Mouth-Watering Barbecue Recipes for Summer Fun

Hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, ribs — all these things are guaranteed to taste their best when grilled over an open fire on your backyard barbecue. And while these classics will certainly keep bringing smiles to our faces for generations to come, sometimes it’s fun to up your grill game by trying out some new dishes.

Feast your eyes on these mouth-watering barbecue recipes, and let the summer fun begin!

Cool California Chicken

Dressed with some of Californians’ most beloved toppings, this cut is always a winner. To make it, you’ll need:

3/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. garlic powder

2 tbsp. honey

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

4 slices mozzarella

4 slices avocado

4 slices tomato

2 tbsp. freshly sliced basil, for garnish

Balsamic glaze, for drizzling

Directions

• Whisk together balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, honey, oil, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl.
• Pour over chicken, making sure all pieces are coated, and let marinate for 20 minutes at room temperature.
• Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Oil the grates well to prevent sticking.
• Grill chicken until charred and barely cooked through, 6-8 minutes per side, depending on size.
• Top each portion with mozzarella, avocado, and tomato and cover grill to melt cheese, 2-3 minutes.
• Garnish each breast with basil, drizzle generously with balsamic glaze, and serve immediately.

Jalapeño Popper Burgers

Putting a spicy jalapeno cheese filling in the middle of your burgers is the easiest way to heat up your cookout. To make these bad boys, you’ll need:

4 oz. cream cheese, softened at room temperature

½ cup shredded cheddar, mild or sharp

½ cup shredded mozzarella

2 jalapeños, stemmed and seeded, minced

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

6 slices bacon, cooked crisp and chopped

½ tsp. chili powder

1½ lbs. Angus ground beef, preferably 75/25 or 80/20

4 large hamburger buns

Directions

• Combine cream cheese, cheddar, mozzarella, and jalapeños in a medium bowl.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper, then gently fold in cooked bacon until evenly dispersed.
• Form ground beef into 8 large, thin rounds.
• Divide filling among 4 rounds and evenly spread to about ¼-inch from the edges.
• Top each round with remaining rounds and pinch edges to seal filling inside.
• Reshape into even patties as necessary.
• Season burgers on both sides with chili powder, salt, and pepper.
• Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
• Grill burgers 5- 6 minutes per side for medium.
• Place on buns and serve hot.

Zesty Grilled Broccoli

Broccoli never tasted better. To make these charred veggies with an added kick of spice, you’ll need:

2 lbs. broccoli, trimmed and quartered into small trees

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce

3 tbsp. ketchup

1 tbsp. honey

3 cloves garlic, minced

½ tsp. kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling

Freshly ground black pepper

¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, plus more for serving

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan

Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

• Preheat grill to medium heat.
• In a bowl large enough to hold all the trimmed broccoli, whisk together oil, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, ketchup, honey, garlic and salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste.
• Toss broccoli in mixture until well coated and set aside for 10-15 minutes.
• Place broccoli on hot grill and lightly salt.
• Grill broccoli until fork-tender and slightly charred, turning every 2 minutes with tongs and basting with remaining sauce, for a total of 8-10 minutes.
• Sprinkle hot broccoli with Parmesan and red pepper flakes
• Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Cheddar Bacon Ranch Corn

Ranch dressing comes through again with that special touch that makes all the difference. Here’s what you’ll need:

½ cup (or 1 stick) butter, softened to room temperature

1 packet ranch dressing seasoning

Freshly ground black pepper

10 ears fresh corn, husked and silked

2 cups shredded cheddar, mild or sharp

6 slices crisply cooked bacon, finely crumbled

Freshly chopped chives

Ranch dressing, for drizzling

Directions

• Heat grill to medium-high heat.
• Thoroughly combine butter and ranch seasoning in a small bowl and liberally season with pepper.
• Rub ranch butter on corn until well coated.
• Grill corn until lightly charred on all sides, turning occasionally with tongs, about 10 minutes.
• Evenly top each ear with cheddar and cover grill to melt, 2 minutes.
• Top with cooked bacon and chives, and drizzle with ranch before serving.

Pineapple Bun Burgers

Every burger needs a bun — but that doesn’t mean it has to be made out of bread! Grilled pineapple offers a refreshing change. All you’ll need is:

1 lb. ground beef, preferably 75/25 or 80/20

1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

8 pineapple rings, fresh or canned

1 large red onion, peeled and sliced into rings

4 slices pepper jack cheese

4 pieces romaine lettuce

8 slices crisply-cooked bacon

Directions

• Heat grill to medium-high heat.
• Combine ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl using your hands.
• Form into 4 equal patties.
• Grill patties, pineapple rings, and red onion rings until charred, 3-4 minutes per side.
• Top each burger with a slice of pepper jack cheese and cover grill to let it melt, about 1 minute.
• Top 4 pineapple buns with lettuce, burger patties, bacon, and grilled onions, then top with remaining pineapple rings. Serve immediately.

Foil Grilled Honey-Lime Tilapia and Corn

No muss, no fuss, and you have an elegant and healthy dinner in less than 30 minutes. Here’s what you need:

4 tilapia fillets

2 tbsp. honey

4 limes, thinly sliced

2 ears corn, shucked and silked

2 tbsp. fresh cilantro leaves

¼ c. extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• Heat grill to high heat.
• Cut 4 sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil about 12 inches long.
• Place a tilapia fillet in the middle of each piece of foil.
• Brush each fillet with honey and top with lime, corn, and cilantro.
• Drizzle each serving with olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Grill until tilapia is barely cooked through and corn kernels are tender, about 10-15 minutes.

Raging Reese’s Cones

Forget grilled fruit for dessert. End the meal with a rich and gooey treat.

6 waffle cones

Miniature marshmallows

Reese’s miniature peanut butter cups

Reese’s pieces

Peanut butter, smooth or crunchy

Directions

• Gently stuff cones with marshmallows, Reese’s cups, and Reese’s pieces
• Generously smear the top of each cone with peanut butter.
• Wrap cones with foil and seal well.
• Toss on top of the barbecue grill coals.
• Turn a few times with tongs until all the fillings melt together, 5-7 minutes.
• Carefully remove from the coals and cool slightly before unwrapping and serving.