8 Easy Grilling Ideas for Meat & Seafood

Our summer vibe is food over the flames every day. We have you covered with grilling ideas and recipes for your favorite meat and seafood.

Our Top 8 Grilling Go-tos

1. Steak

Ribeyes, flank steak, T-bones, filet mignon…there’s no shortage of delicious cuts for your cookout. And the thought of messing up a grilled steak can be bone-chilling. Thankfully, we’re here to help you achieve a job well done with a few easy tips.

• Room Temp Rules: Don’t take your steaks directly from the fridge to the fire. Doing this will cause the outside of the meat to cook faster than the inside. Give your steaks about a half hour out of the fridge to get to room temperature before cooking them. Then sprinkle with a bit of kosher salt to bring out amazing flavor.
• 2 is Better Than 1: To get that nice crust on the outside and achieve your desired steak doneness, you’ll need 2 areas on your grill at 2 different temperatures. The high heat will be for searing and grill marks, while the medium heat will be for the rest of the post-sear cooking.
• Rest is Best: As tempting as it is to go in on a steak right off the grill, you’ll be glad you let it rest for 10-15 minutes under a loose foil tent before cutting into it. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the steak for more flavorful meat and even cooking in the final stretch.

2. Chicken

If you’re thinking of serving up the classic bird at your BBQ, we’ve got all the tips to make sure dry and flavorless doesn’t come home to roost.

• Pound That Poultry: All boneless, skinless chicken breasts are not created equal in size and thickness. So, for even cooking, place the breasts between pieces of plastic wrap or in a freezer bag, and pound them with a mallet or rolling pin to create uniform thickness.
• Don’t Wing It: Just tossing your chicken on the grill and guessing at timing is risky business. Here’s how long to grill each piece for optimal flavor. Chicken breasts need about 9-10 minutes, turning them halfway through. Wings can be touching and grouped together to allow for steaming. Grill your wings for about 20 minutes, flipping them every 5 minutes. Drumsticks need to be cooked for 30-35 minutes, flipping them every 5-7 minutes. Thighs should be grilled 7-10 minutes per side.

3. Hamburgers

We flip for a juicy burger, so here’ a breakdown of how to keep them perfect.

• Pressing News, Plus How Long to Grill Burgers: Pressing down on your burger to speed up how fast it cooks is a big no-no. You’re basically pressing out all of its juices (and all of its flavor). And burgers cook up pretty quickly anyway. So, how long should you grill your burger? Rare burgers need 4 minutes total, medium rare gets 5 minutes, medium cooks for 6-7 minutes, and well-done burgers should be on the grates for 8-9 minutes. And always remember to flip the burgers halfway through the cooking time.
• 1 Flip to Avoid a Flop: Only 1 flip is needed. If you flip or poke the patty as it cooks, you remove moisture. And don’t flip the burger too early, because this will cause it to stick to the grill.
• Divot for Delicious: Making a divot in the middle of the patty will keep the patty’s shape intact. Otherwise, it will expand and change shape.

4. Fish

Many find preparing seafood on the grill intimidating. But you can catch and release that belief. Cooking anything with gills on the grill will go quite swimmingly when you use these tips.

• Pouch Pro Tips: The pouch is no slouch for cooking thin, delicate fillets and small ingredients. You don’t have to turn any of the food, and the pouch traps the heat and steams it. Making the pouch is easy. Just place the fish on a piece of foil and fold to seal, creating a loose tent. Then place the pouch on the grate and cook.
• Dive into Direct Heat: For firmer, meatier fish that doesn’t flake or break easily, you can grill it over medium-high heat right on the grate to score smoky flavor.
• Work the Plank: This method is a win-win. You get a warm, wood flavor without any hands-on work or flipping. Like the foil packet, it’s also great for delicate fish. You just set your grill to medium-low heat, season your fish, add the fish to your presoaked wood plank and cover your grill.

5. Shrimp

Small but mighty in flavor, BBQ-goers are always keeping their eyes peeled for when this popular cookout crustacean makes its way off the grill.

• Super-fresh is Best: If possible, purchase your shrimp the day you plan to grill. If that’s not possible, it’s not a problem. And jumbo or colossal-sized are the way to go for easier grilling. Because a shrimp through the grate is a terrible fate (apologies for the bad rhyme).
• Shell Yeah: You can grill shrimp with or without the shell. If you choose to remove the shell, more marinade will absorb into the meat for more flavorful shrimp (just don’t remove the part around the tail). Shell-on has its pros, too – keeping it on during grilling prevents the juices from escaping, resulting in more tender, naturally flavorful shrimp.
• Direct Heat & Eat: Preheat your grill to 350°-450°F and cook the shrimp over direct, medium heat for 5-7 minutes, turning the shrimp halfway through. You’ll know it’s ready when the outside of the shrimp is a pink color and the meat is white and opaque.

6. Hot Dogs

There’s nothing hard about grilling a delicious hot dog, but they need just a bit of attention.

• We Like to Move it Move it: First of all, be sure to cook your dogs over indirect heat (more on the direct heat cooking finale up next). Roll the hot dog and grill each side until the ends start to split. As far as how long to grill your hot dog, aim for about 5-7 minutes for standard dogs and 7-10 minutes for jumbo size.
• Seal the Deal: Do a quick sear over direct heat to seal in flavor and get your obligatory grill marks.
• Slits Are Legit: Shriveled dogs are just sad, so make 4-5 small cross-wise slits on your hot dogs before they hit the grill (slitting a hot dog lengthwise will just dry it out).

7. Ribs

Rack up some knowledge on the fine points of serving up flavorful grilled ribs.

• First Things First: Pre-cooking your ribs by baking, boiling or using the slow cooker before grilling can make the meat more tender. It helps make things a little easier too, because it can be tough to keep the temperature as low as you need it on the grill.
• Low & Slow: Cook at a lower temperature of about 250°-300°F for several hours. Cooking should also be over indirect heat by placing the ribs on a grill rack with no heat under it. You can use direct heat briefly at the end.
• When Are They Done?: The meat will be tender, but not falling off the bone. When you see the meat pulling away from the ends of the bones, it’s time to pierce the meat with a fork. If it pulls through the meat easily, the ribs are done. You can also grab 1 of the ends with tongs to see if it moves easily. If it does, the ribs are done.

8. Pork Chops

Give your grilling chops an upgrade with a few tips to serve up on-point pork.

• Get the Timing Right: Set up the 2 zones of heat mentioned earlier, then sear each side over high heat for about 3 minutes. Next, place them over medium heat for 4-7 minutes on each side to finish cooking.
• Stick with Thick: Thick center-cut pork chops pretty much guarantee juicy, tender deliciousness. It’s way harder to overcook a thicker chop. Rest Rules: After your chops come off the grill, give them a 10-minute resting period. They continue cooking during this time, and this prevents overcooking as the chops are gradually reaching desired doneness.

Now you should be ready to round up all that fresh meat and seafood for a feast around the fire. And be sure to check out our article on How to Grill if you need to brush up on cooking with propane or charcoal. Visit our Meal Solutions page for more meal planning inspiration, tips and tricks.