68 Picnic Food Ideas to Pack in Your Basket

Chicken salad is a classic picnic food, but we gave it a little upgrade: Creamy avocado, rice vinegar and lots of fresh dill make it taste modern but still familiar.

Likewise, these chicken salad sammies are jazzed up with homemade tarragon mayonnaise (!) and quick-pickled onions. Don’t worry, everything’s super easy to make and assemble.

To make these cuties picnic-friendly, wait until you’ve staked out a spot and laid out your blanket to assemble everything. (Less mess in that basket, you know.)

What’s the secret to a portable salad that’s ready in practically no time? Canned beans, of course.

When worlds collide—and by worlds, we mean two of our all-time favorite types of salad.

Corn on the cob is a summer staple, but corn off the cob is a picnic must. This time, pair it with briny feta and sweet, ripe tomatoes (and serve it room temp or cold).

Soaring temperatures call for something crunchy and refreshing. This will do quite nicely.

We know fruit salad can be a bit of a snooze, but not when you sprinkle it with chili powder.

Since they don’t necessarily need to be chilled, grain salads are a picnic basket no-brainer. This one is packed with feta and heirloom tomatoes, yum.

This is your sign to try raw zucchini. The summer squash soaks up the mint-infused olive oil in a way that’s kinda magical.

We’ll never say no to a plain ol’ watermelon wedge, but when we’re hosting a pinkies-out picnic, this gussied up sweet-and-savory salad is more the vibe.

Think of it as pasta salad with the volume turned up. Trust us on the strawberries: The way their sweetness offsets the salty miso dressing is divine.

Not to play favorites, but the BLT is one of our top sandwiches of all time. So duh, we made it into a pasta salad.

All the best items from an Italian deli got together and threw a pasta salad party.

If your picnic involves little kids, watch out. They’ll gobble this one up before you even get a scoop.

Brussels sprouts as buns? Yeah, we went there.

An added benefit to the vegan dressing is that since it’s plant-based, it won’t get all weird as it sits outside. (No offense, mayo.)

Alternatively, you can make this vinegar-based slaw, which is crunchy and tangy instead of creamy.

Make a batch ahead of time and you won’t even have to assemble sandwiches at your picnic.

The trick is to use a store-bought rotisserie chicken instead of roasting your own. We won’t tell if you don’t.

Fact: Cold fried chicken is the ultimate picnic food. Elevate it by turning it into a sandwich with waffles and the works.

Is there anything pesto doesn’t improve?

They’re like the bite-size sandwiches we all know and love, but with kale and prosciutto for adults.

Frizzled onions on top of everything!

This version of the classic is just the right combo of creamy (oh hi, entire diced avocado) and tangy, thanks to Dijon mustard and capers.

You can either grill them in advance or skip the step entirely. (They’ll still be the star of the picnic.)

They’re almost too cute to eat, but that mortadella is calling our name.

You’re not sold on poke at a picnic; makes sense. But what if we told you there was no raw fish involved?

Pack all the toppings in separate Tupperware containers and assemble tableside—or blanket-side.

Definitive proof that you don’t need meat to barbecue.

If you’ve only served green beans hot, this is your chance to switch things up. They’re blanched but still crunchy, then chilled and served in a punchy dressing.

Since all the elements are cooked separately, you can easily set them out in individual containers for a customizable salad bar.

No picnic would be complete without a giant sandwich overflowing with cold cuts.

The green goddess dip is homemade, but you won’t believe how easy it is to whip up. Hint: It involves a blender.

The collard greens are hearty enough to withstand an afternoon of lawn games without going wilty on you.

FYI, these can be assembled and frozen months in advance. Better make room in your freezer.

The tofu is optional, but it adds a welcome boost of protein.

Yes, this skillet is packed with almost two cups of blueberries—if you’re going to go in, go all in.

As much as we adore it, traditional sushi isn’t really a picnic-friendly option. This kind, however, is all veggies, so go ahead and pack it.

Don’t forget the toothpicks (and the napkins).

You can make them up to three days ahead of your outdoor soirée.

Picnic charcuterie? Sign us up ASAP.

Behold the prettiest, easiest homemade bread you’ll ever make. The edible flower garnish is optional, but it adds an elegant touch.

If banana bread isn’t a picnic staple yet, we’re making the case now. It’s simple to bake, easy to wrap up and always bowls over the crowd.

It’s important to have something to soak up all those vinegary coleslaw juices.

These tiny tarts taste a lot like Hawaiian pizza…only better.

You can do a lot with in-season peaches and store-bought puff pastry.

You get a little bit of spring’s star produce in every bite.

We heard you wanted a bigger cookie, and we heeded that call. These are extra chewy, thanks to the addition of brown sugar.

Coffee lovers are going to have a field day with these babies. (The secret is instant espresso powder.)

No flour, no problem. In fact, you probably have all the ingredients in your kitchen right now.

Can you tell we love store-bought puff pastry? Because we really do. It’s the ingredient that makes these sweet-tart mini galettes such a breeze.

The buttercream frosting sets up firm, so these can be stacked and stored in a picnic basket without an issue.

Our inner fifth grader is so happy right now.

There’s something so satisfying about the way the frosting smooshes with the first bite.

Attention bakers: These cookies don’t require an electric mixer. Sold yet?

When it comes to chocolate, more is more. These minis are stuffed with chunks of milk chocolate to contrast with the deep cocoa flavor of the brownie.

The crunchy marshmallow bits around the edge of each molten cookie make it practically impossible to have just one. We apologize in advance.

They’re meant to be eaten by the handful, so go ahead and dig in.

We love a surprise-and-delight moment, and this time it’s brought to you by freeze-dried raspberries.

The beauty of an upside-down cake is that it decorates itself. (That, and the juicy, caramelized fruit, of course.)

It’ll look like too much cake, but we all know that’s not really a thing.

No one will realize they invited a professional baker to the picnic.

If you’re not up for assembling a full pie, these twists are the next best thing. Use any flavor of jam—you can’t go wrong.

A slab pie has a higher ratio of crust to filling, which is not only good news for crust-lovers, but for picnic-goers too.

Portability is key when you’re cooking for a picnic.

They taste like pie, but it’s actually a simple pound cake that makes up the crust layers.

It’s summer. Skip the oven and get outside.