Grilled corn on the cob pieces topped with cheese, chili powder, and cilantro, served on a black slate plate with lime wedges on the side.

19 BBQ Recipes That Turned My Brother-in-Law Into a Backyard Regular

A backyard BBQ gets more interesting when the grill handles more than one kind of main. These 19 recipes move between steaks, chicken, lamb, shrimp, ribs, wings, skewers, grilled vegetables, corn, and salads, giving the table enough range for people to keep circling back. Some dishes need marinating time, while others cook in 10 to 30 minutes and can fill the gaps while bigger cuts rest. That mix makes it easier to pace the grill instead of trying to finish every dish at the same moment.

Grilled corn on the cob pieces topped with cheese, chili powder, and cilantro, served on a black slate plate with lime wedges on the side.
Grilled Elote Corn Ribs. Photo credit: Grill What You Love.

Grilled Hanger Steaks with Chimichurri

A plate of sliced Grilled Hanger Steaks with Chimichurri, served on a white rectangular dish.
Grilled Hanger Steaks with Chimichurri. Photo credit: Grill What You Love.

A two-hour marinade gives Grilled Hanger Steaks with Chimichurri enough time to pick up oregano, cumin, paprika, onion, and garlic before the meat hits high heat. The recipe takes 2 hours 20 minutes total and serves four, with chimichurri added after the steaks rest and are sliced. It works well as the beef centerpiece when the rest of the BBQ table leans on faster sides, corn, or salads that can be finished while the meat marinates.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Hanger Steaks with Chimichurri

Grilled Ribeye Cap Steak

A top-down shot of Grilled Ribeye Cap Steak on a cutting board with veggies.
Grilled Ribeye Cap Steak. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

For a smaller steak that still earns center-plate status, Grilled Ribeye Cap Steak keeps the ingredient list to ribeye cap steaks, coarse salt, black pepper, and butter or compound butter. The recipe lists 5 minutes of prep and 10 minutes of grilling for two servings, followed by a 10-minute rest. Its short cook time makes it useful when several dishes are sharing the grill and a richer beef option needs to come off near the end.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Ribeye Cap Steak

Grilled Bruschetta Chicken

Grilled Bruschetta Chicken on a white plate.
Grilled Bruschetta Chicken. Photo credit: Grill What You Love.

Tomatoes and basil give Grilled Bruschetta Chicken a fresh finish after the chicken has been marinated and grilled. The recipe serves four, with a listed 25-minute prep-and-cook time once the marinade is handled, and uses mozzarella, Roma tomatoes, basil, shallot, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, Parmesan, and balsamic syrup. Since the chicken can marinate earlier, the active grill work stays manageable. Serve it with vegetables or potato salad when the BBQ needs a lighter main beside steak.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Bruschetta Chicken

Grilled Corn Guacamole

Corn guacamole with tortilla chips on a plate.
Grilled Corn Guacamole. Photo credit: Grill What You Love.

A quick pass over the grill changes Grilled Corn Guacamole from a standard dip into a six-serving side with smoky corn folded through avocado. The 15-minute recipe combines grilled corn, red onion, garlic, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, and optional cotija. It can go out with chips while larger meats are still cooking, which gives the table something ready early. Keep it close to the burgers, wings, or skewers so people can add a spoonful wherever they want.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Corn Guacamole

Grilled Chicken Caprese Sandwich

Grilled Chicken Caprese Sandwich served with a creamy pasta salad on side.
Grilled Chicken Caprese Sandwich. Photo credit: Grill What You Love.

With grilled chicken already cooked, Grilled Chicken Caprese Sandwich comes together in 10 minutes and makes two sandwiches. Bakery buns hold chicken breast, mayonnaise, basil pesto, fresh mozzarella, tomato, and lettuce, giving the BBQ table a handheld option without another long cooking window. It is useful when the grill is busy with steak or wings but another main still needs to appear quickly. Assemble these just before serving so the buns and fresh toppings keep their texture.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Chicken Caprese Sandwich

Grilled Cauliflower Steaks

Three pieces of grilled cauliflower steaks on a black plate.
Grilled Cauliflower Steaks. Photo credit: Grill What You Love.

Vegetables get a substantial spot on the grill with Grilled Cauliflower Steaks, a 20-minute side that serves four. Thick cauliflower slices are brushed with olive oil and seasoned with dried herbs, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and fresh lemon. The broad pieces can cook alongside chicken or beef without requiring another pan. Put them on while a larger main rests, then bring them straight to the table before the edges lose their char.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Cauliflower Steaks

Grilled Chicken Wings with Buffalo Sauce

Grilled Chicken Wings with Buffalo Sauce on a white square plate.
Grilled Chicken Wings with Buffalo Sauce. Photo credit: Grill What You Love.

For a faster wing batch, Grilled Chicken Wings with Buffalo Sauce takes 20 minutes and serves four. Split wings cook on the grill before getting coated with Frank’s RedHot, butter, white vinegar, Worcestershire, cayenne, and garlic powder. The sauce brings enough heat to stand apart from sweeter BBQ flavors elsewhere on the table. Set out celery, carrots, or a cool dip beside them, then let the wings work as either an appetizer or a smaller main.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Chicken Wings with Buffalo Sauce

Grilled Vegetables

Grilled vegetables including zucchini, mushrooms, red onions, peppers, and squash, arranged on a rectangular black platter.
Grilled Vegetables. Photo credit: Grill What You Love.

An hour in Italian dressing gets Grilled Vegetables ready for a 10-minute cook once the grill is hot. The four-serving mix uses zucchini, summer squash, red onion, mushrooms, eggplant, and bell peppers, with the vegetables cooking until tender-crisp. Because the marinade can be handled ahead, the actual grill time stays short. This is a useful side when steak, lamb, or chicken needs something colorful beside it without adding another indoor dish to the backyard spread.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Vegetables

Mediterranean Grilled Shrimp

Mediterranean Grilled Shrimps on a white plate with lemon wedges.
Mediterranean Grilled Shrimp. Photo credit: Grill What You Love.

Fresh lemon and herbs keep Mediterranean Grilled Shrimp bright enough to balance richer steak and rib dishes. The recipe takes 30 minutes, serves four, and combines shrimp with olive oil, shallot, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, thyme, and oregano. The shrimp only need about 10 minutes on the grill, so they can be saved for the last stretch of cooking. Serve them on skewers or a platter when the BBQ needs seafood without tying up the grill for long.
Get the Recipe: Mediterranean Grilled Shrimp

Grilled Steaks with Cowboy Butter

A grilled steak with cowboy butter on a white plate.
Grilled Steaks with Cowboy Butter. Photo credit: Grill What You Love.

Garlic, herbs, and spice give Grilled Steaks with Cowboy Butter a richer finish without changing the basic job of grilling the beef. The 52-minute recipe serves four and pairs steaks with butter, garlic, parsley, chives, smoked paprika, chipotle powder, Dijon, and black pepper. Much of the flavor comes from the butter added after grilling, so it can be prepared while other dishes cook. Slice the steaks for sharing if the table already includes several other mains.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Steaks with Cowboy Butter

Grilled Mango-Chipotle Chicken Wings

A plate of chicken wings on a white plate with a slice of mango.
Grilled Mango-Chipotle Chicken Wings. Photo credit: Grill What You Love.

Sweet mango and chipotle push Grilled Mango-Chipotle Chicken Wings in a different direction from standard barbecue wings. The 40-minute recipe makes six servings, starting with a rub of brown sugar, chipotle powder, smoked paprika, mustard powder, salt, and pepper before a mango-based glaze finishes the chicken. That larger yield makes them easy to pass around while steaks or skewers cook. Put them out as a shared plate so the BBQ menu gets heat, sweetness, and smoke in one batch.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Mango-Chipotle Chicken Wings

Grilled Steak & Veggie Skewers

A wooden round serving board is covered with white parchment paper, displaying numerous grilled steak and veggie skewers arranged horizontally across it.
Grilled Steak & Veggie Skewers. Photo credit: Grill What You Love.

A two-hour marinade gives Grilled Steak & Veggie Skewers most of their 2-hour 30-minute total, while actual grilling takes only about five minutes. The six-serving recipe threads marinated sirloin with zucchini ribbons and cherry tomatoes after the beef sits in garlic, soy sauce, Worcestershire, sugar, Dijon, smoked paprika, and olive oil. Since meat and vegetables share each skewer, they cover more of the plate in one trip from the grill. Start these early, then cook them close to serving time.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Steak & Veggie Skewers

Korean Galbi Ribs

Korean Galbi Ribs on a slate platter with red chopsticks beside them.
Korean Galbi Ribs. Photo credit: Grill What You Love.

Thin-cut short ribs make Korean Galbi Ribs quick on the grill once their long marinade is finished. The recipe serves four, with 10 minutes of prep, 15 minutes of cooking, and six hours of marinating in brown sugar, soy sauce, mirin, onion, Asian pear, garlic, sesame oil, and water. The ribs char quickly over medium-high heat, so they fit well beside slower steak dishes. Serve them with rice or a crisp salad to give the BBQ table another direction.
Get the Recipe: Korean Galbi Ribs

Grilled Peach Salad with Tomatoes

A plate with Grilled Peach Salad with Tomatoes.
Grilled Peach Salad with Tomatoes. Photo credit: Grill What You Love.

Fruit brings a lighter counterpoint to the grill with Grilled Peach Salad with Tomatoes, which takes 20 minutes and serves six. Grilled peaches join cherry tomatoes, sugar snap peas, mint, pickled red onion, feta, and a white balsamic dressing with grainy mustard and honey. The salad works especially well between richer beef and lamb dishes because the fresh produce keeps the plate varied. Make the dressing and onions ahead, then grill the peaches while the main meats are resting.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Peach Salad with Tomatoes

Grilled Mediterranean Lamb Chops

Three Grill Mediterranean Lamb Chops topped with gremolata on a white plate.
Grilled Mediterranean Lamb Chops. Photo credit: Grill What You Love.

A short marinade and hot sear keep Grilled Mediterranean Lamb Chops to 25 minutes for four servings. Lamb loin chops are coated with olive oil, parsley, shallot, red wine vinegar, oregano, garlic, and honey, then finished with a topping of olives, pine nuts, parsley, capers, olive oil, and lemon zest. The gremolata-style topping adds acidity and texture after grilling. Put these on when the sides are nearly ready so the chops can reach the table hot.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Mediterranean Lamb Chops

Grilled Beef Finger Meat

Grilled Beef Finger Meat on a wooden cutting board.
Grilled Beef Finger Meat. Photo credit: Grill What You Love.

Only two main ingredients are needed for Grilled Beef Finger Meat, which serves four in 20 minutes. Trimmed beef finger meat gets Montreal steak seasoning before cooking quickly over high heat. The simple prep leaves room for more detailed sides and sauces elsewhere on the table, while the short cook time helps when the grill is already crowded. Let the beef rest briefly, slice it, and set it out with corn, potato salad, or grilled vegetables for easy sharing.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Beef Finger Meat

Grilled Asparagus and Potato Salad

Close-up shot of Grilled Asparagus and Potato Salad on a white plate.
Grilled Asparagus and Potato Salad. Photo credit: Grill What You Love.

Potato salad moves onto the grill with Grilled Asparagus and Potato Salad, a 30-minute recipe that makes six servings. Baby potatoes and asparagus join red bell pepper, red onion, chives, parsley, white wine vinegar, mayonnaise, whole-grain mustard, garlic, and lemon juice. The vegetables bring char to a side that still has the creamy structure people expect from potato salad. It can cover both the starch and vegetable slots on a BBQ plate, leaving more grill space for the mains.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Asparagus and Potato Salad

Sweet & Spicy Grilled Harissa-Honey Chicken Skewers

A rectangular white plate with four Sweet & Spicy Grilled Harissa-Honey Chicken Skewers garnished with chopped herbs.
Sweet & Spicy Grilled Harissa-Honey Chicken Skewers. Photo credit: Grill What You Love.

Sweet heat keeps Sweet & Spicy Grilled Harissa-Honey Chicken Skewers distinct from the other chicken dishes in the spread. The recipe takes 50 minutes including a 30-minute marinade, serves four, and uses boneless chicken thighs, harissa paste, honey, red onion, and lemon juice. Once threaded, the chicken cooks quickly over medium heat and the onions soften alongside it. These skewers fit neatly between bigger beef dishes and vegetable sides when the table needs another main without a long grill session.
Get the Recipe: Sweet & Spicy Grilled Harissa-Honey Chicken Skewers

Grilled Elote Corn Ribs

Grilled corn on the cob pieces topped with cheese, chili powder, and cilantro, served on a black slate plate with lime wedges on the side.
Grilled Elote Corn Ribs. Photo credit: Grill What You Love.

Corn turns into a handheld side with Grilled Elote Corn Ribs, which take 20 minutes and serve four. Corn cobs are cut into strips, grilled, then paired with sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic powder, cumin, chipotle powder, lime juice, cotija, and cilantro. The shape makes the pieces easy to grab from a shared platter without adding more utensils to the table. Grill them between batches of meat and bring them out while the corn is still hot and smoky.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Elote Corn Ribs

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