When the grill has been running all summer, burgers and hot dogs can start to feel repetitive. These 21 grill recipes bring more range to the grates with steaks, chicken, seafood, vegetables, salads, skewers, and shareable sides. Some cook quickly for an easy evening outside, while others use marinades that can be started earlier in the day. The result is a summer lineup with enough variety for casual dinners, weekend cookouts, and the nights when turning on the oven is the last thing anyone wants to do.
Lemon-Dill Salmon Foil Packets
Wrapped in foil and cooked over medium-high heat, Lemon-Dill Salmon Foil Packets keep four salmon fillets tucked with lemon, fresh dill, garlic, olive oil, and butter. The recipe takes 24 minutes total, with the packets grilling for about 10 to 14 minutes depending on thickness. Steam stays trapped around the fish while it cooks, which also keeps cleanup light. Serve the packets with grilled corn, herbed rice, or a cucumber salad for an easy summer dinner.
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Grilled Peach Salad with Tomatoes
Bright and lightly charred, Grilled Peach Salad with Tomatoes pairs grilled peaches with cherry tomatoes, sugar snap peas, fresh mint, pickled red onion, and feta. The salad takes 20 minutes total and makes six servings, so it works well beside a larger spread from the grill. A white balsamic dressing with grainy mustard and honey brings the sweet and savory pieces together. Put it next to grilled chicken or steak when the table needs something fresh between richer plates.
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Sweet & Spicy Grilled Harissa-Honey Chicken Skewers
Sweet heat runs through Sweet & Spicy Grilled Harissa-Honey Chicken Skewers, which use boneless chicken thighs, harissa paste, honey, red onion, and lemon juice. The recipe makes four servings and includes 30 minutes of marinating before about 15 minutes of cooking. The chicken can also sit in the marinade overnight, which makes early prep useful on busy cookout days. Serve the skewers with grilled vegetables, rice, or a simple salad when dinner needs plenty of flavor without a long grill session.
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Grilled Elote Corn Ribs
Built for hands-on snacking, Grilled Elote Corn Ribs turn four ears of corn into curled pieces coated with a creamy sauce of sour cream, mayonnaise, cumin, chipotle powder, and lime. The recipe takes 20 minutes total and serves four, then finishes with cotija cheese and chopped cilantro. The corn grills for just a few minutes per side before getting sauced. Bring these out with tacos, grilled chicken, or steak when a cookout needs a side that is easy to pass around.
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Grilled Bruschetta Chicken
Fresh and colorful at the finish, Grilled Bruschetta Chicken tops grilled chicken breasts with tomatoes, basil, shallots, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and optional mozzarella. The recipe serves four and lists 25 minutes of prep and cook time, although the chicken benefits from several hours in its olive oil, red wine vinegar, and Italian seasoning marinade. A drizzle of balsamic syrup ties the topping to the smoky chicken. Serve it with a green salad, grilled vegetables, or bread for a relaxed outdoor dinner.
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Grilled Hanger Steaks with Chimichurri
After a long marinade, Grilled Hanger Steaks with Chimichurri cook hot and fast before getting sliced and topped with herby chimichurri. The recipe serves four and takes 2 hours 20 minutes total, with two hours set aside for marinating the hanger steak with olive oil, oregano, cumin, paprika, onion, and garlic. Grilling itself takes about 10 minutes. Slice the steak across the grain and serve it with grilled vegetables or potatoes for a substantial summer plate.
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Grilled Chicken Caprese Sandwich
Stacked tall and ready for lunch, Grilled Chicken Caprese Sandwich layers cooked grilled chicken with fresh mozzarella, tomato, lettuce, and a basil pesto mayonnaise on toasted buns. Once the chicken is already cooked, the recipe comes together in 10 minutes and makes two sandwiches. The cool tomato and mozzarella balance the savory chicken, while the toasted bun gives the sandwich more structure. Pair it with grilled vegetables, potato salad, or corn on the cob for an easy meal outside.
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Grilled Beef Finger Meat
Quick over direct heat, Grilled Beef Finger Meat needs little more than trimming, a generous coating of Montreal steak seasoning, and a hot grill. The recipe takes 20 minutes total and makes four servings from two pounds of beef finger meat. Each piece cooks for only a few minutes per side, so keeping an eye on flare-ups matters. Serve the grilled beef with potato salad, corn, or another sturdy side when the grill is carrying most of the dinner.
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Grilled Chicken Wings with Buffalo Sauce
Crisp-edged and saucy, Grilled Chicken Wings with Buffalo Sauce move from the grill into a homemade sauce made with hot pepper sauce, butter, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne, and garlic powder. The recipe takes 20 minutes total and serves four, with the wings grilling over medium-high heat until cooked through. Extra sauce can stay on the side for dipping. Serve these with celery, carrot sticks, and blue cheese dip when the cookout leans toward snack plates instead of a formal dinner.
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Texas-Style Carne Asada
After several hours in the marinade, Texas-Style Carne Asada hits a hot grill for a short cook before resting and slicing. The recipe serves four and takes 6 hours 15 minutes total, with skirt steak flavored by lime juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, and Mexican oregano. The steak grills for about three to four minutes per side. Slice it thin across the grain and serve with warm tortillas, rice, beans, salsa, or guacamole for a build-your-own summer dinner.
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Grilled Ribeye Cap Steak
Rich and deeply beefy, Grilled Ribeye Cap Steak keeps the seasoning simple with coarse salt, cracked black pepper, and butter or compound butter. The recipe serves two, with 10 minutes of cook time plus a rest before serving. The steaks are seared over high heat, then finished more gently until they reach the desired temperature. This is the kind of grill dinner that pairs easily with a salad, grilled vegetables, or potatoes when the main dish is meant to stay straightforward.
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Grilled Vegetables
Colorful from one end of the platter to the other, Grilled Vegetables combines zucchini, summer squash, red onion, mushrooms, eggplant, and bell peppers with Italian dressing or another marinade. The recipe serves four with 10 minutes of prep, 10 minutes of cooking, and a one-hour marinating period. Most pieces need only a few minutes per side. Serve the vegetables beside chicken, fish, or steak, or pile them into a bowl for a vegetable-heavy summer plate.
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Korean Galbi Ribs
Deeply savory with caramelized edges, Korean Galbi Ribs use thin Korean short ribs soaked in a blend of brown sugar, soy sauce, mirin, onion, Asian pear, garlic, and sesame oil. The recipe serves four and includes six hours of marinating before about 15 minutes of cooking. The ribs grill for only a few minutes per side over medium-high heat. Serve them with steamed rice, cucumber salad, kimchi, or other banchan for a dinner that comes together quickly once the marinade has done its work.
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Grilled Asparagus and Potato Salad
Hearty enough to share space with steak, Grilled Asparagus and Potato Salad mixes grilled asparagus, baby potatoes, red bell pepper, and red onion with a creamy mustard dressing. The recipe takes 30 minutes total and serves six, with the potatoes briefly parboiled before everything heads to the grill. White wine vinegar, garlic, chives, parsley, and lemon juice keep the dressing lively. Serve the salad warm or chilled beside grilled chicken, steak, or fish at a weekend cookout.
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Grilled Mango-Chipotle Chicken Wings
Sticky, smoky, and sweet, Grilled Mango-Chipotle Chicken Wings coat grilled wings with a mango sauce after a dry rub of brown sugar, chipotle powder, smoked paprika, and mustard powder. The recipe serves six and lists 30 minutes of cooking, while the wings also need one to two hours in the refrigerator with the rub. Grilled mango and apple cider form the sauce. Set extra sauce out for dipping and pair the wings with corn ribs or grilled vegetables.
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Grilled Corn Guacamole
Cool, chunky, and smoky, Grilled Corn Guacamole folds charred corn into mashed avocado with red onion, fresh garlic, cilantro, jalapeño, and lime juice. The recipe takes 15 minutes total and serves six, with the corn spending only a few minutes per side on the grill. Optional cotija cheese can go over the top just before serving. Put the bowl out with tortilla chips, tacos, burgers, or grilled chicken when the table needs something scoopable between the larger plates.
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Grilled Cauliflower Steaks
Thick-cut and marked from the grates, Grilled Cauliflower Steaks brush cauliflower with olive oil, dried herbs, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper before grilling. The recipe takes 20 minutes total and serves four, with the steaks cooking about five to six minutes per side. Fresh lemon juice goes over them at the end. Serve these beside grilled chicken or burgers, or use them as a substantial vegetable centerpiece when the cookout menu already has plenty of meat.
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Mediterranean Grilled Shrimp
Fast on a hot grill, Mediterranean Grilled Shrimp uses peeled shrimp marinated with olive oil, shallot, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, thyme, and oregano. The recipe takes 30 minutes total and serves four, with the skewered shrimp grilling for only three to four minutes per side. The short cook keeps this one useful when the rest of the table is already waiting. Serve the shrimp over Mediterranean rice, beside orzo, or with a Greek-style salad for a lighter grilled dinner.
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Grilled Steaks with Cowboy Butter
Built for steak night, Grilled Steaks with Cowboy Butter finishes four grilled steaks with a compound butter packed with garlic, parsley, chives, smoked paprika, chipotle powder, Dijon mustard, and black pepper. The recipe takes 52 minutes total and serves four, including time to prepare and firm the butter before grilling. The butter melts over the rested steaks just before serving. Pair them with grilled vegetables, corn, or a crisp salad when dinner calls for a classic cookout centerpiece.
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Grilled Mediterranean Lamb Chops
Fragrant from the grill and finished with a briny topping, Grilled Mediterranean Lamb Chops marinate in olive oil, parsley, shallot, red wine vinegar, oregano, garlic, and honey. The recipe serves four and lists 15 minutes of cooking, with the chops resting in the marinade for at least 20 minutes first. Olives, pine nuts, capers, parsley, and lemon zest make the gremolata. Serve the chops with couscous, grilled vegetables, or roasted potatoes for an outdoor dinner with plenty of contrast.
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Grilled Steak & Veggie Skewers
Colorful skewers make Grilled Steak & Veggie Skewers easy to move from the grill straight to a serving platter. The recipe serves six and takes 2 hours 30 minutes total, including a two-hour marinade for sirloin in soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, sugar, garlic, and smoked paprika. Zucchini ribbons and cherry tomatoes cook alongside the steak on each skewer. Serve them with rice, salad, or grilled corn when you want the main and vegetables handled together.
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