As the days grow longer and the azaleas start to bloom, there’s no better way to welcome spring than by gathering with good company and great food. Whether it’s a backyard barbeque under string lights or a picnic-style supper on the porch, a Southern spring cookout is all about relaxed hospitality, garden-fresh flavors, and fire-kissed favorites straight off the grill.
From juicy grilled mains to bright, seasonal sides and a sweet finish that feels like sunshine in every bite, we’ve rounded up a menu that makes the most of the season. So dust off the patio furniture, fill the cooler with sweet tea and lemonade, and get ready to host a spring celebration that’s as easygoing as it is delicious.
Laid-Back Bites
Every great cookout starts with a table full of fresh, colorful dishes that get guests grazing before the grill is even hot. These recipes are perfect for packing in a picnic basket, setting out on the porch, or sharing at a potluck-style gathering. From garden-inspired salads to dips that disappear fast, this lineup brings bold flavors with minimal fuss.
Simple Salad
Ingredients:
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- 2 tbsp mayo
- 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp fresh chives
- 1 small garlic clove
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Parmesan
- Romaine lettuce
Instructions:
- Mix yogurt, mayo, chives, lemon zest, garlic, and juice from half a lemon until smooth. Add more lemon juice if you need to thin it out. Salt and pepper to taste.
- In a pan over medium heat, toast breadcrumbs with a little bit of olive oil.
- While breadcrumbs are toasting, chop your lettuce and put it in a serving bowl. Top with dressing, and then add the breadcrumbs.
- Lastly, add freshly grated Parmesan.
Peach, Tomato & Burrata Salad
Ingredients
- 1 ½ – 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved if large
- 2-3 peaches, sliced into wedges
- 1 cup pitted fresh cherries
- 8 oz burrata cheese, room temperature
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds (can use other nut/seed)
For Vinaigrette:
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic or champagne vinegar
- 1 Tbsp honey
- ½ shallot, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
- Red pepper flakes, to taste
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions:
- To make the vinaigrette: combine all ingredients in a glass jar and whisk until smooth. Taste and adjust the chili flakes, salt, and pepper.
- In a large bowl toss the tomatoes, peaches, and cherries with 1/3 of the dressing. Let sit 15 minutes at room temperature or up to 4 hours in the fridge.
- Break the balls of burrata around the salad. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette and top with pumpkin seeds and additional fresh herbs. Serve with grilled or toasted bread.
Salad Cups
Ingredients:
- Prosciutto
- Lettuce
- Toppings of choice (like veggies, nuts, cheese, etc)
- Dressing of choice
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 400º. Take strips of prosciutto and wrap it around the inside of a muffin cup tin, creating a bowl. You should only need one piece of prosciutto per muffin cup. Bake for 15 min.
- While the prosciutto cups are baking, cut your lettuce and place it in a bowl. Add your toppings of choice and dressing, then toss to coat.
- Once the cups are finished baking, place them on a plate. Use tongs to fill each cup with the salad mixture. Grate extra cheese over the top.
Grilled Corn Salad
Ingredients:
- 4 ears of corn
- 2 tbsp chives, minced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup crumbled feta
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt & pepper
Instructions:
- Grill your corn until charred, and let it cool. Once the cobs are cool, slice the kernels off and place them in a medium bowl. Add the chives, tomatoes, and feta. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- In a small bowl, mix the lime juice and olive oil to make a dressing. Pour it over the corn mixture, then stir until combined.
- Mix it up by using fresh basil instead of chives, or by adding avocado chunks.
Cowboy Caviar
Ingredients:
- 1 can of black eyed peas, rinsed and drained
- 1 medium tomato, diced
- ¼ large red onion, diced
- ½ poblano pepper, diced
- 1 small yellow bell pepper, diced
- ½ avocado, diced
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- Juice of 1 lime
Instructions:
- Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until well combined. Serve with chips or as a topping on tacos. Feel free to play around with the ingredients—add cucumber, peaches, or any other fruit or veggie that you like!
Lemon Ricotta Pasta
Ingredients:
- 1 lb short pasta
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta
- 2 tbsp lemon juice (1-2 lemons)
- 2 tsp lemon zest (1-2 lemons)
- ¾ cup grated Parmesan
- 2 tsp grated garlic (2-3 cloves)
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper
- ½-1 cup reserved pasta water
Instructions:
- Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain (don’t rinse).
- In the same pot, mix ricotta, lemon zest and juice, Parmesan, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
- Add pasta and ½ cup reserved water, stirring until smooth. Add more water as needed to reach desired consistency.
Air Fryer Okra
Ingredients:
- ½ cup fine yellow cornmeal
- ¼ cup flour
- ¾ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 tsp water
- 8 oz okra, cut into ½ in rounds
- Olive oil cooking spray
Instructions:
- Stir together cornmeal, flour, garlic powder, paprika, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk together egg and water.
- Coat the okra in egg mixture. Let the excess eggs drip off, and transfer the okra into the cornmeal mixture, tossing to coat.
- Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray, then add the okra in a single layer. Spray the okra with the cooking spray. Cook for 6-7 minutes at 400º, then toss and spray once more with cooking spray. Cook for another 6-7 minutes at 400º.
- Let cool for a few minutes before serving.
Charcuterie Nachos
Ingredients:
- Kettle chips
- Prosciutto
- Salami
- Arugula
- Fig jam
- Ricotta
- Honey
- Parmesan
- Black pepper
Instructions:
- Place the chips on a serving platter.
- Rip the prosciutto and salami into bite sized pieces and scatter across the chips.
- Add a handful of arugula, then dollops of both the fig jam and ricotta.
- Drizzle with honey, then add fresh Parmesan and black pepper. Serve immediately.
Onion Dip
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ lbs of mixed onions (yellow, sweet, white)
- 4 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1½ cups plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 400º.
- Peel, half, and thinly slice all of your onions. Place them on a small baking sheet along with the garlic cloves. Drizzle with olive oil and 2 tbsp of water (this will help the onions steam and caramelize.) Toss until the garlic and onions are well coated. Keep them in a pile on the baking sheet, and put into the oven for 50 min to 1 hour and 20 min, until onions are caramelized, tossing every 10-15 min. (Keep the onions in a pile when you toss—they won’t caramelize properly if you keep them in a single layer.)
- Once the onions and garlic are caramelized, let them cool. Squeeze the garlic cloves into a bowl. Chop your onions into small pieces, and add them to the bowl.
- Add the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Stir until well combined. Serve with chips.
Smoked Trout Dip
Ingredients:
- 2 (3.5 oz) tins Smoked Rainbow Trout
- ¼ cup crème fraîche
- 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ small shallot, grated
- Piment d’Espelette (or smoked paprika)
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Herb Topping
- ½ cup tightly packed fresh celery leaves, finely chopped
- ½ cup tightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Piment d’Espelette (or smoked paprika), for serving
- Potato chips, for serving
Instructions:
- In a medium bowl, add the trout and use a fork to flake. Add the crème fraîche, lemon juice, and shallot; season with Piment d’Espelette, salt and pepper. Mix to combine and transfer to a serving bowl.
- In another medium bowl, combine the chopped celery and parsley leaves. Add the olive oil, lemon zest, and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Spoon the herb topping over the trout dip, stirring it slightly into the dip but leaving most on top. Sprinkle with Piment d’Espelette and serve with potato chips.
Hot Off The Grill
From cast iron classics to backyard boil-ups, these mains are built to impress. Whether you’re manning the grill, setting up a DIY hot dog bar, or going bold with wings and tacos, these recipes promise to keep bellies full and the good vibes going. Think crowd-pleasers with a Southern soul—and a few playful surprises.
Chicago Dog
Ingredients:
- Hot dog
- Bun
- Butter
- Poppy seeds
- Tomato
- Sweet relish
- White onion
- Dill pickle spear
- Sport peppers
- Yellow mustard
- Celery salt
Instructions:
- Melt the butter, and brush the top of your hot dog bun. Sprinkle with poppy seeds.
- Open the bun, and add your hot dog. Top with tomato slices, sweet relish, diced white onion, a dill pickle spear, and sport peppers.
- Add a drizzle of yellow mustard, and sprinkle with celery salt.
Grilled Cheese Hot Dog
Ingredients:
- Hot dogs
- Buns
- Shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterey jack)
- Pickled jalapeños
- Seasoning
Instructions:
- Preheat a flat top grill, griddle, or pan. Add your seasoning of choice to the shredded cheese. (We used chili powder.)
- Cook your hotdogs until lightly charred. While the hot dogs are cooking, split open your bun.
- Add a layer of cheese, then pickled jalapenos. Add the hot dog, then one more layer of cheese.
- Quickly place the hot dog, cheese side down, on the pan. Cook for a few minutes, or until cheese gets crispy.
- Remove and serve!
Matthew McConaughey Burger
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1 packet onion soup mix
- Lettuce, shredded
- Avocado, thinly sliced
- Red onion, sliced
- Texas heat pickles
- Pickled jalapeño
- American cheese
- Burger buns
Instructions:
- In a large bowl, mix the ground beef and onion soup mix until the soup mix is fully incorporated into the meat.
- Divide the meat into 4 oz patties. Grill to your desired doneness.
- Place the burger on the buns, add all of the toppings, and enjoy!
Big Mac Tacos
Ingredients:
- 12 mini flour tortillas
- 1 lb 80/20 ground beef
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil, split in half
- 12 slices American Cheese
- 1 white onion, diced
- dill pickle chips
- shredded iceberg lettuce
Ingredients for the Big Mac Sauce:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 4 Tbsp pickle relish, drained
- 3 Tbsp ketchup
- 2 Tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ Tbsp white vinegar
- 1 ½ tsp paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp white pepper
Instructions:
- In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, relish, ketchup, mustard, sugar, vinegar, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder. Set aside.
- To each tortilla, add about 1/4 cup of ground beef and flatten out to completely cover the surface to the edges. Add more meat if you prefer a thicker patty. Sprinkle with salt and pepper on top.
- Over medium-high heat in a skillet or pan, add a small splash of vegetable oil.
- Add the tacos in, meat face down, two to three at a time or more if you have a large grill/skillet. It will take about 2-3 minutes for the patty to get a nice brown crust.
- Flip over, lower the heat, and add a slice of American cheese on top of the patties.
- Cover and let it cook for about 2 to 3 more minutes for the cheese to melt and the tortilla to get golden and crispy. Then take off the heat and cook the rest of the tacos.
- To the taco, add lettuce, onion, pickles, and big mac sauce on top. Enjoy warm!
Cast Iron Pizza
Ingredients:
- Pizza dough
- Pizza sauce
- Shredded Mozzarella
- Olive oil
- Dried oregano
- Spicy honey
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 475º. Place your cast iron pan on the stovetop over medium high heat to preheat the pan.
- Sprinkle flour on a clean surface and stretch out your pizza dough into a circle roughly the same size as your cast iron pan. Put the dough into the cast iron and drizzle olive oil over the top and all around the edges. Brush the olive oil over the top of the crust. The dough should begin to bubble.
- Spoon a few dollops of pizza sauce on the dough and spread it around. Top with mozzarella, and put it in the oven for about 8 minutes (keep an eye on it), rotating halfway through cooking.
- Once you pull it out of the oven, quickly transfer it out of the pan. Sprinkle over dried oregano, then drizzle with spicy honey. Slice and serve!
Pepper Jelly Wings
Ingredients:
- 3 lb. chicken wings
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 cup Stone Hollow Farmstead hot pepper jelly
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cubed
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ cup buttermilk ranch dressing
- Fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions:
- Pat your chicken wings dry with paper towels and place them in a large bowl. Combine the salt, baking powder, onion powder, and black pepper in a bowl.
- Sprinkle the mixture over the chicken and toss until completely coated. Place the chicken skin side down on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet.
- Refrigerate chicken uncovered for 1 hour. Remove the pan from the refrigerator 15 minutes before baking. Preheat your oven to 450°F. Bake the chicken for 25 minutes.
- While the chicken is in the oven, stir together the pepper jelly and apple cider vinegar in a saucepan, bringing it to a boil. Cook and stir until the jelly is completely melted, then stir in the butter and red pepper. Remove the pan from heat and reserve 1/4 cup of the pepper jelly.
- Take the chicken out of the oven. Brush each piece with the reserved pepper jelly mixture, then flip and brush the other side. Place the chicken back in the oven and bake 20 minutes or until browned and crispy. Internal temperature should reach 165°F.
- Transfer chicken wings to a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup of the remaining pepper jelly mixture and toss well to coat. Place the wings on a serving platter and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with ranch.
Low-Country Boil
Ingredients:
- 2 ½ lbs peeled shrimp
- 5 ears of corn, cut in half
- 2 lbs of small new potatoes, whole
- 1 lb of andouille smoked sausage
- 1 sweet onion
- 8 qt of water
- 1 cup of Old Bay seasoning
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 5-6 garlic cloves
- ½ cup melted butter
Instructions:
- Fill a large stockpot with 4-6 quarts of water and place on the stove over high heat. Pour in the Old Bay Seasoning, lemon slices, and garlic cloves and bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, add the corn. Boil for 5 minutes, then add the sausage, onions, and potatoes. Boil for 20-25 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
- Turn the stove off, then add the shrimp to the pot. Stir and cook the shrimp until they turn opaque, about 3 minutes. Drain the water from the pot, then pour melted butter over the top. Toss to coat the sausage, shrimp, and vegetables.
- Serve with cocktail sauce.
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