79 Cookout Menu Ideas That'll Make This The Most Delicious Summer Ever

Esquites is one of those dishes that’s far greater than the sum of its parts: Sweet corn is tossed with crunchy, spicy aromatics and smothered in a creamy, smoky, lime-spiked sauce that is unreasonably good. The sauce is so irresistible, it transforms humble corn kernels into the kind of summer side that reliably outshines whatever main course you serve it with.

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If you’ve found yourself making the same macaroni salad over and over again, this is the recipe for you. It’s bright and zingy, with perfectly cooked shrimp. We took inspiration from classic Peruvian ceviche, with its lime- and fresh cilantro-forward flavor profile, and you’ll be glad to know you only need 8 simple ingredients to make this.

Get the Shrimp Pasta Salad recipe.

Summer cookouts call for food with bright herbs, creamy sauces, and tons of char, and this green goddess grilled chicken is bringing all that and more. Chicken thighs are tossed in a simple green goddess dressing and grilled immediately for a no-wait, no-fuss dinner that hits all those alfresco dinner vibes.

Get the Green Goddess Grilled Chicken recipe.

Served on a toasted and lightly buttered Kaiser-style bun, these burgers are so good you don’t even need condiments. While we wait (and pray) for a Culver’s to someday open near me, I’ll have to stick with replicating them at home—and now with this copycat recipe, you can too!

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Unlike the chilled, creamy, mayo-dressed picnic staple we're familiar with, German potato salad is served warm, or even hot, with a bacon vinaigrette. We repeat, bacon vinaigrette. If you've never made a dressing with bacon fat, you're in for a treat.

Get the Hot German Potato Salad recipe.

For this recipe, we marinated pieces of sirloin steak in soy and chili-garlic sauce, skewered them alongside red onion, then grilled the skewers until medium-rare while brushing them with a sweet and savory honey-garlic glaze. The result is a combination of tender, slightly spicy charred grilled steak that'll make you forget about any other BBQ main.

Get the Sticky Soy Steak Skewers recipe.

This pasta salad is the perfect fuss-free solution for deviled egg lovers, with tender macaroni noodles, bacon, and a mayo-Dijon dressing. Top the whole thing with expertly boiled and quartered eggs and a dusting of sweet paprika, and you’ll have your new favorite potluck contribution.

Get the Deviled Egg Pasta Salad recipe.

Why grill your stuffed peppers? Because it’s summer and we want to be outside! Don’t stay indoors and turn on the hot oven. Instead, step outside to the grill and take advantage of the great weather and the nice smoky charred flavor grilling brings to this classic comfort dish.

Get the Grilled Stuffed Peppers recipe.

These spinach and artichoke-stuffed burgers are a two-in-one dinner that will make you the star of any game day or summer BBQ, and will have you leaving the basic burgers behind.

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In this recipe, we layer cut up hot dogs, bell peppers, pineapple, and onions on skewers before basting with a homemade sweet-tangy BBQ sauce and grill until charred and caramelized. Skip the chicken skewers or basic hot dogs in a bun—and turn to these hot dog skewers.

Get the Campfire Hot Dog Skewers recipe.

If Caesar salad took a vacation to the Midwest, she would become this broccoli Caesar pasta salad. Bright green crisp-tender broccoli is tossed with cavatappi, shredded parm, and shards of crispy croutons in a silky homemade Caesar dressing for an unforgettable spin on the classic cookout staple.

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We use ingredients like caramelized onions, mayonnaise, and the perfect combination of seasonings to create a chicken burger that definitely won’t disappoint. Topped with a tangy homemade burger sauce and sandwiched between two toasted buttery brioche buns, we’re thinking we might just convert you to team chicken when it comes to your burger preference.

Get the Chicken Burgers recipe.

Hearty, creamy beans are cooked with bacon, ground beef, aromatics, and pickled jalapeños in a sweet, slightly spicy, and tangy sauce. Baked beans are usually thought of as a side dish, but the addition of meat and bacon makes this dish filling enough to eat as a main.

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The speedy nature of this recipe makes it THE perfect dish to whip up for a weeknight dinner. We've used king oyster mushrooms as their meaty texture and thick stem make perfect pork-like shreds. This recipe is so meaty we believe it could convince even the biggest of mushroom haters that these veggie heroes aren't so bad after all.

Get the BBQ Pulled Mushrooms recipe.

Burgers and fries might be a culinary power couple, but if you’re already using the grill for burgers, you can’t go wrong with these grilled potatoes. Cooked until lightly charred and drizzled with a bright green herb sauce, these simple spuds will make you wish every night was a cook-out.

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If you have never had a fried onion burger, welcome! We won’t exclaim that we can’t believe you’ve never had one; instead, we’ll take joy in getting to serve you your very first one.

Get the Oklahoma Fried Onion Burgers recipe.

If you’re looking for an easy warm weather side, nothing says summertime like grilled corn. Trust us—if you’ve got even just a little bit of extra time, this herby, citrusy honey butter is worth it.

Get the Honey Lime Grilled Corn recipe.

Whether they’re roasted, grilled, air fried, candied, or tucked in a hot dog bun (you heard us right), carrots always shine. This meal prep-friendly carrot coin salad, tossed with a sweet-tangy sesame miso dressing, is perfect for make-ahead lunches or a cool, crunchy cookout side.

Get the Carrot Coin Salad recipe.

Korean BBQ cheesy corn is the gooey-est side dip to pair with all your grilled mains. It’s one of the quickest side dishes to make with easy-to-buy summer-y ingredients of corn, mayo, and mozzarella.

Get the Korean BBQ Cheesy Corn recipe.

Summer tastes like a huge bowl of panzanella in the center of the table: generous bronzed croutons tossed with chunks of juicy tomato, shallots, and torn basil in a bright vinaigrette. It might technically be called a salad, but you’ll probably find yourself snacking on it for breakfast, dinner… and dessert.

Get the Panzanella Salad recipe.