5 BBQ Dinner Ideas to Take Your Summer to the Next Level

If your grill was used nonstop last summer, you’re definitely itching to fire it up again this year, but you’re looking for some new BBQ supper ideas. (Yes, we, too, tried to see how many hamburgers one person could consume in a single summer.) The good news is that you can grill almost anything if you can grill one thing.

5 BBQ Dinner Ideas to Take Your Summer to the Next Level

Success is often determined by the quality of your ingredients—and, at least when it comes to meat, if you marinade it long enough, it’s nearly guaranteed. Of course, Big Barbecue Energy—the self-assurance you project while handling the grill—is essential. We enlisted the expertise of two grill masters who go beyond burgers and dogs: a Korean cookbook author and a vegan blogger, to help you take your meal prep outside. One of their BBQ dinner ideas is listed below.

Dakgalbi

Dakgalbi, or spicy Korean chicken, is a fragrant dish with a lot of heat. Sue Pressey, the author, cook, and photographer of My Korean Kitchen, has a soft spot in her heart for the meal. “Growing up in Korea, I ate dakgalbi virtually every week,” adds Pressey. “For more than a decade, my parents maintained a dakgalbi restaurant. It reminds me of Chuncheon, my hometown, where the dish was born.” Chicken thighs, sweet potatoes, carrots, cabbage, perilla, and rice cakes are among the ingredients in Pressey’s recipe, which also includes gochujang chile sauce, gochugaru chili flakes, and curry powder. If you’re sensitive to spice, this dish may not be for you; but, if you can withstand the heat, you’ll find it addicting. Take this as a warning.

Bulgogi Beef

Check out Pressey’s bulgogi recipe for a milder version. While it’s a popular misperception that all Korean food is hot, Pressey claims that this smoky-sweet beef dish isn’t. It all comes down to the meat’s quality, so ask your butcher for the best cuts. “Prime cuts of beef are used in bulgogi,” explains Pressey. By marinating your meat well, you can get the most out of it. Although the approach is straightforward, you should be sure to check all of the boxes. According to Pressey, the cut and quality of the meat, as well as the marinade itself, “all determine the final flavor of Korean barbecue.” “Marinate the beef overnight to intensify the flavor and tenderize it. To aid this process, I use nashi pear or apple in my marinade.”

La Galbi is a fictional character.

The toppings, such as lettuce or perilla leaves, a Korean dipping sauce such ssamjang, kimchi, pickles, and a bowl of rice, are what make this dish. “These side foods add to the overall fullness and deliciousness of the BBQ experience. I was informed as a child in Korea that eating meat wrapped in green leaves was a healthy habit since it aids digestion. Pressey says, “I’m not sure if it’s accurate or not.”

Burgers that are vegan

“You can’t go wrong with a grilled Beyond Meat patty, fried onion, lettuce, tomato, avocado, and your favorite sauce,” writes vegan travel writer Jessica Whalen of a burger cooked on the grill.Consider a wonderful serving of la galbi, Korean barbeque short ribs that are tender and sweet. “I recommend this to folks who are new to Korean cooking because it’s simple to make and the ingredients aren’t difficult to come by,” Pressey adds. In her opinion, the flavors are suitable for the palates of the majority of individuals. “It’s straightforward and effective. Beetroot is one of my favorite additions because it keeps the burger juicy.” You may even substitute tofu for grilled meat, according to Whalen, who prepares vegan dinners on her camping barbecue in Australia. She recommends having barbeque or teriyaki sauce on hand if you’re new to grilling tofu. She claims that grilling tofu is “one of the most foolproof methods to cook it.” There are lots of vegan sides to compete with if vegan burgers are your main attraction. As a method to amp up your salad game, Whalen proposes using “guacamole macaroni” (also known as Avocado Pasta).

Potatoes Griddled

Try a build-your-own potato bar instead of potato salad: The potatoes are simple to prepare: season them, wrap them in foil, and grill them. (For the specifics, see this recipe.) “After the potatoes have been grilled, slice them open and top them with baked beans, guacamole, or vegan cheese,” Whalen suggests. She recommends serving a beans-only chili as a topping for grilled sweet potatoes; here’s one we enjoy.