If you’ve ever stood in the grocery store staring at a wall of meat, trying to figure out what to actually cook for Saturday’s cookout, this guide is for you. I’ve been grilling and smoking in my own backyard — and testing gear for other people’s backyards — for over a decade now, and I can tell you the hardest part of a grill out was never the fire. It’s the planning.
Grilling is still the easiest way I know to feed a crowd without spending your whole weekend in the kitchen. One grill, a cooler of drinks, and a decent plan, and you can turn a random Saturday into the thing everyone talks about at work on Monday. But “easy” only happens when you’ve actually got a menu figured out ahead of time — not when you’re improvising with half-thawed chicken breasts at 5 p.m.
That’s what this guide is for. I’m going to walk you through how to build a full grill out menu that works whether you’re cooking for four people on a Tuesday or forty people on the Fourth of July, and I’m going to do it without blowing your grocery budget. Along the way, you’ll get:
One thing I’ve learned after years of doing this for family, friends, and total strangers reading my site: the cooks who stress the least on cookout day are the ones who treated the menu like a checklist a week ahead of time, not a decision they made standing in the meat aisle. That’s really the whole secret. Nothing here requires professional-level skill — it requires a plan.
Let’s get your next grill out planned.
Every good cookout menu is built the same way, no matter the occasion. You need one main protein, a couple of crowd-favorite sides, something fresh to cut through all that richness, and a little something sweet to close it out. Miss one of those, and the meal feels unfinished — even if the food itself was great.
Your protein sets the tone for everything else. Burgers and hot dogs say “casual weeknight.” A whole brisket or a rack of ribs says “we’re celebrating something.” Pick your protein first, then build the rest of the plate around it. I always tell people not to overthink this part — pick one main protein you can cook well and confidently, not three you’ve never tried before.
You want at least two sides that almost nobody turns down — think potato salad, coleslaw, or baked beans. These are the dishes that fill plates for cheap and travel well if you’re doing a potluck-style setup. I’ll go deep on the best ones later in this guide.
A grill out menu that’s all meat and mayo-based sides gets heavy fast. Toss in something bright — a watermelon salad, grilled corn with lime, or a simple green salad — and your spread instantly feels more balanced. It also gives your health-conscious guests something to fill up on.
This is the section most home cooks forget until the last minute, and it’s an easy win. A pitcher of something cold and a low-effort dessert (grilled peaches, a store-bought pie, s’mores if you’ve got a fire pit going) rounds the whole thing out. More on this below.
Want this whole framework in one place? Download our free Backyard Cookout Menu Planner and Shopping List — it’s the exact checklist I use to plan menus for groups of any size, and it’ll save you a second trip to the store.
Weeknight grilling is about speed and cleanup, not showing off. These are the meals I lean on when I want something better than takeout but don’t have the energy for a project.
Classic Cheeseburgers. An 80/20 ground chuck patty, seasoned simply with salt and pepper, is still one of the best things you can put on a grill on a Tuesday. Don’t press the patties with your spatula — you’re just squeezing out all the juice you worked to keep in.
Grilled Chicken Breasts. The trick here is a quick brine — even 20 minutes in salt water — so you don’t end up with the dry, chalky chicken breast everyone dreads. Pound them to an even thickness first so they cook evenly.
Bratwurst and Sausage Sandwiches. Parboil your brats in beer and onions before you grill them, then finish over direct heat just for color. You get all the flavor with almost no risk of a raw center.
BBQ Chicken Thighs. Thighs are far more forgiving than breasts because the extra fat protects them from drying out. Sauce them in the last five minutes, not the first, or the sugar will burn before the chicken is done.
Grilled Quesadillas. An underrated weeknight move — throw them right on the grate for a few minutes a side. You get a smoky, slightly charred flour tortilla that a skillet just can’t replicate.
Steak and Vegetable Kabobs. Cut your steak and veggies to roughly the same size so they finish cooking together, and don’t overcrowd the skewer — leave a little space between pieces so heat can get all the way around.
None of these require a marinade you started three days ago or a special trip to a butcher shop. That’s the whole point of a weeknight menu — everything on this list is something you can pick up on the way home from work and have on the table before the kids start asking how much longer.
Quick Tip: Every meal on this list can realistically be on the table in under 30 minutes once your grill is hot. That’s the whole point of a weeknight grill out.
When you’ve got a little more time — or you’re cooking for a date night, a small dinner party, or just want to eat well — these are the meals that feel like an occasion.
Reverse-Seared Ribeye Steaks. Cook the steak low and slow on indirect heat until it’s about 15 degrees off your target temp, then finish it hard and fast over direct heat for a crust. This is genuinely the best method I know for a thick-cut steak, hands down.
BBQ Chicken Drumsticks. Drumsticks are basically foolproof — the bone helps regulate the cook and keeps the meat moist even if you go a little long.
Cedar Plank Salmon. Soak your cedar plank in water for at least an hour before grilling so it smokes instead of catches fire. The salmon comes out with a subtle, smoky sweetness you just can’t get any other way.
Grilled Pork Chops. Go bone-in if you can find them, and don’t cook them past 145°F internal — that’s the difference between a juicy chop and a hockey puck.
BBQ Meatball Skewers. Make your meatballs slightly larger than you think you need to, since they shrink on the grill. Baste with BBQ sauce in the final few minutes for a sticky glaze.
Shrimp and Pineapple Kabobs. Shrimp cooks fast — two to three minutes per side, tops. Grilled pineapple caramelizes and adds a sweetness that plays perfectly against the smoke.
These are the meals I pull out when I actually want to cook, not just feed people fast. Give yourself a little extra time for the reverse-sear method especially — it’s not hard, but it does reward patience over rushing the fire.
Family cookouts have one job: keep everyone fed and happy without you being chained to the grill the whole time. Interactive, build-your-own setups are your best friend here.
Build-Your-Own Burger Bar. Grill a big batch of patties, then set out cheese, toppings, and sauces so everyone customizes their own. It cuts down on special requests and keeps kids engaged.
Hot Dog Topping Station. Same idea as the burger bar, but even faster to execute. Chili, relish, onions, and a few hot sauces will cover almost every preference at the table.
Chicken and Veggie Kabobs. Great for families because kids can help thread their own skewers, and it’s an easy way to sneak vegetables onto a picky eater’s plate.
BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches. Slow-cook or smoke chicken thighs, shred them, and toss with sauce. It’s more affordable than pulled pork and feeds a family for a fraction of the price of pork shoulder.
Family-Style Grilled Pizza Night. Grilled pizza dough gets a crispy, slightly charred crust in minutes. Set out toppings and let everyone build their own personal pizza — this one’s a hit with kids every single time.
Mixed Grill Platter. A little bit of everything — sausage, chicken, a few burgers — for families where everyone wants something different.
Pro Pitmaster Tip: Learn two-zone grilling. Bank your coals (or set one gas burner) on one side of the grill for direct heat, and leave the other side empty for indirect heat. That lets you sear burgers on one side while chicken finishes gently on the other, all on the same grill, at the same time.
Cooking for a crowd is a different game than cooking for your family — it’s about volume, timing, and not running out of food. These are the meals I reach for when the guest count climbs past 15 or 20.
Pulled Pork Sandwich Station. A pork shoulder is one of the most cost-effective ways to feed a big group — you’re getting roughly two servings per pound after cooking, and it holds well for hours if you need to serve it over time.
Grilled Chicken Leg Quarters. Cheap, forgiving, and hard to overcook thanks to the dark meat and bone. Buy them in bulk packs to bring your per-serving cost way down.
Bratwurst and Sausage Feast. Sausages cook fast and in volume, which matters when you’re feeding a crowd on a schedule.
Texas-Style BBQ Chicken. A simple dry rub and a mop sauce applied throughout the cook gets you serious flavor without needing a smoker.
Bulk Burger Setup. Pre-form your patties the night before and stack them with wax paper between each one — it makes grilling day dramatically faster.
Street Corn and Hot Dog Bar. A cheap, crowd-pleasing combo that covers both the “kids will eat it” crowd and the “I want something with flavor” crowd.
Getting portions right is the difference between running out of food and throwing money away on leftovers nobody eats.
You don’t need a $40 ribeye to throw a great cookout. Some of my favorite grill out menus cost less per plate than a single fast food meal.
Why Chicken Thighs Are a BBQ Secret Weapon. Thighs are usually half the price per pound of chicken breast, and they’re more forgiving on the grill because of the extra fat content. If I’m feeding a budget-conscious crowd, thighs are almost always my starting point.
Affordable Sausage and Bratwurst Meals. Sausages give you a lot of flavor for a low per-serving cost, and they cook fast enough that you’re not running the grill for hours.
Bulk-Pack Hamburgers. Buying ground beef in bulk and forming your own patties is noticeably cheaper than pre-formed patties, and you control the fat ratio.
Drumsticks for Large Gatherings. Drumsticks are consistently one of the cheapest cuts at the store, and they’re basically impossible to mess up.
Pork Shoulder Sliders. A single pork shoulder, smoked or slow-cooked and shredded, can turn into 15-20 sliders for a fraction of the cost of buying that much pre-cooked meat.
Vegetable Kabobs That Fill Plates. Peppers, onions, zucchini, and mushrooms are cheap, colorful, and stretch a meal further without anyone feeling like they’re being shorted on protein.
Money-Saving Tip: Check warehouse clubs for bulk meat pricing before a big cookout — the per-pound savings on chicken and pork add up fast. Buy produce that’s in season, and don’t be afraid to build your whole menu around whatever’s on sale that week.
Quick-reference list if you just need ideas fast:
| Item | Est. Cost Per Serving |
|---|---|
| Chicken thighs | $0.75 – $1.25 |
| Drumsticks | $0.60 – $1.00 |
| Hot dogs | $0.50 – $0.90 |
| Bratwurst | $1.00 – $1.75 |
| Bulk hamburgers | $1.25 – $2.00 |
| Pork shoulder sliders | $1.00 – $1.50 |
| Vegetable skewers | $0.75 – $1.25 |
Prices will shift with your local grocery market, but the pattern holds true almost everywhere I’ve cooked: dark meat chicken and pork shoulder are your best dollar-per-plate value, every time.
A great protein can only carry a cookout so far. The sides are what people remember — and what they ask you for the recipe to.
Grilled Corn on the Cob. Husk it, brush with butter, and grill directly over medium heat, turning every couple of minutes. Finish with lime, chili powder, and cotija cheese for a street-corn twist.
Classic Potato Salad. A cookout staple for a reason — cheap, filling, and it can be made a day ahead, which takes one thing off your plate on cookout day.
Creamy Coleslaw. The acidity cuts through rich, fatty BBQ meats better than almost any other side. Make it a few hours ahead so the flavors have time to settle.
Baked Beans. About as low-effort and low-cost as sides come, and they hold heat well if you’re serving over a longer stretch of time.
Macaroni Salad. A cold pasta salad rounds out a menu heavy on grilled meat and gives you another make-ahead option.
Watermelon Salad. Toss cubed watermelon with feta, mint, and a squeeze of lime for a fresh, bright side that balances out a rich plate.
Grilled Vegetables. Zucchini, bell peppers, and asparagus all take beautifully to the grill and give your vegetarian guests something substantial.
Smoked Mac and Cheese. A slightly more indulgent option — finish a baked mac and cheese on the smoker for the last 20-30 minutes for a subtle smoky depth.
Garlic Parmesan Potatoes. Par-boil small potatoes, toss in oil and garlic, then finish on the grill for crispy skins and a smoky char.
Pasta Salad. Endlessly customizable and easy to make ahead — a solid workhorse side for any size gathering.
| Side Dish | Prep Time | Cost | Crowd Friendly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Potato Salad | Low | Low | Excellent |
| Coleslaw | Low | Low | Excellent |
| Baked Beans | Very Low | Very Low | Excellent |
| Pasta Salad | Medium | Low | Excellent |
| Grilled Corn | Low | Low | Excellent |
Almost every modern cookout has at least one guest who’s vegetarian, gluten-free, or dairy-free — and it doesn’t take much to make sure they’re not stuck eating chips and watermelon while everyone else enjoys the main event.
None of this requires a separate menu — just a little advance planning and one extra pair of tongs.
The single biggest mistake I see beginners make is trying to do everything on cookout day. Spread the work out, and the day of the event becomes almost relaxing.
Following even a rough version of this timeline is the difference between a host who’s stressed and sweaty at 5 p.m. and one who’s actually enjoying the party.
Drinks and dessert are easy to treat as an afterthought, but they’re what turns a meal into an event.
Large-Batch Drinks. Skip individual mixing and build a pitcher instead. A classic lemonade or fruit punch works for the whole family, and an infused water station (cucumber-mint or berry-citrus) gives guests a lighter option in hot weather. If you’re doing cocktails, a big-batch sangria or a simple vodka-lemonade punch keeps you out of the kitchen and in the backyard where you belong.
Low-Maintenance Grilled Desserts. Grilled peaches with a scoop of vanilla ice cream take about five minutes and feel far more impressive than the effort required. A s’mores skillet — chocolate and marshmallows melted together over indirect heat — is a guaranteed crowd favorite if you’ve got a fire pit or a covered grill going. And don’t overlook the simple move of just buying a good pie or a tray of brownies; not everything needs to be homemade to be appreciated.
If you’d rather skip the planning entirely, here are four full menus based on the categories above.
Budget Cookout Menu (Under $50):
Family Cookout Menu:
Backyard Party Menu:
Summer Weekend Grill Out Menu:
I’ve made every one of these mistakes myself over the years, so consider this the shortcut past them.
Cooking Everything Over High Heat. High heat is for searing, not for cooking things through. Chicken thighs, sausages, and thick cuts need a two-zone setup so they cook evenly without burning on the outside.
Not Planning Side Dishes. A cookout with five proteins and no sides isn’t a cookout, it’s just meat. Plan your sides with the same intention as your main.
Underestimating Food Quantities. People eat more at outdoor gatherings than they do at a normal dinner. Use the per-person math above, and round up rather than down.
Forgetting a Cooler Strategy. Food safety matters — keep raw meat separate from ready-to-eat items, and don’t let mayo-based sides sit out in the heat for more than an hour or two.
Skipping Make-Ahead Recipes. The more you can prep the day before, the more time you actually get to spend with your guests instead of standing at the grill alone.
You don’t need every gadget on the market to throw a great cookout, but a handful of tools genuinely make the difference between a stressful cook and an easy one. Here’s what I actually reach for, across a few different budgets.
If you’re a charcoal person, the Weber Kettle 22″ Original Premium is still the benchmark I point beginners toward — it’s affordable, built to last, and perfect for the two-zone cooking method I mentioned earlier. If you’d rather skip the charcoal altogether, the Weber Spirit II E-310 or the Char-Broil Commercial 3-Burner give you reliable temperature control and enough grate space for a mid-size gathering. And if you’re the type who wants to smoke a pork shoulder without babysitting it all day, a pellet grill like the Traeger Pro 575 or the Camp Chef SmokePro DLX basically does the hands-off work for you — set your temp and walk away.
This is the one piece of gear I consider genuinely non-negotiable. Guessing doneness by cutting into meat or pressing it with your finger is how you end up with either dry chicken or a food safety problem. The ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE is the gold standard — it gives you a reading in about a second, which matters when you’re working through a big batch of food fast. If you’re watching your budget, something like the ThermoPro TP19H or TP03H will still get you fast, accurate readings for well under $20, and honestly, that’s the one piece of gear I’d tell a brand-new griller to buy before anything else.
If you’ve ever lost a shrimp or a piece of diced pepper through the grates, you already know why this matters. A Weber Deluxe Stainless Steel Grill Pan or a Cave Tools BBQ Grill Basket solves that problem entirely, and it’s especially useful for the vegetable kabobs and shrimp recipes in this guide. If you’re planning the Cedar Plank Salmon from earlier, pick up a pack of 100% raw cedar grilling planks too — they’re inexpensive and make that recipe possible in the first place.
Cheap tongs bend under the weight of a loaded burger and put your hand closer to the heat than you want it to be. A set of OXO Good Grips 16-Inch Locking Tongs gives you the length and grip strength to work confidently over high heat, and a sturdy spatula — something like a Grillware Heavy-Duty Stainless Steel Stiff Spatula — won’t bend the first time you try to flip a loaded burger bar patty.
A good cooler isn’t just about keeping drinks cold — it’s about food safety. Pack raw meat in a separate cooler or a sealed, leak-proof section away from ready-to-eat food and drinks, and keep it packed with ice the whole time. For a longer event, a two-cooler system works best: one dedicated to raw protein that stays closed until you’re ready to cook, and a second, more accessible one for drinks and ready-to-eat sides that guests will be opening and closing all afternoon.
Having a dedicated surface for raw prep and a separate one for serving keeps your workflow clean and your cross-contamination risk low. Even a simple folding table works — the point is having a system, not fancy equipment. If you’re hosting a larger crowd, I’d rather see you spend money on a second folding table than on another gadget you’ll use twice a year.
One More Worth Mentioning: If you’re regularly cooking long, unattended smokes — pork shoulder, brisket, whole chickens — a wireless smart thermometer like the MEATER Plus lets you monitor the internal temp from your phone while you’re actually hanging out with your guests instead of standing over the grill. It’s not essential for a quick weeknight burger, but it’s one of the upgrades I recommend most often to people who are starting to smoke bigger cuts.
What are the easiest foods to grill for beginners? Burgers, hot dogs, and chicken thighs are the most forgiving places to start. They’re hard to overcook badly, cheap enough that a mistake isn’t a big loss, and they teach you the basics of heat management fast.
What is the cheapest food to grill for a crowd? Chicken leg quarters and drumsticks are usually your cheapest per-pound option, followed closely by bulk hot dogs and bratwurst.
How much food should I buy for a cookout? Plan on about 1/2 pound of boneless meat per adult, roughly 1/2 cup per side dish per person, and two to three drinks per adult for a two-to-three-hour event. Round up rather than down — leftovers are a much better problem than running out.
What sides go best with grilled burgers? Classic potato salad, coleslaw, and baked beans are the traditional pairing for a reason — they’re cheap, they hold up well outdoors, and almost everyone likes at least one of them.
What can I grill besides burgers and hot dogs? Kabobs, cedar plank salmon, grilled pizza, and quesadillas are all easy ways to add variety without much extra effort. Even grilled fruit for dessert counts.
How do I keep food warm during a cookout? Wrap finished proteins in foil and hold them in a low oven (around 200°F) or a cooler lined with towels if you don’t have oven access outside. Avoid leaving food sitting directly on the grill grates once it’s done — that’s how you overcook it.
What are the best make-ahead BBQ side dishes? Potato salad, coleslaw, and pasta salad all taste better after a few hours in the fridge, which makes them ideal to prep the day before your cookout.
A quick note: if you or a guest is managing a specific health condition that affects diet, it’s worth checking with a doctor or dietitian about which cookout foods fit your needs — this guide covers general crowd-pleasing options, not individual medical guidance.
Every great cookout I’ve ever hosted or been to comes down to the same formula: match your menu to your crowd size and your budget, lean on a couple of easy, proven proteins instead of overcomplicating things, and round it out with sides, drinks, and dessert that don’t need last-minute scrambling.
You don’t need to be an expert to pull this off. You need a plan, a thermometer you trust, and a grill that holds a steady temperature. Start with one of the menus above, prep what you can the day before, and let the grill do the rest.
Ready to plan your next grill out? Grab our free Backyard Cookout Menu Planner and Shopping List, and check out our in-depth reviews of the best charcoal grills, best gas grills, best pellet smokers, and the grilling accessories worth adding to your setup. And if you want more menu ideas, gear reviews, and honest advice from the backyard, join over 10,000 backyard pitmasters getting our newsletter — no spam, just what actually works on the grill.
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