A strong cookout menu needs more than one impressive main, especially when guests arrive ready to sample the grill, the smoker, and every cold bowl on the table. These 23 cookout recipes cover beef, lamb, pork, chicken, salmon, burgers, ribs, pasta salads, bean sides, corn, coleslaw, dip, and stuffed jalapeños. Several meats benefit from advanced seasoning, marinating, or low-and-slow cooking, while most of the salads and dips can be chilled before guests arrive. The collection balances substantial grilled dishes with cooler sides and shareable appetizers for a complete backyard spread.
Smoked Chuck Roast
Low-and-slow cooking gives Smoked Chuck Roast eight servings in 9 hours 15 minutes. A 3½-to-4-pound chuck roast needs Montreal seasoning and butcher paper for the simple smoker method. The beef smokes at 225°F until it reaches 165°F, then cooks wrapped at 250°F until it reaches about 205°F before resting for 30 to 45 minutes. Slice or shred it for sandwiches and plates, and refrigerate leftovers for four days.
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Easy Grilled Beef Burgers
Classic seasoning makes Easy Grilled Beef Burgers eight servings in 27 minutes. Ground beef is mixed with barbecue sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper before being shaped into patties. The burgers are grilled for three to four minutes per side, with cheese added during the final minute, and buns toasted briefly. Serve them with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, and condiments, or refrigerate cooked patties for up to three days.
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White Bean Salad
Chilled vegetables bring White Bean Salad to six servings with 10 minutes of preparation. White beans, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, parsley, arugula, lemon juice, Dijon, honey, olive oil, and optional capers or feta fill the bowl. The mixed salad rests in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes, with a longer chill giving the beans more time in the dressing. Serve it cold or at room temperature beside grilled meat, fish, or bread.
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Lemon-Dill Salmon Foil Packets
Foil-wrapped fish makes Lemon-Dill Salmon Foil Packets in four servings in 24 minutes. Salmon fillets cook with olive oil, lemon, fresh dill, garlic, butter, salt, and pepper inside tightly sealed packets. The packets grill at about 400°F for 10 to 14 minutes, followed by a one-to-two-minute rest before opening. Serve the salmon with grilled vegetables, rice, potatoes, or salad, and refrigerate cooled leftovers for up to three days.
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Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches with Smoked Rib Roast
Thinly sliced beef turns Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches with Smoked Rib Roast into two servings in 25 minutes. Hoagie rolls hold smoked rib roast, provolone, green pepper, onion, mushrooms, and butter. The onion softens first, the mushrooms cook for five to seven minutes, and the beef warms for only 60 to 90 seconds before the cheese melts. Serve the sandwiches immediately, and refrigerate the remaining filling for up to three days.
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Greek Cauliflower Salad
Blanched florets give Greek Cauliflower Salad six servings in 55 minutes. Cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, Kalamata olives, feta, dill or mint, lemon, garlic, oregano, and olive oil fill the chilled bowl. The cauliflower cooks for two to three minutes before an ice bath, then the assembled salad is refrigerated for 20 to 30 minutes. Make it ahead for burgers, grilled chicken, fish, lamb, or pita, and refrigerate leftovers for three days.
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Smoked Burgers Recipe With a Reverse Sear
Reverse-seared patties make Smoked Burgers Recipe With a Reverse Sear, four servings in 1 hour 50 minutes. Ground beef needs salt, pepper, cheese, buns, and preferred toppings for the smoker method. The shaped patties chill for 30 minutes, smoke at 225°F until they reach about 135°F, then sear for one to two minutes per side and rest briefly. Serve them hot, or refrigerate cooked burgers for three days and freeze extras for three months.
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Pesto Orzo Salad
Pesto coats Pesto Orzo Salad, a six-serving side with 20 minutes of preparation and cooking. Orzo, mayonnaise, Parmesan, mozzarella pearls, grape tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, green onions, lemon juice, pine nuts, and basil create the bowl. The rinsed pasta is mixed with pesto and the remaining ingredients before chilling for about 30 minutes. Add the toasted pine nuts and basil shortly before serving, and refrigerate leftovers for three to four days.
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Grilled Ribs on a Charcoal Grill
Charcoal heat gives Grilled Ribs on a Charcoal Grill four servings in 1 hour 40 minutes. Baby back ribs are seasoned with olive oil, brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and optional barbecue sauce. The ribs cook over indirect heat for 70 to 90 minutes, move over direct heat for five to 10 minutes, and rest for five minutes. Brush on sauce near the end, then refrigerate leftovers for four days.
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Sweet and Tangy Coleslaw Dressing
Cooked dressing turns Sweet and Tangy Coleslaw Dressing into eight servings in 55 minutes. Shredded cabbage, carrot, and red onion are coated with a mixture of eggs, sugar, vinegar, water, cornstarch, mustard powder, and mayonnaise. The dressing cooks until thick, cools for 30 minutes, and receives the mayonnaise before being tossed with the vegetables. Chill the slaw for about one hour before serving, and refrigerate the undressed mixture for up to five days.
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Grilled Hanger Steaks with Chimichurri
Herb-packed sauce finishes Grilled Hanger Steaks with Chimichurri, a four-serving meal ready in 2 hours 20 minutes. Hanger steak marinates with olive oil, cumin, oregano, paprika, onion, and garlic before meeting the grill. After at least two hours of marinating, the meat cooks for three to four minutes per side and rests for 10 minutes. Slice it across the grain, spoon chimichurri over the top, and store the beef and sauce separately.
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Italian Pasta Salad
Fusilli makes Italian Pasta Salad in eight servings in 1 hour 32 minutes. Cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, black olives, mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, and scratch vinaigrette create the cold bowl. The cooked pasta is rinsed, cooled, and tossed with three-quarters of the dressing before chilling for one hour. Add the remaining vinaigrette and basil at serving time, then refrigerate leftovers for up to four days.
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Traeger Smoked Leg of Lamb
Rosemary and thyme season Traeger Smoked Leg of Lamb, which makes six servings after several hours of smoking. Garlic and olive oil join the herbs on the leg before it goes into the smoker. The lamb comes to room temperature for about two hours, smokes at 180°F for one hour, then continues at 225°F until it reaches 135°F to 140°F before a 20-minute rest. Slice it for platters or sandwiches, and refrigerate leftovers for three to four days.
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Cold Corn Dip
Charred kernels fill Cold Corn Dip with six servings and 10 minutes of preparation. Cooked corn, cheddar, mayonnaise, sour cream, green onions, red bell pepper, jalapeño, ranch powder, and lime juice create the creamy mixture. The dip refrigerates for at least 30 minutes after mixing, and it can be prepared one day ahead. Serve it with tortilla chips, corn chips, peppers, or cucumber, and refrigerate leftovers for two to three days.
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Smoked Rib Roast That Beats the Deli Counter for Sandwiches at Home
Smoked beef makes Smoked Rib Roast That Beats the Deli Counter for Sandwiches at Home eight servings in 3 hours 40 minutes. A 3-to 4-pound boneless rib roast needs only Montreal seasoning before smoking. The roast can temper for up to two hours, smokes at 185°F until it reaches about 125°F, rests for one hour, and chills overnight before thin slicing. Use it for sandwiches and platters, and refrigerate it for four days.
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Steak & Pasta Salad
Tender steak makes Steak & Pasta Salad eight servings with 25 minutes of preparation. Cooked pasta, spinach, tomatoes, radishes, corn, blue cheese, red onion, optional candied walnuts, and a buttermilk ranch dressing fill the bowl. The ingredients are tossed with most of the dressing, then the salad chills for 20 minutes before serving. Reserve some dressing for refreshing leftovers, and refrigerate the salad for two to three days.
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Grilled Pork Tenderloin
Two-zone grilling gives Grilled Pork Tenderloin four servings in 30 minutes. Pork tenderloin is seasoned with oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, brown sugar, thyme, chili powder, salt, pepper, and optional barbecue sauce. The meat sears for two minutes on each side, finishes over indirect heat for 12 to 18 minutes, and rests for five minutes. Slice it for plates or sandwiches, and refrigerate leftovers for up to three days.
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Bacon Fried Corn
Bacon drippings carry Bacon Fried Corn through four servings in 15 minutes. Corn kernels, chopped bacon, garlic, green onions, paprika, parsley, salt, and pepper make up the short ingredient list. The corn cooks in the bacon drippings for two to three minutes before the garlic, onions, and crisp bacon return to the griddle. Serve it hot, cold, or at room temperature, and refrigerate leftovers for three to four days.
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Grilled Dijon Rosemary Chicken Thighs
Mustard and rosemary flavor Grilled Dijon Rosemary Chicken Thighs, a four-serving dinner ready in 25 minutes. Grainy mustard, Dijon, lemon, honey, salt, and pepper create the glaze for boneless chicken thighs. The chicken grills for four minutes, flips for six minutes, moves to indirect heat until it reaches 165°F, then receives more glaze and rests for five minutes. Serve it with salads, corn, potatoes, or bread, and refrigerate leftovers for three days.
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Bacon-Wrapped Burgers
Wrapped patties make Bacon-Wrapped Burgers in four servings in 20 minutes. Four beef patties need eight bacon slices, buns, and preferred toppings or condiments for the simple grill method. Each burger is wrapped with two bacon strips, grilled for three to four minutes on the first side, then cooked for five to six minutes after flipping until it reaches 165°F. Serve them immediately, and refrigerate leftover patties separately from the buns for three to four days.
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Grilled Chicken Drumsticks
Drumsticks become Grilled Chicken Drumsticks in four servings in 50 minutes. High-heat oil, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, and barbecue sauce season the chicken. The drumsticks cook over the cooler side of a two-zone grill, move over direct heat for three to five minutes, then receive sauce for the final one to two minutes. Serve them with slaw, corn, beans, or pasta salad, and refrigerate leftovers for three to four days.
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Pork Stuffed Smoked Jalapeno Poppers
Stuffed peppers give Pork Stuffed Smoked Jalapeno Poppers four servings after 15 minutes of preparation and about 1 hour 45 minutes of smoking. Jalapeño halves hold ground pork, cream cheese, green onions, cilantro, garlic powder, onion powder, chipotle powder, salt, and bacon. The poppers smoke at 180°F, continue at 250°F, then finish at 400°F so the bacon crisps. Serve them warm with ranch or barbecue sauce, and refrigerate leftovers for three to four days.
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Chef Jenn’s Buffalo Chicken Salad
Buffalo-coated chicken gives Chef Jenn’s Buffalo Chicken Salad four servings in 15 minutes. Cooked shredded chicken, hot sauce, mixed greens, tomatoes, celery, cucumber, blue cheese, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper build the bowl. The chicken is tossed with hot sauce before the salad is layered, while the simple vinaigrette is whisked separately. Add the dressing just before serving, and refrigerate the undressed components for up to two days.
Get the Recipe: Chef Jenn’s Buffalo Chicken Salad