50 Memorial Day Grilling Recipes for 2023
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova
Memorial Day

50 Memorial Day Grilling Recipes for 2023

A curated list of the best grilling recipes for your Memorial Day cookout.

Memorial Day grilling is a tricky thing. You’re ready to kick off the season and fire up the grill, but depending where you live, it’s not quite time for the good summer produce just yet. No corn on the cob. No decent tomatoes. No peaches. These recipes still give you plenty of options, though, for your Memorial Day barbecue: flavorfulgrilled chicken, grilled vegetables, all of our favorite ribs, the ultimate grilled pizza, grilled dip (yes, that’s right,grilled dip) and more. Below, you’ll find our favorite picks for your May 29th menu—or any time you might get thegrillgoing before then.

  • Photo of herbed chicken wings on a plate on a green background.
    Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone
    1/50

    3-Ingredient Garlic-Herb Grilled Chicken Wings

    If you want to make your Memorial Day grilling truly easy, this three-ingredient recipe has your name on it. Okay, there's salt, pepper, and oil, too, but otherwise you only need chicken wings, garlic, and whatever sturdy herbs you like best. Rosemary and oregano work especially well. Keep yourinstant-read thermometerhandy so you know when the chicken is done.

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  • Photo by Caleb Adams, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    2/50

    Cedar-Plank Salmon

    Salmon is so luscious that it rarely dries out, but it's even better when grilled on a cedar plank, which imbues the fish with a softly smoky flavor. Serve with a crisp, freshsalad.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    3/50

    Make-Ahead Instant Pot Grilled Ribs

    No more chewy ribs. AnInstant Pottenderizes ribs in no time, so all you need is to throw them on the grill for the last few minutes before serving. These ribs are rubbed with black pepper, cumin, red pepper flakes, brown sugar, kosher salt, and cinnamon, and you can do the pressure-cooking part up to three days ahead of your Memorial Day gathering.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton
    4/50

    Open-Face Mushroom Sandwiches With Pecorino Salsa Verde

    If there were an award for Most Grillable Vegetable, king trumpet mushrooms might get it. Cut into planks, they turn crisp and deeply savory on the grill. We love them piled onto toast with this zesty, herby dressing.

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  • Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    5/50

    Grilled Chicken Caesar Sandwiches

    Deeply charredboneless chicken thighs, which do their marinating in mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and lemon, are paired with a crunchy and refreshing fennel-basil slaw for this crowd favorite. Brioche buns add a nice richness.

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  • Photo by Gentl & Hyers
    6/50

    Marinated Chicken Breasts With Grilled Pineapple Relish

    Pineapple goes two ways in this Memorial Day recipe fromThe Outdoor Kitchen: it helps to tenderize the chicken breasts, and caramelizes nicely on the grill. The rest of the fruit deepens in flavor after a few minutes on the grates, and makes a fantastic salsa with jalapeño, cilantro, and onion.

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  • Photo by Gentl & Hyers
    7/50

    Crudités With Grilled Green Goddess Dip

    Treat your Memorial Day grillfest as a bit of a cookbook club and add on this second recipe fromThe Outdoor Kitchen: lightly charred vegetables served with a grilled spin on Green Goddess. Avocados, tomatillos, and jalapeños all get grill marks, the move into a blender to turn into a luscious, slightly smoky dip that's great with whatever crudités options look best at the market. Maybe your move is asparagus?

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  • Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova
    8/50

    Maple Barbecue Grilled Chicken

    烤鸡是最可靠的迹象之一summer's finally on its way. Store-bought sauce has nothing on this easy homemade version, which uses maple syrup for sweetness and Sriracha for heat. Use whatever bone-in chicken parts you like and save the leftover sauce for everything else you plan to grill this week.

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  • Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Sue Li
    12/50

    Grilled Carrots With Avocado and Mint

    It might not be quite the season yet forgrilled corn, but that's okay, we'll get there. For now: Grill your carrots, then toss with a dressing laced with cumin, lemon juice, and honey.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Judy Mancini
    13/50

    Fish Tacos al Pastor

    Pork tacos al pastor may get the fame, but this fish al pastor deserves plenty of glory. A potent chile marinade adds lots of flavor before the fillets hit the grill, and a pineapple salsa is the perfect finishing touch.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau
    14/50

    Grilled Broccoli and Arugula Salad

    This vegetable side dish can be made hours ahead of your Memorial Day cookout, just wait until you're ready to serve it to toss it all together.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Amy Wilson, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou
    15/50

    Grilled Chicken With Lemon and Thyme

    Another make-ahead friendly option, so you can relax outdoors instead of fussing last minute.

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  • Photo & Food Styling by Hetty McKinnon
    16/50

    Grilled Cauliflower Wedges With Herb Tarator

    We love the drama of a whole grilled cauliflower, but cutting the head into wedges maximizes the caramelized surface, which is a good thing, indeed. This version is served with an herby almond-tahini sauce that's brightened with a blast of lemon juice.

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  • Photo by Laura Murray, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Simon Andrews
    17/50

    Honey-Glazed Pepper Chicken

    A fermented-garlic-honey and vinegar glaze mellows out the bite of this mixed-peppercorn rubbed grilled chicken. You can find fermented garlic honey at specialty foods stores and online, but you can alsomake your own.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kate Buckens
    18/50

    Grilled Greens and Cheese on Toast

    桩烧焦的Halloumi、甘蓝和樱桃番茄on garlicky bread for an almost-instant dinner from the grill. No bread? No problem—toss everything else together and eat it as a salad.

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  • Gabriela Herman
    19/50

    Grilled Pop-Up Oysters

    When you don't feel like struggling to shuck oysters at home, just throw them on the grill. These make great no-fuss appetizers.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    20/50

    Grilled Whole Cauliflower With Miso Mayo

    The secret to a perfectly grilled whole head of cauliflower is to start it in the microwave, then glaze with spicy butter sauce as you go.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone
    21/50

    3-Ingredient Buffalo Grilled Chicken Wings

    A simple Buffalo-style hot sauce delivers a big punch of flavor to these grilled wings. Brush a little sauce on the wings at the end of grilling for caramelized flavor, then toss them in more sauce before serving for full spicy saturation.

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  • Photo and Food Styling by Joseph De Leo
    22/50

    Grilled Pizza

    This pizza starts with a dough that's ideal for grilling, and then it's the perfect mix-and-match situation. Top with fresh mozzarella, sliced cured meat, juicy burst tomatoes, lemony Swiss chard—or whatever else you like.

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  • Photo by Laura Murray, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Simon Andrews
    23/50

    Grilled Potatoes With Red Miso Butter

    阵亡将士纪念日周末去野营吗?煮这些potatoes before you head out on the road, and then quickly char to crisp the skins and warm them back up. Don't forget to bring the miso butter! This dish is miles beyond your standard potato salad.

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  • Gentl & Hyers
    27/50

    Grilled Sesame Squid

    We've been shouting it from the rooftops: Squid is one of our absolute favorite things to grill. It gets perfectly crispy and just a little charred, and it only takes a few minutes to cook as long as it's properly spread out over high heat.

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  • Photo by Hirsheimer & Hamilton
    28/50

    Spiced Salmon Kebabs

    Here's a little trick: Thread salmon pieces onto two skewers so they don't flip and spin every time you turn them on the grill.

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  • Photo by Mike McColl
    29/50

    Hickory-Smoked Baby Back Ribs

    If you like your ribs extra saucy, remove them from the grill when they’re ready, baste them one last time with the barbecue sauce, then throw them back on the grill to make them nice and sticky.

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  • Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Pearl Jones
    30/50

    Grilled Pork Shoulder With Butter Vinegar Sauce

    Cook this big roast low and slow while you kick back at your grill. If you're cooking over charcoal, you'll need to throw some new glowing coals on the pile to keep things going about halfway through.

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  • Photo by Laura Murray, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Simon Andrews
    31/50

    Grilled Mushroom Antipasto Salad

    A hearty, savory side dish, with pops of bright flavor from drained Peppadew peppers and Castelvetrano olives.

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  • Photo by Andrew Purcell, Food Styling by Carrie Purcell
    32/50

    Sweet and Salty Fish Collars

    We love cookingfish collar—it's so rich in flavor and really difficult to overcook. Baste your collars with naturally sweet and salty flavor from briny kombu and dark sweet prunes. The briny sauce is easy to make ahead and store in the refrigerator.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Megan Hedgpeth, Food Styling by Simon Andrews
    33/50

    Sticky Grilled Chicken

    Molasses, pomegranate juice, and apricot jam lend a deliciously sweet-tart, barbecue sauce–like glaze to this summertime grilled chicken recipe.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Andy Baraghani
    34/50

    Grilled Chicken Skewers With Toum (Shish Taouk)

    Put the chicken in this lemony, garlic-loaded marinade on Saturday or Sunday so you make kebabs for lunch on Memorial Day.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Frances Boswell
    35/50

    Foolproof Grilled Chicken

    For the very best results, brine the chicken, sear it over the flames, and finish cooking it on the other side of the grill before tossing with a robust vinaigrette.

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  • Photo by Christina Holmes
    36/50

    Jalapeño Poppers With Smoked Gouda

    Jalapeño poppers are even better when they're made on the grill and stuffed with a combo of cream cheese and savory smoked Gouda.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Amy Wilson, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    37/50

    Grilled Pork Chops with Pineapple-Turmeric Glaze

    Thick bone-in pork chops take kindly to a sweet-and-sour glaze, which caramelizes over direct heat. You'll save half of the sauce (made with pineapple juice, honey, vinegar, mustard, red pepper flakes, sesame oil, and turmeric) for serving.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Amy Wilson, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    38/50

    Spicy Grilled Chicken with Crunchy Fennel Salad

    This chicken packs some heat, which is why we pair it with a crisp and cooling fennel salad. If fennel isn’t your thing, use radishes, carrots, or cucumbers—any shaved crunchy veg will do.

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