It’s officially grilling season. Start the summer by saving the recipes below so you can steadily work your way through a whole new roster of grilled mains, sides, and desserts over the next few months. We’ve stolen secret marinade recipes from famed steakhouses, found fresh ways to liven up grilled corn, and even hacked desserts like brownies and fruit crisp for the grill. All that’s left to say is this: HAGS (by which we mean, Have a Grill Summer).
01 of 09
Credit: Serious Eats/ Melati Citrawireja
Harissa and honey give these grilled chicken skewers smoky, spicy, and sweet flavors all at once. The chicken marinates in harissa along with garlic, cumin, and citrus, then gets brushed with a honey-harissa glaze right at the end of grilling so it caramelizes without burning, staying glossy and sticky.
Get Recipe: Harissa-Honey Grilled Chicken Skewers
02 of 09
Credit: Serious Eats / Two Bites
Just because Omaha’s famed steakhouse The Drover kept its marinade a secret for years doesn’t mean it’s complicated. In fact, it contains just two ingredients: soy sauce and whiskey. You’ll dry-brine the steak for 12 to 24 hours, then marinate it briefly before grilling it to charred, juicy perfection.
Get Recipe: Omaha Whiskey Steak
03 of 09
Credit: Andrew Janjigian
These black bean burgers are cohesive, crisp around the edges, and packed with real bean flavor and spice. The key trick is roasting canned black beans before forming them into patties, which gives the burgers a denser, meatier texture. Sautéed aromatics soften into the mixture without overpowering it, while cashews add subtle crunch and cotija or feta creates creamy, salty pockets throughout.
Get Recipe: Really Awesome Black Bean Burgers
04 of 09
Credit: Serious Eats/ Lorena Masso
Cooking whole fish is easy, economical, and a great way to ensure you’re getting something truly fresh. The trickiest part is preventing the fish from sticking to the grill. To avoid that, thoroughly preheat and oil the grates, let the fish come to room temperature before cooking, and use a carving fork to gently release it from the grill once it’s properly seared.
Get Recipe: Whole Grilled Fish
05 of 09
Credit: Morgan Hunt Glaze
This clever twist on classic summer corn has you slice the kernels from the cob in long, rib-like strips, then toss them with butter and let them lightly caramelize on the grill. From there, the flavors take inspiration from elotes: the charred corn gets finished with lime juice and a spicy cotija crema.
Get Recipe: Grilled Corn Ribs
06 of 09
Credit: Serious Eats/ Greg Dupree
Raw vegetable platters are a great appetizer before a big meal, but for a gathering with lots of snacks and passed apps, grilled vegetables feel far more festive. Here, a colorful mix of marinated summer vegetables gets charred on the grill, then arranged on a platter with mozzarella or burrata, vinaigrette, and grilled bread for a vegetarian centerpiece that’s both hearty and fresh.
Get Recipe: Grilled Vegetable Board
07 of 09
Credit: Serious Eats / Lorena Masso
This cornbread strikes a balance between the sweeter style popular in the North and the savory, deeply corn-forward character of Southern cornbread. A touch of sugar rounds things out, while charred corn and poblano peppers folded into the batter bring smoky depth and gentle heat, especially once the whole thing is baked on the grill.
Get Recipe: Grill-Baked Skillet Cornbread
08 of 09
Credit: Serious Eats / Lorena Masso
Grilling brownies isn’t just a fun party trick for an outdoor gathering. It also gives them deeper complexity, infusing the chocolate with subtle smokiness that pairs especially well with the ancho chile added for gentle heat. To mimic the environment of an oven, place the skillet over lower, indirect heat, and fold some of the chocolate into the batter right before baking so the finished brownies have melty pockets throughout their chewy crumb.
Get Recipe: Grilled Smoked Brownies
09 of 09
Credit: Serious Eats / Lorena Masso
Charring the apples on the grill before folding them into this crisp serves two purposes: It jump-starts their cooking so the filling and topping bake at the same rate, and it infuses the fruit with subtle smoky depth. Once assembled, the entire dessert cooks on the grill over lower, indirect heat, which helps prevent the bottom from scorching.
Get Recipe: Grill-Baked Skillet Apple Crisp
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