10 Labor-Less Labor Day Recipes For Your Barbecue

You work hard all year round, so why not take a day to celebrate your accomplishments? Don't get bogged down in the details of planning your Labor Day bash: Quick and easy appetizers and entrées are your best friend for a simple and successful backyard barbecue. Make your Labor Day labor-less with easy options like chips and dip, grilled pizza, and burgers. Before you start manning the grill, make a simple salsa with chopped raw tomatoes, lime juice, chiles, onions, cilantro, and garlic. If you want to "spice up" your salsa, create a sweet and spicy fruit salsa — and make sure you serve it with cinnamon chips. Salsas are perfect for barbecues because they keep your guests occupied and only require a few ingredients. 

While you're manning the grill, make sure your guests have something to snack on. Bacon avocado dip is a great starter to have with chips, and if there's extra, people can even top their burgers with it.

For the Bacon Avocado Dip recipe, click here.

If you have pescetarians coming to your Labor Day barbecue, this is the perfect recipe. It has tons of barbecue flavor and only takes a few minutes on the grill — it's quick, delicious, and healthy.

For the Barbecue Grilled Shrimp recipe, click here.

After trying out the brine in this recipe, you'll never skip soaking your wings again. We also loved the new approach it took with the sauce: mayonnaise. You'll find it adds a creamy and flavorful texture to your regular wing sauce. If you're looking for something quick and delicious, you can skip the brine; the sauce packs a punch all by itself. — Tim Love

For the Barbecue Wings recipe, click here.  

These juicy, succulent St. Louis-style spareribs get great flavor from a dry rub that's also delicious on chicken, fish, and vegetables. They're perfect for serving a crowd at a leisurely weekend barbecue. — Will Budiaman

For the Championship Glazed Ribs recipe, click here.

Paleo-friendly and gluten-free, these crispy smoked chicken wings are incredibly simple — with just one ingredient. The flavor comes from the smoke and the crispiness comes from the grill. The smokiness infuses through the crispy skin and the meat, and the wings stay juicy inside. It's a little bit of a process, but the results are worth it. — Lisa Wells

For the Crispy Smoked Chicken Wings recipe, click here.

Pizza is great for your labor-less Labor Day barbecue. Guests can get involved in customizing their pizzas, giving you a chance to take a step back. Use whatever toppings you like in addition to the tomatoes that are called for in the recipe.

For the Grilled Pizza recipe, click here.

I love skirt steak, because it's quick-cooking and extremely flavorful. It's especially good when rubbed with cumin, garlic, and lime, and then grilled and served with this herb-packed chimichurri sauce. While this is not a traditional chimichurri, it's similar to a roasted red pepper version I sampled years ago in Buenos Aires. It's great on steak, but it works well on just about any grilled meat, poultry, fish, or vegetables. — Anna Watson Carl, author of The Yellow Table Cookbook

For the Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri recipe, click here.

In the summer, we typically host cookouts that serve nothing but a few hot dogs and hamburgers. For your end-of-summer barbecue, why not try something different, like grilling pork chops? This delicious and simple recipe will make grilling pork chops a breeze and will instantly upgrade your barbecue. — Lauren Gordon

For the Grilling Pork Chops recipe, click here.

Kick your barbecue standards up a notch with this one-of-a-kind creamy blend of sweet and tangy that can't go unnoticed. Celebrate the end of summer with a side of awesome served a whole new way. With the bold, tangy flavors, be proud to show guests how you break the rules of slaw by taking it from the side of the plate to the top — the top of the burger, that is. — Bstavis

For the Slaw Burgers recipe, click here.

This salsa is perfect when enjoyed with raw vegetables, chips, or even all on its own. Also a great summer sauce for your grilled fish or chicken, the salsa can work with whatever berries you have on hand. The authors suggest swapping in raspberries if fresh strawberries are not available. — True Food Cookbook

For the Strawberry-Chile Salsa recipe, click here.