These 16 Easy Grill Recipes All Call for 8 Ingredients or Less (But Sure Don't Taste Like It!) (2024)

When the mercury rises, keep your cool with these easy grill recipes. Though they taste remarkably complex, each dish in this collection uses eight or less ingredients. Juicy steak, grilled vegetable pasta salad, loaded bratwursts, and more, are options for an easily grilled meal that will keep your kitchen cool—but your menu hot.

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Peanut Butter Burger

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If you ask us, a burger is a must on any barbecue menu. But this easy grill recipe is not your basic beef patty. Peanut butter plays double duty as an unexpectedly delightful condiment and as a supplement to the ground beef, which ensures succulent, juicy results. Top the PB patties with a couple of slices of crispy bacon, garnish as desired, and don't forget to have napkins handy.

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Reverse-Seared Grilled Ribeye Steaks

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If you haven't tried reverse-searing before, you simply must the next time you fire up your grill. This slow-and-low, then high-heat method is a favorite of blue-ribbon barbecue pros, and the juicy results will be all the evidence you need to understand why. To complete the meat and potatoes experience, add grilled potato slices and get ready for the accolades.

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Grilled Sausages with Balsamic Onions

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Beat the clock with this 25-minute meal that will make you the barbecue MVP. Grilled chicken sausages are only the beginning here. Sweet grilled onions, spicy arugula, and tangy goat cheese make this easy recipe one of the most flavorful things you'll ever eat on a hot dog bun.

Prefer Hot Dogs? Consider These Healthy-ish Options

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Shrimp Salad with Lime Dressing

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Low in calories, as well as prep time, yet heavy on flavor and protein, this easy grilling idea is one we turn to again and again once the heat rises above 80°F. Create this dish in less than 25 minutes. Atop a bed of tomatoes, cilantro, onion, and avocado—and lettuce, if you like—you'll find spicy grilled shrimp and some zesty lime vinaigrette. This light, yet filling meal will save just enough room for a scoop or two of ice cream later.

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Grilled Potato Leek Pizza

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You might think of pizza as an easy cookout side, but this fully loaded pie is absolutely entrée-worthy. Slices of buttery Yukon gold potatoes, crunchy crumbled bacon, and grilled leeks adorn the Alfredo-sauced pizza dough. Grill for eight minutes, pair the pizza with a salad, and prepare for a fight over the last slice.

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Flat-Iron Steaks with Avocado Butter

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Keto dieters and carnivores (and let's be honest, anyone who adores a hearty meal) will go wild for this easy cookout idea. To transform grilled steak into a dazzling restaurant-quality dinner, simply top it with a pat of creamy, herb-infused avocado butter. Our recipe calls for chervil or parsley, but feel free to toss in any green herb that's fresh in your garden.

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Grilled Veggie Pasta Salad

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Clean out your fridge, or put that new farmers market haul to use in this easy cookout side. While we call for a mix of zucchini, bell peppers, onions, and asparagus, you could toss nearly any grill-friendly vegetable into this pasta salad recipe. (Eggplants, large mushroom caps, carrots, and green beans all work equally well.) Nutty whole-grain rotini, bright balsamic vinegar, and fresh oregano help the nicely charred vegetables pop.

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Grilled Zucchini and Goat Cheese Toasts

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The best and easiest grill meals kick off with a grate appetizer. For these Mediterranean diet-inspired crostini, brush zucchini planks with olive oil, then season with salt and za'atar. Grill the squash and several baguette slices, then build open-faced sandwiches with a scoop of goat cheese, a grilled zucchini slice, and fresh chives.

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Grilled Pork and Pineapple

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Pork chops and applesauce might be the traditional pairing, but come summer, we crave this tropical combo. Even better than the flavor is the fact that this entire recipe can be yours in less than 20 minutes. Pair it with a zippy orange marmalade-infused yogurt and this is like dinner and a grilled fruit dessert at once.

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Chimichurri Chicken

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When you're craving a fresh twist on spicy chicken, turn to this speedy option that has a little—or a lot of—kick, based on the amount of crushed red pepper you add. After grilling the chicken, spoon on the five-ingredient chimichurri sauce for the ultimate summer condiment. Early in the season, pair it with fresh green beans, and as fall inches closer, try corn on the cob as the starring side.

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Grilled Salmon with Garden Mayonnaise

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Since it's one of the proteins that's fastest to grill, seafood of all varieties is our go-to when we're in the mood for easy cookout recipes. Oil, salt, and pepper are all you need to get this salmon and fresh asparagus ready to grill. During the 10 minutes they take to cook to perfection, stir together a garden-fresh sauce featuring celery, green onions, tarragon, lemon juice, and mayonnaise.

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Pesto Chicken and Radicchio Skewers

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Purchased basil pesto is the secret to this 4-ingredient dinner. Marinate cubed chicken breast in pesto and lemon juice around eight hours. We like to prep this before work, so it's ready at dinnertime. Once the grill is ready, skewer the chicken with wedges of radicchio and that's it.

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Minty Grilled Chicken

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This grilled chicken recipe doesn't skimp on flavor. A marinade made with fresh lemon juice, mint, and garlic transforms boneless skinless chicken breasts. While you're grilling the chicken, toss on a few asparagus spears to round out the meal.

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Grilled Shrimp and Pineapple Skewers

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A glaze made with marmalade and soy sauce brings out the natural sweetness of pineapple and shrimp. Serve the grilled skewers with cooked long grain rice that's flavored with cilantro.

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Sesame-Ginger Grilled Chicken

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This grilled chicken recipe is all about the glaze. Whip up a batch of the ginger, garlic, and hoisin sauce and slather it on grilled chicken breasts. As one BHG reviewer shares, "It's wonderful. It's our new favorite. Crispy skin, sweet, sour, spicy, salty—all in and so am I!"

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Grilled Corn with Smoky Lime Butter

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Grilling corn adds a smoky flavor which perfectly balances the natural sweetness. A homemade smoky lime butter adds the perfect bit of tanginess. We've added smoked paprika for even more charred flavor.