Cookouts are making a comeback, and these never-fail recipes will guarantee your best get-together yet.

Credit...Andrew Purcell for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.

June 28, 2022

It’s summer! The winter coats and boots have been tucked (OK, shoved) into the back of the closet, and you’ve stocked up on sunscreen and bug spray. Now is the time to find the foolproof grilling recipes you’ll trot out all season long to delight your friends and family. These 16 recipes are easy and versatile, and there’s something here for every palate at the picnic table.

1. Yakitori-Style Salmon With Scallions and Zucchini

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Credit...Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.

“Shockingly good.” “Loved it!” “Absolutely incredible.” Everyone who tries it raves about this grilled salmon and zucchini dish from Kay Chun, which can be made on the grill or on the stovetop. A salty-sweet marinade of soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, garlic and ginger doubles as a glaze and serving sauce. Serve it with Melissa Clark’s lemony-mint potato salad or rice.

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Credit...Chris Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist:Frances Boswell.

When you want vegetables to be the star of the show, but you don’t need a full-on vegetarian dish, this recipe is for you. In it, Kay Chun pairs a pile of grilled vegetables with a vibrant salami-anchovy dressing inspired by Calabrian neonata, a preserved condiment often made with anchovies or sardines and hot peppers.

Recipe: Grilled Vegetables with Spicy Italian Neonata

3. Tajín Grilled Chicken

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Credit...Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Tajín, the Mexican seasoning made from dried, ground red chiles, sea salt and dehydrated lime juice, is a clever way to add loads of flavor to grilled meats and vegetables. Here, Rick A. Martinez combines it with agave syrup, orange juice, orange zest, chipotles, adobo, garlic and olive oil for a spicy-sweet sauce for grilled chicken. (For more grilled chicken recipes, check out our grilled chicken recipe collection.)

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Credit...Chris Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist:Frances Boswell.

Using a 50-50 combination of chopped cremini mushrooms and ground beef in these burgers from Kay Chun means that you get complex flavor and texture, while also eating less meat. It’s a win-win!

Credit...David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

There are many variations of churrasco, or grilled, marinated skirt steak, in Latin American cuisine, and this one from Von Diaz has a Puerto Rican spin. First, she marinates the steak in chimichurri that’s been bolstered with adobo seasoning, then serves it with wasakaka, a lime-herb sauce from the Dominican Republic.

Recipe: Churrasco (Grilled Marinated Skirt Steak)

7. Grilled Zucchini and Feta Toasts

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For this peak summer recipe from Sue Li, grilled zucchini is chopped and tossed with a lively marinade of garlic, cumin seeds, coriander seeds and red-pepper flakes, then piled on top of grilled bread with chunks of salty feta. To make it picnic-ready, toss the grilled squash with the spice oil in a resealable container, wrap the grilled bread in foil and assemble the open-faced sandwiches when you get to your destination.

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We bet if you zoom in on the sticky-sweet caramelized edges in this photo, you won’t be able to resist making this delightful chicken recipe from Sam Sifton. The Sriracha-roasted cashews add a little heat and crunch, but be warned: They are impossible to put down. Invest in your future happiness by making a double batch for snacks.

Recipe: Grilled Soy-Basted Chicken Thighs With Spicy Cashews

10. Grilled Garlic Bread

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On its own, oven-baked garlic bread is a thing of beauty, but hit it with a little fire as Julia Moskin does here, and it becomes a smoky, crunchy side to summer-ripe tomatoes, juicy steak or chargrilled chicken. As one reader wrote, it’s “one of those dishes where you would cancel the rest of the meal and settle for several servings of the first course.”

Recipe: Grilled Garlic Bread

11. Huli Huli Chicken

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Huli means “turn” in Hawaiian and refers to how the original version of this recipe is prepared: grilled between two racks and turned halfway through cooking. You can make Alana Kyser’s adaptation, which features a simple marinade of ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar and ginger, on a standard grill. It works with bone-in or boneless chicken, but cut back on the cooking time if you use boneless.

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Sam Sifton tosses broccoli florets with a tangy and sweet mix of tamari, balsamic vinegar and olive oil before cooking them on a grill pan over high heat to crisp and char on the edges. Readers love it with cauliflower, too, and if you don’t have a grill, use the oven at 450 for about 15 to 20 minutes.

Recipe: Grilled Broccoli

13. Grilled Pork and Peaches

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Use a cast-iron griddle or two cast-iron skillets on the grill for this magic trick of a recipe that Sam Sifton adapted from Francis Mallmann, the Argentine chef. What you are aiming for on the edges of the meat and fruit is a burnished brown that is almost black, but not bitter or burned. It’s not hard, but it requires attention, and the results are transcendent: tender, crisp-edged garlic-rosemary pork and soft, juicy peaches kissed with brown butter. Try this recipe with plums or apricots, if you’re so inclined.

Recipe: Grilled Pork and Peaches

14. Grilled Eggplant Salad

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This vegetarian recipe from Melissa Clark is so easy and so satisfying, you might just find yourself making it weekly and eating the leftovers for a happy work-from-home lunch. Grill the eggplant, scoop out the flesh, add chopped tomato, then season everything with red wine vinegar, garlic, olive oil, herbs and a few capers for oomph. To make it a complete meal, add cooked lentils or crumbled feta and serve with pita.

The ginger-and-cumin yogurt marinade in this recipe from Clare de Boer involves gently seasoning the chicken to prevent it from drying out when it cooks. They’re basted over the coals with a simple lime-herb butter while scallions char and pita toasts on the side for an all-on-the-grill meal. For ease, use uncut boneless thighs or breasts, but adjust cooking time accordingly.

Recipe: Grilled Chicken Skewers With Tarragon and Yogurt

16. Spicy Grilled Zucchini

Credit...Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

When the zucchini you planted at the start of the summer have taken over your garden and the bins at the farmers’ market, here’s a great way to use them up: Cut each squash lengthwise or diagonally — long and thick enough so they won’t fall through the grill grates — toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, then grill until tender. Sprinkle with red-pepper flakes and drizzle with fresh lemon juice.

Recipe: Spicy Grilled Zucchini