17 Grilling Recipes That Cover More Than the Main Dish

The grill tends to take over the meal once it is hot. Pick one recipe for the center of the plate, or choose a side that can cook while the rest of dinner comes together. You can keep more of the meal outside, from the main plate to a side or something sweet.

Chunks of cooked beef and roasted potatoes served in an open aluminum foil packet, garnished with herbs. — Garlic Butter Steak and Potatoes Foil Packet. Photo credit: Your Perfect Recipes.

Grilled Pork Chops

A grilled pork chop garnished with chopped parsley is served on a plate. — Grilled Pork Chops. Photo credit: Your Perfect Recipes.

Weeknight grilling gets sturdier when Grilled Pork Chops bring four bone-in chops to the table in 25 minutes. The marinade uses olive oil, low sodium soy sauce, brown sugar or honey, Dijon mustard, garlic, and black pepper before the chops hit high heat. Because the recipe uses a short sear followed by medium heat, it fits the main-dish slot without taking over the grill. Serve with potatoes, corn, or a crisp cucumber salad for a full plate.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Pork Chops

Charred Grilled Asparagus

Grilled asparagus spears served on a plate with two charred lemon halves. — Charred Grilled Asparagus. Photo credit: My Reliable Recipes.

Alongside heavier grill mains, Charred Grilled Asparagus keeps the plate lighter with a 10-minute side that serves four. Thick asparagus spears are tossed with extra-virgin olive oil, salt, black pepper, and lemon juice before grilling until tender-crisp. That quick cook time makes it easy to add a green side while chops, burgers, or salmon rest. Bring it out warm with lemon wedges, or chop leftovers into grain bowls the next day.
Get the Recipe: Charred Grilled Asparagus

Charred Grilled Chicken Kabobs

Grilled chicken skewers with red bell peppers, green bell peppers, and onions are served on a white plate, garnished with chopped herbs. — Charred Grilled Chicken Kabobs. Photo credit: Hungry Cooks Kitchen.

Skewers make dinner easier when Charred Grilled Chicken Kabobs combine chicken breast, bell peppers, red onion, and portobello mushrooms in 30 minutes. The marinade adds garlic, olive oil, honey, paprika, salt, and pepper, giving the chicken and vegetables enough seasoning without a long ingredient list. Since the main and vegetables cook together, this handles more of the plate than plain grilled chicken. Serve with rice, flatbread, or tzatziki for a fuller meal.
Get the Recipe: Charred Grilled Chicken Kabobs

Grilled Cheese Burritos

Three foil-wrapped burrito halves filled with ground meat, cheese, lettuce, and tomato are stacked on a pink plate. — Grilled Cheese Burritos. Photo credit: Your Perfect Recipes.

Fast backyard nights get a Tex-Mex option when Grilled Cheese Burritos turn seasoned beef, Monterey Jack, rice, salsa, sour cream, lettuce, and tortillas into six servings in 35 minutes. The filling cooks before each burrito is folded and grilled on a hot pan or griddle until the tortilla turns crisp. This brings a handheld main to the grill menu without needing burger buns. Wrap them in foil for game day, picnics, or a casual dinner outside.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Cheese Burritos

Veggie Burger

Cookout plates need more than beef, and Veggie Burger gives four patties a 35-minute path from pantry staples to burger buns. Lentils, black beans, onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, oats, mushrooms, parsley, and vegetarian Worcestershire sauce form the base. The patties cook in a skillet, but they still fit a grilling spread because they cover the burger slot for guests who skip meat. Serve with cucumber, red onion, and sauce, then add fries or corn on the side.
Get the Recipe: Veggie Burger

Charred Grilled Peppers

Grilled red and yellow bell peppers with char marks, topped with crumbled feta cheese and garnished with herbs. — Charred Grilled Peppers. Photo credit: Splash of Taste.

Quick side duty gets covered when Charred Grilled Peppers turn two large bell peppers into four servings in 15 minutes. Olive oil, sea salt, black pepper, optional oregano, and optional garlic keep the seasoning simple while the grill softens the peppers and blisters the skins. They work as a side, burger topping, burrito filler, or salad add-in, which helps the grill handle more than one course. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Get the Recipe: Charred Grilled Peppers

Grilled Eggplant

When the grill is already hot, Grilled Eggplant gives four servings that can work as an appetizer, side, or light main in 25 minutes. Thick eggplant rounds are brushed with olive oil, salt, pepper, minced garlic, and Italian seasoning before cooking for a few minutes per side. The slices bring a softer vegetable option next to potatoes, peppers, and corn. Finish with chopped parsley and serve on a platter beside steak, salmon, or burgers.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Eggplant

Grilled Chicken Thighs

Grilled meat ribs garnished with chopped herbs and garlic, served on a white platter with fresh parsley in the background. — Grilled Chicken Thighs. Photo credit: Hungry Cooks Kitchen.

The longer prep window on Grilled Chicken Thighs pays off with four servings in 1 hour 10 minutes, including marinating time. Boneless chicken thighs are coated with a chimichurri-style mix of parsley, cilantro, garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, red pepper flakes, oregano, salt, and black pepper. The reserved sauce gives the grilled chicken a fresh finish after resting. Use this when the main dish needs deeper flavor than a quick salt-and-pepper grill session.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Chicken Thighs

Charred Grilled Potatoes

A bowl of roasted potato chunks garnished with chopped herbs and black pepper. — Charred Grilled Potatoes. Photo credit: Pocket Friendly Recipes.

Side dishes get more range when Charred Grilled Potatoes bring four servings of baby yellow potatoes to the grill in 30 minutes. The potatoes are parboiled, then tossed with garlic powder, lemon zest and juice, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, and chopped herbs before grilling cut side down. That first boil helps the centers stay tender while the grill marks the edges. Serve hot with burgers, pork chops, steak, or grilled salmon.
Get the Recipe: Charred Grilled Potatoes

Charred Grilled Vegetables

A platter of grilled vegetables including zucchini, mushrooms, asparagus, bell peppers, and red onions, garnished with chopped herbs. — Charred Grilled Vegetables. Photo credit: Splash of Taste.

Platter-style cooking works hard when Charred Grilled Vegetables bring six servings to the table in 35 minutes. Zucchini, red onion, bell peppers, asparagus, and portobello mushrooms are tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then finished with balsamic vinegar, oregano, and parsley. The mix gives the grill a side dish that can also stretch into a light main. Set it beside kabobs, burritos, or steak packets when the table needs color and texture.
Get the Recipe: Charred Grilled Vegetables

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Four grilled corn cobs topped with crumbled cheese, chopped herbs, and spices are arranged on a white plate. — Grilled Corn on the Cob. Photo credit: Splash of Taste.

The side table fills out when Grilled Corn on the Cob turns four corn cobs into four servings in 25 minutes. The corn is brushed with vegetable oil, grilled until charred, then finished with butter, Tajín seasoning, sea salt, lime, chopped cilantro, and Cotija cheese. It covers the classic cookout side without needing a separate pot on the stove. Serve warm next to burgers, kabobs, chicken thighs, or grilled vegetables.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Corn on the Cob

Cheeseburger

Burger night stays simple when Cheeseburger uses ½ pound ground beef, two buns, cheddar, lettuce, pickles, tomato, red onion, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce for two servings in 20 minutes. The patties cook quickly, then rest before being stacked with sauce and toppings. This keeps the main dish direct while the rest of the grill can handle corn, peppers, potatoes, or fruit. Serve with fries, onion rings, or a salad.
Get the Recipe: Cheeseburger

Flaky Grilled Salmon

A close-up of a cooked salmon fillet topped with a mixture of chopped herbs, garlic, and seasonings. — Flaky Grilled Salmon. Photo credit: Pocket Friendly Recipes.

Seafood fits the grill spread when Flaky Grilled Salmon brings four servings to the table in 30 minutes. Salmon fillets are seasoned with olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon zest, then brushed with a butter mixture made with lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, olive oil, and fresh herbs. The recipe uses skin-side-down grilling to help the fillets hold together. Serve with grilled asparagus, potatoes, or vegetables for a lighter main dish.
Get the Recipe: Flaky Grilled Salmon

Grilled Steak Pinwheels

Close-up of sliced stuffed beef roulade with visible layers of meat, cheese, and spinach on a wooden board. A glass of beer is blurred in the background. — Grilled Steak Pinwheels. Photo credit: Hungry Cooks Kitchen.

Smaller dinners get a neater main when Grilled Steak Pinwheels roll butterflied flank steak with Emmental cheese and spinach for four servings in 35 minutes. The roll is secured, sliced into pinwheels, brushed with olive oil, and grilled for a few minutes per side. The format gives steak a plated look without needing a large roast or long marinade. Serve with chimichurri, balsamic glaze, grilled potatoes, or a simple green salad.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Steak Pinwheels

Beef Kabobs with Chimichurri Sauce

Grilled meat and vegetable skewers with zucchini, red onion, and red bell pepper, garnished with chopped herbs, served on a beige plate. — Beef Kabobs with Chimichurri Sauce. Photo credit: Pocket Friendly Recipes.

Skewer duty gets bigger when Beef Kabobs with Chimichurri Sauce pair sirloin cubes with red bell pepper, zucchini, and red onion in 35 minutes. The beef is seasoned with olive oil, curry powder, salt, and pepper, while the sauce uses parsley, red wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic. Four servings make it useful as a main that already includes vegetables. Serve with rice, grilled corn, or potatoes for a complete cookout plate.
Get the Recipe: Beef Kabobs with Chimichurri Sauce

Grilled Peaches

Close-up of grilled peach slices with caramelized, slightly charred edges on a white plate. — Grilled Peaches. Photo credit: Splash of Taste.

Dessert can stay outside when Grilled Peaches use six firm ripe peaches and finish in 11 minutes. The fruit is brushed with olive oil, grilled briefly, then spooned with a butter sauce made from brown sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, optional golden rum, and a pinch of salt. Ice cream turns it into a simple final course without moving dessert back indoors. Serve right after the mains while the grill is still warm.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Peaches

Garlic Butter Steak and Potatoes Foil Packet

No-pan dinners make sense when Garlic Butter Steak and Potatoes Foil Packet packs sirloin steak, baby potatoes, pearl onions, butter, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper into four servings. The 45-minute recipe cooks in sealed foil packets on the grill, with an oven option listed too. It covers the main dish and potato side together, which keeps cleanup low. Use it for cookouts, camping, or a backyard dinner where plates need something hearty.
Get the Recipe: Garlic Butter Steak and Potatoes Foil Packet