Best Summer Dinner Recipes for the Grill

Grilling and summer just go hand-in-hand. Spending time outdoors with family and friends while cooking some juicy, delicious, smoky food is perfect. The only way summer BBQs can get better is with the best summer dinner recipes for the grill.

Grilling can get better when you use the best summer dinner recipes for the grill that are perfect for weeknight dinners or weekend BBQs. Grilling is pretty much the perfect form of cooking.

We have found ways to bring cooking indoors with stoves, ovens, crockpots, and more. However, the first humans cooked over an open flame. This method of cooking works so well because the heat is direct, can add flavor, and there really isn’t much we can’t cook over an open flame.

Not to mention, cooking outdoors usually attracts others like household members and friends. There is a reason almost every summer party involves some sort of grilling. It brings people together around the BBQ, and the smells keep us there.

However, things get a little dicey when we start talking about grilling recipes. Every family has their go-to grilling recipes for summer. These recipes are usually passed down from person to person; it can be hard to try something new.

The best thing we can do is take a chance to try something new. There are so many different grilling methods and recipes that sticking to the usual just seems wasteful. We don’t have to change everything we make, but tossing in a new recipe every now and then won’t hurt.

In fact, the best way to try a new recipe, like any of the best summer dinner recipes for the grill, would be to use them for weeknight meals. We can then sprinkle them into the big times when crowds of guests visit for a BBQ.

Best Summer Dinner Recipes for the Grill

Grilling has been around for centuries. We learned new recipes throughout that time, new ways of grilling, and new flavors to mix. For example, pizzas are loved by all and can be customized in so many ways.

One customization we can make is to cook it on the grill. Imagine biting into a slice of grilled BBQ chicken pizza. Then there are the classics like BBQ chicken. Chicken and BBQ go so well together because chicken takes on flavors very well.

We can switch things up and make one of the best grilled mango and pineapple chicken recipe. This recipe takes grilled chicken to a fresh new level. However, flavors aren’t the only thing we can play with to have an entirely different experience grilling.

Kebabs can take the idea of having fun cooking the food and extend it to the actual consumption of the food. There is nothing wrong with a classic kebab recipe like rosemary garlic steak kebabs. However, this world goes a lot further than that.

What is the Trick to Grilling Kebabs?

Kebabs come from Asian and African countries dating back as far as the 9th century AD. The name comes from the Turkish word kebap, which means “to roast.” That is where we got the first written word of the practice in 1377.

Now, we have hundreds of kebab recipes, like surf and turf kebabs, that deliciously combine the sea and land. However, we can do a few things to make this process easier. We should start by finding the recipe we want; BBQ pineapple chicken kebabs sound like a good place to start.

Soak the wooden skewers in water for 20 minutes before putting any food on them. Leave a little space between each piece of food on the kebab, and always consider cooking times. Most kebab recipes will include some sort of veggies.

We want to ensure we use veggies that will take as long as the meat to cook. We also want to change the cooking time if we go with veggies, like in a chipotle glazed vegetable kebabs recipe.

That is all we need to do to make some of the best kebabs, but sticks aren’t the only tool we can use to make cooking easier and eating more fun. Break out the foil; it is time for another way of grilling.

How to do Foil Packets on the Grill

The best summer dinner recipes for the grill don’t always involve simply grilling. Hopefully, our grills are filld with a variety of dishes cooking at once. A grill isn’t complete without burgers, hot dogs, and veggies, all grilling simultaneously.

Foil packets are how we use the grill to cook things that can’t handle the direct heat. For example, making an apple crisp dessert on the grill is absolutely possible with the help of a foil packet.

We can also use foil packets to grill things that might get a bit juicy, and we want to save that juice for whatever reason. One of the most popular home-cooked recipes is crack chicken.

Crack chicken combines the flavors of cream cheese, ranch, and bacon with chicken; it’s amazingly delicious. Make crack chicken on the grill with a foil packet and add smoky flavor from the charcoals.

Cooking food using foil packets on the grill is easier when you just think of it as creating a tiny oven for the grill. The foil traps the steam from the food and helps cook it more gently. That’s why a shrimp boil is one of the best foil-packet meals on the grill.

The shrimp won’t cook too fast, allowing the rest of the ingredients to keep up. A shrimp boil is actually quite healthy, but this recipe is not the only nutritious food we can grill up.

What is the Healthiest Way to Grill?

Healthy eating is not everyone’s cup of tea until they find a recipe they enjoy. The best summer dinner recipes for the grill cover various options, including healthy food. A simple grilled potato with seasoning recipe can be considered a very healthy side dish.

There are ways we can take classic grilling recipes and make them healthier as well. Trim fat off meats, use a moderate temp, and always go skinless with your chicken. We can also use this as an opportunity to try something unique, different, and a tad exotic.

When was the last time you made Thai food on the grill? A Thai nam tok neua or grilled steak salad could be your new favorite dish. This dish is healthy, meaty, and filled with flavor. However, some may be scared of going too exotic with their cooking.

Luckily, there are dishes like grilled zucchini and hummus wraps we can make for a healthier bite. Don’t forget that the salad side we serve with our BBQ recipes counts as healthy food as well.

These recipes give us plenty to think about and so much to try. The only question left is, which will be the first recipe you try on the grill this summer?

More Summer Cooking Ideas

Best Crockpot Summer Dessert Recipes for a Crowd | Using a crockpot during summer can help keep things cool.

Instant Pot Summer Side Dish Recipes | Sides are just as important as main dishes.

Super Easy Summer Dessert Recipes | Is summer even summer without enjoying some summer treats?

Instant Pot Shrimp Recipes for Summer | Shrimp just tastes better during the warm summer months.

Best Crockpot BBQ Recipes for Summer | The crockpot can be a big help during summer BBQs.