Grilling recipes
These grilling recipes are for cookout food that goes from raw to plated fast: burgers, chicken thighs, sausages, skewers, fish, shrimp and grilled vegetables. If you came looking for BBQ recipes, this is the quick backyard side of BBQ, not low-and-slow smoked brisket or ribs, which take hours. Every recipe here takes 20 minutes or less on a gas or charcoal grill.
19 recipes, quickest first.
16 minGrilled garlic lemon shrimp skewers
17 minFirecracker shrimp
18 minGrilled peach caprese
19 minGrilled lemon dill salmon
19 minGrilled pineapple with rum caramel
19 minGrilled vegetable skewers with herb oil
20 minBBQ chicken skewers
20 minBeer brat sliders
20 minClassic grilled cheeseburgers
20 minGrilled bratwurst with beer onions
20 minGrilled chicken thighs
20 minGrilled corn with chili-lime butter
20 minGrilled flank steak with garlic herb butter
20 minGrilled honey chipotle chicken tenders
20 minGrilled hot dogs with a toppings bar
20 minGrilled Mexican street corn (elote)
20 minGrilled pork chops with brown sugar rub
20 minGrilled sausage, peppers and onions
20 minHawaiian chicken kebabs
Start the grill before you prep, since most of the waiting happens while it heats. Thin cuts, skewers and pounded chicken cook fastest, so cut or flatten food for even thickness. If you are feeding a crowd, pair one main with a vegetable you can grill alongside it and a no-cook side, and keep an instant-read thermometer by the grill.
Common questions
How long do you preheat a grill?
Preheat a gas grill with the lid closed for 10 to 15 minutes, until it reaches the temperature the recipe calls for. A charcoal grill usually takes 15 to 20 minutes for the coals to light and ash over. A properly hot grate sears food on contact, helps prevent sticking and gives you grill marks, so don't rush this step.
How do you know when charcoal is ready?
Coals are ready when they are mostly covered in a thin layer of gray ash and glowing red underneath, usually 15 to 20 minutes after lighting in a chimney starter. To judge heat, hold your palm about 5 inches above the grate: 2 to 3 seconds means high heat, 4 to 5 seconds medium, and 6 to 7 seconds low.
What temperature should grilled meat be cooked to?
The USDA recommends 160F for burgers and other ground beef or pork, 165F for all poultry, including ground chicken and turkey, and 145F for steaks, pork chops and fish, with a 3-minute rest for whole cuts of meat. Color is not a reliable guide, so check the thickest part with an instant-read thermometer before taking food off the grill.
What is the difference between grilling and BBQ?
Grilling cooks food quickly over direct, high heat, which suits burgers, steaks, chicken pieces and vegetables. Traditional BBQ cooks tough cuts like brisket, pork shoulder and ribs slowly over low, indirect heat and smoke for many hours. In everyday American use, people call both a barbecue or cookout, but the recipes on this page are fast grilling, not smoking.