Summer is here, so it’s time to dust off those grills and get fired up! From dinner to dessert, we’ve rounded up 30 recipes to add to your grilling bucket list this season. And with options inspired by different seasonal ingredients throughout the summer, you won’t have to look too far to find your next favorite grill side meal.
JUNE
Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Lemongrass-Lime Aïoli
Here’s a delicious grilled fish recipe from Food & Wine that makes the perfect addition to your grilling menu rotation. The creamy aïoli featuring lemongrass and lime pairs well with the mild, sweet flavor of mahi-mahi, adding freshness and zest to a classic summer meal. Best of all, it’s ready in 25 minutes. Pro tip: Break down the lemongrass stalks and grate the pale, softer bottom of the stalk for a smooth texture.
Grilled Grapefruit Paloma
A traditional Paloma combines tequila, grapefruit juice, and a splash of soda water for a refreshing summer sip. Here, Grill Girl amplifies the sweetness and complexity of this cocktail by stirring in freshly squeezed, smoky grilled grapefruit juice! With only a few minutes on the grill needed, this cocktail hack is well worth your time.
Grilled Salsa
Grilling peppers before adding them to homemade salsa requires minimal effort but will infuse your dip with maximum flavor. The best part about Lively Table’s recipe for this smoky salsa is how easy it is to customize to your taste. For example, use lemon juice instead of lime, double the garlic, or add smoked sea salt for even more depth.
Pork Ribs on the Grill
New to grilling? Ribs are a classic item that every aspiring grill master should perfect. Kitchen Konfidence breaks it down into easy-to-follow steps and even shares a dry rub recipe that enhances the sweetness of the pork ribs while providing some savory balance.
Pork and Green Chile Burger with Red Cabbage Slaw
Switch up your burger routine this summer. Try this Texified all-pork patty, kicked up with hot green chiles and then cooled down with a refreshingly crunchy slaw on top.
Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Old Bay Butter
This quick-and-easy grill recipe delivers the flavors of a classic shrimp boil on a convenient summer-ready skewer. When grilling shrimp, make sure your grates are super clean. This will give you the best grill marks and ensure that the shrimp don’t stick to the grate.
Grilled Red Snapper with Caro Caro Oranges and Chiles
Grilling a whole fish doesn’t have to be intimidating! This easy-to-follow recipe from Food52 gives you a no-brainer tip that’ll help you flip your fish with ease.
Grilled Vanilla French Toast
Turn your regular Father’s Day breakfast into a grate one (get it?) with this French toast recipe from Epicurious. Just top with some seasonal berries and whipped cream.
Grilled Ribeye with Shishito Pepper Salsa
Spice up your steak dinner with a quickly charred shishito pepper salsa from Bon Appétit. The quick char preserves the green color and texture.
S’Mores Skillet Brownie
Brownies are great, but top them with all the fixings of s’mores like Spicy Southern Kitchen does and you’ve got an awesome fudgy and gooey summer cookout dessert.
JULY
Grilled Bruschetta
Make this your go-to appetizer when tomatoes and basil are fresh from the garden in the summer. Taste of Home’s balsamic glaze adds just the right zing to turn this into a restaurant-worthy dish. Plain olive oil will work just fine, but you can also try an herb-infused olive oil for just a bit more flair.
Grilled Brie with Wine
Here’s a summer-inspired twist on an oven-baked classic from Delish. Cook this ooey-gooey appetizer on the grill, seasoning it with garlic, fresh summer herbs, and wine. Then serve with some lightly charred bread. And don’t be shy with the garlic! Push the garlic slices down inside the score marks you’ve made in the cheese rind. The garlic will melt into the Brie as it’s grilling, flavoring it from the inside out.
Grilled Cheesy Garlic Pull-Apart Bread
Yep, even bread can be grilled! Gimme Some Grilling’s addictive recipe for this cheesy, herby, pull-apart loaf tastes great on its own, but it would shine even more alongside a summer gazpacho or Grilled Steak Salad.
Grilled Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers
These spicy jalapeño poppers from Mashed are absolutely bursting with flavor! The heat of the peppers is balanced by a melty cheese filling, and the sweet and smoky glaze is a great counter to the richness of the bacon. If you can’t handle the spice level of jalapeños, sub in milder peppers, like small Anaheims.
JSF Grilled Peach and Chicken Pasta Salad
Grilled peaches add the perfect touch of smoky sweetness to this tangy chicken pasta salad! Thanks to John Soules Foods’ ready-to-eat Grilled Chicken Breast Strips, this recipe is fast, easy, and, most importantly, delicious!
Le Colonial’s Spicy Grilled Shrimp with Chilled Mango Salad
If you’re looking for something on the lighter side, this spicy salad with fresh grilled Gulf shrimp from Le Colonial in Houston is so refreshing for summer, all you need is a glass of white wine on the side!
Grilled Chicken Panini Sandwiches with Pesto
Turn your typical chicken panini into your new summertime lunch staple with this smoky creation from The Spruce Eats. Since you’ve already fired up the grill to cook the chicken, throw your sandwich on too!
Skillet Queso with Charred Cherry Tomatoes
We like to make our Goodtaste homemade queso in a cast-iron skillet because it conducts heat well (keeping your queso warm longer) and you can wrap a towel around the handle and bring it right to the table. We’ve included instructions for how to make this dip over a campfire or on your grill, but you can also whip it up on the stovetop to go with your weeknight taco spread.
Charred Garlic Lamb Chops
While many think of lamb as a wintertime staple, we love this lightened-up version from Furthermore with grilled eggplant and green onions. Thinly shaved garlic is sprinkled over the fresh-off-the-grill chops, wilting the garlic slightly and adding amazing flavor. One final drizzle of pomegranate molasses, a thick and tangy Middle Eastern staple, completes this five-ingredient dinner.
Easy Grilled Corn with Chipotle-Lime Butter
No need to remove the husk or silk from this grilled corn on the cob recipe from Taste of Home. Soaking your stalks ahead of time creates a “steaming” effect as you grill the corn.
AUGUST
Grilled Scallops with Creamed Corn
This recipe from Epicurious is both easy and impressive. Light, flavorful, and simple to grill, scallops are great for a weeknight meal or a backyard barbecue gathering. The dry rub is what really makes this dish sing, so go ahead and double your batch. The rub will keep for a month and tastes great on any kind of meat.
Grilled Chicken Skewers and Kale Caesar
This recipe from Good Housekeeping pairs grilled chicken with a creamy, garlicky Caesar salad for the perfect summer comfort food. No anchovies needed, so you probably have everything on hand to make this refreshing dish, which can be prepared at the grill in under 30 minutes.
Grilled Shrimp Boil Foil Packets
Transform your average shrimp boil into a hands-on, fully customizable packet party! EatingWell takes all the components of a classic boil—shrimp, sausage, corn, and potatoes—and turns them into individually portioned meals that your guests can assemble any way they want.
Grilled Pound Cake with Meyer Lemon Simple Syrup
If you aren’t grilling your desserts, this is your sign to start! Adam Hickman’s recipe for MyRecipes calls for grilling the pound cake—and we promise that firing up the grill will be worth your while. The “icing on the cake” here is the deliciously tart Meyer lemon syrup, but no worries if you can’t find the Meyer variety—regular lemons will do.
Grilled Bacon and Kimchi Burger
This double burger from Chef Wesley Genovart for Food & Wine is inspired by the popular Shake Shack burger, but this one is layered with thick-cut grilled bacon, a spicy Thai chili paste mayo, and tangy kimchi. Even if you’re not a fan of American cheese, you’ll admire how perfectly the cheese melts onto these crispy thin burger patties.
Grilled Pineapple Mojito
Add more to your mojito by giving this tropical cocktail a summery twist! This Spoonabilities take shared by Feedfeed shows how adding grilled pineapple gives it a unique smoky touch that balances the minty and fruity flavors.
Grilled Lobster with Miso Chile Butter
This showstopping lobster recipe from Food & Wine comes together in less than an hour—especially if you ask your fishmonger to clean and halve the lobsters for you. Melted butter and white miso form an umami-rich basting base while a squeeze of lemon cuts through the richness of the lobster meat.
Balsamic Grilled Vegetables
This super-simple marinade from Jessica in the Kitchen is as multipurpose as it gets, elevating everything from garden-grown veggies to grilled meats. Feel free to play with adding in extra ingredients like Dijon mustard or maple syrup, extra garlic, or fresh herbs as you fire up that grill.
Grilled Steak Salad with Spicy Avocado-Buttermilk Dressing
This hearty grilled dinner salad is our favorite way to use up an abundance of in-season produce, no matter the time of year. In spring, we’re adding blanched snap peas, shaved spring carrots, and grilled asparagus to the mix. Just don’t skip the silky avocado-buttermilk dressing—it’s incredibly versatile and tastes great on everything.
Spicy Shrimp and Corn Quesadillas
Turn your basic quesadilla up a notch with spicy shrimp and corn! This recipe from Goya Foods sandwiches a fluffy tortilla with a mix of corn, jalapeños, olives, shrimp, cumin, scallions, and lime zest, then grills it all until charred and melted.
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