73 Grilling Recipes to Set Your Summer Aflame
It doesn’t really feel like summer until you fire up the grill—and we have all the grilling recipes you need to officially kick off outdoor cooking season.
Whether you’re working with charcoal or gas—or a brand-new pellet grill—you’ll find lots of inspiration here: spicy shrimp kebabs, sticky grilled pieces of chicken, beer can cabbage (yes, cabbage) sandwiches, and barbecue sides galore. So let’s do it. Pour yourself a summer cocktail, dust off that grill (maybe clean it too), and send out the invitations.
No outdoor space handy? Try one of these grill pans to get delightful char marks indoors. (Bonus: You’ll be able to keep working your way through these BBQ food ideas long after summer grilling season ends.)
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova1/73Grilled Chicken With Mustard Barbecue Sauce and Tomato Salad
Photo by Caleb Adams, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell2/73Cedar-Plank Salmon
Grilling season calls for thick fillets of salmon slathered in maple syrup, rosemary, lemon zest, and grainy mustard. Just add grilled corn and dinner is served.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Erika Joyce3/73Juiciest Grilled Chicken Breast With Citrus Marinade
Summer meal prep can look different from the rest of the year: Grill a pile of chicken breasts to use on grain bowls, salads, or sandwiches throughout the week.
Photo and Food Styling by Joseph De Leo4/73Grilled Pizza
We love grilling recipes that allow for creativity. This grilled pizza is absolutely a mix-and-match situation. Top it with fresh mozzarella, sliced cured meat, juicy burst tomatoes, or whatever else you like. Start here to perfect your pizza-grilling technique.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Simon Andrews5/73Grilled Leg of Lamb With Garlic and Lemon
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich6/73Garlicky Instant Ramen Noodle Salad With Grilled Chicken Thighs
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich7/73Double-Stack Mushroom and Chicken Cheeseburgers
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell8/73Grilled Eggplant With Harissa Vinaigrette
Nestle a whole eggplant in the dying embers of a charcoal grill (or char it up top) and it’ll soften into a deliciously smoky, custardy, spoonable delight. Sprinkle on a little parsley for freshness and serve with lots of bread.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Prop styling by Christine Keely, Food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich9/73Spice-Grilled Pork Chops
A smidgen of sugar in the dry rub helps these pork chops develop a crackly crust on the grill and ensures caramelization.
Photo & Food Styling by Joseph De Leo10/73Habanero BBQ Shrimp
These delicious habanero BBQ shrimp skewers are bound to become a neighborhood favorite. The simple recipe asks you to gather apricot preserves, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, a habanero pepper, and limes. That’s the hardest part of the recipe, we promise. This dish can stand alone as a flavorful appetizer or be combined with some grilled veggies to make a full meal.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich11/73Grilled Chicken Salad With Any-Pickle Dressing
Got any leftover dill pickles, cocktail onions, capers, pickled green beans, cornichons, or hot cherry peppers in the fridge? Grab a mix to make this tangy buttermilk dressing, which gets split into two parts so it can serve as both marinade and final touch.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell13/73Grilled Whole Cauliflower With Miso Mayo
Basting cauliflower in a spicy butter sauce as it grills infuses it with flavor while turning it beautifully amber. This impressive-looking vegetarian entrée makes a wonderful side dish for any grilled dinner.
