Labor Day cooking gets complicated when the table needs enough variety for people who want something smoky, something fresh, and something easy to snack on between plates. These 23 dishes cover that spread with grilled and smoked meats, corn sides, chilled salads, dips, and a simple fruit dessert. Some come together quickly, while others make use of the grill or smoker already running outside. The result is a holiday menu with enough range to keep the table interesting from the first bite through dessert.
Smoked Peach-Chipotle Wings
Sweet heat and smoke meet in Smoked Peach-Chipotle Wings, which use chicken wings, peach jam, chipotle in adobo, and apple cider vinegar. The wings smoke for an hour before a hotter finish crisps the skin, and the recipe serves four. That mix of sticky sauce and smoky meat works especially well when Labor Day food is being served outdoors. Keep the extra peach-chipotle sauce nearby for dipping as people move through the rest of the spread.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Peach-Chipotle Wings
Texas Corn Succotash
Colorful and quick from the skillet, Texas Corn Succotash combines corn, bacon, jalapeño, onion, red bell pepper, and garlic in a 25-minute side that serves eight. Fresh or frozen corn both work, which makes the recipe easier to fit around the rest of a holiday menu. The bacon adds richness while the pepper and jalapeño keep the dish from tasting flat. Set it beside grilled meats when you need a warm vegetable side with plenty of texture.
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Air Fryer Corn on The Cob
Hot corn without tying up the grill makes Air Fryer Corn on The Cob useful when several Labor Day dishes need outdoor cooking space. Four ears cook with olive oil, salt, and pepper in about 20 minutes, yielding four servings. The air fryer roasts the kernels while keeping prep simple, and the finished corn can stay plain or take a squeeze of lime or a little chili powder. Serve it alongside steaks, chicken, or pork chops.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Corn on The Cob
Mango Habanero Salsa
Bright color and a serious kick give Mango Habanero Salsa a place beside heavier grilled food. The 15-minute recipe serves six and mixes mango, red onion, habanero, red bell pepper, cilantro, and lime juice with simple seasoning. Everything is chopped and stirred together, so there is no cooking step to manage while the grill is busy. Spoon it over meat or set it out with tortilla chips for an easy starter before the main plates are ready.
Get the Recipe: Mango Habanero Salsa
Smoked Peaches with Spiced Rum Whipped Cream
A warm fruit dessert keeps the smoker working beyond the main course with Smoked Peaches with Spiced Rum Whipped Cream. Four peaches are smoked with turbinado sugar, then paired with whipped cream flavored with vanilla and spiced rum. The recipe takes about 40 minutes and serves four. That combination gives a Labor Day meal a dessert that still belongs with the outdoor cooking theme. Serve the peaches warm with the cool whipped cream spooned over the top.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Peaches with Spiced Rum Whipped Cream
Creamed Corn
Rich and spoonable beside grilled meats, Creamed Corn turns five cups of corn into six servings in about 20 minutes. Butter, flour, heavy cream, and milk form the thick sauce before the kernels are stirred through with salt and white pepper. The stovetop method keeps the grill free for bigger dishes while still giving the table a substantial side. It works especially well next to steak, chicken, or pork when the menu needs something soft and creamy.
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Birria Pizza
A familiar party format gets a meatier twist with Birria Pizza, a 25-minute main that serves three. Pizza crust is brushed with beef consommé, then topped with birria beef, mozzarella, cotija, radishes, sour cream, onion, cilantro, and hot sauce. The mix lands somewhere between pizza night and taco night, which makes it easy to slice and share at a casual Labor Day table. Put it out in wedges while the larger grilled meats are resting.
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Blackstone Tortellini with Meatballs
Plenty of food comes off one flat-top with Blackstone Tortellini with Meatballs, which serves eight in about 30 minutes. Tortellini and meatballs cook alongside onion, garlic, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, spinach, and mozzarella on the griddle. The vegetables add color while the pasta and meatballs make the dish substantial enough for guests who want more than snack food. It is a useful option when the Blackstone is already part of the Labor Day setup.
Get the Recipe: Blackstone Tortellini with Meatballs
Smoked Shotgun Shells
Wrapped in bacon and built for passing around, Smoked Shotgun Shells fill cannelloni tubes with seasoned ground beef, cheddar, and milk before they go into the smoker. The recipe serves four and takes about 1 hour 50 minutes, including a final coating of barbecue sauce. They bring pasta, beef, bacon, and smoke into one handheld-style appetizer. Start them early, then set them out while steaks or chicken are finishing on the grill.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Shotgun Shells
Grilled Ribeye Cap Steak
Small steaks with a short grill time make Grilled Ribeye Cap Steak a strong choice when the cookout already has several sides waiting. Two ribeye cap steaks are seasoned with kosher salt and cracked black pepper, grilled, rested, and finished with butter. The recipe serves two, with about 5 minutes of prep and 10 minutes of cooking. Slice the steaks after resting so several people can try them alongside corn, salads, and other Labor Day dishes.
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Smoked Beef Kabobs
Skewers bring meat and vegetables together neatly in Smoked Beef Kabobs, made with beef, zucchini, red onion, mushrooms, and red bell pepper. The beef marinates for about an hour in soy sauce, olive oil, Worcestershire, balsamic vinegar, honey, and garlic before a 45-minute smoke. The recipe serves four and works well when people want a little of everything on one skewer. Add them to the smoker early enough that the marinade and cooking time fit the day.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Beef Kabobs
Shirazi Salad
Cool, crisp vegetables give the table a break from heavier barbecue dishes in Shirazi Salad. The 10-minute recipe serves eight with tomatoes, English cucumber, red onion, mint, parsley, dill, lime juice, and olive oil. There is no cooking involved, so it can be mixed while the grill handles the main dishes. The fresh herbs and lime keep each bite bright beside smoked beef or chicken. Serve it soon after dressing for the cleanest texture.
Get the Recipe: Shirazi Salad
Smoked Tomahawk Steak
A large centerpiece cut gives Smoked Tomahawk Steak plenty of presence on a Labor Day table. A two-pound steak is coated in Montreal steak seasoning, smoked low, and served with a mustard seed chimichurri made with lime, shallot, garlic, parsley, cilantro, olive oil, and two kinds of mustard seed. The recipe serves two and cooks for about two hours. Slice it after resting so guests can share it with the salads and corn sides.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Tomahawk Steak
Steak & Pasta Salad
Chilled pasta with steak makes Steak & Pasta Salad substantial enough to work as either a side or a main. The 25-minute recipe serves eight and combines pasta, cooked steak, spinach, cherry tomatoes, radishes, corn, blue cheese, and red onion with homemade buttermilk ranch. Because the steak is already cooked, assembly stays straightforward on a busy holiday. Set it out cold when you want one dish that covers both the salad and hearty side categories.
Get the Recipe: Steak & Pasta Salad
Smoky Whole Chicken
One whole bird can cover several plates with Smoky Whole Chicken, which uses a 3- to 4-pound chicken and Montreal chicken seasoning on the Ninja Woodfire Grill. The spatchcocked chicken cooks in about 45 minutes and serves six. Smoke and high-heat grilling give the skin color while the flatter shape helps the meat cook evenly. Carve it before serving so guests can take breast or leg meat alongside potato salad, vegetables, and corn.
Get the Recipe: Smoky Whole Chicken
Cold Corn Dip
Straight from the refrigerator, Cold Corn Dip brings a creamy, crunchy option to the snack end of the Labor Day table. The recipe serves six and mixes cooked corn with cheddar, mayonnaise, sour cream, green onions, red bell pepper, jalapeño, ranch seasoning, and lime juice. Mixing takes about 10 minutes, followed by chilling before serving. Make it earlier in the day, then bring it out with tortilla chips while the grilled mains are still cooking.
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Grilled Vegetables
A full platter of produce keeps the cookout from leaning entirely on meat with Grilled Vegetables. Zucchini, summer squash, red onion, mushrooms, eggplant, and bell peppers are marinated in Italian dressing before a quick grill, and the recipe serves four. The vegetables take about 10 minutes to cook after the marinating time. Their mix of shapes and textures works beside nearly any Labor Day main. Grill them in batches if the cooking surface is crowded.
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Salmon Pasta Salad
Cool and creamy with enough protein for a fuller plate, Salmon Pasta Salad combines orecchiette, cooked salmon, grated cucumber, sour cream, mayonnaise, dill, parsley, and lemon juice. The recipe serves ten, making it useful when several people are eating from the same spread. Pasta is cooked until al dente, chilled, then folded with the dressing and salmon. Keep it cold until serving, especially if the Labor Day meal stretches across a long afternoon.
Get the Recipe: Salmon Pasta Salad
Grilled Bruschetta Chicken
Fresh tomato topping gives Grilled Bruschetta Chicken a lighter finish than barbecue sauce while still keeping the main course on the grill. Four chicken breasts are marinated with olive oil, red wine vinegar, and Italian seasoning, then topped with mozzarella and a bruschetta mixture of tomatoes, basil, shallots, sun-dried tomatoes, and garlic. The recipe serves four and cooks in about 25 minutes after marinating. Add balsamic syrup just before it reaches the table.
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Southern Style Pickled Shrimp
Chilled seafood adds a make-ahead option to the spread with Southern Style Pickled Shrimp. One pound of shrimp is layered with lemon, sweet onion, dill, garlic, mustard seeds, bay leaves, peppercorns, oil, and vinegar, then left to pickle for four hours. The recipe serves four and needs only about 10 minutes of active prep before chilling. Serve it cold as an appetizer, especially when the grill menu needs something that can be finished well before guests arrive.
Get the Recipe: Southern Style Pickled Shrimp
Grilled Pork Chops with Pineapple Salsa
Smoky pork and grilled fruit come together in Grilled Pork Chops with Pineapple Salsa, a 30-minute main that serves four. Pork chops cook on the Ninja Woodfire Grill after the pineapple, red bell pepper, red onion, and jalapeño are charred for the salsa. Cilantro, lime juice, and cumin finish the topping. The bright fruit works well against the pork, giving the Labor Day table another grilled main that does not depend on a heavy sauce.
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Classic Red Potato Salad with Pickles
A cookout standard gets extra crunch in Classic Red Potato Salad with Pickles, made with red potatoes, dill pickles, mayonnaise, sour cream, shallot, red bell pepper, Dijon mustard, dill, parsley, and pickle juice. The recipe serves six, with about 15 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking before chilling. It can be prepared a few hours ahead, which helps on a packed Labor Day schedule. Keep it refrigerated until the table is ready.
Get the Recipe: Classic Red Potato Salad with Pickles
Grilled Hanger Steaks with Chimichurri
Herby sauce cuts through rich beef in Grilled Hanger Steaks with Chimichurri, which serves four after a two-hour marinade. Hanger steak is coated with olive oil, oregano, cumin, paprika, onion, and garlic before a quick high-heat grill, then served with chimichurri. The actual cook time is about 10 minutes, so most of the work happens before grilling. Slice across the steak after resting and spoon the chimichurri over the top for serving.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Hanger Steaks with Chimichurri