Summer is the saddest time of year for your kitchen. That’s because, when the temperature rises above 85 degrees, you definitely don’t want to turn on your oven or cook anything on the stove. Summer is when the grill reigns supreme. Grilled meats and any variation of grilled vegetables make for a simple, delicious, filling meal. Bonus if you pair it all with a frosty beer.
Since we’ve had our fill of hot dogs, burgers, and steaks, this is the summer of trying new foods. From peanut butter chicken kebabs to spicy grilled corn, we’ve got you covered. These are the meals you’ll be going back to over and over again this summer. Check them all out below.
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Grilled Foods 2020
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Beer Can Chicken
No summer is complete without a meal of beer can chicken. It’s moist, delicious, and extremely flavorful. The recipe is simple. Drink half a beer (done and done). Put your favorite rub on a whole chicken, plunk it down on top of the second half of your beer. Close the grill lid and let the magic happen.
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Caramelized Pineapple
If you don’t love grilled pineapple, you might as well just eat canned pineapple for the rest of your days. The key is to caramelize it to make it more like a smoky dessert than a main course (although it’s perfect on top of a burger or as a side for a steak). Make a mixture of butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon and pour it over pineapple slices in a dish. Let it marinade for a few minutes before placing it on the grill.
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Portabello Mushrooms Steaks
If you’re going meat-free this summer (or someone in your family is a vegetarian), there are few better, meatier, grilled vegetables than the giant portabello. The key is marinating the mushrooms first in a mixture of soy sauce, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper.
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Grilled Sausage and Peppers
Sure, a grilled hot dog is great on a hot, summer day. But, a kielbasa sausage with peppers and onions is perfect and surprisingly easy to make. Grab your favorite sausage (kielbasa, brat, chorizo, whatever you like) and throw it on the grill. Next to those, place julienne-style white onions and green peppers drizzled with olive oil, salt, and pepper in tinfoil. Once the sausages and veggies are cooked to perfection, pile them high on a soft hot bun and enjoy.
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Smoky Grilled Asparagus
In the pantheon of grilled veggies, it’s really hard to beat asparagus. Regardless of how your urine will smell the next day, on the grill, asparagus gets crispy, smoky, and fresh. Simply place your trimmed asparagus in tinfoil, drizzle it with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and put it on the grill. Simple, delicious, and perfect.
Photo: Frank Schiefelbein / EyeEm (Getty Images)
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Peanut Butter Chicken Kebabs
You might not think that peanut butter, chicken, and grilling work well together. But, you’re wrong. If you’re game to try it, start by cubing your chicken. Then, marinate it with a combination of peanut butter, soy sauce, garlic powder, lime juice, and brown sugar before putting it on skewers and throwing it on the grill.
Photo: Christopher Moswitzer (Getty Images)
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Spicy Grilled Corn
Sure, you can easily boil your corn on the cob, add a little salt and butter, and chow down to your heart’s content. But, if you really want to ramp up the smoky spice factor, make spicy grilled corn. Melt butter with salt, smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, and pepper flakes and stir into a bowl before brushing on your corn before grilling. Add even more pizzazz with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese after you remove it from the grill.
Photo: Amy Brothers (Getty Images)
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Barbecue Pork Chops
There are few meats that work better on a grill than a pork chop. Whether you enjoy them bone-in or boneless, you should still start by either marinating them in your favorite barbecue sauce or rub (a simple rub can be made with brown sugar, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper). Make sure you cook them to at least 165 degrees and enjoy.
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