There’s something about BBQ season that makes you want to fire up the grill and haul out the old Coleman cooler. These 13 BBQ recipes hit that exact mood—bold, easy, and made for laid-back gatherings that last into the evening. They’re built for real backyards, paper plates, and food that disappears faster than it cooks. If you're looking for reasons to clean off the tongs, this might be your sign.
Grilled Scallops With Lemon, Mint, And Pinot Grigio Sauce
Grilled Scallops With Lemon, Mint, And Pinot Grigio Sauce bring a touch of brightness to your BBQ without making things too complicated. These cook quickly over an open flame, making them a smart move for barbecue nights when folks are already circling the grill. If you're dusting off that Coleman cooler, this BBQ recipe deserves a spot next to the cold drinks and potato salad. It’s a little bit fancy without making you miss kickoff or Uncle Larry’s story about his charcoal technique.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Scallops With Lemon, Mint, And Pinot Grigio Sauce
Colombian Marinated Chicken Drumsticks
Colombian Marinated Chicken Drumsticks are what happen when your BBQ starts leaning into bold flavor without breaking from tradition. These drumsticks soak up a vibrant marinade and cook up juicy, making them a strong contender for any cookout where the cooler is loaded and the playlist is stuck in the ’70s. This barbecue recipe is made for backyard tables and napkins that don’t stand a chance. No one’s leaving early when these hit the grill.
Get the Recipe: Colombian Marinated Chicken Drumsticks
Smoky Baba Ghanoush Without Tahini
Smoky Baba Ghanoush Without Tahini earns its BBQ stripes by playing the side dish MVP you didn’t realize you needed. It’s made with fire-roasted eggplant and comes together quickly, which is perfect when the grill’s hot and the cooler’s brimming with drinks. This barbecue recipe holds its own next to ribs, wings, or kebabs, and keeps folks dipping between bites. It’s the kind of dish that makes people think you planned this whole BBQ weeks in advance.
Get the Recipe: Smoky Baba Ghanoush Without Tahini
Vegetarian Kofta Kebabs Recipe
Vegetarian Kofta Kebabs bring the spirit of the backyard BBQ without the meat, making them a great pick for a mixed crowd. These skewers are packed with spices and grill beautifully, which puts them right in the heart of any barbecue. This BBQ recipe works for those cookouts where someone always shows up with a cooler full of tofu and something to prove. Throw a few of these on the grill, and even the meat lovers will grab one before they’re gone.
Get the Recipe: Vegetarian Kofta Kebabs Recipe
Peach Salmon Skewers With Peach Jalapeno Crema
Peach Salmon Skewers With Peach Jalapeno Crema bring sweet and heat to the barbecue in one easy-to-serve package. These skewers are a smart BBQ move when you want something light but still grill-focused. They pack well into a cooler and stand out without trying too hard, which makes them a strong contender for a summer gathering. Keep these handy when you need a recipe that’s just different enough to get people talking.
Get the Recipe: Peach Salmon Skewers With Peach Jalapeno Crema
Spiced Grilled Corn
Spiced Grilled Corn is the kind of BBQ recipe that shows up in old photo albums with foil-wrapped cobs and folding chairs. It’s fast to throw on the barbecue and always gets eaten, even when there’s already a full plate. This recipe belongs on any list that might make you dust off the Coleman cooler because it’s low-effort, high-payoff, and tastes like pure summer. You don’t need fancy gear when corn like this hits the grill.
Get the Recipe: Spiced Grilled Corn
Halloumi Tacos
Halloumi Tacos are a smart move for any BBQ where you want to shake up the usual meat-heavy spread. Grilled halloumi holds its own on the barbecue and slides perfectly into tortillas for easy serving. These tacos feel like the kind of BBQ dish someone’s cool aunt would bring while everyone else argues over ribs. Keep these on hand for a cookout recipe that’s easy to prep and even easier to share.
Get the Recipe: Halloumi Tacos
Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Drumsticks bring the flavor of a full-blown backyard barbecue without needing charcoal or an actual grill. The sticky, sauced-up skin and juicy meat hit all the right BBQ notes, making it an easy win for a casual summer dinner or impromptu get-together. This is the kind of BBQ recipe that makes you think twice about whether you packed enough paper towels and potato salad. Even without the open flame, they’re cooler-worthy through and through.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
Nordic Fire-Grilled Salmon
Nordic Fire-Grilled Salmon brings that bold open-flame BBQ feel, especially when you're going for something beyond burgers. This barbecue recipe is easy to prep and fast to grill, making it a no-nonsense choice when the cooler’s packed and the weather is playing nice. It’s a recipe that still nods to tradition while bringing something a little fresher to the backyard table. Add this to the grill and someone’s bound to ask if you went to culinary school in Scandinavia.
Get the Recipe: Nordic Fire-Grilled Salmon
Zaalouk Roasted Eggplant Dip
Zaalouk Roasted Eggplant Dip earns its place at a BBQ not just as a dip, but as an essential spread for grilled meats, pitas, or just scooping straight from the bowl. This barbecue recipe is easy to prep ahead and gets better as it sits, which makes it perfect for cookouts where the Coleman cooler’s doing heavy lifting. It adds a smoky backbone to the table without competing with the stars of the grill. Think of it as the sleeper hit that quietly disappears before you can grab seconds.
Get the Recipe: Zaalouk Roasted Eggplant Dip
Grilled Chicken Kofta Kebab
Grilled Chicken Kofta Kebab is a BBQ recipe that keeps things simple while still bringing serious flavor to the backyard table. The skewers grill up quickly and pack a punch with everyday spices, making them perfect for laid-back afternoons where the cooler’s full and the grill’s already going. This barbecue recipe works just as well for a weeknight dinner as it does for your next big cookout. It’s the kind of thing that’ll have guests thinking you brought a little street food magic to the patio.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Chicken Kofta Kebab
Beef Bulgogi Bowls
Beef Bulgogi Bowls are a bold BBQ move for cookouts where you want to break the burger routine. Thinly sliced, marinated beef cooks quickly on the grill and turns into an easy barbecue meal that holds up well with rice or in lettuce wraps. This BBQ recipe might not be traditional, but it’s definitely the kind of thing that gets the cooler packed and the grill going. You won’t hear anyone complain when this hits the table.
Get the Recipe: Beef Bulgogi Bowls
Gochujang Chicken
Gochujang Chicken brings a little heat to the BBQ without making things fussy. This barbecue recipe hits the sweet spot of quick grill time and bold flavor, the kind that makes people look around for whoever brought the “fancy” chicken. It’s a great reason to roll out the cooler and fire up the coals, especially when you want something that breaks from the usual ketchup-and-mustard playbook. When this hits the grill, you’ll be glad you didn’t just go with hot dogs again.
Get the Recipe: Gochujang Chicken
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