15 Simple Grill Recipes to Start the Season

It’s that time of year again! Time to shake of the cover, maybe do a little cleaning, and get the grill ready to start enjoying some delicious homemade grilled meals. Whether it is evening supper or a weekend grill-out there are an endless number of possibilities for grill-worthy meals.

While some think of grilling as a method reserved for cuts of meat, your grill can be used to cook every course of the meal. We’ve given you a quick list of some simple grill recipes to get your season started including, appetizers, vegetables, main dishes, and even dessert!

Appetizers

Tequila-Lime Shrimp

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. lime juice

2 Tbsp. tequila

¼ C. olive oil

1 pinch garlic salt

1 pinch ground cumin

Ground black pepper to taste

1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 large lime, quartered

6 wooden skewers

Instructions

Whisk together the lime juice, tequila, olive oil, garlic salt, cumin, and black pepper in a bowl until well blended. Pour into a large resealable plastic bag; add the shrimp, seal bag and turn to coat evenly. Refrigerate 1 to 4 hours before grilling.

Soak skewers at least 30 minutes in water to prevent burning.

Preheat outdoor grill for medium-high heat. Lightly oil grill grate, and place about 4 inches from heat source.

Drain and discard marinade from shrimp. Thread shrimp onto prepared skewers, 5 to 6 per skewer.

Cook, uncovered, on preheated grill until shrimp turn pink, turning once, for 5 to 7 minutes. Serve with lime wedges for garnish.

Recipe courtesy of allrecipes.com

Maple Bacon Chicken Bites

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. McCormick® Grill Mates® Smokehouse Maple Seasoning

2 Tbsp. white vinegar

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 ½ lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 ½ inch chunks (about 24 pieces)

12 slices bacon, halved crosswise (24 pieces)

Instructions

Mix Seasoning, vinegar and oil in large resealable bag. Add chicken; turn to coat well. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, place 2 layers of paper towels on a microwavable plate. Place 12 pieces of bacon in single layer on paper towels. Cover with 1 layer of paper towel. Microwave on HIGH 4 minutes or until bacon halfway cooked. Repeat with remaining bacon. Remove chicken from marinade. Wrap a piece of bacon around each piece of chicken. Thread 1 piece onto each skewer. Discard any remaining marinade.

Grill skewers over medium-high heat 8 to 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through, turning occasionally.

Recipe courtesy of mccormick.com

Campers Favorite Dip

Ingredients

1 package (8 oz.) reduced-fat cream cheese

1 can (15 oz.) chili with beans

2 C. shredded cheddar cheese

2 thinly sliced green onions, optional

Tortilla chip scoops

Instructions

Prepare campfire or grill for medium-low heat. Spread cream cheese in the bottom of a 9-in. disposable foil pie pan.

Top with chili; sprinkle with cheese.

Place pan on a grill grate over a campfire or on grill until cheese is melted, 5-8 minutes. If desired, sprinkle with green onion.

Serve with chips.

Recipe courtesy of tasteofhome.com

Vegetables

Mexican Street Corn (Elote)

Ingredients

6 ears corn, shucked and cleaned

1/2 C. mayonnaise

Chili powder

1/3 C. Grated cotija cheese

Freshly chopped cilantro

Lime wedges, for serving

Instructions

Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high. Grill corn, turning often, until slightly charred all over, about 10 minutes.

Brush corn with a layer of mayonnaise and sprinkle with chili powder, cotija, and cilantro.

Serve warm with lime wedges.

Recipe courtesy of delish.com

Easy Grilled Veggies

Ingredients

1 lb. tomatoes, cut into large dice (if using cherry or grape tomatoes, leave whole)

1 yellow or white onion, peeled and ends removed, cut into eighths

1 medium zucchini, ends removed, sliced in half lengthwise, then cut into 1/2″ pieces

1 medium yellow squash, ends removed, sliced in half lengthwise, then cut into 1/2″ pieces

1 carton (8 oz.) mushrooms, cleaned and halved

1 bulb garlic

4 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. olive oil, divided

3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp. mixed fresh herbs (such as basil, oregano, parsley, rosemary, and/or thyme), minced (optional)

black pepper and sea salt, freshly ground

Instructions

Prepare/set your grill to medium-high heat.

Begin by preparing the garlic for roasting. Peel off the outer papery covering of the head of garlic. Using a sharp knife, slice off 1/4-inch of the top of the bulb, so that the inside of each clove is exposed. Place the head on a square of aluminum foil. Drizzle 1 tsp. olive oil over the top of the cloves, and then use your fingers to spread it around well. Then fold up the foil over the top of the clove, so that it is fully enclosed. Set the foil package directly on top of the grill grates and cook, covered, for about 20 minutes (or until garlic cloves are soft and lightly golden).

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, zucchini, squash, and mushrooms with 2 Tbsp. of olive oil and a generous amount of freshly-ground salt and pepper. Then toss until vegetables are evenly coated. Transfer vegetables to a grill pan, set on the grill grates (next to the foil-wrapped garlic). Grill, stirring every 2-3 minutes, until vegetables are tender and lightly charred. Remove garlic and vegetables from grill when cooked.

While vegetables are cooking, prepare the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 Tbsp. of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, all the roasted garlic cloves (you can use your fingers to squeeze them out of the clove), and the chopped fresh herbs (optional) until combined. Add extra salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer vegetables to a serving platter or bowl, and drizzle with the prepared dressing. Serve immediately. (Or these are also delicious served cold or at room temperature!)

Recipe courtesy of gimmesomeoven.com

Loaded Grilled Cauliflower

Ingredients

2 large heads cauliflower

1/4 C. extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. paprika

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 C. shredded cheddar

Ranch dressing, for drizzling

8 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

2 Tbsp. finely chopped chives

Instructions

Remove and discard leaves from each cauliflower head, then trim stem so that the cauliflower can lie flat on cutting board. (Leave the core intact!)

Cut each cauliflower into thick “steaks” about 3/4″ thick. Reserve any loose florets to cook with the steaks. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, garlic powder, and paprika. Season mixture with salt and pepper.

Heat a grill or grill pan to medium. Brush one side of each steak with olive oil mixture and place the brushed side down on the grill. Brush the top sides with olive oil mixture and cook until tender and both sides are charred in spots, about 8 minutes per side. Top each cauliflower with cheese and cook until melted.

Toss any extra florets in the olive oil mixture and grill, turning often, until charred and tender, about 6 minutes.

Drizzle cauliflower with ranch dressing, then sprinkle cooked bacon and chives on top.

Recipe courtesy of delish.com

Grilled Romaine with Balsamic Dressing

Ingredients

Romaine

2 romaine hearts, halved lengthwise

Canola oil, for brushing

1/4 C. crumbled Gorgonzola, for garnish

4 leaves fresh basil, torn, for garnish

Dressing

1/4 C. extra-virgin olive oil

3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

3 Tbsp crumbled Gorgonzola

6 leaves fresh basil, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

For the grilled romaine: Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium heat.

Lightly brush the cut sides of the romaine with the canola oil. Place the romaine on the grill cut side down and cook until grill marks form and the leaves are slightly charred, 1 to 3 minutes. Arrange on a platter cut side up.

For the balsamic dressing: In a blender, combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Gorgonzola, basil, garlic, a pinch each of salt and pepper and 2 tablespoons water. Blend until the dressing is creamy and the garlic and basil are finely chopped.

Drizzle the romaine with the dressing. Sprinkle with the Gorgonzola and torn basil and serve.

Recipe courtesy of foodnetwork.com

Main Dishes

Grilled Pizza

Ingredients

1 lb. pizza dough

1 lb. fresh mozzarella, sliced thin and patted dry

¾ C. pizza sauce

4 oz. (weight) thinly sliced pepperoni or chorizo

Minced fresh rosemary

Shredded parmesan cheese

Vegetable oil

Instructions

Sprinkle the back of a sheet pan with flour. Prepare toppings and pour some vegetable oil into a small bowl. Have everything organized and ready to take outside.

Using your hands, press the dough out into a thin rectangle. Pull the dough up and sprinkle more flour underneath to keep the dough loose.

Prepare the grill for high direct heat. Using tongs, dip a folded paper towel in vegetable oil and rub on grates. Carefully slide pizza dough onto the grill. Close grill and cook for 2-3 minutes. Using tongs, lift dough and check to see if lightly browned.

Using tongs and a sheet pan, flip the pizza dough, so it’s grilled side up. Brush pizza crust with olive oil and spread on pizza sauce. Top with mozzarella and pepperoni. Close grill and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the bottom is crispy brown and cheese melts. If the dough is browning but the toppings still need more time, lower the heat and let cook for an additional 2 minutes.

Transfer pizza to a cutting board. Sprinkle with rosemary and Parmesan cheese. Serve.

Recipe courtesy of thepioneerwoman.com

Scallops with Nori, Ginger, and Lime

Ingredients

⅓ C mayonnaise

2 tsp. fresh lime juice

Kosher salt

1 toasted nori sheet

1 tsp. ground coriander

½ tsp. ground ginger

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, plus more for grill

12 large dry sea scallops, side muscles removed, patted dry

½ lime

3 scallions, dark green parts only, very thinly sliced

1 tsp. Aleppo-style or other mild red pepper flakes or gochugaru (coarse Korean red pepper powder)

Eight 8” wooden skewers, soaked at least 1 hour

Instructions

Prepare a grill for medium-high heat. Mix mayonnaise, lime juice, a pinch of salt, and 1 Tbsp water in a small bowl; set lime mayo aside.

Finely grind nori in spice mill. Transfer half to a small bowl; set aside for serving. Transfer remaining nori to a large bowl and mix in coriander, ginger, and 2 Tbsp. oil. Add scallops and toss to coat.

Thread 3 scallops onto 2 skewers. (This will keep scallop in place and make them easy to turn.) Repeat with remaining scallops and skewers. Season both sides with salt.

Clean and oil grate, then immediately place scallops on the outside edge of the grill so that the skewers are hanging off the side. Grill, turning scallops with handles of skewers, until grill marks appear, and scallops are just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side, depending on their size.

Spread lime mayo on a platter and place skewers with scallops on top. Finely grate zest from lime half over, then squeeze juice over. Top with scallions and sprinkle with Aleppo-style pepper and reserved nori.

Recipe courtesy of  bonappetit.com

Mediterranean Chicken Kabobs

Ingredients

3 large cloves garlic, crushed

2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh or 2 tsp. dried rosemary leaves

1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh or 1 tsp. dried oregano leaves

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/4 C. fresh lemon juice

6 Tbsp. olive oil

1 ½ lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 large red onion, cut into 1-inch wedges

Instructions

In large shallow glass or plastic dish or resealable food-storage plastic bag, mix garlic, rosemary, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper, 3 tablespoons of the lemon juice and 5 tablespoons of the oil. Add chicken; turn to coat. Cover or seal; refrigerate 30 minutes to marinate. Finely grind nori in spice mill. Transfer half to a small bowl; set aside for serving.

Heat gas or charcoal grill. In small bowl, mix remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 tablespoon oil; set aside.

Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. On 6 (10- to 12-inch) metal skewers, alternately thread chicken, bell pepper and onion, leaving space between pieces.

Place skewers on grill over medium-high heat. Cover grill; cook 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally and basting with lemon juice mixture, until chicken is no longer pink in center and vegetables are tender. Discard any remaining lemon juice mixture.

Recipe courtesy of  bettycrocker.com

 World’s Best Grilled Steak

Ingredients

4 -5 choice beef steaks

1⁄2 C. low sodium soy sauce

2 tsp. olive oil

2 tsp. ketchup

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. pepper

Instructions

Blend all ingredients, pour over steak.

Marinate 3 hours, turning frequently.

Grill to your liking.

Recipe courtesy of  food.com

Easiest Grilled Veggie Burgers

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing

1 14-oz. block extra-firm tofu, drained

2 14.5-oz. cans black beans, rinsed, drained well

¼ C. almond butter

¼ C. mayonnaise (vegan, if you are vegan)

2 garlic cloves, finely grated

4 tsp. chili powder (make sure it’s salt-free)

4 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 2 tsp. Morton kosher salt

2 C. cooked quinoa (we prefer red or black), cooled

¼ C. flaxseed meal

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

Toasted buns, pickled onions, tomato, lettuce, pickles, and chipotle yogurt (for serving)

Instructions

Prepare a grill for medium-high, direct heat. Clean and oil grate. Shred tofu using the large holes of a box grater. Firmly squeeze tofu in between paper towels to drain as much excess liquid as possible.

Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium. Cook tofu and beans, tossing occasionally, until beans look slightly dried out and their skins are darkened, 10–12 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk almond butter and mayonnaise in a medium bowl until smooth. Whisk in garlic, chili powder, and salt. Add tofu-bean mixture and cooked quinoa and stir well to combine.

Stir flaxseed and ¼ cup cold water in a small bowl. Let sit until a thick paste forms, about 1 minute. Add to tofu-bean mixture along with cornstarch and stir well to combine.

Using oiled hands, form mixture into 8–10 patties about ½” thick (about a scant ¾ cup each). Grill until lightly charred around the edges, about 2 minutes. Turn carefully using a metal spatula to cleanly lift off grate and grill until lightly charred on second side and warmed through, about 2 minutes more.

Place burgers on bottoms of buns. Pile high with pickled onions, tomato, lettuce, pickles, and chipotle yogurt. Close with top bun and serve.

Recipe courtesy of  bonappetit.com

Sweets

Grilled Pineapple with Lime Dip

Ingredients

Pineapple

1 fresh pineapple

1/4 C. packed brown sugar

3 Tbsp. honey

2 Tbsp. lime juice

Dip

3 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/4 C. plain yogurt

2 Tbsp. honey

1 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 Tbsp. lime juice

1 tsp. grated lime zest

Instructions

Peel and core the pineapple; cut vertically into 8 wedges. Cut each wedge horizontally into 2 spears. In a bowl or shallow dish, combine the brown sugar, honey and lime juice; add pineapple and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the yogurt, honey, brown sugar, lime juice and zest. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

Coat grill rack with cooking spray before starting the grill. Drain pineapple, discarding marinade. Grill pineapple spears, covered, over medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side or until grill marks are golden brown. Serve with lime dip.

Recipe courtesy of tasteofhome.com

Grilled Banana S’mores

Ingredients

1 C. graham cracker crumbs

5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, divided

1 large egg yolk

1 Tsp. packed brown sugar

2 medium bananas, firm but ripe

4 C. mini marshmallows

½ C. semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Prepare the grill for indirect cooking over medium heat (about 400ºF).

In a large bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs, 4 tablespoons of the melted butter, and the egg yolk; mix well. Firmly and evenly press the mixture into the bottom of an 8-by-8-inch metal baking pan. Grill the crust over indirect medium heat, with the lid closed, until firm, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the crust from the grill and set aside to cool for about 10 minutes. This will allow the crust to set.

In a small bowl combine the remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter and the brown sugar. Cut each banana in half lengthwise and leave the skins attached (they will help the bananas hold their shape on the grill). Liberally brush the cut side of the bananas with the butter mixture.

Grill the bananas, cut side down, over direct heat, with the lid open, until they start to soften, 2 to 4 minutes, without turning. Let cool briefly and then score the bananas into ½-inch slices, cutting through just to the peel.

Fill the baking pan with half of the marshmallows, making sure they cover the bottom of the crust evenly. Next, scoop out and distribute the slices of grilled banana, followed by the remaining marshmallows.

Place the pan over indirect medium heat (keep the temperature of the grill as close to 400ºF as possible), close the lid, and cook until the marshmallows have puffed up and started to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. At this point carefully sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top and continue cooking until the chips appear glossy and melted, about 2 minutes more. Remove the pan from the grill and let cool for about 5 minutes. Spoon the banana s'mores into small serving bowls and serve right away.

Recipe courtesy of weber.com

Desert Pizza

Ingredients

1 store-bought pizza dough

Canola oil, for brushing

1 ½ C. mascarpone cheese

2 Tbsp. honey

2 plums, cut in wedges and grilled

1 C. raspberries

1 C. blackberries

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Instructions

Prepare the grill for direct and indirect cooking.

Once the grill is hot (you can hold your hands an inch over the grates for no more than 2 seconds), stretch and shape the dough into a 12-inch round on a flat surface. Brush the top with oil and toss on the grill, oil-side down. Cook until the bottom is golden brown, 1 minute. Check the bottom of the dough to see if it is getting browned. If it is on one part, but not the other, use a spatula or tongs to rotate the dough 90 degrees and cook for another minute. If it is still not beginning to brown, cover the grill and continue to cook a minute at a time until the bottom has browned evenly. (It should only take a couple minutes if you have a hot grill.) The top of the pizza dough will also start bubbling up with air pockets.

Once the pizza dough has browned on the bottom, flip over and grill until golden brown and the dough is just firm, another minute or so. Remove to a sheet pan. Cover the grill so it retains the heat for the next step.

Combine the mascarpone cheese and honey. Smear the mascarpone over the pizza and scatter the plum wedges and berries on top. Put the pizza on the sheet pan back on the grill, close the cover and cook just to warm the fruit, about 2 minutes. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve immediately.

Recipe courtesy of cookingchanneltv.com