilla ice cream.

16 of 27

Perfect Smoked Pork Ribs

pork ribs — Victor Protasio

Smoking then baking yields meltingly tender, deeply flavored ribs that are incredibly satisfying to eat — moist and meaty but not falling off the bone. A dry rub of warm red spices and gochugaru (Korean red chile flakes) add peppery heat to partner with the natural sweetness of pork.

17 of 27

Potato Salad with Fresh Corn and Basil

Potato Salad with Fresh Corn and Basil Recipe — Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Red baby potatoes are ideal for potato salad because of their tender skins and creamy interiors that hold together, even when cooked. Quickly soaking the onions in vinegar mellows their bite and allows the summery fresh herbs to shine in the dressing.

18 of 27

Grilled Pineapples with Barbecue-Spiced Breadcrumbs and Country Ham

Grilled Pineapples with Barbecue-Spiced Bread-crumbs and Country Ham — Victor Protasio

Slow-grilling whole unpeeled pineapples concentrates their flavor and tenderizes the fruit, which pairs wonderfully with salty country ham and crispy panko seasoned with barbecue spices. Peel the fruit with a large serrated knife and serve it hot, thinly sliced like ham.

19 of 27

Roasted Pork Tostadas with Citrusy Cabbage Salad

Roasted pork tostadas with citrusy cabbage salad — Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis

Combine tender citrus-and-herb-roasted pork shoulder with chewy hominy, crunchy radishes, cabbage, and more to make a tasty tostada topping. You can serve the pork salad family-style and let guests build their own tostadas.

20 of 27

Lobster BLTs on Potato Rolls

Lobster BLTs on Potato Rolls Recipe — Photo by Greg DuPree / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer

These upgraded BLTs combine tender, sweet lobster meat with smoky, salty bacon, juicy tomatoes, and pillowy potato buns, lightly toasted in bacon drippings. Need we say more?

21 of 27

Jerk Chicken Pizza

Jerk Chicken Pizza — Yekaterina Boytsova

It's the Jamaican jerk marinade that does the heavy lifting for this fantastic pizza. A long list of ingredients is responsible for its complex flavor, but the marinade comes together quickly and easily in the blender. Plus, you'll have some left to use for another tasty meal.

22 of 27

Skillet Brownies on the Grill

Skillet Brownies on the Grill — Victor Protasio

These brownies take on a deliciously smoky flavor on the grill from "baking" in a skillet set over hot coals. Pull the skillet brownies when they're still a bit moist, but not wet, in the middle for a fudgy texture in the center and smoky brownie "bark" around the edges.

23 of 27

Shaky Pete's Ginger Brew

Shaky Pete's Ginger Brew Recipe — Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon

Top this semi-frozen, sweet, sour, and slightly spicy ginger drink with beer and serve in an iced-cold mug. (A Hawksmoor bartender named Pete developed the recipe for a Beefeater gin cocktail competition, and like many competing, Pete’s hands shook uncontrollably as he made the drink, giving the cocktail its memorable name.)

24 of 27

Charred Chile–Marinated Grilled Chicken Tacos

Charred Chile-Marinated Grilled Chicken — Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Nidia Cueva

These deeply flavorful tacos from 2021 F&W Best New Chef Fermín Núñez begin with a marinade made by toasting and charring aromatics: Dried chiles, cinnamon, allspice, and onions all hit the heat before soaking with juicy chicken thighs for an hour, imparting smoky flavor before they cook quickly on the grill.

25 of 27

Ground Beef Bulgogi Sloppy Joes with Fiery Napa Slaw

Ground Beef Bulgogi Sloppy Joes with Fiery Napa Slaw — Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

This amped-up version of the quick-cooking American classic is saucy, sweet, and salty thanks to the flavors of Korean barbecue. Top it with spicy, creamy slaw to offset the sandwich's sweet notes.

26 of 27

Summer Crab Carbonara with Lemons and Capers

Summer Crab Carbonara with Lemons and Capers Recipe — Michael Piazza

2020 F&W Best New Chef Douglass Williams' method for this summery carbonara allows you to hold the cooked pasta before adding it to the garlic–oil–pasta cooking liquid emulsion. The result is a simple, creamy carbonara without the stress.

27 of 27

Tamarind Chicken

Tamarind Chicken — Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell

The beauty of this grilled tamarind chicken is both its sharp and piquant flavor and its simplicity. A potent tamarind-and-chipotle marinade renders a richly flavored, juicy, and tender chicken in mere minutes, making it equally suited for a weeknight meal or a dinner party.

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