81 Best Grilled Meat Recipes

For many, grilled meat is the classic example of what's so great about outdoor cooking—but the word's gotten out, and folks are finding all sorts of foods that benefit from some time over the coals (or the gas flames). There's grilled salad, grilled pizza, grilled cheese (no but like: grilled cheese), grilled cake, grilled seafood, grilled beer-can cabbage. But even though it's sharing the spotlight, grilled meat still has a role to play. Whether it's pork, beef, or lamb, we've rounded up our favorite grilled meat recipes for you to check back in on all summer long.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Simon Andrews1/81Country-Style Ribs With Quick-Pickled Watermelon
Grilled meat—in this case, country-style ribs or bone-in pork chops—gets a summery twist in this recipe from Chicago chef Paul Kahan, who pairs the protein with tangy pickled watermelon and a refreshing tomato and cilantro salad.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Erika Joyce2/81Chipotle-Grilled Pork Shoulder Steaks with Corn Salsa
Cut into steaks, pork shoulder is a well-marbled, quick-cooking cut that's terrific for grilling—especially when seasoned with a barbacoa-style rub.
Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Amy Wilson, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou3/81Jalapeño-Marinated Grilled Pork Chops
Sometimes the best grilled meat recipes are all about what else is grilled, too. Along with adding some extra smoky-char flavor to the dish, grilling the jalapeños here mellows their spiciness.
Photo by Peden & Munk4/81Grilled Kielbasa Tacos
The ingredients you'll need for this summery dinner are few but they're flavorful: grilled peppers, scallions, and sausages, served on tortillas with hot sauce and cilantro.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson5/81Lamb Chops with Polenta and Grilled Scallion Sauce
Toss grilled scallions and jalapeños with fresh basil and lemon juice to make a zesty, smoky sauce to accompany lamb chops and rounds of store-bought polenta.
Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Amy Wilson, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich6/81Pork Shoulder Steaks with Grilled Mustard Greens
Like rib eye, pork shoulder has lots of intramuscular fat, and like strip steak, it has satisfying chew. Slicing it thickly and grilling it swiftly maximizes the enjoyment of both.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell7/81Make-Ahead Instant Pot Grilled Ribs
Use your Instant Pot to prep these cumin-spiced ribs over the weekend, then save them (and their flavorful juices!) to grill for a quick weeknight dinner.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Simon Andrews8/81Grilled Leg of Lamb With Garlic and Lemon
The uniform thickness of a butterflied boneless leg of lamb makes it extremely simple to cook and serve. This cut of meat shouldn't be hard to find, but if you get one that is boned and tied, ask your butcher to butterfly it.
Peden + Munk9/81Sweet-and-Spicy Ribs
The secret to this grilled ribs recipe is that they're cooked low and slow in the oven until fork-tender, then dressed in buttery, vinegary barbecue sauce and finished on the grill.
Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Emily Eisen, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou10/81Grilled Pork Chops with Plums, Halloumi, and Lemon
The mozzarella-like Cypriot cheese Halloumi was made for the grill: Crunchy and smoky on the outside, gooey and creamy on the inside, it pairs wonderfully with fruit, as in this herby appetizer or these plummy pork chops.
Photo by Peden + Munk11/81Italian Sausage with Grilled Broccolini, Kale, and Lemon
Grilled lemon slices add bright, sweet, and smoky flavor to a salad of charred broccolini and kale—the perfect complement to rich, juicy Italian sausage.
Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Amy Wilson, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich12/81Grilled Rosemary Lamb with Juicy Tomatoes
Lamb shoulder: not just for braising! For this grilled lamb recipe, separating the shoulder into a few smaller-size pieces before marinating makes it less unwieldy on the grill and allows you to monitor the internal temperature more easily.
John Kernick13/81Grilled Yogurt-Marinated Leg of Lamb
Let the yogurt work its marinade magic overnight in this stunning grilled meat recipe. Look for a small butterflied boneless leg of lamb at your supermarket, or ask your butcher to butterfly one for you.
Photo by Peden + Munk14/81Baby Back Ribs with Tamarind Glaze
A tamarind glaze gives these grilled ribs an intoxicatingly sweet, spicy, and sour flavor.

Tiffany Hopkins

Amiel Stanek

Emily Johnson

Wilder Davies