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Meghan Splawn
Meghan Splawn
Meghan was the Food Editor for Kitchn's Skills content. She's a master of everyday baking, family cooking, and harnessing good light. Meghan approaches food with an eye towards budgeting — both time and money — and having fun. Meghan has a baking and pastry degree, and spent the first 10 years of her career as part of Alton Brown's culinary team. She co-hosts a weekly podcast about food and family called Didn't I Just Feed You.
updated Aug 28, 2023
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Grilling out in your backyard is one of the best ways to switch up your dinner routine and get a break from dish duty. Whether it is a random Wednesday night or you’re kicking off summer with a celebratory dinner, a classic summer cookout is always the perfect way to eat outside as a family.
With a little bit of prep work in the kitchen and the grill fired up, you can cook this classic summer cookout menu from start to finish in just two hours. Or break up the prep over a few 30-minute cooking sessions and finish up everything with just a few minutes at the grill. Dust off your patio table and break out the melamine plates for this quick and easy summer cookout menu.
Kitchn’s Guide to an Easy Summer Cookout
This backyard cookout menu has a bunch of classic recipes (think: burgers and dogs, potato chips, and corn on the cob). Some of the dishes are make-ahead so that you can enjoy the contrast of hot burgers and cold salads, but so that you can also limit your time sweltering over the grill. Each suggestion also includes alternatives if you need to switch things up based on dietary preferences or grocery delivery. We’ve included a handy timeline at the end to help you cook through everything with ease.
Cookout Dips
You can’t have a cookout without at least one bag of ruffled potato chips, so why not up the ante a little with a creamy dip that can be made ahead (and even slathered on the burgers if you like!)?
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Sour Cream and Charred Scallion Dip
This easy dip tastes just like the iconic potato chip you love — but better.
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Caramelized Onion Dip
This big-batch dip has all the nostalgia of packet-based dips from the store but with tons more fresh flavor. Make this dip ahead and serve with chips, veggies, or toasted bread.
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Smoky Ranch Dip with Charred Kale
The best dip of the summer starts on your grill! Aside from being a great way to get kids their greens, this dip is delicious with crudités.
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Dill Dip
It only takes five minutes to whip up this fresh dill dip.
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Butter-Baked Saltines with Chili Crisp Yogurt Dip
Butter-baked crackers pair delightfully with a spicy, garlicky yogurt dip, made with plain yogurt and chili crisp. It transports well and wows any crowd, making it the ultimate potluck side.
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Sheldon Simeon's Kamaboko Dip
The charm of this dip, which is similar in a way to crab salad, lies in the pops of umami provided by oyster sauce, sweet chili sauce, and powdered dashi.
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Burgers and Grilled Mains
From burgers to saucy ribs to crispy chicken wings and flaky fish, these meaty mains will be the best you’ve ever grilled and require minimal prep for max flavor reward.
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Juiciest Burger Patties
Just one ingredient will make your burgers infinitely juicier this summer, and it's already in your kitchen: grated butter! Trust us on this one.
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Turkey Burgers
The secret to juicy, flavorful turkey burgers? Greek yogurt!
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French Onion Burger
These grilled hamburgers are piled high with caramelized onions and melty Gruyère cheese.
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Salmon Burgers
Swoon over these crispy-on-the outside, tender-on-the-inside burgers made with fresh salmon and dill.
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Veggie Burgers
These hearty homemade veggie burgers are loaded with beans, mushrooms, sweet potato, oats, and brown rice.
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Easy Chili Dogs
A super-shortcut chili makes these dogs a party hit.
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Chicago-Style Hot Dog
Recreate the Windy City's iconic delicacy with all-beef juicy hot dogs, fluffy poppy seed buns, and loads of crunchy, salty toppings.
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Beer Brats
The belle of the ball at any summer cookout.
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Smoked Ribs
There’s no belabored process here — just a handful of essential steps that will leave you with tender ribs that have that perfect sticky layer of burnished barbecue sauce and plenty of smoked flavor.
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Grilled BBQ Chicken Wings
In this conventional but very approachable recipe, wings are cooked low and slow in their sauce, and then crisp them on the grill just before serving. The results are tender, juicy wings with a caramelized, crispy skin that everyone will love.
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Grilled Mahi Mahi with Mango Salsa
A simple yet delicious fish taco paired with fresh mango salsa.
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Grilled Merguez Sausages and Veggies with Crispy Chickpeas
A delicious platter of grilled mixed vegetables, merguez sausage, halloumi cheese, and crispy chickpeas.
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Make-Ahead Sides
Side salads that get even better when you give it time to sit and chill in the fridge.
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Creamy 3-Ingredient Cilantro-Lime Slaw
This creamy, BBQ-ready cilantro slaw is packed with a bright, fresh, and tangy flavor, and is wonderfully creamy without relying on mayo.
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Bacon Ranch Broccoli Salad
This crunchy broccoli salad has cubes of creamy cheddar and crispy bacon in a smoky, tangy ranch dressing.
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Bow Tie Pasta Salad
Your cookout isn’t complete with a big-batch of pasta salad dressed in zesty vinaigrette and tossed together with a rainbow of fresh vegetables.
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Black-Eyed Pea Summer Salad
A bright summer salad with black-eyed peas, avocado, cherry tomatoes, corn, and cucumbers dressed in a punchy lime vinaigrette.
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Avocado-Corn Salad
Fresh sweet corn, creamy avocado, and juicy tomatoes shine in this flavorful summer side dish.
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Green Fruit Salad Recipe
Cubes of cool, mellow melon are tossed with sweet green grapes, star fruit, creamy avocado, and fresh mint for an easy fruit salad that looks and tastes impressive.
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A recipe for a lightened-up version of classic broccoli slaw, which can be made ahead and serves a crowd.
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Filipino Fruit Salad
A creamy, refreshing fruit salad that’s packed with juicy canned fruit and sweetened with condensed milk.
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Best Classic Potato Salad Recipe
Master this classic cookout side dish with tender potatoes, briny pickles, crunchy celery, and hard-boiled eggs.
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Easy Grilled Sides
Take advantage of your hot grill and cook at least one other side on it.
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The Best Corn on the Cob
This simple method for grilling corn on the cob leaves you with juicy, smoky cobs you can happily serve on a weeknight or for a big summer bash.
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Grilled Halloumi
Not a molten sandwich, but instead your new squeaky summer side dish.
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Grilled Eggplant
This is the only way to grill eggplant. The slices are perfect for salads, sandwiches, as a pizza topping, and more.
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Grilled Broccoli
How to get the most irresistibly crisp and tender broccoli from the grill in just 15 minutes.
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Grilled Onions
The best and tastiest way to grill onions all summer long.
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Grilled Artichokes
The lends gives whole artichokes a nice crispy texture around the edges (like potato chips!) and a smoky flavor you just can't get out of a pot of boiling water.
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Cheesy Grilled Parmesan Broccoli
Marinated broccoli gets tossed with Parmesan and grilled to tender, smoky perfection.
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Cookout Desserts
After the burgers are devoured and the grill is cooled, finishing off the evening with something sweet makes a summer cookout feel special.
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Ice Cream Sandwiches for a Crowd
These two-ingredient ice cream sandwiches can be the sweet send-off to your cookout, as these cookie and ice cream bars are both easy and impressive.
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Grilled Rice Krispies Treats
Grilled Rice Krispies treats are gooey, caramelized, and the most magical thing you can make while the grill is still hot.
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Frozen Mud Pie
With its Oreo crust, ice cream, crushed toffee, and whipped cream, frozen mud pie will instantly win you over.
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S'mores Skewers
Take s'mores to the next level with chocolate chip-stuffed marshmallows sandwiched between buttery crackers and creamy peanut butter.
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Ube Tiramisu
Steal the show with this vibrant tiramisu, which gets its incredible texture and color from ube, or purple yams.
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Peach Cobbler Foil Packets
This easy foil-pack cobbler comes together quickly thanks to store-bought canned biscuit dough.
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Strawberry Pound Cake
This rich and buttery pound cake boasts streaks of perfectly tart strawberries and a simple lemony glaze.
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Key Lime Pie Bars
They're everything you love about the classic pie in bar form.
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Cherry Crisp
Jammy sweet cherries bubble and bake under a blanket of lemon and brown sugar crispy oat topping.
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S'mores Bars
Making a graham cracker cookie into a s'mores bar that you can take anywhere.
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Ice Cream Sandwich Cake
Simply layer store-bought ice cream sandwiches with softened ice cream and a layer of crushed Oreos (and finish it all off with magic shell) and you’ll be serving up slices of ice cream sandwich cake in no time.
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Jell-O Poke Cake
This crowd-friendly cake needs to be made ahead of time, which makes it perfect for your next potluck.
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A Quick and Easy Summer Cookout Timeline
- In the kitchen (a few hours in advance): Make potato salad and give it at least an hour to chill. Assemble ice cream sandwiches. Make caramelized onion dip. Prepare your burger patties and any toppings like lettuce, tomatoes, and red onion. Trim the corn for the grill.
- Before heating the grill: Serve up the chips and bring condiments and potato salad to the table.
- At the grill: Start the corn on the cob first and move it over indirect heat to finish cooking while you grill the burgers. Everything else will be ready and waiting at the table while the burgers are hot.
- After dinner: Slice ice cream sandwiches and serve with plenty of napkins to catch all the cool drips.
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