Sparkle up your Holiday with these 7 Scrumptious 4th of July Recipes!

Fourth of July weekend is time for fun, family and fireworks, and for commemorating the Declaration of Independence. This holiday weekend is also the perfect time for a delicious backyard barbecue.

We’ve rounded up some top-notch recipes for your grill, for cocktail time, and for dessert, that will make your mouth water and keep your guests coming back for more this weekend. Happy Independence Day!

Mouth-Watering Grilled Chicken Recipes

Chicken is a hit with just about anyone, but the right recipe is key when it comes to grilling chicken if you want to avoid drying it out too much. Both of these recipes use marinades that seal in mouth-watering flavor, and both are sure to be big hits with your guests!

Sweet and Tangy Citrus Chicken

This recipe is a family favorite courtesy of Wet & Forget team member Melissa S. It calls for 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts. If you’re having guests over, it’s easy to expand the recipe to feed more.

You can also freeze this chicken uncooked in its marinade; just allow it to marinate overnight first, then pop it in the freezer, and it will be an easy meal when you thaw it out!

Ingredients

• 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 T lime zest
• 2 T orange juice concentrate
• 1 T orange zest
• 1 T brown sugar
• 1/2 t chili powder
• 1 T soy sauce
• 1 t olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 t oregano
• 1/4 t cumin

Instructions

• To make the marinade, mix all of the ingredients except the chicken.
• Pour the marinade into a good-quality freezer bag.
• Pound the chicken breasts with a meat mallet until they reach a uniform thickness of about 1/4 inch.
• Add the chicken to the bag, and move the chicken around to make sure that all of the chicken is coated with marinade. Remove as much air as possible from the bag, and seal the bag.
• Place the bag in the refrigerator, and allow the chicken to marinate for at least 6 to 8 hours, or overnight, turning the bag occasionally. Take the bag out of the refrigerator about 20 minutes before you grill the chicken.
• remove the chicken from the marinade, discard the marinade, and grill the chicken until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Serve.

Yogurt-Marinated Grilled Chicken

The yogurt in the marinade in this recipe keeps this grilled chicken super-moist, even if the conversation at your cookout is so interesting that you accidentally leave it on the grill a little too long.

Well-known New York butcher Tom Mylan contributes this delicious recipe, courtesy of Food & Wine Magazine.

Two of the Best Burger Recipes Ever

July 4th is the all-American holiday, and burgers are the all-American dish. These two hamburger recipes have both gotten rave reviews, and the delicious smell coming from your grill this weekend just might have half the neighborhood knocking on your door!

Coffee-Rubbed Cheeseburgers with Texas Barbecue Sauce

Coffee may sound like an unusual ingredient for a hamburger, but it adds a depth and complexity to the spice rub on these burgers without giving them a “cup of joe” flavor. These burgers scored a 96% “would make this recipe again” rating on Epicurious.com, which is just about unbeatable, and even non-coffee-drinkers are singing their praises.

You can make the coffee rub ahead of time to have it handy, and the rub also works well on steaks and chicken. Caramelized onions make a delicious addition to this recipe, if you want to fancy things up a bit. Bon appétit!

The Luscious Graze Burger

This irresistible burger is Rachael Ray’s slightly modified version of Chef Tory Miller’s mouth-wateringly famous burger from Graze Restaurant in Madison, Wisconsin. This rich, all-American masterpiece is covered in mounds of sweet caramelized onions, and boasts savory bacon on the inside.

Your guests will be coming back for thirds!

Super Refreshing Margarita Recipe, Plus a Summery Watermelon Cocktail

The perfect barbecue needs the perfect cocktail. Here are two cool, refreshing cocktails for those adults who wish to indulge responsibly this holiday weekend.

The Perfect Classic Margarita

The classic margarita is one of the most refreshing summertime cocktails out there. There is, however, a world of difference between a good margarita and a wonderful margarita.

Chris Hall from Bon Appétit Magazine is here to give you the lowdown on how to make the perfect margarita for your holiday get-together.

Cool Watermelon Cosmo

Few things are more summery than the watermelon, which makes this watermelon cosmopolitan, courtesy of 2 Bees in a Pod, the perfect cocktail for your summertime holiday party.

Remember, cosmos are potent drinks that pack a punch similar to a martini, so you might want to cut the liquor portion in half for guests who don’t want a strong drink.

Patriotic Red, White and Blue Sponge Cake

The 4th of July is a fun time to deck everything out in red, white and blue–just ask little Molly, in the photo above! Dessert is the perfect opportunity for you to use our flag’s colors to make a culinary work of art.

While some recipes use artificial colors to look like the flag, this yummy lemon sponge cake recipe, courtesy of Organic Gardening Magazine, takes advantage of berries’ natural colors to create a patriotic flair.

Best of all, this cake doesn’t have any ingredients that are prone to melting in hot weather, such as whipped cream or butter cream frosting.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend!

Photos courtesy of Jules