MICHAEL TUREK
Techniques

50 Essential Grilling Recipes to Make You Keeper of the Flame

From the best steaks and burgers to grilled fruit, desserts, and even cocktails

By SAVEUR Editors


Published on June 22, 2017

Summer means grilling—live fire, please, with lots of friends and ice-cold beer. And we're firm believers in the all-grilled meal, where every part of your dinner can be cooked outdoors while the coals are ripping hot. To that end, consider these grilling recipes your summer to-do list, the best of our complete guide to summer grilling ideal for Labor Day and Independence Day cookouts. Be sure to read up on our best grilling tools and, if you're hungry for more, get schooled with these grilling recipes from around the world.

Happy summer.

Garlic and Red-Miso Porterhouse
Garlic and Red-Miso Porterhouse

A marinade of red miso, ginger, and garlic gives this steak a crisp, flavorful crust and a juicy interior. Get the recipe for Garlic and Red-Miso Porterhouse »

Grilled Rib Eye with Sweet-Hot Pepper Sauce
Grilled Rib Eye with Sweet-Hot Pepper Sauce

Chef Craig Koketsu brings extra luxury to a dry-aged rib eye by basting it in rendered beef fat. A chunky chile and herb sauce makes a piquant side dish. Get the recipe for Grilled Rib Eye with Sweet-Hot Pepper Sauce »

Grilled Fish Tacos with Creamy Chipotle Sauce
Grilled Fish Tacos with Creamy Chipotle Sauce

Boneless tilapia filets spiced with cayenne, cumin, paprika, and garlic make great soft tacos; serve them with shredded cabbage and a smoky chipotle mayonnaise sauce. Get the recipe for Grilled Fish Tacos with Creamy Chipotle Sauce »

Indian Lamb Ribs (Tandoori Champ)
Indian Lamb Ribs (Tandoori Champ)

In India, these ribs would be cooked in a tandoor, a clay oven. To achieve a similar oven-roasted effect on a charcoal or gas grill, cook the ribs over indirect heat, then finish them with a sear directly over the fire. Get the recipe for Indian Lamb Ribs (Tandoori Champ) »

Florentine T-bone Steak
Florentine T-bone Steak

Brushing meat with rosemary imparts an herbal fragrance to this Italian steak, which is traditionally served with cannellini beans and lemon wedges.Get the recipe for Florentine T-bone Steak »

Baby Back Ribs
Baby Back Ribs

We cook these meaty ribs using indirect heat, meaning not directly over the coals. That way, the meat is infused with pure wood smoke rather than with smoke from fat dripping on the coals. Get the recipe for Baby Back Ribs »

OystersGrilled
Grilled Oysters

Oysters are the perfect aphrodisiacs to have on Valentine’s day. Believed to increase fertility, these half shells evoke images of romance. Grill them for your lover and sprinkle some pecorino and bottarga before serving. Get the recipe for Grilled Oysters »

Adobo Chicken Under a Brick
Adobo Chicken Under a Brick

Maricel Presilla’s zesty Cuban-inspired marinade infuses this chicken with flavor, and grilling it flat on a plancha makes the skin deliciously crispy. Get the recipe for Adobo Chicken Under a Brick »

Angel Cruz Beef Skewers
Angel Cruz Beef Skewers

Angel Cruz Beef Skewers

Pacific Rim Glazed Flank Steak
Pacific Rim Glazed Flank Steak

This grilled steak is the perfect main course for casual summer entertaining. Get the recipe for Pacific Rim Glazed Flank Steak »**

classic burger
Classic Hamburger

The higher the meat’s fat content, the juicier the burger will be but the more it will shrink; we prefer 80 percent lean beef. This hamburger may be grilled instead of panfried. Get the recipe for the Classic Hamburger »

Whole Grilled Fish with Lemon (Riba na Rostilju)
Whole Grilled Fish with Lemon (Riba na Rostilju)

Seka Salamun, a home cook in Tisno, Croatia, uses olive wood to impart a mild smokiness to this grilled fish. Though delicious with just a squeeze of lemon, it also pairs beautifully with classic French fish sauces. Get the recipe for Whole Grilled Fish with Lemon (Riba na Rostilju) »

Grilled Skirt Steak with Herb Salad
Grilled Skirt Steak with Herb Salad

This steak is seasoned simply with salt and pepper and served with a light herb salad with a whole grain mustard and honey dressing. Get the recipe for Grilled Skirt Steak with Herb Salad »

Grilled Turkey
Grilled Turkey

This recipe for grilling a whole turkey—a method that yields a smoky flavor and crisp skin while freeing up oven space for side dishes—comes from Barbara Ries of San Rafael, California. Grilling works the best with a bird that’s been soaked in a brine solution overnight. Get the recipe for Grilled Turkey »

Koji-Cured Grilled Salmon
Koji-Cured Grilled Salmon

There are two types used for cooking: Ama-koji and Shio-koji. Ama-koji, called for here, has no salt, so you can control the seasoning yourself. In this simple recipe, it’s added to salmon fillets before they hit the grill, which lightly cures them and adds an umami kick. Get the recipe for Koji-Cured Grilled Salmon »

Thai Fish Burger
Thai Fish Burger

“Combining a mild fish like cod with store-bought curry paste, cilantro, and kaffir lime makes for an incredibly flavorful patty, and serving it with a simple topping of thinly sliced cucumbers, red onion, and cilantro tossed with nuoc cham (a classic Vietnamese dipping sauce made from garlic, chile, sugar, fish sauce, and lime) is my ideal summer meal.” —Farideh Sadeghin, Test Kitchen Director Get the recipe for the Thai Fish Burger »

flat iron steak
Flat Iron Steak with Herb Butter

These juicy steaks are simple to prepare, needing only a quick sear in a hot iron pan. To simplify, prepare the herb butter in advance. Get the recipe for Flat Iron Steak with Herb Butter »

Blue Cheese-Stuffed Burgers
Blue Cheese-Stuffed Burgers

Quick-pickled cremini mushrooms and red onions are a zesty foil for juicy blue cheese-stuffed burgers. Get the recipe for Blue Cheese-Stuffed Burgers »

Fajitas
Fajitas

Though Tex-Mex-style fajitas are unknown in Mexico, grilled skirt steak is eaten with tortillas in Nuevo Leon, under the name arrachera al carbon. Get the recipe for Fajitas »

Aussie Burger
Aussie Burger

Over-the-top burgers like this one—topped with a fried egg, pickled beets, and pineapple rings—are popular in Australia. Get the recipe for the Aussie Burger »

Cowboy steak
Cowboy Rib Eye

This recipe for mesquite-grilled steak with onions rings comes from Dallas chef Stephan Pyles. Get the recipe for the Cowboy Rib Eye »

tacos
Grilled Tri-Tip Tacos

The beef cut of choice for California barbecue and grilling, tri-tip steak (also called Newport, Santa Maria, or triangle steak) comes from the lean bottom sirloin. Here it’s sliced and seasoned with rosemary, chiles, garlic, and cumin in a tender filling for tacos. Get the recipe for Grilled Tri-Tip Tacos »

Ultimate Grilled Cheeseburger
Ultimate Grilled Cheeseburger

This burger, inspired by one created in Modernist Cuisine co-author Nathan Myhrvold’s culinary lab, is topped with a tangy cream and vermouth sauce. Adding egg yolks to freshly ground meat makes for a supremely rich burger. Get the recipe for the Ultimate Grilled Cheeseburger »

Fennel Chile Rubbed Steak, Grilling
Giant Fennel-Chile-Rubbed Steak

This T-bone steak is grilled with a simple rub of ground fennel seeds, black peppercorns, and red chile flakes. Get the recipe for Giant Fennel-Chile-Rubbed Steak »

Houston, Chris Shepherd, Grilling, Flank Steak
Grilled Flank Steak with Coca-Cola-Pickled Onions

In Korea, lettuce is often used as a crisp wrapper for bulgogi (marinated beef). In this recipe, sweeter pickled onions take the place of spicy kimchi. Get the recipe for Grilled Flank Steak with Coca-Cola-Pickled Onions »

pimento burger
Pimento Cheese Burger

Pimento cheese is a popular burger topping in and around Columbia, South Carolina. The cheese gives so much flavor to the burger that you won’t need ketchup. Get the recipe for Pimento Cheese Burger »

Shish Kebab
Shish Kebab

This lamb kebab is adapted from a recipe in Anissa Helou’s Mediterranean Street Food. Get the recipe for Shish Kebab »

Bacon Cheeseburger
Bacon Cheeseburger

There are many ways to make a bacon cheeseburger but this one, from former SAVEUR editor Colman Andrews, is one of our favorites. Tamari, which is aged soy sauce without added wheat, is available in Asian markets and many supermarkets. Lightly crusty, oval Portuguese rolls are sold mostly on the East Coast; if they’re unavailable, other rolls may be substituted. Get the recipe for Bacon Cheeseburger »

Kielbasa
Kielbasa

These juicy smoked sausages are made with a blend of beef chuck and pork belly or shoulder. Get the recipe for Kielbasa »

steak w sauce vierge
Grilled Steak with Sauce Vierge

Sauce vierge (literally, virgin sauce, a reference to its uncooked character) belongs to a family of fresh French Mediterranean sauces that differ greatly from the rich, stock-based sauces commonly associated with classical French cooking. Also called green sauce, sauce aux herbes, and sauce verte, it is usually a piquant mixture of olive oil, herbs, mustard, capers, olives, and other aromatics. In this version, chiles add a spicy, new-world dimension. Besides accompanying steak, this sauce goes well with grilled or sauteed pork chops or tuna. Get the recipe for Grilled Steak with Sauce Vierge »

Lamb burger
Lamb Burger

These burgers—topped with a tangy mix of feta, arugula, olives, and sun-dried tomatoes—are seasoned with a combination of herbs that provide a lively flavor reminiscent of lamb gyro sandwiches. Get the recipe for Lamb Burger »

Pineapple and Pork Teriyaki Skewers
Pineapple and Pork Teriyaki Skewers

Sweet grilled onion and pineapple stand up against rich marinated pork in these easy, Hawaiian-inspired skewers. Get the recipe for Pineapple and Pork Teriyaki Skewers »

21 Club Hamburger
21 Club Hamburger

John Greeley, the chef at the 21 Club in New York City, grinds beef chuck and beef round with a couple of tablespoons of duck fat to make this tasty burger. Store-bought ground beef is a fine substitute. Get the recipe for the 21 Club Hamburger »

Rossini Burger
Rossini Burger

This over-the-top burger, adorned with truffles and foie gras and drenched in demi-glace, deserves a dry stout with a hefty, silky body but a crisp finish. Get the recipe for Rossini Burger »

Sid's Onion Burger
Sid's Onion Burger

For these addictively tasty burgers from Sid’s Diner in El Reno, Oklahoma, ground beef is pressed onto the griddle with paper-thin slices of onion and seared until crisp around the edges. Get the recipe for Sid’s Onion Burger »

Grilled Strawberries
Grilled Strawberries

Roasting strawberries over mellow, barely glowing embers turns them from bright red bulbs to plump crimson pillows of deeply sweet juice. Get the recipe for Grilled Strawberries »

cuban burgere
Cuban Hamburger

You can find variations on this delicious burger, which consists of ground beef and spicy chorizo topped with crunchy fried potatoes, in Cuban-American communities all over Miami. For this version, we adapted a recipe given to us by Lourdes Castro, a food writer and professor from Miami. Get the recipe for Cuban Hamburger »

Chimi Burger
Chimi Burger

This Dominican-style hamburger is topped with sautéed cabbage, onion, and tomato and doused in a Worcestershire-spiked ketchup-mayonnaise blend known as salsa golf. Get the recipe for Chimi Burger »

Open-Face Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Open-Face Grilled Cheese Sandwich

This recipe is a unique twist on the childhood favorite we all know and love. Get the recipe for Open-Faced Grilled Cheese »

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