Growing up, my dad grilled only twice a year or so – burgers on the Fourth of July and steaks at the end of summer. I had burgers and hot dogs and grilled corn! at my aunt’s house on Easter. I remember my dad’s brother visited once and he grilled barbecue sauce chicken quarters and they were so delicious!

We grill year-round.

We own a nice propane grill, two charcoal Weber kettles, and a 7-in-1 dual fuel smoker grill.

We grill several times a week and it’s great to keep the kitchen cool in the summer. I prep salads and sides like rice or potatoes and steamed or roasted veggies.

Beef

Tritip is one of our favorite frugal meals and we even get leftovers! My kids prefer this on a gas grill.

Korean Steak is still a favorite and tastes best on charcoal.

Balsamic Steak – easy marinade with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, rosemary, and garlic. I often use a London Broil for this.

Vietnamese Steak – delicious and complex flavors! soy sauce, lime juice, fish sauce, chopped fresh cilantro, basil, and mint

Round roast or tenderloin – I make a paste with Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme and grill until rare to medium.

Greek Burgers – so delicious and a little different from traditional American burgers.

Chicken

Vinegar Chicken – My husband’s father used to make this! Bone-in chicken pieces grilled on charcoal, basted with apple cider vinegar and butter with salt and pepper until cooked to temperature

Zaatar chicken breasts are fun and different and great with rice pilaf

Teriyaki chicken thighs are always a favorite!

Our favorite fajita marinade – great on chicken, beef, shrimp, veggies, tempeh!

Monterey Chicken Breasts – super simple and delicious, better than a restaurant!

Tandoori Chicken – great served with rice and naan and veggies

Chicken Satay with The Best peanut sauce – also great with rice naan and veggies

Pork

Souvlaki pork chops – great for boneless loin chop! lemon juice, olive oil, lemon pepper seasoning, garlic, oregano, salt

Sage garlic pork chops – chopped fresh sage, garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil. I prefer these on charcoal.

Pork tenderloin roast – I make a paste with Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme and grill until medium. The heat holds over and then it’s just perfect after resting.

Lamb

Lamb chops – I make a paste with Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme and grill until rare to medium. These are my favorite for Easter and Mother’s Day.

Lamb Burgers – these smell great and toppings like pickled onions and tzatziki are fun.

Seafood

I could eat seafood every single day, but it’s so expensive in landlocked Dayton, Ohio! We do purchase boxes from KnowSeafood every couple months and they have great quality! I eat seafood several times a week.

Plank Grilled Salmon – super easy and tasty and I could eat this every week.

Branzino – this might be my favorite meal! We also grill lemon pepper trout in a similar way.

Shrimp – I like to place these on metal skewers with lemon pepper and garlic. I use leftovers for shrimp and grits!

Lobster Tails – great butterflied and simply seasoned with garlic butter

Veggies

Tempeh – I love to marinate this in fajita seasoning!

Zucchini and Eggplant – sliced thinly and simply seasoned with salt and pepper and garlic with olive oil. Also great on pizza!

Corn – I love to marinade with olive oil and chili powder, but Italian dressing does great in a pinch!

Bread

Pizza – We often prep our pizza dough and do a parcook on the grill, then toppings, then grill a second time to melt the cheese. It’s so delicious!

Naan – It seems I can never make enough dough, even if I quadruple the recipe! So amazing with garlic butter. Goes great with Tandoori Chicken!

Also, a favorite appetizer is stuffed wrapped figs! I only get these maybe once or twice a year with the seasons. I stuff the figs with herbed goat cheese and wrap with proscuitto. After grilling to melt the cheese and fry up the ham, I drizzle with honey and sliced almonds.

Resources:

• GrillGrates
• Meater thermometers
• Thermopro thermometers
• Cedar Grilling Planks
• Grill Dome Cover
• OXO Grill Tools

I post lots of our cooking adventures on Instagram.

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What’s your favorite grilled recipe?