🍋 Free guide: juice yields, substitutions & more. Get the Citrus Cheat Sheet →
Zest & Squeeze
Get the Newsletter
Zest & Squeeze
Get the Newsletter

Start typing to search recipes and guides by name, cuisine, or tag.

Party Recipes

Recipes that scale up and suit a gathering: sparkling spritzers and mocktails you can mix by the pitcher, plus crowd-friendly finger food like baked wings. Citrus is a reliable crowd pleaser because it reads as fresh and light next to heavier party food.

For a barbecue or backyard menu, the lemon BBQ roundup pairs many of these into a full spread.

A platter of crispy golden-brown chicken wings coated in glossy lemon pepper butter, garnished with lemon wedges and cracked black pepper55 min
Savory Mainsgluten-free

Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings

A tall glass of vivid pink-red blood orange spritz over ice, garnished with a sprig of rosemary and a blood orange wheel, condensation on the glass5 min
Mocktailsnon-alc

Blood Orange Spritz

A tall glass of pink grapefruit mocktail with a salted rim, ice, and a grapefruit wedge garnish on a table5 min
Mocktailsnon-alc

Grapefruit Paloma Mocktail

A tall glass filled with crushed ice, topped with sparkling soda water and a vibrant mint sprig, with a lemon wheel perched on the rim5 min
Mocktailsvegan

Lemon Mint Mojito Mocktail

A glass pitcher of ruby-red pomegranate lemonade with ice, pomegranate arils, and mint sprigs, glasses filled beside it15 min
Lemonadevegan

Pomegranate Lemon Lemonade

A tall glass of pink raspberry lemon spritz with fresh raspberries and ice, sitting on a light wooden surface5 min
Mocktailsnon-alc

Raspberry Lemon Spritz

Two elegant glasses filled with sparkling clear liquid, ice cubes, and a delicate lemon twist draped over the rim3 min
Mocktailsvegan

Sparkling Lemon Elderflower Spritz

A tall glass of sparkling lemon ginger mocktail with ice and candied ginger garnish on a table with fresh ginger visible5 min
Mocktailsnon-alc

Sparkling Lemon Ginger Mocktail

Sparkling lemon-mint mocktail in a tall glass with ice and a mint garnish on a marble counter5 min
Mocktailsnon-alc

Sparkling Lemon-Mint Mocktail

Guides to go with these recipes

A backyard picnic table spread with grilled lemon pepper shrimp skewers, roasted vegetables, corn on the cob, and a bowl of lemon aioli

Lemon Recipes for Your Backyard BBQ

A halved lemon being squeezed by hand into a glass measuring cup on a kitchen counter

How Much Juice Is in One Lemon?

Questions about party recipes

How do I scale a drink recipe to a pitcher?

Multiply the juice and syrup by the number of servings and keep ice and sparkling water separate until serving, so the pitcher does not go flat or watery.

What can I make the day before?

Desserts that need to set, dressings, syrups, and marinades all do well made ahead. The make-ahead collection is a good place to start.

How many lemons do I need for a crowd?

A medium lemon gives roughly two to three tablespoons of juice, depending on the fruit, so it is worth buying a few extra.