15 Grill Recipes That Take 40 Minutes or Less
From sides to main dishes—these recipes will get dinner on the table pronto.
CAITLIN BENSEL
If you live for the weekends, it might be time to reshape how you think about weeknights. One way to make weeknights feel more special is by adding a little excitement around mealtime. Picture this—your friends and family are gathered around the table on a warm summer night, passing plates and sharing stories about one another’s day. The only thing that could make that better? A spread of steaming hot food fresh off the grill.
It doesn’t have to be a weekend or holiday to bust out the grill. With these quick and easy (but delicious) grill recipes, you’ll have sides and mains that are ready in no time, but taste like you were cooking all day long.
Related:22 Surprising Foods You Didn't Know You Could Grill
Grilled Skirt Steak With Squash Ratatouille
Instead of steak and potatoes, try this grilled steak and squash. There are many varieties of squash that are in season during the summer months, and choosing in-season produce is a cost-effective way to eat more veggies. In-season vegetables also tend to be more nutritious and tastier, so this squash and eggplant ratatouille will satisfy you in more ways than one.
Grilled Turkey-Zucchini Burgers
Zucchini is a mild but delectable vegetable. It often goes unnoticed in smoothies and muffins, so if you’re looking for a clever way to sneak in more veggies, try adding zucchini to your meals. This plate features turkey burgers deliciously mixed with grated zucchini, egg, and spices for the perfect combo of protein and fiber. We recommend pairing these burgers with chips for a quick and delicious meal, but you can also serve ‘em alongside salad, grilled vegetables, or your favorite grain for more micronutrients.
Smoky-Sweet Steak Supper
CAITLIN BENSEL
We could all stand to eat more green vegetables, and this plate features vibrant green beans to pack in the nutrients, and cherry tomatoes to add a pop of color. The green beans are blanched, which sounds harder (and fancier) than it actually is. A brown sugar-and-paprika rub gives the grilled steak a sweet and savory flavor that pairs perfectly with the salad and your wine of choice.
Grilled Cantaloupe and Prosciutto Skewers
You may have had grilled pineapple rings, but have you tried grilled cantaloupe? Cantaloupe season happens to overlap with the warmer months, so summer is the perfect time to give this delicacy a try. Chop up some cantaloupe and layer the fruit cubes between prosciutto slices, Halloumi cheese cubes, and pieces of ciabatta bread, all on skewers. Add olive oil, fresh herbs, and balsamic glaze for flavor. The end result is basically a grilled sandwich on a stick.
Grilled Pork Chops With Peach Arugula Salad
Forget searing pork chops in a fry pan and grill them instead. This recipe calls for super hot grill grates to unlock the charred goodness, and get those beautiful blackened grill marks. But don’t worry—these taste just as good as they look since they’re seasoned to perfection with salt and pepper, and paired with a peach-arugula salad tossed in a honey vinaigrette.
Grilled Pizza With Chicken and Peach
Five-star restaurant quality food in your backyard? You betcha! You don’t need a fancy pizza oven to make delicious pizza at home, but you do need enough dough and cheese to go around. You can use your grill to whip up pizza pies for the whole family, and assembling them is something you can all do together. Choose your favorite toppings, or give this chicken and peach combination a whirl. The jury is out on whether pineapple belongs on pizza, but once you try this recipe, we can all agree that peach slices definitely do.
Grilled Chili Shrimp Tacos
In less than 20 minutes, you can have these mouthwatering tacos on your plate and ready to be devoured. Aside from whipping up a homemade pineapple-jalapeño salsa, everything can be cooked on the grill. You’ll grill seasoned shrimp for a couple of minutes on each side, and even grill your tortillas of choice for extra smokiness. Assemble your tacos and dig in!
Related:27 Taco Recipes So Good You'll Never Want to Make Anything Else
Grilled Hanger Steak With Green Bean and Sweet Pepper Slaw
The recipe for a quick, nutritious, and elegant dinner? A plate full of colorful vegetables for the fiber, nutrients, and element of freshness, with grilled meat in the center for a concentrated umami flavor and healthy dose of protein. This peppery steak is grilled until medium-rare and paired with a citrusy slaw. The best part—it only takes 20 minutes to come together, and the whole meal is under 500 calories per serving.
Grilled Scallops With Corn Salad
Cooking scallops isn’t for the faint of heart, which many contestants on Gordon Ramsay’s cooking shows learn the hard way. To make your life a whole lot easier—and encourage you to enjoy scallops more often—this recipe offers a game-changing tip. Thread scallops onto bamboo skewers so they lay flat and grill them for several minutes, seasoning with oil, salt, and pepper. Not only will they don gorgeous grill marks, they’ll have that signature charred flavor. Place on a bed of corn and poblano pepper salad drizzled with a cumin-spiced lime dressing, and enjoy.
Grilled Cauliflower Steaks With Romesco and Manchego
When you think of cauliflower, vegan wings may be the first food that comes to mind. In addition to cauliflower rice, pizza crust, and gnocchi, you can make steak with this cruciferous vegetable. Now, we use “steak” loosely, because there’s no meat involved, but this recipe proves that you don’t need beef or any type of meat to have a hearty main dish. It calls for steak-sized pieces of cauliflower that you’ll season with oil, salt, and pepper, but the real flavor comes from the red pepper romesco sauce and arugula and Manchego cheese side salad.
Grilled Asparagus and Hot Honey Flatbreads
If you’re up for a culinary challenge, try combining ingredients you may not otherwise think to pair together. This recipe calls for grilled asparagus, naan bread, ricotta cheese, hot honey, and pistachios. Together, they create a medley of flavors in your mouth. You’ll grill the veggies and flatbread for the smokiness and texture, but don’t forget to drizzle with a generous amount of hot honey for sweetness and spiciness.
Grilled Chicken With Blueberry-Peach Salsa
GREG DUPREE
Homemade salsa isn’t just for chips and tacos. This blueberry-peach salsa elevates grilled boneless, skinless chicken thighs, so you can enjoy your protein with a little zing. Yes, chicken is one of the most versatile meats, and summery recipes like this keep you coming back for more.
Buttery Grilled Corn
You only need five ingredients to make this grilled corn, proving that some of the best things in life are simple. This corn starts out on the cob, but once grilled you’ll cut the kernels off and add them to a mixing bowl. Here, the real magic happens. Toss the charred kernels with butter, salt, pepper, and scallions. You can whip up this easy side while you’re grilling your main course, which is a win for whoever has dish duty after dinner.
Spicy Grilled Chicken With Shaved Zucchini Salad
You may have had chicken a million times, but you haven’t had it like this before. Aleppo pepper brings on the heat, giving these grilled chicken breasts a distinctive fieriness. If you’re not one for spice, a shaved zucchini salad tossed in a lemon-mint dressing balances the bold flavors out.
Related:12 Grilled Chicken Recipes Everyone Will Love
Grilled Halloumi Salad
This grilled Halloumi salad couldn’t be easier to prepare. Simply whisk up a vinaigrette with vinegar, lemon juice, oil, za’atar, and spices, and drizzle it on top of your salad. Layer in toppings like olives, chickpeas, and cooked Halloumi cheese for a variety of tastes, textures, and nutrients. This recipe cooks the Halloumi in a cast-iron skillet, but you can easily toss it on the grill or a grill pan.
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