20 Summer Grilling Recipes (Quick & Easy!)

These flame-kissed summer grilling favorites are the SUPER easy Summer Grilling Recipes you’ve been looking for! Loaded with flavor and grilled to perfection, you’ll be greeted with a mind-boggling flavor frenzy each and every time you fire up the grill! It’s time to get dinner sizzlin’!

Burgers and pineapple rings on grill with beach in background.

Summer Grilling Recipes

One of the best things about enjoying delicious food hot off the grill… is that it can be so easy when you have the right recipe! So to help you out, I’ve compiled a list of mouthwatering summer grilling menu ideas that take hardly any prep time and use only a minimal number of ingredients.

Trust me, skipping all the effort and enjoying incredible flavors is always a good idea!

Plus, in addition to summer grilling recipes, you’ll also find these recipes work great as fall grilling recipes, spring grilling recipes and even as winter grilling recipes.

You’ll even find that many of these recipes can be used as low carb or keto grilling recipes.

With this list you’ll get homemade buns and off-the-charts burgers! You’ll also be greeted with fantastic rubs, delightful chicken marinade recipes, the Best Grilling Sauces, grilled chicken sandwiches, tasty grilling ground beef recipes… and some truly incredible crowd-pleasing cookout sides!

So go ahead and add some tasty flair to your grilling adventures with these tried and tested summer grilling recipes..

Small Weber grill on concrete in front of a pool.

Grilling Ground Beef Recipes

For all of the amazing food that we have available in this country, some days a truly All American burger needs to make its way onto our plate. And not just any old burger, but a really, really, really good burger!

That’s where these burgers come in.

These easy burger recipes for the grill serve up some seriously fun twists on a truly great American classic.

It’s time to bite into a truly tempting burger…

Best Burger Seasoning

Making a gourmet burger at home just got a whole lot easier. This frugal seasoning recipe is the perfect blend of flavors, my family simply cannot get enough of these burgers!

Hidden Valley Ranch Burger

Infusing a grilled burger with a Hidden Valley Ranch Packet and Fritos breaks so many rules… and I love it!

BBQ Burger Recipe

This smokehouse burger is simple, delicious and infused with a smoky BBQ infused flavor you’re going to love!

Pineapple Teriyaki Burger

These teriyaki hamburger patties infused with sweet and tangy sauce and topped with chargrilled pineapples are a serious family favorite around here!

Best Hamburger Buns

Serve your epic burgers and chicken sandwiches on these amazing homemade buns!

Hamburger Slider Buns

Tiny but mighty, these mini Slider Buns are SO simple to make, the ultimate party pleaser, and perfect for bite-sized burgers!

Related: Save Money on Meat

How To Grill Steak – Easy Recipes

Awesome Steak Seasoning

Buying steak on sale, making a yummy Steak Seasoning mix, and enjoying an awesome steak dinner at home with your family… what could be better?

Easy Steak Marinade

It’s such a delicious blend of fresh and savory flavors, and provides that perfect compliment of flavor to each delicious bite of your juicy grilled steak! Yum!

BBQ Seasoning

BBQ Pulled Pork Dry Rub

Simply use this smoked BBQ rub on your favorite cut of Pork, Chicken or Steak, or rub it on some delicious Ribs… then get ready for some amazing home cooked barbecue flavor!

Spoon in a bowl of BBQ rub.

Dry Rub for Chicken

If you need a versatile chicken dry rub recipe, you just found it!

Blackened Chicken Seasoning (also great on Steak and Fish)

Simply use this blackened seasoning mix on your favorite cut of Chicken, Steak, Tilapia, Salmon, or even Pork Chops… and get ready for a little flavor dance in your mouth!

Grilled Fish Recipes

Grilled Salmon in Foil

Take your Salmon to a whole new level of flavor excitement with this easy Grilled Garlic Salmon Recipe!

Grilled Tilapia Recipe

This is the grill happy fish recipe you’ve been looking for. It’s everything you love about perfectly grilled tilapia… and that’s all!

Chicken Marinade Recipes

Italian Salad Dressing Chicken Marinade

The savory dressing mixed with soy sauce and seasonings serves up exceptional chicken every time!

Lindsey writes: “So good and super easy! Gives the chicken a great flavor and keeps it juicy!”

Teriyaki Chicken Marinade

Fire up the grill and get ready for some homemade Teriyaki heaven!

Chicken Marinade with Greek Yogurt

Take a trip to flavor town with this delicious marinade. It’s the perfect start for your Chicken Pitas or Kabobs!

California Chicken Sandwich

Give your ordinary grilled chicken a massive flavor makeover with this tasty ranch marinade infused chicken!

Monica writes: “I marinated chicken thighs and cooked them on the barbecue. Absolutely delicious. Even my fussiest eater enjoyed this marinade.”

Cookout Sides

Skillet Cornbread Recipe

This homemade cornbread is over-the-top delicious when you make it in your cast iron skillet!

Cornbread Muffins Recipe

These sweet and buttery Southern cornbread muffins will INSTANTLY take your dinner to the next level, and always get rave reviews!

Easy Cornbread Recipe (Ultimate 9×13 Pan Dish Recipe)

It’ll be hard to prepare your taste buds for this melt-in-your-mouth Ultimate Cornbread Recipe!

Potato Wedges Recipe (Jo Jo’s)

These 5 ingredient garlic parmesan potato wedges are the tasty homemade side you’ve been craving!

Beef Chili (Award Winning)

Perfect for the backyard or the potluck! Get ready for some Chili yumminess when you make this flavor packed crockpot chili recipe!

BBQ Baked Beans (One Pot or Crockpot)

These baked beans made with sweet BBQ sauce and tangy ranch seasoning are the perfect cowboy beans recipe!

Easy Recipe for Creamed Corn (Rudy’s Copycat)

Nothing says comfort food like some rich, decadent southern style creamed corn!

Crock Pot Mac and Cheese

Craving some comfort food tonight? This slow cooker mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food classic!

Macaroni with Cheese and Bacon

This easy Crockpot Bacon Macaroni and Cheese Recipe is the ultimate comfort food!

Easy Coleslaw Recipe

With an outrageously delicious dressing, this easy coleslaw serves up coleslaw satisfaction you only dreamed was possible!

Sweet Coleslaw

This sweet and sour coleslaw may just be your new favorite way to top your pulled pork sandwich!

Sauces for Grilling

Best Homemade BBQ Sauce

Enjoy the satisfaction of making your own BBQ Sauce with this Easy Homemade Hickory BBQ Sauce Recipe!

$Sauce in a jar labeled \"bbq.\"$

BBQ Drinks

Southern Sweet Tea Recipe (Southern Heaven)

Are you ready for some Southern Heaven in a Mason Jar? This Southern Sweet Tea Recipe is for you!

Fresh Lemonade Recipe

When life friends give you lemons… (straight from the tree)… what do you do?? You make lemonade!

Glass boot of lemonade.

Strawberry Frozen Lemonade

This tasty treat is the perfect way to cool off on a hot day! Who can resist a delightful splash of lemonade, and some irresistible strawberries?? I sure can’t!

14 Slushie Drinks

Make your summer even more amazing with one of these Best Slushie Recipes! Yum Yum Yummy!

12 Best Coffee Recipes

Enjoy these easy coffee recipes at home, and enjoy a day filled with a little extra energy!!

Campout Favorites

65 Camping Food Ideas

Make your next camping trip a smashing success with these easy camping menu tips!

Collage of camping foods.

125 RV Cooking Recipes

Get ready to load up on some seriously fun RV recipes to fuel your RV, motorhome, and camping adventures this year!

More Easy Summer Dinner Ideas

Ready for even more yummy recipe inspiration and creative tips? For those nights you actually want something other than amazing BBQ, I’ve got you covered.

Have fun being tempted by these tasty fun ideas…

201 Easy Dinner Crockpot Recipes

On the hunt for some easy dinners your family will love? These cozy dinners and slow cooker desserts are perfect for hot summer nights!

How to Clean Grill Grates

When you know How to Clean Grill Grates the easy way, you’ll want to ditch the kitchen and head outside way more often for some epic summertime grilling!

Hey there, grill friend! 🙂 Are you wondering how to make your grill grates look like new again?

Keep your gas or charcoal grill ready for action with these easy tips for How to Clean Grill Grates for Weber, Char-Broil, Traeger, Nexgrill, Dyna-Glo, Masterbuilt, Coleman Grills, and more.

You won’t make a lot of guy friends at dinner serving up boring salads. So get that grill cleaned and ready for making some new friends this year… nice to meat you!

Green grill on the side of the road.

(Grilling on the tailgate at Zion National Park, Utah)

To ensure easy grill cleanup, it’s really smart to consider what type of grill grates you’ll want even before you buy that new backyard grill. For easier cleanups, consider upgrading to a grill with quality Stainless Steel Grill Grates or Porcelain coated Cast Iron grill grates.

The cheaper Chrome, Porcelain, and Cast Iron grill grates are harder to clean and are more prone to rust. Also, non-coated cast iron grill grates require more day-to-day maintenance, including seasoning the grill with each use.

Grilling should be fun, not a chore. So choose wisely when purchasing a new grill!

When Should I Clean My Grill Grates?

I recommend brushing your grill grates off immediately after you’ve finished grilling, and while the grill is still on. If you are grilling steak, you’ll want it to rest for a few minutes anyway.

This is the perfect window of time to scrub off those grill grates while the grates are still hot.

It’s also much easier to clean off any food left behind immediately after grilling, instead of waiting for the grates to cool and the food to get stuck on.

What Type of Grill Brush Is Best?

The key is to use a good quality stiff grill brush. We want to make that after grilling cleanup as easy as possible, without damaging the grill grates.

The correct grill brush to use will depend on the type of grill grates you have:

High Quality Stainless Steel Brush – for Stainless Steel, Cast Iron, and Weber Porcelain coated Cast Iron grill grates.

Brush on grill grates.

Nylon Bristle Brush – for Porcelain Grill Grates (not Weber)

Grill brush with red bristles.

3 Sided Grill Brush – for a more detailed cleaning of your grates. This style of brush is great for getting into the different grooves.

Brush with yellow bristles on a grill.

When shopping for a grill brush, I recommend taking a minute to check for reviews at one or two stores online before making your purchase.

*Note: only use a Nylon Bristle Brush when your grill has completely cooled.

Clean Your Grill By Burnoff!

A grill burn off is kind of like using the self cleaning function on your kitchen oven, but faster!

If your grill grates are extra dirty, simply heat your grill to high (500 – 550 degrees) and let the food cook off for 10 – 15 minutes, or longer depending on how dirty your grates are.

Then finish by brushing off the remaining debris with the appropriate brush for your grill grates.

If you have porcelain grill grates, make sure to let the grill completely cool before brushing off any remaining debris. The Nylon Bristle Brush you’ll use with porcelain grill grates should only be used when the grill is cool.

Grill thermometer points to 500.

How To Clean A Very Dirty Grill Grate – Stainless Steel and Chrome

After a good burn off, sometimes your Stainless Steel or Chrome grill grates can still use a good heavy duty cleanup.

To really clean off that heavy built up grime, start by adding 1/2 cup of baking soda to a bowl. Then add just enough water to the bowl to create a thick paste.

Apply your baking soda paste to the dirty grill grates, before placing your dirty grill grates into a large plastic garbage bag to sit overnight.

Here’s were things are going to get a little messy.

So after you’ve allowed the baking soda paste to work overnight, grab your grill brush or a wad of aluminum foil. Wet down the grates with hot soapy water. Then give them a good scrub with the grill brush or wad of aluminum foil to remove the remaining debris.

You can clean the grill grates right in the large garbage bag, in a large bucket filled with soapy water, or simply lay the grates flat in a sink filled with soap water.

Easy Peasy!!

Dawn dish soap, baking soda, and aluminum foil.

How To Clean Cast Iron Grill Grates

To give your cast iron grill grates a heavy duty cleaning, start by heating your grill to 500 – 550 degrees for 10 – 15 minutes to burn off the debris.

Next, scrub your cast iron grill grates off with a quality stainless steel grill brush. You can also clean off the grill grates with some steel wool after the grill grates have cooled.

Finish your cleaning by seasoning your cast iron grill grates. To season your cast iron grates, simply use a paper towel to apply a coat of vegetable oil to the grill grates.

Then use a clean paper towel to wipe off any excess oil.

Finally, heat your grill to medium heat, or about 400 degrees, and cook the oil onto the grates for 30 – 40 minutes.

If you won’t be using your grill for some time, consider storing the cleaned and seasoned cast iron grill grates in a dry location, to help avoid rusting.

How Do You Clean A BBQ Wire Brush?

Start by adding a few tablespoons of Dawn Dish Soap to a bucket.

Then add very hot water to the bucket.

Allow your grill brush to soak in the hot, soapy water for a few minutes before continuing.

Grill brushes over a bucket of soapy water.

Method 1: If you have a second wire grill brush, simply rub these two brushes together to remove the debris caked onto your wire grill bristles.

Grill brushes in a bucket of soapy water.

Grill brushes covered in soapy water.

Method 2: If you don’t have a second wire brush, a long standard screw driver can also be used to rub through the wire bristles to removed the caked on debris.

Screwdriver with a soapy grill brush.