Independence Day Barbecue Recipes to Inspire Your Picnic

Independence Day barbecue in the Southern U.S. is as American as apple pie and … barbecue. Sure, hamburgers and hot dogs get a lot of lead billing around July 4. That’s fine.

For me, during the picnics and cookouts that come along with our summer nod to patriotism, I’m looking for smoked meats to accompany my favorite Southern sides. Ribs, baked beans, potato salad, and refrigerator pie with a fluffy cool whip top. That’s my fireworks show.

I’m not alone.

In the Carolinas and elsewhere across the South, low and slow Fourth of July barbecue has been a tradition since the American Revolution. Going back to the 1800s, the South celebrated America’s birthday with parades, public speeches, patriotic music, and to conclude the party … a great feast with smoked meat at the centerpiece.

Since The Low & Slow Barbecue Show started meeting Carolina pitmasters, barbecue competitors, and enthusiasts, we’ve collected a handful of recipes.

If you’re looking for fresh Independence Day barbecue ideas, here are recipes for proteins, sauces, sides, and a dessert that check all the important boxes on Fourth of July. I included the recipe for my mom’s baked beans, an all-time favorite for me.

Independence Day Barbecue Proteins

All-American Fourth of July Ribs for a British Barbecue

American ex-pat Jim “Chickenbone” Ernst gives us a British perspective on barbecue and Independence Day. Read the blog for step-by-step instructions for his Fourth of July ribs. He shares his vinegar mop and Carolina Rub recipes, too.

Backyard Barbecue Expert Shares his Eastern N.C. Secrets

Backyard pitmaster Jeff Osborne was an early guest on the podcast, so naturally we started with the Carolina barbecue fundamentals: Eastern pork shoulder and vinegar mop. He also reveals his meat smoking methods and sweet heat rub recipe.

Brisket Advice and Rub Recipe from Big Byrd’s Smokehouse

Big Byrd’s Smokehouse BBQ is a brisket-focused food truck operating in the Hickory Metro. Richard Byrd gave us his advice for brisket:

• Choosing the right brisket.
• Prep and smoker set-up.
• Cook time for brisket Is the brisket ready to serve?

Visit the blog for his Texas-style rub.

American Buffalo anchors BBQ Tourist’s “BOINK” Balls Recipe

BBQ Tourist Ryan Cooper has been to the best pit stops in America and shares some of his experiences in this podcast, including a few favorite BBQ stops in the Carolinas. For the first time he publicly shared his BOINK balls recipe and cooking instructions. If buffalo meat is available, give this recipe a try and let us know what you think.  

Independence Day Barbecue Cooked Indoors: Korean Bo Ssam

Rain out? Or maybe craving barbecue, but don’t have a smoker? Sports story-teller and Shutdown Fullcast Founder Ryan Nanni offers his go-to recipe for barbecue in an NYC apartment. It isn’t wood-fired but the Korean barbecue recipe in this blog is a pretty good substitute if you are stuck inside.   

Man Cave Meals’ Dino Ribs, Sizzle Mac, and Steak Shake Recipes

Man Cave Meals founder John Setzler is an early YouTube adopter in the world of barbecue. He ended the weekly show and social media platform this year, but his Man Cave Meals channel is still full of great instructional videos. A wealth of his tried-and-true knowledge is in the blog:

• Man Cave Steak Shake Recipe
• How to Cook Beef ‘Dino’ Ribs
• Man Cave Meals Sizzle Mac & Cheese Recipe

Independence Day Barbecue Sauces

Blue Suede BBQ Blind Tiger Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce

Could we have Independence Day barbecue without the U.S. Army? Lt. Col. and Division Engineer for the 82^nd Airborne Division Chris Loschiavo launched Blue Suede BBQ sauces and rubs with a service-oriented approach that sends a portion of proceeds to charitable organizations such as the Live Like Lou Foundation. Find Chris at events around Southern Pines and Fort Liberty where he’s stationed. Find the recipe for his Carolina Gold mustard sauce here.  

Low & Slow Barbecue Show Lexington BBQ Dip

My wife’s grandmother grew up around Mount Mitchell, but she built her family and life in Welcome, NC, just outside of Lexington. Her recipe for Lexington BBQ Dip (or sauce) and red slaw are all-time personal favorites and crowd-pleasers. I go heavy-handed in the Worcestershire sauce and cayenne, but I like the kick.

Low & Slow Barbecue Show Alabama White Sauce

Full disclosure: I never had Alabama white sauce when I lived in Alabama. Once I moved to North Carolina, I got curious. I like this Alabama white sauce recipe on chicken, but it goes well with pulled pork, too. Like anything else in barbecue, it all depends on what you are looking for on a particular day.

Midwood Smokehouse Cola Sauce

Midwood Smokehouse helped start a new chapter for Charlotte barbecue in 2011. Pitmaster Matt Barry has been there since the beginning, when he was part of an early days expedition to Kansas City. Slap’s Kansas City inspires Midwood’s burnt ends, and Matt shares the cola sauce recipe that coats every order.

Apple City BBQ Jalapeno Lime Sauce

Near Taylorsville, Apple City BBQ is in the midst of a variety of sauce preferences: Eastern vinegar, Piedmont tomato-touched sauce, even mustard. Pitmaster Adam Dula went in his own direction with a jalapeno lime sauce recipe for brisket (another unique path to take in the Catawba Valley at the time). Other sauces are available at his family-run restaurant, but his own creation is special.

Independence Day Sides

Black Powder Smokehouse Macaroni & Cheese

Macaroni and cheese is a must-have menu item for an Independence Day get-together – especially if children are involved. Every kid won’t eat everything – but most eat mac & cheese. And since Black Powder Smokehouse pitmaster Keith Henning’s daughter highly endorses his macaroni and cheese recipe, it’s a safe bet to please the picky eaters. Everybody else will recognize it as an “artisan” perspective on a traditional recipe – just like Black Powder Smokehouse.

Doxie Guy BBQ Eastern Corn Pudding

Doxie Guy Scott Schiffel is known for thicker, sweet and tangy barbecue sauces … and dachshunds. But when it comes to family traditions, his Eastern N.C. roots run deep. His grandmother’s recipe for Eastern Carolina corn pudding is a classic down east.

Southern Smoke BBQ Collard Green Chowder

Barbecue sauce catapulted Southern Smoke BBQ in front of people in Garland, NC, and the Carolina Coastal communities, but pitmaster Matthew Register’s cookbook helped get him in front of a larger audience. His hearty collard green chowder recipe may be better suited for fall than our American summer holiday, but it offers a new way to serve collards. And you can come back to this recipe when the weather cools.

Ginny’s Fourth of July Baked Beans

Of all the barbecue sides, the widest variations may occur with baked beans. Some are spicy, bean-laden, and lean toward soup. Others are thicker, sweeter, and have the consistency of paste. My mom’s version drifts toward the sweet and thick end of the spectrum, and it is a favorite recipe for me, so I share it in her memory.

• 2-16 ounce cans of pork & beans
• 1 medium onion
• 1 ½ tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
• 2 drop of hot sauce
• 2 gloves of garlic
• 2 heaping tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon of vinegar
• (Optional for oven prep: 1 teaspoon liquid smoke)
• ¼ cup catsup
• ¼ cup molasses
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Dash of black pepper
• Bacon strips

Combine ingredients and add to a pan or casserole dish. Line 6-8 bacon strips across the top. Cook at 300 for 4 hours.

Independence Day Dessert

Carolina Food Culture Rooted in Gullah-Geechee Benne Wafers

Independent food journalist and founder of The Food Section Hanna Raskin joined the Low & Slow Barbecue Show to talk about food traditions, including the Carolinas’ barbecue practices. The recipe she shared for benne wafers is integral to traditions in the Carolina Sea Islands. Credited to The Matriarch of Edisto Island Emily Meggett, this Gullah-Geechee recipe is a light buttery bite perfect for celebrating Independence in the Carolinas.

Most Important Ingredients in Independence Day Barbecue

Independence Day spent abroad offers a new perspective to our uniquely American celebration. Like our American ex-pat rib master living in London, I spent a Fourth of July living in Britain; Scotland to be exact.

Scottish sensibilities don’t often align with the English. Generally, they appreciate our forefathers seizing Independence from King George, but it isn’t enough for an annual celebration – unless you are an American living there.

And while I commemorated Independence living in Edinburgh, barbecue wasn’t on the menu. Yet, when Americans assembled in reverie, we clad ourselves in red, white and blue, shared food, and toasted the land of the free and home of the brave. I think that’s a winning recipe for Independence Day.