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A backyard cookout is one of the most relaxed ways to feed a crowd, and it can still add up fast. Meat, buns, sides, drinks and dessert for a dozen people make for a long receipt.
This backyard BBQ menu keeps it under control. It’s built on ground beef and chicken thighs, sides made from potatoes, cabbage, beans and corn, and desserts that come from one pan or one bowl.
It works for Memorial Day, the 4th of July, Labor Day and any warm weekend in between. Below you’ll find the menu, how much to make for your guest count, every recipe and a timeline for the day.
Jump to a section
- The Menu at a Glance
- How Much Food to Make
- The Recipes
- Backyard Cheeseburgers
- Grilled BBQ Chicken Thighs
- Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks with Roasted Potatoes
- Old-Fashioned Potato Salad
- Creamy Coleslaw
- Brown Sugar Baked Beans
- Grilled Corn on the Cob
- Italian Pasta Salad
- Broccoli Crunch Salad
- Cucumber Tomato Salad
- Black Bean and Corn Salad
- Classic Deviled Eggs
- Cornbread
- S’mores Bars
- Red, White and Blue Fruit Salad
- Fudgy Brownies
- Fresh Strawberry Lemonade
- A Menu for Each Holiday
- Your Cookout Timeline
- Keeping Food Safe Outside
- Free Printable: Cookout Planner
- Savvy Tips for a Cheaper Cookout
- Backyard BBQ Menu: Your Questions
The Menu at a Glance
| Course | Choose from | How many |
|---|---|---|
| Mains | Backyard Cheeseburgers, Grilled BBQ Chicken Thighs, BBQ Chicken Drumsticks with Roasted Potatoes | 1 or 2 |
| Make-ahead salads | Old-Fashioned Potato Salad, Creamy Coleslaw, Italian Pasta Salad, Broccoli Crunch Salad | 1 or 2 |
| Fresh sides | Grilled Corn on the Cob, Cucumber Tomato Salad, Black Bean and Corn Salad | 1 or 2 |
| Warm sides and extras | Brown Sugar Baked Beans, Cornbread, Classic Deviled Eggs | 1 |
| Desserts | S’mores Bars, Red, White and Blue Fruit Salad, Fudgy Brownies | 1 or 2 |
| Drink | Fresh Strawberry Lemonade | 1 |
The classic plate for eight: cheeseburgers, potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans, corn on the cob, s’mores bars and lemonade.
How Much Food to Make
| Food | For 8 | For 12 | For 20 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burgers (1 to 1½ per adult) | 10 (2½ pounds of beef) | 15 (3¾ pounds) | 25 (6¼ pounds) |
| Bone-in chicken thighs (1 each with burgers, 2 on their own) | 8 | 12 | 20 |
| Buns (packs of 8) | 2 packs | 2 packs | 4 packs |
| Each salad or bean side (about ½ cup per adult) | 4 cups | 6 cups | 10 cups |
| Corn on the cob (1 ear each) | 8 | 12 | 20 |
| Dessert bars (1 to 2 each) | 12 to 16 | 18 to 24 | 30 to 40 |
| Drinks (2 to 3 cups each) | 1¼ gallons | 2 gallons | 3 gallons |
These are starting points. Teenagers and big appetites eat more, and a table with lots of sides needs less of each. When in doubt, make extra of the least expensive dishes, like coleslaw and beans, instead of extra meat.
Prices are from Walmart’s and ALDI’s websites for stores in Columbus, Ohio, checked in October 2026. Ohio’s grocery prices are within about 1% of the national average, so you may pay more or less depending on where you live, and prices change often. Here’s how we price our recipes.
The Recipes
1. Backyard Cheeseburgers
Main. Four-ingredient burgers with melted cheese on toasted buns, cooked on the grill or in a skillet. One pound of beef makes four.
Make ahead: Shape the patties the day before and stack them between parchment.
Time: 20 minutes · Makes: 4 burgers
Cost: Ingredients – $8.01 from Walmart, $7.62 from ALDI · Per Serving – $1.91 to $2.00
2. Grilled BBQ Chicken Thighs
Main. Bone-in thighs with a smoky rub, cooked over indirect heat and sauced at the end so they stay juicy and don’t burn.
Make ahead: Rub the chicken up to 24 hours ahead.
Time: 45 minutes · Serves: 6
Cost: Ingredients – $7.08 from Walmart, $8.41 from ALDI · Per Serving – $1.18 to $1.40
3. Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks with Roasted Potatoes
Main, no grill needed. Drumsticks glazed with barbecue sauce and roasted on a sheet pan with seasoned potatoes. This is the rain plan, and a good one for apartments.
Time: 55 minutes · Serves: 4
Cost: Ingredients – $6.03 from Walmart, $6.26 from ALDI · Per Serving – $1.51 to $1.56
4. Old-Fashioned Potato Salad
Make-ahead salad. Potatoes, eggs and celery in a mustard-mayo dressing. It’s better after a night in the fridge.
Make ahead: Make it the day before.
Time: 35 minutes, plus 2 hours to chill · Serves: 8
Cost: Ingredients – $6.02 from Walmart, $7.85 from ALDI · Per Serving – $0.75 to $0.98
5. Creamy Coleslaw
Make-ahead salad. Shredded cabbage and carrots in a sweet, tangy dressing. Serve it on the side or right on the burgers.
Make ahead: Shred the cabbage and mix the dressing up to 2 days ahead. Toss a few hours before serving.
Time: 15 minutes, plus 30 minutes to chill · Serves: 8
Cost: Ingredients – $1.96 from Walmart, $2.02 from ALDI · Per Serving – $0.25
6. Brown Sugar Baked Beans
Warm side. Canned beans baked with bacon, onion, brown sugar and mustard until thick. They bake while you grill.
Make ahead: Bake up to 2 days ahead and reheat, or keep warm in a slow cooker.
Time: About 1 hour (10 minutes of prep) · Serves: 8
Cost: Ingredients – $4.60 from Walmart, $4.28 from ALDI · Per Serving – $0.53 to $0.57
7. Grilled Corn on the Cob
Fresh side. Husked corn grilled until charred in spots and brushed with butter. Cut the ears in half to stretch them.
Make ahead: Husk the corn the day before.
Time: About 20 minutes · Makes: 6 ears
Cost: Ingredients – $6.32 from Walmart, $5.27 from ALDI · Per Serving – $0.88 to $1.05
8. Italian Pasta Salad
Make-ahead salad. Rotini with salami, mozzarella, tomatoes, cucumber and olives in a homemade Italian dressing. It holds up well on a warm day.
Make ahead: Make it the day before and stir before serving.
Time: 25 minutes, plus 30 minutes to chill · Serves: 8
Cost: Ingredients – $13.71 from Walmart, $11.11 from ALDI · Per Serving – $1.39 to $1.71
9. Broccoli Crunch Salad
Make-ahead salad. Raw broccoli with bacon, cheddar, sunflower seeds and dried cranberries in a creamy dressing.
Make ahead: Make it the morning of the cookout.
Time: 15 minutes, plus 30 minutes to chill · Serves: 6
Cost: Ingredients – $7.62 from Walmart, $6.90 from ALDI · Per Serving – $1.15 to $1.27
10. Cucumber Tomato Salad
Fresh side. Cucumbers, tomatoes and red onion in a red wine vinaigrette. Ten minutes, no cooking and no mayo.
Time: 10 minutes · Serves: 4
Cost: Ingredients – $3.81 from Walmart, $4.89 from ALDI · Per Serving – $0.95 to $1.22
11. Black Bean and Corn Salad
Fresh side. Black beans, corn and red pepper in a lime-cumin dressing. It doubles as a dip with tortilla chips.
Time: 15 minutes · Serves: 6
Cost: Ingredients – $6.21 from Walmart, $5.37 from ALDI · Per Serving – $0.90 to $1.03
12. Classic Deviled Eggs
Starter. A plate of deviled eggs gives people something to eat while the grill heats up. Keep them cold until serving.
Make ahead: Boil the eggs and mix the filling the day before.
Time: 35 minutes · Serves: 6
Cost: Ingredients – $0.97 from Walmart, $0.96 from ALDI · Per Serving – $0.16
13. Cornbread
Bread. A lightly sweet one-bowl cornbread that’s right at home next to baked beans and BBQ chicken.
Make ahead: Bake it in the morning.
Time: About 30 minutes · Makes: 9 squares
Cost: Ingredients – $1.11 from Walmart, $1.11 from ALDI · Per Serving – $0.12
14. S’mores Bars
Dessert. A graham cracker cookie crust with melted chocolate and marshmallow in the middle. Campfire flavor without the fire.
Make ahead: Bake the day before.
Time: 45 minutes, plus cooling · Makes: 16 bars
Cost: Ingredients – $6.68 from Walmart, $6.36 from ALDI · Per Serving – $0.40 to $0.42
15. Red, White and Blue Fruit Salad
Dessert. Strawberries, blueberries and apples in a honey-lime dressing. The colors are made for the summer holidays.
Make ahead: Toss it up to 4 hours ahead.
Time: 15 minutes · Serves: 8
Cost: Ingredients – $7.98 from Walmart, $7.96 from ALDI · Per Serving – $1.00
16. Fudgy Brownies
Dessert. Rich, dense brownies that travel well and cut into 12 squares.
Make ahead: Bake the day before.
Time: 35 minutes · Makes: 12 brownies
Cost: Ingredients – $2.34 from Walmart, $2.23 from ALDI · Per Serving – $0.19 to $0.20
17. Fresh Strawberry Lemonade
Drink. Homemade lemonade blended with fresh strawberries. One pitcher serves eight, so make two for a crowd.
Make ahead: Make it the day before.
Time: 15 minutes, plus chilling · Serves: 8
Cost: Ingredients – $6.97 from Walmart, $6.59 from ALDI · Per Serving – $0.82 to $0.87
A Menu for Each Holiday
Memorial Day
The first cookout of the season calls for the classics. Serve cheeseburgers, potato salad, coleslaw and baked beans, with strawberry lemonade and s’mores bars. Strawberries are in season in late May, so Strawberry Shortcake is another good dessert.
The 4th of July
Go bigger and more colorful. Serve both burgers and BBQ chicken, grilled corn, pasta salad and cucumber tomato salad, and finish with the red, white and blue fruit salad and s’mores bars. Corn, tomatoes and berries are at their peak in July.
Labor Day
Keep the last cookout of summer easy. BBQ chicken thighs, black bean and corn salad, broccoli crunch salad and cornbread can all be prepped ahead, and brownies pack up well if you’re heading to a park or a pool.
Your Cookout Timeline
- Two days before: Shop. Shred the cabbage and mix the coleslaw dressing. Bake the beans if you want them out of the way.
- The day before: Make the potato salad and the pasta salad. Bake the s’mores bars or brownies. Shape the burger patties and rub the chicken. Make the lemonade, boil the eggs and husk the corn.
- The morning of: Toss the coleslaw. Fill the deviled eggs. Make the fresh salads. Set up the drinks and a cooler of ice.
- 1 hour before eating: Light the grill. Put the beans in the oven or warm them on the stove. Start the chicken, which takes the longest.
- 20 minutes before: Grill the corn. Cook the burgers last so they’re hot, and toast the buns.
- Serving time: Bring out the cold salads last and set the bowls over ice.
Keeping Food Safe Outside
- Keep cold food at 40°F or below. Leave salads in the fridge or a cooler until serving, then nest the bowls in ice.
- Don’t leave food out for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour when it’s above 90°F.
- Use one plate and one set of tongs for raw meat and clean ones for cooked.
- Cook burgers to 160°F and chicken to 165°F. An instant-read thermometer is the only sure way to know.
Free Printable: Cookout Planner
Plan your own cookout on paper. Write in the menu, work out how much to make for your guest count and fill in the shopping list and timeline.
Cookout Planner
Two pages: your menu, a how-much-to-make chart, a shopping list and a timeline from two days out to the last hour. Free, with no sign-up needed.
See all of our free printables.
Savvy Tips for a Cheaper Cookout
- Make more sides, not more meat. Potatoes, cabbage, beans and pasta usually cost less per serving than beef. A full table of sides lets one burger per person be enough.
- Buy family packs. Larger packs of ground beef and chicken thighs usually have a lower price per pound. Freeze what you don’t use.
- Shape your own patties. It takes five minutes, and you control the size.
- Ask guests to bring one thing. Drinks, ice, chips or a dessert are easy for someone to pick up, and they take pressure off the host.
- Skip the individual drinks. A big batch of lemonade or iced tea and a jug of water go further than cans and bottles.
- Plan the leftovers. Extra chicken becomes BBQ Chicken Flatbread Pizzas, and leftover corn goes into Black Bean and Corn Salad.
Backyard BBQ Menu: Your Questions
How much meat do I need per person?
With plenty of sides, plan on about ⅓ pound of raw boneless meat per adult, which works out to one or two quarter-pound burgers, or two bone-in chicken thighs. Kids usually eat about half that.
What if it rains?
Everything on this menu has an indoor version. Cook the burgers in a skillet, bake the chicken or make the sheet pan drumsticks, and broil the corn.
How far ahead can I make the sides?
Potato salad, pasta salad and baked beans can be made a day or two ahead. Coleslaw is best tossed the day of, and the fruit salad a few hours before.
What should I ask guests to bring?
Ice, drinks, chips, a bag of buns or a dessert. They’re easy to pick up on the way and don’t need oven or grill space.
More for summer: budget salads that fill you up.
