20 Minute, Superfast Grill Recipes

Becky Luigart-Stayner

Spiedini of Chicken and Zucchini with Almond Salsa Verde

With a wonderfully complex and flavorful sauce like this, the chicken and zucchini need almost no seasoning―just salt, pepper, and the grill's flame. The salsa's combination of tangy, briny, herbal, and nutty flavors is perfect for chicken, pork, fish, or shrimp, especially if they're grilled. To save soaking the skewers for a half an hour, use metal ones instead of wood.

View Recipe: Spiedini of Chicken and Zucchini with Almond Salsa Verde

Becky Luigart-Stayner

Barbecued Lime Shrimp and Corn

This recipe is designed to cook on a campfire, but you can take the rack out of your grill and put the foil bags on the charcoal for the same effect. Corn and shrimp with deeply flavorful seasonings like lime, soy sauce, honey, and coriander bake and steam in 10 minutes wrapped in foil. You don't even need plates―just tear open the packets and eat straight from them, with a side of French bread for sopping up juices.

View Recipe: Barbecued Lime Shrimp and Corn

Becky Luigart-Stayner

Grilled Corn with Mint Butter

Grilling is the best way to cook corn on the cob; boiling just doesn't deliver the same intense sweetness. This recipe's tangy herbal butter adds layers of flavor to that sweet base. Try this alongside just about any summer entrée.

View Recipe: Grilled Corn with Mint Butter

Howard L. Puckett

Grilled Eggplant and Tomato Sandwiches with Roquefort Dressing

Tasty grilled eggplant needs strong flavors to stand up to it, and the pungent Roquefort and sweet-savory tomato in this recipe do that job well. Crusty-outside, soft-inside grilled sourdough is the perfect bread to contain everything. For an even more indulgent version of the sandwich, add a couple slices of crisp bacon for a BLT-E.

View Recipe: Grilled Eggplant and Tomato Sandwiches with Roquefort Dressing

Randy Mayor

Grilled Grouper with Basil-Lime Pistou

Pistou is a French version of pesto; this one uses lime in place of pine nuts. It's great on all kinds of fish, chicken, potatoes, or pasta, so make and freeze an extra batch or two. Meaty grouper is a good choice for grilling as it won't flake apart as easily as more delicate types of fish.

View Recipe: Grilled Grouper with Basil-Lime Pistou

Becky Luigart-Stayner

Sliders with Shallot-Dijon Relish

With their easy but elegant relish, these mini-burgers would make a statement at any outdoor or summertime party, especially served with a refreshing cocktail. You can also use this same recipe to make four regular-sized burgers.

View Recipe: Sliders with Shallot-Dijon Relish

Randy Mayor

Chicken Sate with Ponzu Sauce

This is a cross-cultural dish: Sate are Indonesian meat skewers, and ponzu is a citrusy Japanese dipping sauce. The two come together here in harmony for a great less-than-15-minute dish. Dress bagged coleslaw mix with a combination of rice vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, and sesame oil for a great side.

View Recipe: Chicken Sate with Ponzu Sauce

Howard L. Puckett

Grilled Okra and Tomato Skewers

If you're firing up the grill for dinner, why not make a side on it too? These summer-vegetable skewers cook up in about six minutes, and the olive oil mixture that flavors them is highly customizable―just mix in whatever herbs and spices are seasoning your main course.

View Recipe: Grilled Okra and Tomato Skewers

Randy Mayor

Grilled Tuna Sandwiches with Onions, Bell Peppers, and Chile-Cilantro Mayonnaise

There's a lot to love about these sandwiches: the onion and pepper grilled to caramelized perfection, the melt-in-your-mouth medium-rare tuna steaks, the spicy-tangy-creamy mayonnaise, and even the crunchy lettuce leaf on each bun. This dish is a great source of omega-3s and other healthy fats, but it has less than two grams of saturated fat per serving.

View Recipe: Grilled Tuna Sandwiches with Onions, Bell Peppers, and Chile-Cilantro Mayonnaise

Becky Luigart-Stayner

Grilled Sirloin Salad

Opposites attract in this dish: hot steak sits atop cold salad, and tender meat contrasts with crunchy vegetables. The basic salad with red wine-lemon vinaigrette is easy and works great, but you can customize the salad with your favorite vegetables (or fruits) and dressing. Just about anything will match the steak.

View Recipe: Grilled Sirloin Salad

Howard L. Puckett

Pasta and Grilled Vegetables with Goat Cheese

A topping of tangy goat cheese and fresh basil gives this dish a light and fresh feel. It's also a great fridge-clearer, as you can swap in whatever vegetables are on hand―eggplant, summer squash, romaine lettuce, bok choy, sweet onion, and more. No matter what, the cooking takes about 6 minutes.

View Recipe: Pasta and Grilled Vegetables with Goat Cheese

Randy Mayor

Fresh Salmon-Cilantro Burgers

Mexican flavor suffuses these burgers, from the chopped jalapeño mixed in to the patties to the cilantro-lime mayo that tops them. The mayo is also a good topping for fish tacos. The ideal side for this dish? Grilled Mexican Corn with Crema.

View Recipe: Fresh Salmon-Cilantro Burgers

Randy Mayor

Grilled Portobello-Goat Cheese Pitas

Every part of this dish―pita, tomato, eggplant (okay, not the goat cheese)―gets its turn on the grill, so smoky, seared flavor abounds. It's a great lunch or appetizer as-is, but you can turn it into a meal by adding sliced grilled chicken breast, steak, or pork.

View Recipe: Grilled Portobello-Goat Cheese Pitas

Beau Gustafson

Pan-Grilled Snapper with Orzo Pasta Salad

Nobody ever said grilling had to happen outdoors. This dish cooks on a grill pan, so you can make it even in the snowy depths of winter (but you can still fire up the charcoal if you want). A citrusy mustard vinaigrette adds big flavor to the orzo, but also pairs well with the char-grilled fish.

View Recipe: Pan-Grilled Snapper with Orzo Pasta Salad

Becky Luigart-Stayner

Korean Barbecue Burgers

Shake up burger night with this unique sweet-and-salty creation. Add even more flavor by changing up the toppings; try spicy kimchi or sriracha, or crunchy napa cabbage or water chestnuts. Serve with small plates of kimchi, pickles, and noodles for a more authentic Korean experience.

View Recipe: Korean Barbecue Burgers

Becky Luigart-Stayner

Spinach Salad with Grilled Shrimp

An Asian-flavored vinaigrette with an orange juice kicker is the secret to this simple salad, while ginger and cumin give the shrimp skewers nice spice. Since the shrimp only cooks for three minutes, this recipe gives you a good chance to try a grilled dessert after dinner.

View Recipe: Spinach Salad with Grilled Shrimp

Randy Mayor

Spicy Filet Mignon with Grilled Sweet Onion

The king of steaks doesn't need much by way of seasoning, but this mildly spicy rub (add more red pepper if you like it hotter) gives it a little kick to complement the char-grilled flavor. If you've got an extra five minutes or so, let the onion marinate in a little balsamic vinegar before grilling; it's a very nice contrast with Vidalias' sweetness.

View Recipe: Spicy Filet Mignon with Grilled Sweet Onion

Becky Luigart-Stayner

Grilled Vegetable Salad with Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing

Blanching some of the vegetables before grilling ensures they'll be cooked to perfection, but adds only three minutes to the cooking time. You can also grill the veggies ahead of time and assemble this salad in seconds. The fantastic dressing is sure to become a staple, too; you can put it on anything.

View Recipe: Grilled Vegetable Salad with Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing

Becky Luigart-Stayner

Grilled Halibut and Fresh Mango Salsa

This recipe is amazingly fast and delivers huge flavor: the perfect combination. A sweet-and-tangy salsa (add a little chopped serrano or jalapeño too if you like it hot) tops flaky and tasty halibut filets that cook to perfection in just six minutes. What's more is the whole dish comes in at less than 300 calories per serving.

View Recipe: Grilled Halibut and Fresh Mango Salsa

Becky Luigart-Stayner

Chicken Breasts with Avocado, Tomato, and Cucumber Salsa

A little chipotle chile powder gives the chicken a great smoky heat, and that's really all that's required as a quick grilling keeps it nice and juicy. The fresh salsa delivers lots of different flavors and textures, with crunchy cucumber, creamy avocado, and succulent tomato. The salsa's really a side salad in itself, but it can also top shrimp, scallops, or any type of fish.

View Recipe: Chicken Breasts with Avocado, Tomato, and Cucumber Salsa

Superfast on the Grill

Spiedini of Chicken and Zucchini with Almond Salsa Verde

Barbecued Lime Shrimp and Corn

Grilled Corn with Mint Butter

Grilled Eggplant and Tomato Sandwiches with Roquefort Dressing

Grilled Grouper with Basil-Lime Pistou

Sliders with Shallot-Dijon Relish

Chicken Sate with Ponzu Sauce

Grilled Okra and Tomato Skewers

Grilled Tuna Sandwiches with Onions, Bell Peppers, and Chile-Cilantro Mayonnaise

Grilled Sirloin Salad

Pasta and Grilled Vegetables with Goat Cheese

Fresh Salmon-Cilantro Burgers

Grilled Portobello-Goat Cheese Pitas

Pan-Grilled Snapper with Orzo Pasta Salad

Korean Barbecue Burgers

Spinach Salad with Grilled Shrimp

Spicy Filet Mignon with Grilled Sweet Onion

Grilled Vegetable Salad with Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing

Grilled Halibut and Fresh Mango Salsa

Chicken Breasts with Avocado, Tomato, and Cucumber Salsa