6 Better-Than-Burgers Fourth of July Ideas
There’s a lot of pageantry built into the Fourth of July. Flags. Fireworks. A suspicious number of desserts dyed red, white and blue. But at its core, it’s a choose-your-own-adventure kind of holiday. You can go full backyard bash or keep things low-key on a balcony with cold drinks and a killer hoagie for six. It’s yours to shape.
This year, consider building the menu around foods that don’t involve burgers or hot dogs. Nothing against those two summer classics, but there’s a whole world of not-grilled greatness worth exploring. These recipes offer fresh, festive ways to celebrate—still handheld, still fun, just with a little more imagination.
1. Lamb & Feta Stuffed Pitas with Creamy Tomato-Cucumber Salad
Spiced lamb-stuffed pitas make an unexpectedly excellent Fourth of July main. After seasoning the ground lamb with a bevy of flavorful mix-ins—harissa paste, onion and fresh herbs—stuff the mixture into pita halves before searing them in your 12”/30cm Hybrid Fry Pan until cooked through. They’re surprisingly easy and can be doubled or even quadrupled for a crowd. Make-ahead tip: Mix the lamb filling a day in advance and store it covered in the fridge so you can stuff and sear when you're ready to serve.
2. Cork-Spiced Beef Reuben Sandwiches
If you’re one of the millions of Americans with Irish heritage, consider this your sign to pay homage to your old country roots. These sandwiches riff on corned beef, pairing brined and braised eye of beef with a sauerkraut-cabbage slaw on griddled pretzel buns. A Thousand Island–style dressing and plenty of melty Swiss cheese round things out and keep the holiday feeling festive.
3. Maine-Style Lobster Rolls
Seriously, why aren’t lobster rolls required fare on the Fourth? They don't entail standing in front of a hot grill and they taste like peak summer. Cook the lobster a day or two ahead in your 12QT Hybrid Stockpot. When it’s go time, toast the buttered rolls, then pile them high with our dreamy lobster salad. We’ll be serving these with ice-cold beers and a batch of DIY Dill Pickle Chips.
4. Hex Hoagie
Picture this: You walk into a Fourth of July party and spot a gloriously overstuffed hoagie, layered with cheese, cured meats and a tangy artichoke-pepper spread. Are you happy? Obviously. We’re ready to declare the Hex Hoagie a new Independence Day classic—equally at home on a red-and-white checkered tablecloth in the backyard or pulled triumphantly from a cooler at the park in your prime firework-viewing spot.
5. Pork Belly Bao Buns
These bao buns may not be traditional Independence Day fare, but that’s exactly the point. With sticky, slow-roasted pork belly, crunchy quick-pickled veg and soft, pillowy buns, they bring major flavor and a welcome twist to your holiday spread. Built for handheld eating (read: no fork, no problem), they look as good on a platter as they taste. Set out the components on a big tray for guests to build their own, and suddenly you’ve got a DIY station that’s way more exciting than the ketchup-and-relish bar.
6. Chicago-Style Italian Beef
If you’re looking for a sandwich with a little drama, Italian beef delivers. Thinly sliced roast beef is soaked in garlicky jus, then tucked into hoagie rolls and finished with a generous spoonful of homemade giardiniera for crunch, heat and acid. These come fully assembled, dripping and delicious—built to be grabbed with both hands and eaten fast before they fall apart. They’ll steal the show from whatever’s still on the grill.
Burgers and dogs may be the default, but they’re not the law. Your Fourth can be just as festive with something unexpected between two slices of bread. Whether you go for bao buns, lobster rolls or towering hoagies, these are bound to disappear faster than a sparkler on a breezy summer night.
