80+ Best Grilling Ideas & Recipes – Creative Things To Cook on the Grill

Few foods are better than perfectly tender ribs, glistening with caramelized BBQ sauce. Now, you can have smokehouse-quality ribs from the comfort of your own home—all it takes is a grill, a few hours, and—OK—a lot of patience. While they’re cooking is the perfect time to get the rest of your sides ready. We’re talking BBQ classics like coleslaw, potato salad, and cornbread.

Get the Ribs On The Grill recipe.

There are about a 100 ways to top a hamburger, and we’re not here to tell you what goes into yours. But it is our duty to make sure that you’re cooking your burgers as deliciously as possible. With a few super-simple techniques and shopping tips, you’ll be a burger master in no time.

Get the Classic Burger recipe.

Chicken tastes even better when slid on skewers alongside bok choy and scallions, then glazed with a hoisin barbecue sauce. The best part of the glaze: There’s no need to cook anything! Just whisk the ingredients together and you’re ready to go.

Get the Grilled Chicken Kebabs recipe.

We love a good shrimp boil, but sometimes we don’t have time for the production. Foil packs turn a shrimp boil into individual parties that are so fun tho throw onto the grill! It’s everything you love with way less work.

Get the Grilled Shrimp Foil Packets recipe.

As with most root veggies, carrots take awhile to cook through, meaning they’ve got to be tended to and turned frequently to get tender on the grill. The good news is that your hard work will be rewarded; the carrot’s natural sweetness comes out during cooking, a complementary foil to the smoky char achieved on the grill. We love serving this veggie side atop creamy ricotta, with a punchy carrot top-based chimichurri sauce for some brightness.

Get the Grilled Carrots recipe.

It takes almost zero cooking skills to get perfectly charred brats topped with flavor-packed caramelized onions and peppers. First, the brats get burnished on the grill, then they finish off in a simmering beer bath alongside the veg. Use whatever beer you like to drink, but not IPAs (India Pale Ales), which are brewed to be hoppy (i.e. bitter).

Get the Grilled Beer Brats recipe.

A good marinade will make a big difference in pork chops. Make sure your marinade has an acid in it to tenderize the meat and something flavorful. We use soy sauce to help with both of those things in our marinade, but you could use anything from Dijon mustard and lemon juice; cilantro, olive oil, and lime juice; or balsamic and honey.

Get the Honey Soy Grilled Pork Chops recipe.

Being a meaty, tender fish, mahi mahi stands up well to the grill and is even better when marinated. Here we’ve used a mayo-based marinade that adds some richness and a ton of flavor that makes it resemble blackened salmon that you might find in the South. Throw the fish on a tortilla with some spicy pineapple-jalapeño salsa and you’ll have an amazing summer taco night.

Get the Mahi Mahi Tacos recipe.

Tofu is so much more than a meat substitute, it’s a protein source that stands on it’s own, and the perfect base to soak up tasty sauces, like this chipotle and guajillo chili marinade inspired by a popular Mexican street food, tacos al pastor.

Get the Chipotle Tofu & Pineapple Skewers recipe.

Panzanella salad is one of those recipes that truly tastes like summer. It’s one that you want to make in peak season—when the tomatoes are extra juicy, the squash slightly sweet, and the basil extra cheap. To give this classic dish more flavor, we grill the bread, zucchini, and onion until charred, then toss those with the remaining ingredients.

Get the Summer Panzanella recipe.

The char and smoke from the grill get picked up perfectly by the potatoes to make an amazing side. Take it from us, though, and don’t skip step 1. It’s pretty much impossible to get potatoes tender and cooked through on the grill alone; parboiling the potatoes guarantees creamy centers and crisp, charred outsides.

Get the Grilled Potatoes recipe.

A classic bánh mì is one of the world’s great sandwiches. Think contrast: flavor and texture from the meat, veg, and condiments are key to this sandwich standout. An ideal way to get that classic bánh mì taste? With these kebabs! Par-cooked carrots and slightly sweet daikon grill up nicely with thick pieces of pork chop, and they’re perfectly matched with a straightforward combo of fish sauce, soy sauce, and honey.

Get the Bánh Mì Kebabs recipe.

Souvlaki is a classic Greek street food consisting of tender pieces of marinated meat that have been skewered (in Greece “souvla” means skewer) and cooked on a grill. Here we’ve used chicken, but lamb, pork, and beef are common meats used too. However you enjoy it, don’t skip the sauce! Tzatziki is creamy and herby with a slight tang that pairs perfectly with smoky meat. Dairy free? Swap in a tahini dressing instead.

Get the Chicken Souvlaki recipe.

Eggplant is infinitely better grilled, and this one comes with a simple yet addicting tahini dressing too. These are best served fresh off the grill when they are still warm, but you won’t have to wait long—slices that are about 1/4″ to 1/2″ thick grill up perfectly in roughly 6 minutes!

Get the Mediterranean Grilled Eggplant recipe.

This sauce is a great jumping off point. Feel free to change up the ingredients for countless delicious sauces: Try swapping in shallots for garlic, lemon for lime juice, or brown sugar for honey. The herbs are also adaptable: basil, parsley, and tarragon would all be great swaps for cilantro. You could even add a splash of white wine if you’re feeling fancy!

Get the Cilantro Lime Grilled Salmon recipe.

Sure, a baked potato in the oven is great, but have you tried them on the grill? Use this method for your backyard grill or even when you’re out camping. The potatoes cook up just as fluffy as they do in the oven, but have the bonus of smoky flavor.

Get the Grilled Baked Potatoes recipe.

If you’re cooking over an actual grill, place a heavy duty piece of foil over the grates before adding the green beans. It’ll prevent all the veg from falling through the cracks. Not a fan of peanuts? Use any crushed nuts or seeds here for crunch!

Get the Grilled Green Beans recipe.