80+ Labor Day Recipes

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Start planning your Labor Day festivities with this list of recipes from appetizers, desserts, mains, and sides. There are so many ideas to choose from. Whether you are celebrating with just a few or looking for some tasty Labor Day cookout ideas, you are sure to find recipes for everyone.

These Labor Day menu ideas will guarantee that your holiday party is a hit. From juicy grilled mains to easy Labor Day side dish recipes and of course desserts, this recipe collection has everything you need to create a spread that will have your guests coming back for seconds.

What is Labor Day?

Labor Day is a celebration of achievements in campaigning for workers’ rights. It became a federal holiday created by the labor movement that is traditionally celebrated on the first Monday in September. A three-day weekend and patriotic holiday, Labor Day honors the workers who fought for economic freedom for the working class. And it’s often celebrated with lots of delicious food (keep reading for my top 80 Labor Day food ideas).

Tips for Making a Labor Day Feast

1. Fire up the grill! Some of the best foods to serve on this holiday are those you can throw on the grill. And I have selected some of the best Labor Day grilling ideas that will be a sure hit at your get-together. Choose a few different foods to get the most use out of the grill, including meats, veggies, and even fruits. For even more grilling ideas, visit my grilling recipes page.
2. Plan ahead. To ensure a great time for everyone, plan your meal out ahead of time. This will give you the chance to come up with Labor Day menu ideas that will accommodate everyone. If there is a dietary restriction, you can make alterations to a portion of food you plan on cooking.
3. Make recipes ahead of time. Make easy Labor Day recipes easy on yourself by prepping as much as you can ahead of the party. If you have pasta salad, desserts, prep, and marinating to do, spend the day or two beforehand preparing. This simple step makes a world of difference, and you’ll be able to enjoy entertaining instead of just cooking.
4. Suggest a potluck. Invite your guests to bring a dish to your Labor Day BBQ. Choose a few recipes you’d like to make and communicate what else to bring so the entire spread doesn’t fall on you. You can also suggest making mains and letting the guests bring appetizers, sides, and Labor Day desserts.
5. Set up an appetizer bar. Make up a few different finger foods that guests can nibble on throughout the day, like dips, bite-size items, and a variety of fresh fruits and veggies. You can focus on socializing and grilling up the mains stress-free when you have delicious Labor Day appetizers nearby.
6. Include a drink table. Have a small area where you can serve just drinks with ice and cups, a cooler with canned and bottled drinks, carafes of beverages, and adult drinks nearby, too!

How to Plan a Menu for a Labor Day Cookout

It’s no surprise that food is a big part of Labor Day festivities. From backyard BBQs to relaxed gatherings, you can make the most of the long weekend with sure-to-please recipes and simple tips to keep stress at bay.

• Tally up the guest count. You’ll want to know how many people plan to attend and if they will be eating. This will help you decide how much food to make without having an abundance of leftovers.
• Choose your recipes. Pick which recipes you want to make and how to combine the prep work. You’ll be able to utilize your time better when you prep for multiple dishes at the same time (i.e. chop up all the veggies since you already have the cutting board out).
• Select cooking methods. After choosing the recipes, decide how they should be cooked. Do you want to grill, cook on the stovetop, or have no-bake recipes, or a combination? Determine which methods are needed for your recipes and set up a plan to execute them best.
• Plan how food will be served. If you include a variety of hot and cold dishes, you’ll want to make sure they stay fresh and at the right temp. Use ice where needed and steam tables to keep hot foods hot. If food is served outside, consider also getting mesh covers to eliminate pests around the food.

Traditional Labor Day Food Ideas

• Potato Salad. Not many cookouts go without a good potato salad! This recipe has a bright citrus dressing, fresh herbs, and onions with the best flavors of summer.
• Grilled Burgers. Firing up the grill and cooking up burgers is the best way to celebrate. You can grill beef burgers, or switch it up and try a chicken burger. Don’t forget your vegan friends with a good chickpea burger option.
• Fruit. It wouldn’t be Labor Day without fresh fruit served in various ways. Make a fruit salad or have a little fun with fruit kabobs with berries and melon. Throwing some fruit on the grill is also one of the best Labor Day grilling ideas. The heat brings out the juicy sweetness and makes them so irresistibly delicious.
• Grilled Vegetables. If you are grilling at your holiday cookout, then vegetables are easy to add to the menu. Grill up corn, kabobs, tomatoes, and even onions. It’s another one of those super easy Labor Day recipes that anyone can do.
• Hot dogs. Kid-friendly, easy to grill, and one of the most common and traditional option when looking for Labor Day cookout ideas. It’s always a favorite and thankfully, we have lots of good options for better-for-you hot dogs.

Best Labor Day Recipes

Planning your Labor Day festivities will be a breeze with these tips and ideas on creating a cookout menu that you and your guests will love. Below is a list of Labor Day menu ideas from appetizers, grilled mains, side dishes, and Labor Day desserts for that perfect note to end your holiday on.

How to Keep Food Warm

• Oven: As long as you’re not cooking anything in the oven, you can set it to 200°F and store dishes in there to keep them warm.
• Aluminum Foil: If your oven is not free, you can simply use aluminum foil, which has reflective properties that protect the food from light and oxygen. The foil reflects the thermal energy back to the food, which maintains the moisture, flavor, and texture.
• Crock Pots and Instant Pots: Think of recipes that can be made in your crock pot or instant pot that will keep warm during the party. You can even use them to keep foods warm even if you don’t cook in them.
• Insulated coolers: You can use a cooler to keep food hot as well as cold. The insulation technology that keeps out the heat to maintain cold foods also works to trap heat in and keep food hot for hours at a time. You can even line the cooler with aluminum foil for even better results.

How to Store the Leftovers

• Separate if possible. Use the appropriate containers for each food, such as air-tight storage containers for wet foods, zip-top bags for rolls and chips, or mason jars for salad dressings.
• Cool it down. Be sure that hot foods are cooled down before storing them in the refrigerator. Not only does this prevent condensation from forming inside the containers (which can lead to sogginess) but it also maintains the cool refrigerator temperature. You can quickly cool a hot dish by placing it in an ice bath in an airtight container.
• Refrigerate promptly. Perishable items such as meats, dairy, salads, and cut fruit should be stored in the refrigerator. Similarly, dressed salads don’t keep well and wilt quickly, so eat them up or toss them.
• When in doubt, toss it out. If food has sat out too long at room temperature when it should have been either hot or cold, it’s best to toss it. Generally, this is usually after 4 hours, so it’s important to keep your food at an optimal temperature throughout your gathering.

Frequently Asked Questions

These 80 recipes will bring together the best spread for a Labor Day cookout or gathering with friends and family. From appetizers, to grilled foods and desserts, and a bunch of Labor Day side dish recipes that are simply too good to resist. Everything you need to plan a Labor Day menu can be found here.

For more similar roundup of recipes, be sure to check out: Best Lebanese Recipes, Kids Lunch Box Ideas, Recipes with Vegetable Broth, and Best Air Fryer Recipes.

If you found this recipe roundup for Labor Day Recipes helpful or if you try any recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipes! It helps others who are thinking of trying out this tutorial and we would love to hear about your experience. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!