25+ Best Grilling Recipes
In the summer, there’s nothing better than cooking dinner on the grill and enjoying a meal al fresco. These grilling recipes are flavorful, easy to make and perfect for a casual weeknight meal or a BBQ get together. These tasty grill recipes include grilled chicken, grilled meats, burgers, skewers, grilled vegetables and more!
There are so many delicious mains and side dishes that you can cook on the grill! Not only is grilling easy (and enjoyable – what better way to cook than soaking up the fresh air outdoors!), it also makes foods incredibly flavorful. Hello, tasty grill marks!
This list is full of fresh ideas for what to cook on the grill. I hope it inspires a season of good food, enjoyed in great company!
Best Grilling Recipes
Burgers, steak, pork chops and more! Here you’ll find a grilling recipe for every craving.
Forget dry, bland turkey burgers, this turkey burger recipe makes the best juicy, flavorful turkey burgers! This easy recipe is one of our go-to’s for a quick and healthy dinner. Serve them up with a side of Air Fryer French Fries and enjoy!
Marinated steak and veggies cook on skewers in this delicious steak kabobs recipe. They’re fun to make and eat, and perfect for serving with rice.
Juicy and bursting with flavor, this grilled pork chop recipe will amaze everyone at the table! An easy pork chop marinade tenderizes the chops and infuses them with fantastic flavor. Grilling them on the bone keeps the pork chops extra moist.
Learn how to grill a perfect steak! Served with your favorite sides, grilled steak is an impressive meal that’s secretly so easy to make. Follow the tips in the post to grill steak like a pro.
We love salmon for dinner and grilling is one of our favorite ways to prepare it. This recipe can be made on an outdoor grill or grill pan, and includes a simple salmon seasoning to infuse the salmon with flavor.
This healthy black bean burger recipe is so good, you won’t miss the meat! Black beans, green onions and seasonings come together in this irresistible burger recipe. Top with guacamole, BBQ sauce or your favorite burger fixings and devour!
Pork tenderloin is one of our favorite proteins, and this grilled pork tenderloin is a summer staple in our house. Grilling the pork creates a mouthwatering caramelized crust on the outside, while keeping the center juicy and tender. Everyone will be asking for seconds!
Grilled Chicken Recipes
No list of grilling recipes would be complete without grilled chicken. It’s our go-to meat for cooking on the grill! These grilled chicken recipes show just how versatile this lean protein is.
A simple marinade with lemon juice, garlic and seasonings makes this grilled chicken recipe both easy and delicious! It’s quick to prep, and so versatile! Slice and serve with a few healthy side dishes, or add it to a salad or wrap. Here you see it served with this Tabouli Salad.
With a flavorful seasoning rub, these grilled chicken thighs always turn out moist and juicy! Just 10 minutes prep time, serve them with some easy BBQ side dishes. Leftovers are great sliced and added to a salad.
Perfect for serving with rice, this is one of our tastiest chicken recipes! A cilantro lime marinade tenderizes and adds flavor. Cook the chicken on the grill or in a cast iron skillet.
Get ready to have your taste buds sing! This BBQ chicken salad is so good. Seasoned grilled chicken, black beans, avocado and corn are tossed in a tangy cilantro-lime dressing and drizzled with BBQ sauce. Shredded cheese and tortilla strips add more flavor and crunch.
We eat with our eyes first, and these chicken skewers are one gorgeous main dish. The chicken is marinated and then skewered with colorful veggies before grilling to delicious perfection. This recipe is sure to be a hit with everyone in the family!
This one is for all of you honey mustard fans! This quick prep recipe includes Dijon mustard, honey, lemon juice and garlic in a delicious marinade. This stellar grilled chicken is tender and juicy!
Grilled chicken, peppers and onions wrapped in warm tortillas… what could be better? This easy fajitas recipe takes just 15 minutes of active prep and is done in an hour, start to finish. Serve tortilla chips and pico de gallo on the side and let the party begin!
Healthy Grilled Veggies
Bring on the veggies! Something magical happens when you cook vegetables on the grill. While the insides become tender, the outsides caramelize and get those charred grill marks that make grilled veggies so flavorful. You’ll love these vegetable grilling recipes!
Vegetables never tasted so good! A colorful array of fresh veggies, grilled until tender with delicious grill marks, makes a stunning summer side dish.
When fresh asparagus is in season, this grilled asparagus is a real treat. Incredibly quick and easy to prepare, this healthy side dish comes together in just minutes!
Looking for an impressive yet secretly easy side dish? Try this grilled eggplant recipe! The eggplant is grilled and then topped with ricotta cheese and drizzle of balsamic glaze. It’s creamy, tangy and absolutely delish!
These single-serve grilled veggie foil packets are perfect for barbecues! The best part? Clean up is a breeze! Try the combination of veggies used in this recipe, or use the suggestions in the recipe post to switch up the vegetables.
Grilling Makes These Side Dishes Extra Delicious
Round out your summer meals with these easy side dishes. At least one component of these simple sides is cooked on the grill, bringing delicious flavor to the whole dish.
Grilled corn brings mouthwatering flavor to this fresh corn salad with black beans, avocado, tomatoes and a zesty chili-lime dressing. Whenever I make this recipe, it’s always the hit of the party!
Filled with Mediterranean flavors, these grilled zucchini boats are perfect for a light meal or healthy side dish. Quinoa, olives, tomatoes and feta are stuffed into these delicious zucchini boats.
Grilled asparagus highlights in this barley salad, featuring nectarines, almonds, feta cheese and fresh basil. This summery salad is perfect for a healthy meatless meal.
Marinades Add Flavor to Grilling Recipes
Marinating meat before grilling both tenderizes it and infuses it with flavor. These are our favorite marinades for grilling. They’re a must in any collection of grill recipes!
This versatile chicken marinade can be used with chicken breasts or chicken thighs, for grilling or baking. It makes chicken extra tender and juicy!
Make the best grilled pork chops with this pork chop marinade! A handful of ingredients including soy sauce, brown sugar, Dijon mustard and garlic come together to make the most delicious marinade for pork.
This pork tenderloin marinade will take your pork to a new level of deliciousness. It’s a simple combination of ingredients that tenderizes the pork, infuses the meat with flavor, and makes every bite irresistible.
This steak marinade is an easy way to add flavor and tenderize your favorite cuts of steak. You’ll only need 5 ingredients, plus salt and pepper, for this marinade recipe.
Best Seasoning Rubs for Grilling
An alternative to marinades, dry rubs and seasoning blends are another easy way to add flavor to grilled chicken, steak, pork and seafood. They’re great to keep on hand for when you need a quick-prep dinner.
This pork rub is super popular, and for good reason! This dry rub takes just minutes to make and can be used to season almost any cut of pork, from pork chops, to ribs and pulled pork. Everyone raves about the flavor!
You can mix up this tasty chicken seasoning rub in just minutes, using ingredients that you probably have on hand in your kitchen. Make a batch today to save for a busy day. This recipe is sure to become a staple in your cooking!
Do you really need a recipe for Cajun seasoning? Yes, you most certainly do! This homemade spice blend is so much better than store-bought. It’s easy to make using common spices and has a delicious spicy kick that keeps you wanting more.
I’m including our favorite homemade taco seasoning in this list of grilling ideas because it’s a perfect way to season chicken for everything from tacos and burritos to salads. This seasoning mix keeps well at room temperature for up to a year, so make a big batch to keep on hand. You definitely need this recipe in your life!
Grilling Tips
- Be sure to preheat your grill so that it is hot when you add food to it.
- Use a marinade or rub to add flavor. Marinades can also help to tenderize meat.
- Close the grill while cooking to keep the heat in.
- Use a meat thermometer or instant read thermometer to tell when meat is done. Besides ensuring food safety, using a thermometer to measure the internal temperature can also help to prevent overcooking meats, which can dry them out.
- Let chicken, steak and pork rest for 5-10 minutes after cooking, before slicing or serving. The rest time allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, giving you a juicier result. You can cook quick-cooking vegetables on the grill while the meat rests.
- Serve grilled proteins and veggies with a sauce to boost the flavor of the meal. Homemade BBQ Sauce is always welcome, or try Chimichurri, Salsa, Tzatziki, Basil Pesto or Buffalo Sauce (great with grilled chicken wings).
Summer grilling, here we come! If you give any of these grilling recipes a try, leave a comment to let me know how it turned out.
Best Grilling Recipes: Grilled Chicken Thighs and More!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Combine the brown sugar, paprika, dried oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Stir.
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Rub with the 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle the spice mixture over both sides of the chicken and rub to gently coat the chicken on all sides.
- For the best flavor, let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours before cooking. If you do not have time to marinate, you can cook the chicken right away.
- When you are ready to grill the chicken, preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the hot grill and reduce the heat to medium. Grill boneless chicken thighs for 7-10 minutes per side, or until chicken registers 165° F at the thickest part when tested with an instant read thermometer. The cook time will depend on the size of the chicken pieces. (See note below for cook time for bone-in thighs.)
- Let chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. Then enjoy!
Notes
- Bone-in thighs may also be used but will take longer to cook through. Grill bone-in thighs for about 9-15 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature is at least 165° F at the thickest part of the meat away from the bone. This seasoning mixture makes enough for 2-3 pounds of bone-in thighs.
