Grilled Recipes & Grilling Ideas

If there’s a food that’s not improved by grilling, I’ve yet to find it. The open flame and sizzling grill grates add flavor, complexity, and gorgeous grill marks to meat, veggies, fruit, and extra-firm tofu (what we’re talking about today!). With just a few smart steps — including dredging the planks in a simple spice rub and finishing them with a punchy herb sauce — tofu can be one of the most flavorful foods to come off the grill.

It's all about the marinade.

When summer heat floods the farmers markets and groceries stores with green zucchini and yellow squash, it also brings pattypans, the darling of the summer squash family. These small, adorable, disk-shaped squashes with their sometimes scalloped edges come in all shades of green and yellow, and are just as delicious as their bigger counterparts.

The grill has the ability to elevate sweet, juicy peaches from over-the-sink snack to the most stunning dessert or a side dish with nothing more than heat. Grilled peaches are the kind of magic that happens in a hot grill’s twilight, when dinner is nearly done, and sweet fruit is the best pairing for the cold wine and ice cream destined for dessert. Here’s how to pull it off with grace and ease in only four simple steps. They’re incredibly easy to grill.

Picture this: You’ve got guests coming over for a cookout in less than an hour. What can you grill that will be both impressive and quick? The answer is almost always grilled pork tenderloin. Pork, especially the pork tenderloin, takes incredibly well to the smoky char of the grill. With just a smart dry rub of sugar, salt, and spices, pork tenderloin grills up with a thin, tender-crisp crust, while being incredibly juicy and, well, tender in the interior.

When the sun is shining and you’re contemplating grilling outside, don’t forget that easy grilled sweet potatoes can be a delicious addition to the summer dinner plate. All you have to do is toss thick slices with some oil and salt, and after just 10 minutes on the grill they’ll be sweet and tender with a hint of smokiness from the flames. To up the ante, toss the still-warm grilled sweet potatoes in a sweet-and-spicy dressing. Heat the grill.

Make it fancy with an easy herb butter.

It’s summer, which means that not only is your grill hot, but corn on the cob is also finally juicy and sweet. The two need to meet. While I’d like to tell you it’s as simple as throwing the cobs on the hot gas grill or charcoal grill and letting the two mingle, there is some work that must be done to get the corn and its husk ready for the grill. Get to know which corn to buy, steps for grilling, and the essentials to achieve a grilled corn perfection.

Fresh salmon that’s been rubbed with herbs and grilled slowly over wine-soaked cedar planks: Let me tell you, this right here is some of the best salmon you’ll ever put in your mouth. This is such a simple and elegant technique for cooking salmon. The fish steams gently in the heat of the grill, staying incredibly tender and moist. It also picks up smoky flavors from the grill and woodsy flavors from the cedar, along with whatever was used to soak the planks. So good.

I make it every summer.

Psst: It’s all about that marinade.

Every bite is perfection.

Being the primary cook in my household, I was shocked to realize recently that I had no idea how to make one of my favorite marinades. My partner always handles the grilling of galbi (Korean short ribs) plus firm tofu for me, but it seemed silly not to know what went into the sauce for this deeply flavored, salty and sweet Korean-style barbecue. Fortunately, it’s pretty simple and now that I know, I can share it with you, too.

You'll want to put the sauce on everything.

Lately, I have been all about flank steak. This cut isn’t quite as fancy — or typically as expensive — as premium steaks, like ribeye and filet mignon, but it cooks just as quickly and delivers big on flavor. I love it for more casual weeknight meals, like easy steak fajitas or alongside some roasted veggies. Plus, the leftovers make tasty steak sandwiches for lunch the next day.

Get ready to crunch.

A marinade is like an insurance policy for your grilled steak.

It's a showstopper that only requires four ingredients.

In the winter, a baked potato (with the works!) is something my family enjoys on a regular basis. We oil and season the potatoes and roast them directly on the oven rack, then load up the steaming spuds with all the accoutrements our hearts desire. When summer approaches and we turn our attention to the grill, our baked potato habit typically comes to a halt. But this year, it’s only just ramping up.

The umami-packed sweet-and-salty marinade is the star.

Everything you need to know about grilling eggplant, summer squash, bell peppers, mushrooms, asparagus, and more.

It's foolproof!

Summer is the perfect time of the year to cook with seasonal peppersstuffed mushroom sauté the peppers, stir them with cheese, pack the mixture into the mushrooms, sprinkle with panko breadcrumbs, and grill them for five minutes. The real debate with grilled stuffed mushrooms is whether or not you should chop up the stems and put them back in the mushrooms.

Just 3 ingredients!

I’m lucky enough that I live in temperate California with weather that’s suitable for grilling pretty much all year long, save for a few rainy days here and there. When we decided to grill the turkey for our Thanksgiving gathering this year, I was really excited about it — it’s the perfect excuse to be outdoors yet still be getting the centerpiece of Thanksgiving dinner cooked.

A quick soak in an easy brine makes for perfect grilled pork chops every single time.

Like the classic salad, but way better.

Everyone will ask for your trick.

We've cracked the code on moist and tender fillets.

Warning: You'll want to drizzle the sauce over everything.

Use it in salads, sandwiches, as a pizza topping, and beyond.

It comes together with an easy marinade and just a few minutes on the grill.

So good you’ll want to eat it straight off the grill.

It’ll feed the whole crew.

And it lets you off the hook with dishes.

The summer side dish that’s always in my back pocket.

A low-stress crowd-pleaser!

A summery spin on a classic comfort food.

It’s got a smoky twist.

A surprising combo that’s super flavorful.

It’s ready in 15 minutes.

For all your summer needs!

A version of this post was originally sent to our email subscribers on April 17th. To sign up for our weekly email (not daily as the box indicates) sign up in the column to the left or click here.Maybe I jumped the gun a bit, but a few weekends ago, I grilled pizza up on a bluff. We served it right there, in the damp April evening. It was only about fifty degrees, but green things are emerging from the ground, I thought. Let’s celebrate. It’s normal spring behavior for me.

It’s the smart shortcut you need!

It’s even better with crispy bacon and ripe tomato.

Crunchy, cheesy, spicy, and creamy.

It’s the perfect combination of salty and sweet.

All the preparations and cook times take mere minutes, and frenched lamb chops look gorgeous on the table.