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These easy grill recipes are sure to kick up your summer outdoor cooking game. Everything you need from grilled appetizers, the best-grilled meats, and even desserts!
Summer Recipes on the Grill
Summer BBQ Grill Recipes are the best kind of recipes! Memorial Day, Father’s Day, the 4th of July, and all your other summer BBQ’s quickly approaching. We thought we would share our very best grill recipes! This list also includes some recipes for our favorite smoked meats cooked with a pellet grill or smoker. If you don’t have a pellet grill, you can also use a wood chip smoker box in a regular outdoor grill. If you don’t have an outdoor grill, most of these recipes will also work on a grill pan.
This is a collection of our reader’s favorite grill recipes. These are our most popular grilling recipes on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Google that are perfect for barbecues all year long. Be sure to check out our BBQ Side Dishes for some yummy salads and sides that go great with our grill recipes! And don’t miss our bonus recipe for Grilled Caesar Salad at the bottom of this post.
Rubs and Sauces for Grilling
- Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe – making your own homemade BBQ sauce is fun, saves you money, and tastes better!
- Steak Rub – paprika, mustard, garlic, cumin, and brown sugar give just the right amount of sweet and spicy flavor to bring out the best in your steak.
- Homemade Steak Marinade – the perfect way to season beef. This flavorful marinade is made with pantry staples and comes together in a snap.
Grilled Appetizers
- Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers – these Jalapeño halves filled with melty cheese and wrapped in crispy bacon are so tasty on their own or dipped in ranch.
- Grilled Artichokes with Creamy Lemon Dip – tender, smokey artichoke pieces infused with butter and lemon juice. Perfect dipped in a creamy, tangy sauce.
- Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce – one of our favorite appetizers. Better than anything we have ordered at a restaurant!
- Mongolian Beef Satay – strips of beef marinated in rich peanut oil, ginger, garlic, and other spices then grilled to tender perfection.
- Caprese Chicken Sliders – a tasty Italian-style appetizer. The grilled chicken is a must! A fun “fusion” finger food perfect for any party!
- Thai Chicken Skewers with Cucumber Yogurt Dip – the seasoned Thai chicken is so good with the cucumber yogurt sauce for dipping, full of flavor and low in calories.
- Bacon Wrapped Lil Smokies – a guaranteed hit for parties! These sweet and savory bites come together with just four ingredients.
Grilled Side Dish Recipes
- Grilled Foil Ranch Potatoes – the perfect side to any meat you are grilling. Toss all the potatoes with the ranch mixture and top them any way you want.
- Parmesan Garlic Grilled Potatoes – mini potatoes that are skewered, seasoned, and grilled.
- Grilled Corn on the Cob – a tasty side to any summer supper. Buttery flavor with a hint of lime and cilantro gives the sweet corn extra flavor.
- Mexican Street Corn – the best corn on the cob I have EVER had. You will love the rich, buttery flavor of the corn, combined with the slight tanginess of the Cotija cheese.
- Caesar Salad on the Grill – (SEE RECIPE BELOW) change the way you eat this classic salad. Grilled romaine lettuce with cool Caesar dressing and savory toppings.
Grilled Chicken Recipes
Tropical Chicken Flavors
- Grilled Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken – is the real deal. The sweet and savory Hawaiian teriyaki marinade is THE best and SO easy to make. The trick with Hawaiian chicken is using chicken thighs.
- Huli Huli Chicken – a popular Hawaiian dish consisting of chicken thighs marinated in a sweet and savory sauce and grilled to perfection.
- Grilled Malibu Chicken – marinated in a honey mustard vinaigrette. It is grilled to perfection and then topped with slices of fresh ham and provolone cheese.
- Hawaiian Chicken Foil Packets – wrap up the ingredients in foil and cook on the grill, over a campfire, or in the oven.
- Coconut Curry Chicken – the marinade for this grilled chicken is so flavorful!
- Grilled Caribbean Chicken and Bacon Kabobs – pineapple, marinated chicken, and bacon-wrapped bananas, it’s a vacation on a stick!
- Big Kahuna Teriyaki Chicken Sandwiches – this tasty sandwich has teriyaki chicken, sliced ham, grilled pineapple, and Pepper Jack cheese.
More Grilled Chicken
- Guacamole Chicken Torta Sandwiches – seasoned grilled chicken on Torta bread loaded with guacamole, lettuce, tomatoes, and chipotle ranch dressing.
- Grilled Chicken Sandwich – a classic recipe your family will love! Tender grilled chicken, bacon, avocado, and topped with a tangy homemade mayo.
- Honey BBQ Chicken – sure to be a hit at your next barbecue! There is something about making your own sauce that makes your food taste so much better!
- BBQ Chicken Salad – loaded with grilled chicken, corn, and black beans with a creamy barbecue dressing. It is a perfect summertime supper.
- Sweet and Spicy Chicken Kabobs – sweet glaze with just the right amount of spicy kick over tender chicken and peppers, grilled to perfection!
- Grilled Balsamic Chicken – a healthy dish marinated with a tangy flavor. The tender chicken is perfect as a main dish or sliced on salads or pasta.
- Cheesy Grilled Mexican Chicken and Rice – a Mexican fiesta in every bite! Spicy flavors and bold colors make this a feast fit for any night of the week!
- Grilled Chicken Tacos with Bacon – a delicious fusion of two of our favorite Summer dishes. The bacon crunch in each bite takes chicken tacos to a new level!
Grilled Beef Recipes
Burgers and Hot Dogs
- How To Make Hamburgers – all the tips, tricks, and secrets to making flavorful, juicy hamburgers. You can’t go wrong with this easy, fool-proof method.
- Blue Cheese Burger with Bacon – takes regular hamburgers to a whole new level. Crisp bacon, tangy blue cheese crumbles, and a spicy sauce turn up the heat and flavor!
- Smoked Brisket Burgers – smoky flavor brisket and melted blue-cheese-filled heaven on a bun topped with crispy onion straws.
- Chili Cheese Dogs – a favorite easy supper to make with the family during warm, summer months.
- Saucy BBQ Hot Dogs – simmered in BBQ sauce before they are grilled. It gives the hot dogs an incredible sweet and savory flavor.
Steak
- Sirloin Steak with Tomato Basil Sauce – turns an ordinary cut of meat into a tender, savory dish with a rich tomato gravy. The ultimate comfort food!
- Filet Mignon with Blue Cheese Sauce – the best melt-in-your-mouth recipe ever! Tender, juicy, and covered with a smooth, tangy blue cheese sauce, this steak is perfection.
- Rosemary Tri-Tip Roast – the marinade gives the tri-tip so much flavor, that there is no need for any sauce.
- Tri-Tip Steak with Homemade BBQ Sauce – cooked on the grill and served with our homemade barbecue sauce, is so tender and delicious.
- Grilled Steak Street Tacos – these steak tacos are bursting with flavor. Tender grilled steak combined with simple ingredients wrapped in corn or flour tortillas.
- Carne Asada – one of my favorite Mexican dishes! I love it in burritos, tacos, breakfast burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, and simply over our Mexican Rice.
- Grilled Steak Quesadillas – the grill adds so much flavor and authenticity to the meal, that you may never want to go back to the old way of making them.
- Hawaiian Beef Teriyaki – is a favorite of mine from when I lived in Hawaii. The teriyaki sauce is out of this world good. The trick to good beef teriyaki is to sauce it up all along the way.
- Steak Kabobs – skewered steak and vegetables that are slightly spicy, but the cool flavor of the avocado sauce balances it out nicely.
- Grilled Steak Salad – tender steak over a bed of greens, avocados, tomatoes, peppers, and tangy blue cheese is a winner!
Grilled Pork Recipes
- Asian Glazed Pork Kabobs – a little sweet and a little savory and just tangy and delicious. They are especially good with fresh grilled pineapple! One of our very favorite grill recipes!
- Easy Smoked Ribs – after slow cooking for hours to give them that incredible smokey flavor, they are coated in our tangy BBQ sauce made from scratch.
- Grilled Pork Tenderloin – perfectly tender meat. Smothered with a sweet and savory homemade barbecue sauce.
- Chinese BBQ Pork (Char Siu) – all the flavor, and never dry, especially when smoked. Outstanding!
- Grilled Pork Loin and Apple Burgers – pork and apple flavors go so well together, out of the ballpark good!
- Nectarine Pork Shish Kabobs -sweet nectarines grilled with tender marinated pork is a match made in grilling heaven.
- Sweet Teriyaki Grilled Ham Steaks – an easy, delicious way to get that grilled ham flavor you crave. You will love the little pieces of pineapple mixed into every bite!
- Pork Chops with Spiced Pears – the perfect combination of savory, sweet, and spice.
Seafood Recipes on the Grill
- Cajun Shrimp Foil Packets – are a summer grilling favorite! We can’t get enough of the Cajun flavors with the shrimp, grilled corn, and sausage. And there is NO MESS!
- Orange Grilled Salmon – a citrusy taste and tender texture. The salmon is wrapped in foil with oranges and fresh herbs and then grilled to hold in the juices. You will love the tangy sweetest of this grilled salmon!
- Cajun Butter Shrimp – so buttery, flavorful, and delicious. We can’t stop popping these and fight over who gets the last bite.
- Mahi Mahi Tacos – grilled flaky fish, a perfect blend of spices and all your favorite toppings make these fish tacos a family favorite!
- Shrimp Salad with Cilantro Verde Dressing – light yet filling and bursting with flavor. Piled with plump shrimp and fresh, vibrant ingredients. A perfect summer lunch or supper!
Grilled Vegetarian Recipes
- Grilled Pesto Pizzas – are one of our all-time favorites in the summer. It is so good with fresh sweet tomatoes from the garden.
- Avocado Quesadillas on the Grill – loaded with cheddar cheese, avocados, peppers, and fresh cilantro and lime juice. Then grilled on the barbecue to melty perfection!
- Homemade Veggie Burger – these homemade veggie burgers are so flavorful and have a perfect consistency. You won’t even miss the meat!
Desserts on the Grill
- Banana Boats – an incredible combination of cooked bananas, chocolate, and ice cream. This recipe is just like a banana split, only a hundred times better
- Fruit Kabobs – a win at any picnic or barbecue. The heat of the grill enhances the flavor of pineapples, bananas, strawberries, and melons.
Bonus Recipe: Grilled Caesar Salad
We first tried Grilled Caesar Salad at one of our favorite local restaurants in Boise called Barbacoa (this place is to die for if you are ever visiting). Now we have to get this salad every time we go, it is so yummy! The grilling really brings out an amazing flavor in the lettuce. There is something so good about the cooked lettuce with the cool dressing and savory toppings. Of course, we had to attempt our own version, though I admit we simplified our version a bit. At Barbacoa they make their own polenta croutons and toasted pumpkin seeds, which we subbed out for regular croutons and sunflower seeds.
Lettuce on the Grill?
While many veggies have earned their place on the barbecue grill next to an endless parade of meat, lettuce is not typically among them. But it should be. Especially when it comes to this delicious recipe. For the best result, be sure that you just use the romaine hearts. You don’t want to grill up a giant head of romaine. The romaine hearts are the perfect size for individual servings.
Top It Off
While the recipe calls for croutons, sunflower seeds, roasted red peppers, and cherry tomatoes as the toppers for this delicious salad, you can definitely mix and match. Choose your favorite veggies to add crunch, texture, and flavor to the mix. You can use pumpkin seeds like the restaurant version. Or, as one reader suggested, pine nuts instead of sunflower seeds. There are so many options.
Grilled Caesar Salad
This Grilled Caesar Salad will change the way you eat this classic salad. Grilled romaine lettuce with cool Caesar dressing and savory toppings.
Video
Equipment
- Outdoor Barbecue Grill
Ingredients
- 2 romaine hearts sliced in half
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup Caesar dressing
- 1/2 cup roasted red peppers diced
- 12 cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese fresh shredded
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 1 cup croutons
Instructions
- Slice the romaine hearts so you have two large halves.
- Rinse and gently pat dry with a paper towel. Lightly brush the lettuce with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Grill romaine over medium heat on both sides til edges are browned.
- Immediately remove romaine halves to serving plates and top with Caesar dressing and all the remaining toppings.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 341kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 9gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 858mgPotassium: 351mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 5359IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 206mgIron: 2mg
This list is awesome! No need to look further and search for every grill recipe that I want to try because they’re all in here.
Great collection! I just made this salad it was perfect, exactly what I was looking for. Thank you!
I am adding so many of these to my must try list! Thanks!!!
This is about the time when we break out the grill! Can’t wait to make all these recipes. They look delicious!!
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe! Will surely have this again! It’s really easy to make and it tasted so delicious! Highly recommended!
So many amazing recipes to tryout on our grill! The pesto pizza looks amazing and the orange salmon too!
Thanks for rounding these recipes up!