Backyard grilling feels better when the main dish and a few sides can come from the same fire. Pick a skewer, a vegetable side, or a larger main based on what you want on the plate first. It works for casual dinners outside, weekend spreads, and plates that need more than one thing.
Grilled Pork Chops
A soy, Dijon, garlic, and brown sugar marinade gives Grilled Pork Chops a savory coating that chars over high heat. Four servings take 25 minutes of active preparation and cooking, plus at least one hour for marinating. The bone-in chops sear for two minutes per side before finishing over medium heat until they reach 145°F. Serve them with grilled corn, potato salad, zucchini, or baked beans when the backyard plate needs a substantial pork main.
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Grilled Chicken Thighs
Fresh parsley and cilantro turn Grilled Chicken Thighs into four servings with a chimichurri that works as both marinade and finishing sauce. The 1 hour 10 minute recipe includes 30 minutes of marinating before the boneless thighs grill for 10 to 15 minutes. Dividing the sauce before it touches the raw chicken keeps a fresh portion ready for serving. Add roasted potatoes, corn, rice, or pasta salad when dinner needs a flexible grilled main.
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Charred Grilled Potatoes
Parboiling gives Charred Grilled Potatoes tender centers before the cut sides develop golden grill marks. Four servings take 30 minutes with baby yellow potatoes, garlic powder, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh herbs. Tossing the warm potatoes in the marinade helps the seasoning cling before they cook for about five minutes per side. Place them beside pork chops, steak, salmon, or chicken when the dinner spread needs a smoky potato side.
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Beef Kabobs with Chimichurri Sauce
Sirloin cubes share the skewers in Beef Kabobs with Chimichurri Sauce with red pepper, zucchini, and red onion. Four servings take 35 minutes, not counting a 30-minute marinade in olive oil, curry powder, salt, and pepper. Parsley, red wine vinegar, lemon, garlic, and olive oil form the sauce that goes over the rested kabobs. Serve them with rice, grilled potatoes, or salad when one main needs to bring beef and vegetables together.
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Wingstop Louisiana Rub Wings
Smoked paprika, oregano, cumin, brown sugar, onion powder, and garlic powder coat Wingstop Louisiana Rub Wings with a dry Cajun-style seasoning. Four servings take 25 minutes, with 16 wings baking for 15 to 20 minutes instead of going into a fryer. Patting the wings dry and using a light coating of oil helps the exterior brown. Add ranch, celery, fries, coleslaw, or mac and cheese when the grill spread needs a wing tray.
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Charred Grilled Asparagus
Only olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon are needed for Charred Grilled Asparagus. Four servings take 10 minutes, with thick spears cooking until tender-crisp and marked by the hot grates. Placing the asparagus perpendicular to the bars keeps the stalks from falling through while they are turned every few minutes. Serve the warm spears beside steak, lobster, salmon, chicken, or halloumi when the backyard plate needs a quick green side.
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Tomahawk Steak
A two-pound bone-in ribeye makes Tomahawk Steak a two-serving centerpiece seasoned with sea salt, black pepper, olive oil, and herb butter. The 35-minute cooking timeline begins with a cast-iron sear before the thick steak finishes in a 350°F oven. Resting it for 10 to 15 minutes protects the juices before slicing. Pair it with grilled asparagus, potatoes, corn, or a chilled salad when the dinner spread calls for a larger steak at the center.
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Grilled Lobster Tail
Garlic herb butter coats Grilled Lobster Tail with lemon, smoked paprika, parsley, basil, salt, and pepper. Two servings take 20 minutes from preparation through grilling, making the seafood one of the faster mains in the collection. The split tails cook flesh-side down for five to six minutes before finishing shell-side down for another three to four. Serve them with asparagus, corn, potatoes, or salad when a backyard dinner needs a seafood centerpiece.
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Grilled Eggplant
Thick one-inch rounds help Grilled Eggplant stay intact while garlic, Italian seasoning, olive oil, salt, and pepper season both sides. Four servings take 25 minutes, with the slices grilling for four to five minutes per side. Patting the eggplant dry before brushing on the oil helps the surface sear instead of steam. Use it beside grilled meats, halloumi, corn, pasta salad, or hummus when the dinner spread needs a smoky vegetable plate.
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Grilled Chicken Sandwich
Cheddar, bacon, lettuce, and tomato stack Grilled Chicken Sandwich over lemon-and-herb marinated chicken cutlets. Four servings take 3 hours 20 minutes, with three hours devoted to marinating and only 10 minutes of cooking. The thin chicken pieces grill for two to three minutes per side before the cheese melts during the final minute. Serve the sandwiches with slaw, sweet potato fries, grilled vegetables, or potato salad for a full backyard meal.
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Grilled Halloumi Skewers with Chimichurri
Golden cheese alternates with bell pepper and zucchini in Grilled Halloumi Skewers with Chimichurri. Four servings take 25 minutes of preparation and cooking, though the halloumi benefits from an hour in a lemon-and-olive-oil marinade. Parsley, cilantro, oregano, garlic, vinegar, red pepper flakes, and olive oil form the finishing sauce. Serve the skewers with pasta salad, eggplant, corn, or warm bread when the spread needs a meat-free grilled centerpiece.
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Grilled Tri Tip
Chimichurri seasons Grilled Tri Tip with parsley, cilantro, garlic, red wine vinegar, oregano, red pepper flakes, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Four servings take 40 minutes, plus at least 30 minutes for the two-pound roast to marinate. The beef cooks for about 10 minutes per side before resting and being sliced against the grain. Bring it to the table with grilled potatoes, vegetables, corn, or pasta salad when a larger cut needs to feed several plates.
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Fresh Pasta Salad with Grilled Veggies
Cavatappi carries Fresh Pasta Salad with Grilled Veggies through zucchini, red pepper, red onion, tomatoes, olives, parsley, and a balsamic vinaigrette. Four servings take 40 minutes, including time to char the vegetables and cook the pasta until tender. Cooling the vegetables slightly protects the texture before everything is tossed with lemon, Dijon, garlic, basil, and olive oil. Serve it at room temperature or chilled beside steak, chicken, salmon, shrimp, or halloumi.
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Grilled Shrimp
Lemon, garlic, butter, and fresh herbs coat Grilled Shrimp on six easy-to-turn skewers. Four servings take 20 minutes, with the seafood cooking for four to five minutes per side until pink, opaque, and lightly charred. Reserving part of the butter mixture gives the finished shrimp a fresh drizzle after they leave the heat. Add rice, salad, pasta, corn, or grilled vegetables when the backyard plate needs a quick seafood main.
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Grilled Steak Pinwheels
Butterflied flank steak wraps Grilled Steak Pinwheels around Emmental cheese and fresh spinach. Four servings take 35 minutes, with the rolled meat secured, sliced, and grilled for four to five minutes per side. A 20-minute rest before cooking helps the rounds warm evenly, while five minutes afterward lets the juices settle. Add grilled vegetables, potatoes, corn, or pasta salad when the dinner spread needs a steak main that is easy to portion.
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Grilled Thai Chicken Skewers
Red curry paste, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, lime, sesame oil, and fish sauce season Grilled Thai Chicken Skewers. Four servings take 1 hour 5 minutes, including skewer soaking, a short marinade, and 20 minutes of cooking. Peanut butter, soy sauce, sriracha, lime, honey, and hot water become a creamy sauce for dipping or drizzling. Serve them with jasmine rice, cucumber salad, or grilled vegetables when the dinner spread needs a Thai-inspired chicken option.
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Flaky Grilled Salmon
Lemon herb butter gives Flaky Grilled Salmon four servings with garlic, parsley, oregano, dill, olive oil, salt, and pepper. The 30-minute recipe starts the fillets skin-side down so they stay intact and develop a crisper base. After four to five minutes uncovered, the salmon finishes beneath the closed lid until opaque and easy to flake. Serve it with asparagus, zucchini, potatoes, corn, or pasta salad for a lighter grilled dinner plate.
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Grilled Zucchini
One-inch slices keep Grilled Zucchini firm enough to take on char without becoming soft. Four servings take 10 minutes with olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and parsley. Brushing both sides before cooking helps the vegetables brown during their four to five minutes per side on the hot grates. Place them beside pork, chicken, steak, salmon, or halloumi when the backyard table needs a quick vegetable side that can scale easily.
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Chipotle Grilled Chicken
Boneless thighs give Chipotle Grilled Chicken four servings with garlic, chipotle in adobo, onion powder, lime, olive oil, salt, and pepper. The 25-minute recipe coats the meat in the quick marinade before it cooks over medium-high heat. Lowering the heat and covering the grill helps the chicken finish without drying after the outside browns. Slice it for tacos, bowls, salads, or sandwiches, or serve whole pieces with corn, potatoes, and grilled vegetables.
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Grilled Corn on the Cob
Tajín butter turns Grilled Corn on the Cob into four servings finished with lime, cilantro, Cotija, and sea salt. The 25-minute recipe brushes the shucked ears with oil before they cook for about 15 minutes, turning often for even char. Adding the seasoned butter after grilling keeps the spices and cheese from burning over the flame. Serve the corn beside steak, pork, chicken, shrimp, or halloumi when the dinner spread needs a classic summer side.
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Greek Chicken Kabobs
A yogurt marinade gives Greek Chicken Kabobs six servings with garlic, olive oil, lemon, red wine vinegar, oregano, paprika, salt, and pepper. The 25-minute cooking timeline follows at least 30 minutes of marinating before the chicken pieces grill for 10 to 15 minutes. Feta, parsley, and tzatziki finish the skewers after they leave the heat. Serve them with pita, cucumber salad, hummus, rice, or roasted potatoes when the backyard spread needs a Mediterranean-style main.
Get the Recipe: Greek Chicken Kabobs