127 cookout recipes

Zesty Ranch Ribs: country-style pork ribs simmered tender, then baked in a tangy ketchup-and-cider-vinegar BBQ sauce with a touch of liquid smoke. Mid-century cookout staple.

Classic mayo-and-sour-cream coleslaw with Dijon mustard and a finishing scatter of caraway seeds. Cabbage, carrot and onion at their backyard-cookout best.

Thin-sliced flank steak marinated in soy sauce, molasses, dry mustard, and ginger, then threaded on skewers and grilled. A crowd-pleasing steak on a stick recipe that's great for parties and cookouts.

Grilled pork chops paired with bacon-wrapped banana skewers, dusted with cumin and lemon. The salty-smoky bacon and caramelized banana play off the cumin-rubbed chops for a sweet-savory cookout plate.

Miso and maple marinated pork skewers grilled with apple wedges and onion. Thin-sliced tenderloin woven onto skewers for a sweet, savory, Japanese-inspired cookout.

Serve this as a condiment at your next Mexican cookout, with fajitas, pinto beans, cornbread, and coleslaw.

Fish fillets nestled in spinach with sauteed onions, garlic, white wine, and tarragon, grilled in foil packets over medium coals. A low-calorie, no-mess grilled fish dinner for summer cookouts.

Pasta fruit salad with walnuts, mandarin oranges, grapes, and apple tossed in a creamy orange yogurt dressing. A refreshing cold side dish for potlucks and summer cookouts.

Steamed potato salad tossed with green peas, celery, and scallions in a lighter dressing of mayonnaise, yogurt, Dijon mustard, and loads of fresh dill. A bright, tangy side for cookouts and potlucks.

Grilled shrimp, chicken, and pineapple kebabs brushed with a sweet-hot jalapeño baste and lemon juice. A colorful, crowd-pleasing skewer for cookouts and summer grilling.

Pork sausage barbecue beans, a one-skillet cookout side of hot Italian sausage, baked beans, bell pepper, green onions, and a brown sugar spiced BBQ sauce.

Grilled summer squash halves brushed with lemon, rosemary, and margarine, then charred over medium-hot coals until tender. A low-calorie, diabetic-friendly side for any cookout.

Spicy Spam kabobs grilled with pineapple chunks wrapped in snow peas and red bell pepper, marinated in a lemon-thyme-oregano sauce with red pepper flakes. Served over rice for a fun, retro cookout meal.

Italian rice salad with green peas, scallions, ripe olives, pimentos, and fresh basil tossed in Italian dressing. Cold side dish for picnics, potlucks, and summer cookouts.

Cold cucumber pasta salad in a sweet vinegar dressing with mustard, parsley, and sliced onion. A tangy, refreshing no-mayo summer side dish perfect for cookouts.

BBQ pork burgers blend ground pork with Romano cheese, breadcrumbs, and barbecue sauce, then grill alongside pineapple slices for a sweet-savory Hawaiian-style sandwich. Backyard cookout twist.