This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
Andy and I traditionally like to host a HUGE summer backyard BBQ for the Fourth of July and it’s always a total blast. It’s pretty much a full day of grilling, backyard games, and casual fun, but this year we’re doing things a bit different! With all of the craziness lately, we are going to keep things as simple and relaxed as possible for the big summer holiday.
Summer Barbecue Party Recipes
I’m really looking forward to a fun, easy Fourth of July party! For our festive food, we’re pulling out our favorite recipes for Mexican Corn and Grilled Fajitas. These summer recipes are tried and true all-time favorite that I knew I had to share with you guys! They are perfect for any summer party, backyard barbeque, or Fourth of July event.
Easy Summer Side Dish
This Corn Elotes recipe is about to be your new summer favorite! This is one of my top favorite recipes of all time- it’s that darn good! Corn Elotes are kid-friendly approved. I am all about easy and delicious recipes that my kids enjoy and Corn Elotes check all of the boxes!
What is Corn Elotes
Corn Elotes are so much more than grilled corn on the cob. Also known as Mexican Corn, this recipe is jam packed with flavor. The sauce is a mixture of sourcream, mayonnaiseand lime with spices like cilantro, garlic, and chipotle powder, all grilled and rolled in Cojita cheese. Cojita cheese is Mexican and typically used to enhance flavor. It is a hard cheese that crumbles easily, making it perfect for toppings. The combination of all these flavors results in basically a tangy, spicy twist on corn on the cob aka a dream come true! ;) Plus this recipe takes a literal minute to prep.
How To Make Corn Elotes
You simply whisk together your sauce ingredients- minus the Cotija cheese-and set aside. Start grilling your corn, and when the corn cobs start to char, coat them in the sauce and then roll them in the Cotija cheese. Just a few steps and ingredients for corn perfection! I love using this recipe for casual, buffet style cook-outs because guests can easy snag an ear of corn and walk around the party. Corn Etole is perfect for a summer party!
How To Make Grilled Fajitas
Fajitas are my go-to order at any Mexican restaurant, and I love recreating recipes at home. Building your own variety of fajita and all of the flavors and ingredients you can mix together, it doesn’t get much better than that! Grilling fajitas for a crowd is always a great choice! The best part about this recipe is how much of it can be prepped beforehand! You can prepare pretty much everything the night before, then all you have to do is fire up the grill on the day of the party! Or in my case, let Andy fire up the grill and kick back with a glass of pink lemonade ;)
How to Marinate Fajita Meat
The success of this fajita recipe seriously comes down to the meat and the marinade. You definitely want to choose a meat and grade of meat that can hold all the yummy flavor together on the grill. In fact, Andy and I prefer to cook this recipe with Angus 43 Ribeye. There’s just nothing that can beat Angus 43 meat for a summer cookout! Once you have your Ribeye ready to go, prepare your marinade and let it soak in overnight- or for a few hours if you are short on time. I even like to slice up my peppers the night before and slip them into the marinade bags. On the day of your party, then all that’s left to do is grill the Angus 43 beef and peppers and garnish!
Best Fajita Toppings
I love creating a beautiful display for our guests, so Andy and I go super simple and let the food shine! When shopping for your fajitas, make sure and select a variety of peppers- yellow, orange, red and green- the color combination really stands out and the flavors add so much to the finished dish. When dinner is ready, I typically lay out all of the fajitas ingredients on a buffet table in the backyard and let everyone build their own. It’s some added fun for your guests and a little less hostess pressure for you :)
Best Grilling Recipe
These recipes for Corn Elotes and Grilled Fajitas are summer staples for us because they are grill ready, kid approved and take advantage of the bestflavors of the season. I can’t wait to throw these together for our upcoming BBQ! I am SO ready for an ear or two of the Corn Elotes!! Who else is hosting this Fourth of July? Do you have any tried and true BBQ recipes? Would love to hear your faves in the comments!
Order Now!
Get my new cookbook!
100 Super-Easy Recipes for Holidays and Every Day! Make Memories and Start Traditions the Easy Way!
Grilled Fajitas
Ingredients
- 2 Pounds Angus 43 Ribeye from Save Mart
- 10 White Corn Tortillas
- 1 Sliced Orange Bell Pepper
- 1 Sliced Yellow Bell Pepper
- 1 Sliced Red Bell Pepper
- 1 Sliced Onion
- 1 Sliced Red Onion
- 8 Ounces of Water
- 1/3 Cup of Olive Oil
- 1/4 Cup Fresh Lime Juice
- 3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Cumin
- 1/4 Tablespoon Chili Powder
- 2 Teaspoons Smoked Paprika
- 1 Teaspoon Chipotle Chili Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 4 Minced Garlic Cloves
- Corn Tortillas
Instructions
- Mix water, oil, sugar, lime juice, worcestershire sauce, lime juice, cumin, chili powders, smoked paprika, salt, pepper and garlic cloves.
- Place beef and peppers in two separate bags and add half the marinade to each. Refrigerate and marinade for a few hours or overnight.
- Preheat grill on the highest setting. Wrap the peppers in a foil and grill for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile place marinated beef directly on the grill and cook 5 minutes on each side for medium well. Depending on how you like your beef you can cook for a shorter or longer period. Let steak rest for 10 minutes, before thinly slicing against the grain.
- Char corn tortillas on the grill.
- Serve steak and peppers on charred corn tortillas and garnish with salsa, queso fresco, and cilantro.
Order Now!
Get my new cookbook!
100 Super-Easy Recipes for Holidays and Every Day! Make Memories and Start Traditions the Easy Way!
Grilled Corn Elotes
Ingredients
- 6 Ears of Corn, husks removed
- 1/2 Cup of Sour Cream
- ½ Cup of Mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup Minced Cilantro
- 1 clove Minced Garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon Chipotle Pepper Powder
- Zest from 1 Lime
- Juice of 1 Lime
- 1/2 cup of crumbled Cotija Cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the grill
- While grill preheats, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, cilantro, garlic, chipotle pepper, lime zest and lime juice. Season with salt to taste.
- Grill the corn for about 3 minutes on each side or until kernels begin to caramelize and char.
- Brush on and coat each ear of corn with the sauce mixture, then roll in crumbled cojita cheese. Garnish with additional chopped cilantro, and chipotle chili powder. Serve with lime wedges
