19 Grilled Recipes Worth Skipping the BBQ Restaurant For

From the grilled recipes developed across the network, these 19 cover the full range of a backyard spread: protein mains from beef and chicken to salmon, sides that actually earn their spot on the table, and a pasta salad that pulls the whole menu together. Each one uses the grill as the primary cooking method, so the smoky char and the lower cleanup bill are built in. Whether you’re feeding four on a Tuesday or feeding twelve on a Saturday, this list has the whole meal covered.

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers

Stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped in bacon before hitting the grill, Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers are the starter that keeps everyone at the grill instead of inside the kitchen. The bacon crisps up while the cream cheese softens around the jalapeño, so every bite has smoky, spicy, and creamy together. Make them as an appetizer while the mains are cooking, and they disappear before anything else hits the table.
Get the Recipe: Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers

Charred Grilled Potatoes

Tossed in olive oil with garlic powder, lemon, and fresh herbs, Charred Grilled Potatoes use baby yellow potatoes that cook through in 30 minutes and serve four without any oven required. The direct heat chars the edges while the centers stay tender, which is the result you can’t get from roasting. A side dish that takes up exactly zero indoor space.
Get the Recipe: Charred Grilled Potatoes

Beef Kabobs with Chimichurri Sauce

Threaded with beef sirloin, red bell pepper, zucchini, and red onion, Beef Kabobs with Chimichurri Sauce come off the grill in 35 minutes with an herb sauce built from cilantro, parsley, garlic, red wine vinegar, and red pepper flakes. The chimichurri does double duty as a marinade and a finishing sauce, so the beef carries that punchy, herby flavor all the way through. Solid main for a weekend cookout where you want something more interesting than a standard burger.
Get the Recipe: Beef Kabobs with Chimichurri Sauce

Grilled Tri Tip

Marinated in a chimichurri-style blend of cilantro, parsley, garlic, red wine vinegar, and dried oregano, Grilled Tri Tip takes 40 minutes and feeds four from a single cut. Tri-tip holds up well to high heat, develops a good char on the outside, and slices cleanly once it rests, so it’s the right call when you want something that looks and tastes like a proper restaurant cut without paying for it. Let it rest before cutting.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Tri Tip

Cheeseburger

Built on ground beef with cheddar, brioche buns, lettuce, and tomato, Cheeseburger is the reason the grill was invented. It’s the recipe that makes delivery burgers feel like a bad deal, since the same ingredients at home produce a fresher, hotter result with significantly less money per patty. Serve it with the grilled potatoes from this list and you have a full plate without leaving the yard.
Get the Recipe: Cheeseburger

Grilled Thai Chicken Skewers

Marinated in a Thai-style blend before going on the grill, Grilled Thai Chicken Skewers bring a different flavor register to the cookout than the standard BBQ sauce rotation. The marinade does the work ahead of time, so these go from grill to plate quickly and work well alongside a cold pasta salad or charred corn. A good option for when the group wants something other than red meat.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Thai Chicken Skewers

Best Pasta Salad with Grilled Veggies

Cavatappi pasta dressed in balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard with grilled zucchini, red bell pepper, red onion, black olives, and cherry tomatoes, Best Pasta Salad with Grilled Veggies comes together in 40 minutes and holds well through the meal. The grilled vegetables add a char that a cold pasta salad made with raw vegetables can’t replicate. Make it first since it’s better after sitting for a bit and serve it alongside anything else on this list.
Get the Recipe: Best Pasta Salad with Grilled Veggies

Street Steak Tacos

Built on grilled steak with taco shells, cilantro, onion, and salsa, Street Steak Tacos are the fast-assembly option once the steak is off the grill. The components are simple on purpose: the char on the beef is the point, and the toppings stay out of the way. Set everything out taco-bar style so people can build their own, which also means the cook isn’t plating 12 individual portions.
Get the Recipe: Street Steak Tacos

Charred Mexican Street Corn

Grilled and finished with cotija, lime, and chili seasoning, Charred Mexican Street Corn is the side dish that makes people forget about French fries. The direct grill heat chars the kernels unevenly in a way that adds texture and a smoky sweetness that no roasted version matches. It works as a side on its own or sliced off the cob into a bowl if the crowd wants to eat it without the mess.
Get the Recipe: Charred Mexican Street Corn

Spicy Blackened Salmon Tacos

Seasoned salmon goes in the pan or on the grill before getting tucked into taco tortillas with red cabbage, corn, jalapeño, and cotija cheese, and Spicy Blackened Salmon Tacos are table-ready in 30 minutes. The lime crema and cotija balance the heat from the blackening spices, so the tacos are bright and creamy without being heavy. The right move when the group includes people who don’t want red meat but still want something with real flavor.
Get the Recipe: Spicy Blackened Salmon Tacos

BBQ Drumsticks

Coated in a BBQ sauce built on apple cider vinegar, smoked paprika, garlic, and onion powder, BBQ Drumsticks take 55 minutes on the grill and feed four. Drumsticks stay juicier than breasts at grill temperatures because the higher fat content prevents them from drying out, so this is the recipe to reach for when you want crowd-pleasing chicken without watching the heat constantly. Finish with fresh parsley before serving.
Get the Recipe: BBQ Drumsticks

Smoky Cajun Corn on the Cob

Grilled whole and seasoned with Cajun spices before serving, Smoky Cajun Corn on the Cob is the side that requires almost no effort while the mains are going. The grill does the work: the husk or direct heat caramelizes the corn and the Cajun seasoning adds enough heat and smoke to make it interesting alongside milder proteins. Serve it alongside the Thai chicken skewers or the burgers.
Get the Recipe: Smoky Cajun Corn on the Cob

Grilled Veggie Kabobs

Loaded with zucchini, red onion, mushrooms, green bell pepper, and eggplant on skewers, Grilled Veggie Kabobs come off the grill in 30 minutes with a marinade of lemon, olive oil, Dijon mustard, basil, parsley, garlic, and white wine vinegar. The marinade doubles as the reason the vegetables don’t dry out or char too fast. They work as a main for anyone skipping the meat, or as a hearty side for everyone else.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Veggie Kabobs

Buffalo Wings

Finished in a honey buffalo sauce and served with blue cheese dip, Buffalo Wings on the grill produce a crispier skin than the oven and a smokier result than frying, since baking powder in the coating pulls moisture out before the grill heat sets the exterior. They’re the recipe that makes ordering delivery wings feel unnecessary once you’ve made them at home. Serve them as the game-day starter or as a main alongside the pasta salad.
Get the Recipe: Buffalo Wings

Garlic Butter Steak and Potatoes Foil Packet

Sirloin steak, potatoes, and herbs sealed in foil with garlic and butter, Garlic Butter Steak and Potatoes Foil Packet is the full-meal option that requires no extra pans, no extra plates, and almost no cleanup. The sealed packet holds the steam in so the steak cooks through while the potatoes absorb the garlic butter, and the whole thing comes off the grill ready to eat. A practical choice for feeding a crowd where people want protein and starch without waiting on two separate items.
Get the Recipe: Garlic Butter Steak and Potatoes Foil Packet

Charred Grilled Asparagus

Tossed in olive oil with salt, pepper, and lemon before going on the grill, Charred Grilled Asparagus is the fastest side on this list and the one that takes up the least grill space. The high heat blisters the stalks quickly and the lemon keeps the flavor bright rather than heavy. It pairs with the tri-tip, the steak foil pack, or the salmon tacos equally well.
Get the Recipe: Charred Grilled Asparagus

Black Bean Burger

Seasoned black beans, onion, and garlic form the base of Black Bean Burger, which goes on the grill for anyone who wants a plant-based patty that actually holds together and tastes like something. At 25 minutes it’s faster than most meat burgers, and it takes the same toppings. Serve it on a brioche bun with the same setup as the cheeseburger so nobody at the cookout is working from a separate menu.
Get the Recipe: Black Bean Burger

Charred Grilled Peppers

Bell peppers grilled with olive oil, garlic, and herbs until they’re soft and slightly charred, Charred Grilled Peppers are the most useful item on this list because they work as a side, a topping for the burgers or steaks, or a component in the pasta salad. Adding feta at the end is optional but shifts them from a side into a standalone dish. Takes almost no time and uses the last bit of grill space productively.
Get the Recipe: Charred Grilled Peppers

Chipotle Grilled Chicken

Marinated in a chipotle blend before going on the grill, Chipotle Grilled Chicken is table-ready in 25 minutes and brings enough heat and smoke to stand on its own without a sauce. It’s the versatile protein option in this collection: slice it for tacos, serve it whole alongside the grilled potatoes and asparagus, or chop it into the pasta salad if there’s any left over. A reliable main that covers the gap when not everyone wants steak.
Get the Recipe: Chipotle Grilled Chicken