8 Delicious & Frugal Grill Recipes! (2024)

by: Bargain Babe

As soon as the warm weather rolls around my Dad starts to cook EVERY meal on the grill. Sounds great, right? Wrong! You can only have so many burgers and hot dogs before you’re craving anything else. For this reason, I looked up some different and frugal grill recipes that will have you dying to start that grill up today!

8 delicious grill recipes to try this summer

1. Coconut Brown Sugar Glazed Grilled Pineapple

8 Delicious & Frugal Grill Recipes! (1)

Photo via Chef in Training.

Looking for a delicious dessert that you don’t have to bake? This recipe is the perfect fit! For this recipe you’ll need:

  • 1 Pineapple, trimmed and cut into wedges
  • ½ cup butter, melted
  • ¾ cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 Tablespoons Honey
  • 1 teaspoon imitation coconut extract

To make simply combine melted butter, brown sugar, honey and coconut extract in a medium bowl. Then, preheat grill to 350 degrees F. Grill pineapple sideways and create grill lines. Golden brown lines should be on each side. Remove from grill and place on tray. Coat with glaze until it melts over it. See full tutorial at Chef In Training.

Note: Trying to eat healthy? Skip the glaze. Grilled pineapple is delicious on it’s own and is AMAZING when served with chicken. Yum!

2. The Best Four Ingredient Marinade for Grilled Chicken

Looking for a quick and frugal meal for after work? Prepare this quick marinade in the morning and your chicken will be ready for the grill when you get home! To make this marinade simply combine1 cup brown sugar, 1cup oil,1/2 cup soy sauce, and1/2 cup vinegar and let marinate chicken breasts for at least 4 hours or overnight. Grill at medium heat for six minutes and then flip for another four. In about 10 minutes your chicken is ready! Yum!

3. Grilled Pizzas

Calling all pizza lovers! Did you know you can make pizza on the grill!? Grilling a pizza is easy. Basically, you take your pizza dough and brush both sides with olive oil. Transfer to your grill (preheated to medium heat) and let sit until bubbly. About five minutes. Remove from the grill and flip over (so grill marks are now on top) and add toppings to the grilled side. Put back onto the grill and cook until the cheese is melted Yum! For the full tutorial head to Down Home Inspiration.

Note: I love to make grilled pizza with pre-made crusts. Grilling them makes them taste homemade and it’s a quick ten minute dinner!

4. Best Turkey Burger Recipe

Photo via Use Real Butter.

Want to make a healthier (but still delicious) version of your favorite burger? This turkey burger recipe definitely fits the bill AND you’ll only need three fresh ingredients! The additional recipes are just seasonings that you probably already have around the house. For this recipe you’ll need:

  • 1 lb. ground turkey meat (prefer thigh meat)
  • 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced (or whatever fresh herbs you like)
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • cheese (optional)

Just mix ingredients together and create between 4-6 patties. Grill on medium heat for about 7 minutes on each side. Add cheese at end to melt and you’re done! Yum! Find the full recipe here.

5. BBQ Chicken Kabobs

What I love about this recipe is that the majority of ingredients you’ll have on hand at home. Think spices, BBQ sauce and sugar. These kabobs will impress your friends and are perfect for a backyard BBQ. Yum! For this recipe you’ll need:

  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons sweet paprika
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 4 teaspoons sugar
  • 2-3 slices raw bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce

The long and short of this recipe? Combine spices into a rub, create a bacon paste, coat chicken and marinate for an hour. Grill chicken kabobs and add BBQ sauce. This recipe is more complex so you’ll want to head to the full picture tutorial from Fabulessly Frugal. Still, this recipe should only take you about 30 minutes to make (minus marinating time of course!).

6. Mexican Street Corn

I love making corn on the cob on the grill AND this recipe takes it to the next level. It uses common ingredients to turn this recipe into a real treat!

You’ll need:

  • 5 husks of corn

For Spread:

  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 Tablespoons sour cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
  • Juice from one lime

For Topping:

  • 1/4 cup grated Cotija cheese
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (or chili powder if you want heat)
  • Chopped cilantro, for garnish (optional)

This recipe is very simple. Grill Corn on medium heat. While grilling combine spread ingredients in a small bowl. Do the same for topping ingredients. Take corn off the grill and cover with spread. Add topping and you’re done. Yum! Find the full tutorial here.

7.Cilantro Lime Grilled Watermelon

Looking for a refreshing summer treat? This grilled watermelon will have you asking for seconds! For this recipe you only need five ingredients:

  • 8 Pieces of Watermelon
  • 2 Limes
  • Cilantro
  • Olive Oil
  • Salt To Taste

To make this treat just brush each piece of watermelon with olive oil and lime juice. Season with salt and grill for 3-5 minutes on each side. Take off the grill and add more lime juice. Sprinkle with cilantro and you’re done! Go the full tutorial here.

8. Balsamic Rosemary Steak Kabobs

8 Delicious & Frugal Grill Recipes! (8)

Photo via Love Grows Wild.

These kabobs are like a gourmet meal on a stick! Sounds amazing, right? For this recipe you’ll need:

  • 8 new potatoes (I used baby Yukon Gold)
  • 14-16 ounce rib eye steak
  • 8 button mushrooms
  • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
  • ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 4 metal or wood skewers

This whole recipe will take you less than an hour and will feed four! For this recipe you’ll need to do some oven cooking (but it’s worth it!) for the potatoes. Then, you finish them on the grill. For the full tutorial head here.

Note: This recipe is more expensive due to the use of steak BUT the rest of the ingredients should be able to be found at low prices. Save this meal for a special occasion and I promise you’ll be just as satisfied as if you went to a fancy restaurant for half the price.

What’s your favorite grill recipe?

Related Posts

  • Free Budget Template That is Super Easy
  • National Pi(e) Day: 6 Recipes to Get You Baking this Weekend
  • Hearty Beef Stew for a Weeknight Treat
  • Worth Every Penny: Chalkboard Contact Paper
  • Hyperemesis Gravidarum: When Morning Sickness Becomes Life Threatening
  • 10 Silver Jewelry Pieces Under $15: Christmas Gifts
8 Delicious & Frugal Grill Recipes! (2024)

FAQs

What to grill not chicken? ›

You could do grilled ribs, grilled pork tenderloin, or even learn how to grill steak. Want grilled fish? We got that too. Try a show-stopping full red snapper or our jerk shrimp & pineapple bowls, or for something more low-key, go with grilled mahi mahi tacos, or even grilled scallops.

What should I cook on the grill? ›

  • Chicken halves. You get a great dinner plus leftovers for chicken noodle soup or enchiladas or whatever.
  • Pork steak 2 inches thick cut from the butt/shoulder. ...
  • Shish*to peppers. ...
  • Any kind of large peppers you like. ...
  • Onions. ...
  • Mix the peppers and onions. ...
  • Golden beets are f'king amazing grilled. ...
  • Spring/bulb/grilling onions.
Feb 4, 2022

How to grill for a crowd? ›

Tips on How to BBQ for a Party
  1. Know Your Crowd Size. First things first: How many people will you be cooking for? ...
  2. Come Up with a Menu. ...
  3. Calculate Portions And Times. ...
  4. Set Up Your Grilling Station. ...
  5. Keep Drinks and Desserts Simple.

What is the healthiest barbecue food? ›

Choose a Lean Protein, Preferably Chicken

Barbecue restaurants usually serve a variety of meats like baby back ribs, brisket, pulled pork, spareribs and grilled chicken. Your best option is to stick with grilled chicken. It may not look as appealing as the brisket, but chicken is delicious when done right.

What is the easiest meat to grill? ›

Our Top 8 Grilling Go-tos
  • Steak. Ribeyes, flank steak, T-bones, filet mignon… ...
  • Chicken. If you're thinking of serving up the classic bird at your BBQ, we've got all the tips to make sure dry and flavorless doesn't come home to roost. ...
  • Hamburgers. ...
  • Fish. ...
  • Shrimp. ...
  • Hot Dogs. ...
  • Ribs. ...
  • Pork Chops.
May 12, 2023

What is the most popular food to grill? ›

Top 10 foods for grilling
  • Steaks — When the gristle from a well-marbled choice cut Delmonico steak drips down onto the fire, the crackling flames jump up and the meat sizzles intensely. ...
  • Hot dogs Keep in mind that we are in October. ...
  • Ribs Sometimes, you have to get get your hands dirty.
Oct 16, 2008

What are 3 rules for using the grill? ›

General Grilling Safety Tips

Keep children and pets away from the grill area: declare a six-foot "safe zone" around the grill. flipping burgers. Periodically remove grease or fat buildup in trays below grill so it cannot be ignited by a hot grill.

What is the secret to grilling? ›

Direct heat (when the fire is directly below the food) is best for relatively small, tender pieces of food that cook in 20 minutes or less. Indirect heat (when the fire is on either side of the food) is best for larger, tougher cuts of meat that require more than 20 minutes of cooking.

What can I eat instead of grilled chicken? ›

7 Foods With More Protein Than Grilled Chicken
  • Yellowfin Tuna. A 3-ounce serving of cooked yellowfin tuna contains 25.5 grams of protein, so if you love seafood, here's a reason to grill it for lunch or dinner.
  • Ground Beef. Chelsea Lupkin. ...
  • Shrimp. Judy Kim. ...
  • Cottage Cheese. ...
  • Lentils. ...
  • Parmesan Cheese.
Feb 3, 2017

What can I grill that isn't meat? ›

16 Summer Grilling Recipes Without Meat Or Dairy
  • Grilled BBQ Tofu Vegetable Kebabs. ...
  • Grilled Maple Mustard Brussels Sprouts. ...
  • Portobello Steaks With Avocado Chimichurri. ...
  • DIY Veggie Burgers. ...
  • Grilled Chipotle Lime Cauliflower Steaks. ...
  • Balsamic Grilled Asparagus. ...
  • Honey Garlic Corn on the Cob.
Jul 1, 2019

Which food is least suitable for grilling? ›

  • The vegetables in shish kebabs sometimes burn easily on the grill. ...
  • Pork chops are a lean meat, so they can easily dry out on the grill. ...
  • Flaky fish can fall through the grill slats. ...
  • Tomatoes are so delicate that they can easily fall apart on a grill. ...
  • Grilled watermelon can be messy and sort of dry.
May 25, 2023

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: The Hon. Margery Christiansen

Last Updated:

Views: 5865

Rating: 5 / 5 (70 voted)

Reviews: 93% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: The Hon. Margery Christiansen

Birthday: 2000-07-07

Address: 5050 Breitenberg Knoll, New Robert, MI 45409

Phone: +2556892639372

Job: Investor Mining Engineer

Hobby: Sketching, Cosplaying, Glassblowing, Genealogy, Crocheting, Archery, Skateboarding

Introduction: My name is The Hon. Margery Christiansen, I am a bright, adorable, precious, inexpensive, gorgeous, comfortable, happy person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.