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Our Best Recipes For Deep Summer Grilling (34 Recipes)

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It’s too hot to cook inside

During the dog days of summer, no one wants to heat up the kitchen. Most folks want to be outside and enjoy the sunshine. It’s the ideal time to cook a meal outdoors. Plus, there are so many summer foods that take exceptionally well to the grill. Sweet corn on the cob, zucchini, tomatoes, shrimp, crab, lobster, clams, oysters, fish fillets…even watermelon and peaches all taste fantastic with a kiss of smoke. Not to mention s’mores.

When it’s too hot to cook inside, check out our best recipes for summer grilling below. You can make these dishes over a campfire, on a gas grill, or over charcoal. Don’t forget a cold beverage (maybe grilled lemonade?). Sipping an icy drink while cooking a meal outdoors is one of summer’s greatest pleasures.

grilled sweet corn

The Best Grilled Corn You’ve Ever Eaten

By:

Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer

You will never look at corn the same way again after trying this recipe for the ultimate grill roasted corn on the cob recipe. While boiling and steaming are popular methods of cooking corn, the smokiness and caramelization achieved by grilling it directly over live fire. Butter and tarragon help round out the flavor.
bacon wrapped corn

Griddle Grilled Bacon Jalapeño Wrapped Corn

By:

Paul Sidoriak

This griddle grilled corn dish makes a perfect accompanying act to almost any recipe, but it could star as a lunch all by itself. The sweetness of the corn works great with the saltiness of the bacon, and the punch of heat from the jalapenos is tempered by the cream cheese.
Big bowl of corn and red peppers make a salad

Make the Most of Sweet Corn with Sever’s Grilled Country Corn Casserole

By:

Dave Joachim

Highlight the flavor of sweet summer corn, fresh tomatoes, and herbs in this simple vegetable casserole recipe. It makes a fantastic side dish for any barbecue.
Plated griddle corn cakes

Griddle Grilled Corn Cakes, Fresh Corn At Its Finest

By:

Clint Cantwell, Champion Pitmaster

This griddle grilled corn cakes recipe is the perfect side dish for any backyard cookout. The recipe begins with fire roasting fresh ears of corn. The kernels are then removed and added to a light and airy batter that is grilled on a griddle until fluffy and golden brown. You can even customize your corn cakes!
Parmesan cheese and basil leaves adorn red tomato slices

Capture The Essence of August With This Caprese Tomato Salad Recipe

By:

Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer

Caprese salad is the world's best use of tomatoes and possibly the world's best salad but should only be made with the best and freshest components because there is no place to hide subpar ingredients. This classic summer dish from the Island of Capri off the west coast of Italy is the essence of August on a plate.
Smoked, wizened cherry tomatoes

Cherry Tomatoes: Smoke ’Em If You Got ’Em

By:

Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer

Smoked Tomato Raisins are the single best thing you can do with cherry tomatoes and here is the recipe for creating them. They are superb for snacking, on salads, on a pizza, in pasta, baked into breads, stuffed into chicken breasts or pork chops, or anything you would do with raisins or sun dried tomatoes.
smoked caprese sandwich

Got Tomatoes? Make This Smoked Caprese Sandwich

By:

Dave Joachim

Quick, before summer is over, make these sandwiches! They're soooo good. And so easy. If you keep some smoked cherry tomatoes and basil pesto on hand (both easy to make with our recipes), this sandwich comes together in no time. And it tastes like a summer breeze!
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Grilled Caprese salad stuffed flank steak pinwheels plated

Caprese Flank Steak Takes The Classic Italian Salad To The Grill

Here is an outstanding recipe for Caprese Flank Steak from Attjack, a member of our Pitmaster Club. This recipe combines a classic Italian Caprese salad with grilled flank steak in a butterflied and rolled steak cut into pinwheels and grilled hot and fast. Salad, meet grill. Grill, salad.
tomatoes

Fresh Pico De Gallo Adds Zip To Countless Dishes

By:

Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer

Fresh tomatoes, scallions, jalapeno, and cilantro are the cornerstones of our addictively delicious recipe for homemade pico de gallo. Add a touch of brightness to tacos, quesadillas, and other Mexican dishes; a bold bite to scrambled eggs and omelets; a vibrant twist to salsa and chips; and so much more.
Heating tomato sauce in a skillet

Grilled Marinara Sauce That Would Make Grandma Proud

By:

Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer

Take your pasta dishes over the top with this incredibly rich and deeply smoky grilled marinara sauce recipe. Marinara is the classic Italian tomato sauce from Naples but you can amplify the flavors by grilling the tomatoes and other fresh ingredients. The end result is something that is truly special.
Modern Gazpacho Soup

Celebrate Summer’s Freshest Produce with This Refreshing Gazpacho

By:

Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer

Perfect for a warm weather cookout, this flavorful Gazpacho recipe is a modern twist of this classic Spanish cold raw vegetable soup. Sometimes called liquid salad, this well rounded Gazpacho recipe features tomatoes, cucumber, garlic, jalapenos, croutons, yogurt, scallions, honey, and more for farm fresh flavor.
Grilled ratatouille over pasta

Ratatouille Tastes Better Grilled

By:

Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer

Grilled ratatouille takes it up a notch. You may never make ratatouille the old way again! Serve it over pasta, couscous, or rice.
Discs of eggplant topped with tomato sauce and mozarella

Feast on This Grilled Eggplant Parm, A Bold Take On An Italian Classic

By:

Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer

If you like bland restaurant eggplant parmesan then our grilled version will blow you away. By skipping the deep fryer and hitting the grill, the eggplant's natural flavor remains intact while also adding a nuttiness and sweetness. Add to that real Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and fresh tomatoes and you've got a hit.
red potatoes with pesto in a bowl

Pesto Potato Salad: Summer’s New Favorite Side

By:

Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer

It's time to rethink serving ordinary potato salad as a side dish at your next BBQ and grilling cookout thanks to this delicious recipe for pesto potatoes. Pesto is a savory pasty green sauce that traditionally includes basil leaves, olive oil, plenty of garlic, pine nuts or walnuts, and parmesan cheese.
Griddle grilled crab cake topped with aioli

Mouthwatering Crab Cakes, Griddle Grilled To Perfection

By:

Clint Cantwell, Champion Pitmaster

Jumbo lump crab meat shines brightly in this recipe for griddle grilled crab cakes with rosemary aioli. Exceptional crab cakes begin with high quality crab, gently blended with a minimum amount of other ingredients so that the crab remains the star of the show, then finished on the grill.
Shrimp boil on newspaper

Easy Foil Packet Shrimp Boil For A Backyard Beach Feast

By:

Clint Cantwell, Champion Pitmaster

This mouthwatering grilled shrimp boil recipe is an effortless family style feast for your backyard cookout. There’s something truly engaging about diving into a steaming hot peel-and-eat shrimp boil, fingers dripping with spicy juices as you devour the tender shrimp, potatoes, sausage, and corn, all done on the grill.
Po boy with lid off showing shrimp and andouille

BBQ Shrimp & Andouille Po Boy Recipe: A Taste Of N’awlins

By:

Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer

Savory New Orleans BBQ shrimp and spicy Andouille sausage are the stars of the show in this recipe for a grilled po boy. Served on crusty French style bread and packed full of meat and/or seafood, the po' boy sandwich is a New Orleans staple and our Barbecue Shrimp & Andouille Po-Boy twist is surely an instant classic.
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Shrimp and andouille sausage in a bowl

Original New Orleans BBQ Shrimp Recipe Does Right Bayou

By:

Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer

New Orleans barbecue sauce is a rich, hot buttery sauce used on shrimp but it works beautifully on many other dishes. Technically, since there is no smoke in the recipe, so it really isn't barbecue, but there's no reason why you can't bask in its delicious mix of butter, garlic, Louisiana hot sauce, and more.
Grilled oysters in the shell

Grilled Oysters With Roasted Garlic Butter And Romano

By:

Dave Joachim

If you've only ever eaten oysters raw, this recipe will be a revelation. And if you've never warmed up to oysters, give this recipe a try. Oysters Grilled with Roasted Garlic Butter and Romano are easy to make, drenched with rich flavors, and utterly delicious.
drizzling oil on pepe's white clam pizza

Pepe’s Style White Clam Pizza Recipe

By:

Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer

Pepe's on Wooster St. in New Haven CT is one of the most famous pizza places in the world, and their most famous pie is the White Clam Pizza. Duplicating Pepe's pies is impossible, but you can come close at home with the right ingredients, and a little love. Here's the recipe for creating a delicious white clam pizza in your kitchen.
Mussels in a pile

Mussels Mariniere: Great Finger Food From France

By:

Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer

This classic mussels (Moules Mariniere) recipe from France is so easy. And it's finger food. After simmering in a flavor rich white wine, cream, and tomato sauce, the mussels are served, shells and all, into big shallow bowls with plenty of the liquor laden broth and serve with crusty bread or grilled bread.
Seared salmon on a salad

Griddled Salmon On A Salad Is Simply Simple And Delicious

By:

Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer

Take ordinary salads over the top with this tested recipe for crispy crusty salmon. Fresh salmon is cooked on the grill with a griddle until it's interior is perfectly cooked and buttery while the skin is crackling crisp. The fish is then served on dressed romaine lettuce along with grated parmesan and garlic croutons.
Grilled fish taco in a corn tortilla

Grill The Ultimate Fish Tacos

By:

Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer

Fish tacos may be the best recipe ever to come from Mexico and this method produces superb results.
Grilled catfish sauced and plated

The Genius Trick to Making Grilled Catfish That Doesn’t Stick

By:

Clint Cantwell, Champion Pitmaster

A base of sliced citrus is the key to perfectly grilled fish in this recipe for grilled blackened catfish with charred lemon cream sauce. Grilling the catfish fillets on top of orange slices ensures the fish won't stick to the grill grate and adds a touch of citrus flavor.
Grilled half lobster

Grilled Lobster Puts That Bland Boiled Stuff To Shame

By:

Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer

Boiled lobster is good, but grilled lobster is better and here is the only recipe you need to make it happen! Undiluted by boiling water, the lobster flavor truly shines through when cooked quickly over live fire, not to mention the added smoky depth. Lobster is split in half, grilled, and basted with butter.
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Grilled split lobster tail plated

Tender Sous Vide And Grilled Lobster Tail With Chimichurri Butter

By:

Clint Cantwell, Champion Pitmaster

Cooked to perfection with sous vide then lightly charred on the grill, this sous-vide-que lobster tail recipe is the best grilled lobster you'll ever taste. Poached in butter during a temperature controlled sous vide water bath, the lobster is rendered moist and tender before adding a touch of BBQ smoke, char, and crowned with a chimichurri sauce.
Grilled huli huli chicken

Having A Luau? Here’s The Easiest Hawaiian Huli-Huli Chicken Recipe Ever

By:

Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer

If you like teriyaki chicken, you'll flip for this Hawaiian Huli-Huli Chicken. Let's make this dish more popular on the mainland.
smores

The Secret To This Delicious S’mores Recipe Is Nutella

By:

Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer

Nutella is the key to creating the perfect s'more during your next campout or cookout. Every kid loves s'mores, those heavenly melanges of graham crackers, milk chocolate, and toasted marshmallows toasted on warm summer nights over campfires as accompaniment to ghost stories. Here's a recipe for pure s'mores nirvana!
Grilled watermelon plated

Grilled Watermelon Will Change the Way You Look At Summer’s Favorite Fruit

By:

Clint Cantwell, Champion Pitmaster

Grilling watermelon transforms an otherwise sweet summer treat into a savory side dish or dessert. Grilled watermelon tastes great plain but this recipe rounds out the flavor profile with fiery hot honey, citrusy lemon zest sea salt, and bright fresh mint.
Peaches and cream

Grilled Peaches And Cream With Rum, A Delicious End To Any Cookout

By:

Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer

Peaches and cream, a classic summer treat and a combo as natural as peanut butter and jelly, are taken to new levels with a touch of grilling char and smoke. Peaches are halved and grilled until soft and smoky before being chopped and served with ice cream and a drizzle of mouthwatering rum, maple, and vanilla sauce.
Grilled peach crumble plated

Grilled Peach Crumble Recipe Will Make Your Summer Complete

By:

Clint Cantwell, Champion Pitmaster

This delicious and easy grilled peach crumble recipe is the perfect summer dessert for any backyard BBQ. Fresh seasonal peaches are halved, then grilled cut side down until lightly charred. Top the peaches with a simple crumble mixture then smoke over indirect heat until golden brown.
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Barbecued ice cream

Barbecued Ice Cream, A Surefire Showstopper

By:

Rick Browne, Ph.B.

Sweet meets heat with this showy grilled ice cream dessert. First introduced by AmazingRibs.com on Live with Regis and Kelly in 2001, this delicious barbecued ice cream dessert is the perfect way to wow your friends at your next BBQ and grilling cookout as you pull it from the grill at the end of the meal.
Grilled lemons

Grilled Lemonade, Summer’s Smokiest Beverage

By:

Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer

When life gives you lemons and a grill, why not make grilled lemonade! Nothing is more refreshing on a hot day than lemonade and this recipe takes it over the top. Lemons are halved then grilled until lightly charred before creating a smoky homemade lemonade that will be a surefire hit at any backyard BBQ bash.
Mojito in a glass

Mojito Magic, Summer’s Most Refreshing Cocktail Recipe

By:

Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer

This recipe for the classic rum drink, mojitos, is the perfect refreshing cocktail for your warm weather cookouts. A variation on the African word mojo, or little spell, the mojito relies on a few simple, yet perfectly entwined, ingredients including sugar, lime, mint, and rum.

Published On: 7/16/2020 Last Modified: 12/22/2022

 

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