40 Quick and Easy Cookout Food Ideas For Everyone

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Whether you’re celebrating a holiday or just having a fun afternoon with friends, good cookout food can make or break the success of your party.

Whether you prefer classic grilled foods, cool and creamy sides, or decadent desserts, this list should have something for you at your next cookout.

I’ve tried to include a variety of options to appeal to everyone, from the most ardent meat eaters to those who follow a vegan, gluten-free, or low-carb diet. There are a few outdoor gathering staples here, such as potato salad, BBQ chicken, and ribs.

However, I’ve also included some less common, out-of-the-box ideas, such as grilled watermelon and grilled apple crisp. So take a seat, relax, and let the summertime vibes wash over you as you peruse this list of super tasty cookout food ideas.

COOKOUT FOOD IDEAS SIDES

1. BROCCOLI APPLE SALAD

This Broccoli Salad Recipe with Creamy Lemon Dressing is one of my blog’s first and most popular recipes; an oldie but a goodie! The creamy dressing binds everything together and makes it all come together.

2. ORZO SALAD

This grain-based salad is bursting with fresh flavor from summer garden staples like cucumbers, tomatoes, and basil.

3. BOILED CORN ON THE COB

The perfect summer side dish is boiled corn on the cob. Boiling corn is the simplest cooking method, and you’ll love our secret for keeping it sweet, juicy, and tender.

Alternative Video: Easy Cookout Food Recipes

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4. HEALTHY NO MAYO COLESLAW

This recipe demonstrates that you don’t have to slather summer salads, even classics like coleslaw, in mayo to make them irresistible.

5. PEACH AND THYME FOCACCIA BREAD

This bread, topped with thin slices of peaches, herbs, and chunky sea salt, looks like it came from a five-star restaurant, but it’s surprisingly simple to make.

6. PINTO BEANS

This tasty alternative to baked beans slowly simmers on the stove to ensure an ultra creamy and flavorful end result.

FALL COOKOUT FOOD IDEAS

7. TRI-TIP WITH CHIMICHURRI

The tri-tip is a tender, triangular cut of beef that is located near the sirloin. Because there are only two per steer, choose sirloin if your butcher is unavailable.

8. GRILLED SAFRON OF LAMB

The lamb in this rack of lamb recipe needs to marinate overnight, so start 1 day ahead. But believe us when we say it’s worth it.

9. GRILLED FENNEL

Make sure to remove the tough and fibrous outermost layer of the fennel bulb before grilling it.

10. GRILLED SALMON COLLARS

Once the salmon is on the grill, don’t fuss with it too much: let the flesh naturally release from the grate before attempting to turn it. The marinade can also be used on any cut of salmon.

11. BARBECUED CHICKEN

When it comes to barbecuing chicken, avoid rookie mistakes. If you apply the sauce too soon, it will burn. Most bottled sauces are overly sweet, which is where this vinegary variation comes in.

12. SPICY GRILLED CAULIFLOWER STEAKS

Choose the largest cauliflower head you can find. When you cut it, remember that the two center pieces will stay together, but the two end pieces may fall apart into florets, which is fine—you should still grill those!

SIMPLE COOKOUT FOOD IDEAS

13. POTATO SALAD

To avoid sounding like an art professor, good potato salad is a study in contrasts. It’s crunchy and creamy, savory and slightly sour, salty and spicy, and everything in between. This recipe includes all of that and more. I’m not a huge fan of the hard-boiled eggs in mine, so I know you can leave them out without much loss of flavor.

14. MACARONI SALAD

I’ve tried a lot of macaroni salad recipes over the years, but this one seems to be my favorite. It’s easy to make, contains a lot of healthy vegetables, and is smooth, cool, and creamy.

16. BROCCOLI SALAD

You have no idea what you’re missing if you’ve never had broccoli salad. It takes about 15 minutes to prepare and does not require any cooking. The broccoli, onions, cheese, and bacon give it a hearty, earthy flavor, but the sugar, grapes, and raisins add a delicious sweetness that even the kids enjoy.

17. SMASHED POTATOES

These four-ingredient smashed potatoes are ready in under an hour and can be cooked on the grill or in the oven. The recipe suggests using a Traeger smoker, but if you don’t have one, no worries. They’ll taste just as good, if not a little less smoky, if you cook them another way.

18. THREE BEAN SALAD

Three bean salad is both visually appealing and delicious. The green beans, red kidney beans, tan chickpeas, and white and purple onions add a lot of color. The apple cider vinegar/olive oil mixture gives everything a nice, shiny coating that makes it look even better.

19. LEMONADE

As a kid, I used to look forward to the first summer cookout of the year. My family usually celebrated Memorial Day, though some years we didn’t fire up the grill until the Fourth of July. But it wasn’t the food or the opportunity to spend time with my family that piqued my interest.

EASTER COOKOUT FOOD IDEAS

20. DEVILED EGGS SAILBOATS

Easter and eggs go hand in hand. These deviled egg, veggie, and chip sailboats are so cute that you’ll want to eat them all year.

21. PEEPS S’MORES SKILLET

Easter isn’t complete without Peeps! And this drool-worthy dessert elevates the beloved holiday favorite to new heights.

22. SMOKY RED PEPPER HASH BROWNS

These individually baked hash browns are a great substitute for frying a large casserole. You can even make them up to two hours ahead of time and reheat them in the oven for 10 minutes.

23. HAM AND CHEESE BREAKFAST BAKE

What are the best parts of this dish? Most (if not all) of the ingredients are probably already in your kitchen, and it only takes 20 minutes to prepare!

24. ROSEMARY BRIOCHE ROLLS

Add fresh herbs to your standard buttery brioche rolls for a fragrant and flavorful side dish for any meal.

25. QUICK ‘N’ EASY SOUTHERN BISCUITS

These hearty scoop-and-shape buttermilk biscuits come together quickly and will keep your holiday guests satisfied until dinner arrives.

SOUTHERN COOKOUT FOOD IDEAS

26. CLASSIC SUCCOTASH

This traditional Southern side dish is packed with healthy veggies like onion, corn, and lima beans, and it’s the perfect potluck dish.

27. STREET CORN SALAD

The fresh flavors of summer are combined in a bright, citrusy, and irresistible Mexican street corn salad, also known as esquites. The fresh corn kernels add sweetness to this summery side, and the crumbled cotija cheese adds a creamy, salty component.

28. ROOT BEER BAKED BEANS

Stir in peppery-sweet root beer, dry mustard, and hot sauce to transform canned pork and beans into delicious baked beans. Because of the 5-minute prep time, this dish may become one of your summertime favorites.

29. SIMPLE BEET SALAD

Pickled beets were a source of contention between my mother and I, but I believe we would have agreed on this more recent version.

30. WARM PURPLE AND RED POTATO TOSS

Purple and red potatoes the size of a tomato are ideal. Cook purples in their jackets to keep the color. Our Test Kitchens prefers to cook potatoes uncut and in their peels for potato salad. Cut potatoes are prone to breaking apart.

BBQ COOKOUT FOOD IDEAS

31. GRILLED MUSHROOM BURGERS

Thick, juicy hamburgers are a must-have at any cookout. However, despite their pervasiveness, they don’t do the vegetarians at the party any favors. These grilled mushroom burgers, on the other hand, will go over extremely well with your veggie-loving friends.

32. GRILLED VEGGIE SKEWERS

These grilled veggie skewers are a special treat for the vegetarians in your group, but they’re so delicious that everyone will want one, two, or three. You can use any vegetables you want, but the combination of red, yellow, orange, and green bell peppers, red onions, and zucchini has a lot of vibrant colors and tastes great.

33. GRILLED PINEAPPLE

With just three ingredients – pineapples, brown sugar, and canola oil – you can create a delectable side dish that’s sweet, tart, and a tad smoky. These grilled pineapples are the simplest thing in the world to make, and half of the time is spent simply letting them sit in brown sugar!

34. GRILLED WATERMELON

You’d think grilled watermelon would be similar to grilled pineapple, wouldn’t you? Nope. It’s a lot more than that. The watermelon will be grilled, but then it will be piled high with onions, peppers, corn, garlic, avocado, and other ingredients.

35. GRILLED POTATOES

Grilled potatoes are similar to potato wedges, but much better. For starters, they’re incredibly crispy. They are also much more seasoning. Each slice of red potato will be brushed with olive oil and seasoned with rosemary, oregano, thyme, sage, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.

BIRTHDAY PARTY COOKOUT FOOD IDEAS

36. STRAWBERRY PRETZEL TART

Strawberry pretzel dessert is a tried-and-true favorite of ours. The pretzel crust complements the sweet strawberries suspended in Jell-O perfectly. The rich cream cheese layer in the center is even better. What a lovely dessert!

37. TACO LIME SHRIMP

You might not think to use taco seasoning in shrimp recipes, but think again: these shrimp are seriously bangin’, marinated in a mix of taco seasoning, enchilada sauce, and lime juice.

38. PIGS IN A QUILT

This app may appear to be complicated, but we assure you that it is not. Plus, it’s a fun twist on the classic pigs in a blanket that’s perfect for a large group!

39. BROWN SUGAR BBQ CHICKEN

Pulled chicken is so easy to make in the slow cooker, and this version includes brown sugar, Italian dressing, and bourbon for a little smokiness. You can certainly leave it out, but we believe it is the most important part.

40. SPIRAL GRILLED HOT DOGS

Take your hot dogs to the next level! The best way to make them is with Spiral Cut Grilled Hot Dogs. This method is simple to execute, has a larger surface area to caramelize, and is simply enjoyable. Perfect for a summer BBQ with friends and family, or any time!

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