Whether you’re hosting the 4th of July, grilling out for Father’s Day, or just having friends and family over for a backyard reunion, a cookout is a staple celebration for the summer.
You don’t need to wait around for a holiday or event to have a cookout celebration, either. A cookout is a perfect way to spend a sunny Saturday with family and friends. With life finally getting back to (somewhat) normal, we anticipate many backyard get-togethers this summer. What better way to prepare for your cookout-filled summer than with delicious, grill-ready meals? We created this list of cookout food ideas from our June and July menus to make sure your next Summer BBQ fills your stomachs as much as it fills your hearts! The best part? All 19 of these cookout classics are grill-ready, so you can spend less time prepping and more time enjoying your get-together.
1. Campfire Grilled Pork Chops
Our Campfire Grilled Pork Chops with Chipotle Maple Corn is a great cookout food idea for any summer celebration. Delicious, tender, juicy pork chops are covered with a smoky garlic rub. The sweet heat of our Chipotle Maple Corn will have you craving your veggies. Just a touch of chipotle is paired with the perfect seasonings to make this side a staple for your cookout.
2. Summer Grilled Pesto Chicken Pizza
Take your pizza night outside and on the grill with our Pesto Chicken Pizza topped with diced chicken, artichoke, and flavorful pesto. Are you looking for the perfect grill-ready appetizer for your gathering? Look no further! This pizza is ready in under 30 minutes and can easily be turned into a bite-sized shareable.
3. Texas Roadhouse Burger
Nothing says cookout food quite like a juicy burger. An all-time guest favorite, these sweet and tangy burgers come with a touch of bacon, two kinds of cheese, BBQ sauce, and French fried onions. Is your mouth watering yet? Served with our Salt and Pepper fries, this meal is perfect for enjoying out back with friends and family.
4. Charred Honey Lime Chicken
Our Charred Honey Lime Chicken is a brand-new Dream Dinners recipe this July! Tender chicken breasts are grilled and brushed with a tangy-sweet honey lime sauce and served with Mexican Street Corn. This delicious chicken is ready to throw on the grill and cooks in less than 30 minutes. Serve this up at your cookout this July to impress the entire cookout crew!
5. French Onion Turkey Burgers
Herbs, seasoning, and French fried onions are mixed with ground turkey to make these super juicy burgers. These turkey burgers are served with a side of sweet potato fries and are ready to eat in under 30 minutes. This is a great cookout food idea if you’re looking to impress your guests with a unique burger combo!
6. Slow-Cooked BBQ Beef
Technically this dish isn’t grill-ready, but we would never forgive ourselves if we didn’t add it to this list! Slow-cooked BBQ beef is a cookout food idea you don’t want to pass up. Tender ranch steaks are slow-cooked in a flavorful tomato-based sweet BBQ sauce. While this isn’t a dish you throw on the grill, it’s a great meal to throw in the crockpot! Throw these in the crockpot the night before your BBQ and wake up with your cookout meal ready to serve. If you’re looking to serve this with a side dish, we recommend our Southwest Green Chile Mac N Cheese for a perfect pairing.
7. Grilled Chicken Caesar Sandwiches
Try our guest-favorite spin on a chicken Ceasar salad with these delicious grill-ready sandwiches. Grilled Chicken Caesar Sandwiches are a great cookout food idea if you want to impress guests with a bit of food creativity. Grilled chicken breasts are served on brioche buns with a creamy Caesar spread, complete with garlic and parmesan cheese. With a prep time of only 10-15 minutes, you’ll be spending less time around the grill and more time enjoying the company of friends and family.
8. American Sports Grill Steaks
These juicy steaks are perfect for any family grill out. We marinate them in a classic, savory herbed sauce and serve them up with crispy seasoned onion rings. If you’re looking to add some veggies (and spice) to this meal, our Blistered Chili and Garlic Asparagus is a perfect choice. These crispy, slightly charred asparagus spears are tossed in chili garlic oil and complement are American Sports Grill Steaks wonderfully.
9. Summer Mexican Chicken Power Bowl
This brand-new Dream Dinners recipe is a great cookout food idea for anyone watching their calories! This delicious dish is under 400 calories, so you can indulge in all of its grill-out-goodness without any guilt. In addition, it cooks in under 30 minutes, leaving you all the free time to spend with the people you love. What’s in our Summer Mexican Chicken Power Bowl? Brown rice and quinoa are topped with grilled chicken, corn, and black bean salad. The delicious bowl is finished with a drizzle of cilantro ranch dressing.
10. Catalina Shrimp Tacos with Cheese
Shrimp tacos are a summer staple and a Dream Dinners classic. Corn tortillas are filled with juicy shrimp sautéed in a chimichurri sauce and topped with lime-infused corn and Cotija cheese. Our Catalina Shrimp Tacos are grill-ready and cook in less than 30 minutes. These tasty tacos are a must-have for any summer event, especially one with a grill!
11. Backyard BBQ Chicken
This meal was made for a backyard BBQ (seriously, it’s in the name!) Our Backyard BBQ Chicken with Summer Grilled Vegetables will level up any BBQ bash. Tender chicken breasts are coated in Chef Laura’s flavorful BBQ sauce and served with a blend of seasoned summer veggies, including bell peppers, carrots, and broccoli. Our Summer Grilled Vegetables are the perfect side dish for any summer meal or BBQ. This meal is available through August, so it can be the main event of the entire summer!
12. Canadian Bacon Stuffed French Bread
Our Canadian Bacon Stuffed French Bread is a cookout food idea that will set your gathering apart from all the others. We stuff French bread with our creamy cheese spread, sausage crumbles, Canadian bacon, and savory Swiss cheese. Wrap these in foil, throw them on the grill, and get ready to impress with this tasty treat! Party tip: unwrap the foil and pre-slice bread into 1-2 inch sections, then re-wrap and grill accordingly. Party tip number two: these make an excellent cookout appetizer to munch on before the main course!
13. Savory Grilled Chicken with Sesame Honey Butter
This is another cookout food idea for anyone who may be watching their portions. Our Savory Grilled Chicken is under 400 calories, ready in under 30 minutes, and perfect to throw on the grill! Our juicy chicken breasts are marinated in a blend of sesame, ginger, and garlic, then drizzled with sesame honey butter for a delicious meal.
14. Cubano Chicken with Black Beans and Rice
Add some global flavor to your cookout this summer with our guest-favorite Cubano Chicken. Cuban-inspired chicken is served in a bright citrus sauce with black beans and rice, all finished with a charred orange squeeze. Throw this on the grill and have a fun and festive family grill out this summer.
15. Grilled Mojo Steak with Pineapple Salsa
Seared ranch steaks are tossed in a zesty sauce with green onions, Cuban spices and tossed in a pineapple salsa. This quick and easy grill-ready recipe has a total prep time of 15-20 minutes, making it great for grillers who don’t want to spend too much time cooking.
16. Summer Grilled Traditional Pizza
This grill-ready pizza will have your cookout guests coming back for one more slice. Our second grilled pizza on the list is equally as delicious as the first! This grilled pizza comes with a traditional marinara and optional toppings, including sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, red onion, and black olives. Combine this grill-ready pizza with our Summer Grilled Pesto Chicken Pizza for a pizza party cookout!
17. Lucky Dragon Pork Tenderloin
Tender pork tenderloin is roasted in a savory-sweet Asian sauce to create our Lucky Dragon Pork Tenderloin. This is an excellent Asian-style cookout food idea as it comes ready to throw on the grill. This delicious dish is served with our new Szechuan Green Beans. Our tender green beans are smothered in an Asian sauce and topped with chopped peanuts to make the perfect side dish for your family cookout.
18. Grilled Chicken Skewers with Peanut Dipping Sauce
This brand-new dish is under 400 calories, ready in under 30 minutes, and grill-friendly, which is why we think it’s a beautiful addition to any summer cookout. Tender chicken breasts with a flavorful Indian yogurt marinade are skewered and grilled to perfection. This tasty meal comes with a sweet and savory peanut sauce that will have you dipping away.
19. Bistro Steak Kebabs
A kebab is a cookout staple, and our Bistro Steak Kebabs make this cookout must-have extra easy! Our juicy sirloin steaks are seasoned with savory spices and served on a skewer for easy outside grilling. Suppose you’re looking for a side dish or appetizer to fit with your kebabs. In that case, we recommend our Mediterranean Salad with Chickpeas and Feta. Ask your local Dream Dinners if they’ve got it in the Sides & Sweets Freezer!
These cookout food ideas are perfect for self-catering any type of party you throw this summer. They’re also perfect for standard family grill nights or low-key hangouts in the backyard! Whatever the occasion, we’ve got you covered with our summer menus full of grill-ready meals. Ensure you’re prepared to make the most out of summer and save time, money, and stress with our summer meals. Click here to place an order for our June and July menus.