9 Recipes & 7 Pieces of Gear You Need to Be a Grill Guru
Summer’s here. The grill is out. There’s only one more thing you need: a lineup of recipes designed to make the most of our favorite grilling gear.
Sure, a BBQ Grill Pan and 8-piece BBQ Tool Set are essentials, but the right supporting cast can take a cookout from fine to fantastic. Below is the gear we reach for all summer long, plus the recipes that prove their worth.
One of the best things about grilling is that almost everything becomes more interesting over flame. Chicken gets smokier; olives turn warm and briny and a little blistered at the edges. Even a simple salad picks up new depth from a hint of char.
With the right setup, the grill stops being just a place to cook meat and starts functioning as a full outdoor kitchen. We’re here to inspire you to build an entire menu over the grates, from snacks and sides to mains and dessert, no oven required. Oh, and did we mention that all of our pans work on the grill?
Our Favorite BBQ Gear
Hybrid BBQ Grill Pan, 12"
A pan that can corral the tiniest bits or wrangle unwieldy vegetables—think asparagus spears or halved artichokes—is a serious multitasker. Reach for it any time grill grates threaten to swallow dinner whole.
Hybrid BBQ Grill Topper, 16"
Our largest grill topper delivers smoke and char without the mess. Consider fish fillets and shrimp and scallops and hunks of cabbage. The topper's flat, wide surface makes it even easier to flip and maneuver smaller foods without losing them between the grates.
Hybrid Double Burner Griddle
Though the double burner griddle earns its keep at brunch, especially when breakfast sandwiches are involved, it’s equally useful on top of grill grates. The wide surface area creates deep, even browning and restaurant-level crust without sacrificing anything to the flames below. Pair it with burger presses from the Griddle Tool Set for properly crisp-edged smash burgers.
BBQ Tool Set
Technically, grilling without dedicated tools is possible. Technically, so is trimming hedges with kitchen scissors. A proper set makes life considerably easier, from long-handled tongs that spare arm hair to a serrated spatula designed for checking doneness. Skewers streamline kebabs, while a basting brush makes lacquered ribs and sticky grilled chicken much less chaotic.
Hot Mitt Set
Hand protection deserves more respect at the grill. These mitts can withstand temperatures up to 450°F, making them indispensable for moving a grill pan, adjusting the pizza steel or handling scorching-hot tools without an impromptu lesson in thermal conductivity.
Hybrid Pizza Steel
For pizza with blistered crust and a hint of smoke, place the pizza steel directly on the grill. The intense heat mimics the environment of a restaurant pizza oven surprisingly well, delivering crisp crust and bubbling cheese.
Eco Modern Apron
Strictly speaking, aprons are not essential grilling equipment. But you’ll look pretty dashing while avoiding outfit-killing splatters.
9 Recipes That Make the Most of Grilling Season
1. Greek Chicken Kebabs with Grilled Olives
Little did we know that olives benefit from a touch of char. Here, they’re paired with Greek-inspired chicken kebabs to steal the cookout.
2. Turmeric Grilled Chicken and Radishes
A quick yogurt sauce does double duty as a marinade and a sauce that you’ll drizzle over gorgeously charred chicken thighs. But the biggest surprise of this recipe is what a grill can offer radishes.
3. Grilled Garlic-Parm Corn Ribs
Mix up your standard corn on the cob with this prettier take that’s easier to eat, too.
4. Grilled King Prawns with Sticky Tamarind-Chile Glaze
This restaurant-worthy starter pairs grilled peel-and-eat prawns with a sticky-sweet glaze. Better yet, it comes together quickly but will keep guests busy while you grill up main dishes.
5. Grilled Summer Peaches
Turns out the ideal summer dessert involves grilled peaches. Make the rosé syrup a few days ahead, then all that’s left to do is char the fruit, scoop the gelato and dig in.
6. Grilled Artichoke with Herby Caesar Aioli
Impressive and secretly easy, these artichokes might just be the perfect grilled side dish. Double the aioli if you like a generous amount of sauce.
7. Grilled Philly Cheesesteaks
It’s hard to improve on perfection, but moving the griddle from stovetop to grill takes the classic Philly cheesesteak to new heights.
8. Grilled Butterflied Chicago Dog
Taking the time to griddle split dogs moves the BBQ fave into entirely new territory. This recipe takes its cues from Chicago with poppy-seed coated buns, tomato, mustard and relish, but we plan to use this method for all future grilled hot dogs.
9. Grilled Corn, Tomato & Italian Sausage Pizza
For deeply charred crust and beautifully blistered edges, place your pizza steel directly on the grill and don’t look back. Nearly any pizza recipe benefits from grilling, though we’re especially partial to this version with sweet corn, juicy tomatoes and savory Italian sausage. Try our Grilled White Clam Pizza or Grilled Pepperoni Pizza, too.
With this lineup of gear and recipes, the oven can probably take the summer off.
