When the weather is practically perfect in every way, you want to spend as much time as possible outside, right? During the warmer months, the weekends are a great time to lounge in the fresh air, fire up the grill, and cook fun food (like homemade pizzas!) — but grilling doesn’t need to be a whole dramatic production.
On busy summer weeknights, it can be tempting to turn to salads, one-pan meals, and simple preparations that definitely do not involve turning on the oven. (In this heat? Are you crazy!?)
But to shake things up, you can leave the hot and stuffy kitchen door open, let some of that cool summer breeze flow through, and step outside and turn on that grill no matter what day of the week it is. These recipes are simple and delicious and are just the excuse you need to spend more time out of the kitchen, so read on and discover these 21 quick and delicious weeknight grilling ideas.
Newman’s Own
Citrus Grilled Shrimp Salad
Marinating shrimp in a pre-made salad dressing is an easy way to a quick and healthy dinner. This bright salad is the perfect weeknight dinner and will be on the table in just 20 minutes.
Grilled Chicken, Avocado, Rice, and Cheddar Burrito
Who doesn’t love a delicious burrito? Use the grill to make your chicken taste wonderful and smoky before loading up your tortilla with all sorts of tasty fillings.
This easy recipe is tasty and gluten-free and gets dinner on the table lickety-split! While the recipe directions say to use a cast-iron grill pan, you can definitely make this recipe in the great outdoors for some outdoor grilling.
Forget fish tacos that are full of battered and fried filets of fish! While they may be utterly delicious, these grilled fish tacos let the fish take center stage.
Using just five ingredients, you too can have this delicious and easy dinner grilled and on the table in no time at all! This wonderful pizza will please all appetites, with half plain cheese and half dotted with pepperoni.
Grilled Peach and Arugula Salad With Mustard Herb Vinaigrette
When the weather is wonderful, make this salad the star of the dinner table. Grilled peaches, avocado, feta cheese, and crunchy almonds make this a salad to remember.
Here are some more grilled peaches — this time for dessert! Paired with a honey-sweetened mint mascarpone, this recipe makes for a truly delicious sweet treat.
Food on a stick, just tastes better right? More summery? More fun? These salmon skewers are no exception, marinated in a tasty mixture of soy sauce, honey, garlic, and brown sugar, these will be a hit on any day of the week.
Why not make a delicious shrimp cocktail on the grill for an easy and fun dinner that can definitely be tailored to different dietary needs and preferences.
Skirt steak cooks quickly and is so full of flavor, making it a perfect piece of meat to grill during the week. Paired with a fresh, herb-filled chimichurri, you will definitely make this recipe more than once.
Spatchcocking a chicken — removing the backbone from a whole bird so it all lies flat — helps the chicken cook evenly and allows all of the skin to get deliciously grilled and crispy.
It doesn’t get simpler than throwing a whole fish on the grill and letting it cook. This recipe is so easy — simply stuff your branzino with lemon slices, season it with salt inside and out, then grill it for five minutes on each side. Dinner’s done!
Sauerkraut goes well with pork and is a traditional accompaniment to pork chops specifically. This recipe uses sauerkraut juice instead of sauerkraut for a tasty twist.
Here’s another great recipe that features food on sticks, this time inspired by Thailand! These skewers are full of fabulous flavor from cardamom, curry, and ginger; served with a peanut-coconut sauce, they are practically irresistible.
Last but certainly not least, if you are looking for something perfect to cook on the grill for a satisfying and easy weeknight dinner, you can’t go wrong with a perfect steak — as long as you know how to cook the perfect steak, of course!
