Midwest Living
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Fast-and-Easy Grilling Recipes

Fast-and-Easy Grilling Recipes

By The editors of MidwestLiving.com

June 01, 2012

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Browse our best recipes for grilled steak, chicken, fish, hamburgers and vegetables.

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Spiced Chicken with Cucumber-Mint Sauce

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Garlic, garam masala and fresh ginger season the chicken in this Indian-inspired recipe from The Spice House shop in Milwaukee. The refreshing yogurt-based sauce is similar to traditional cucumber raita.

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Beer Simmered Brats and Potatoes

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We liked the hoppy bitterness of a pale ale for these simmered brats, but you can use a more mild lager.

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Beer-Glazed Grilled Pork Chops

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An easy brine makes for practically guaranteed juiciness in these thick grilled pork chops. The recipe comes from Kansas City chef Colby Garrelts, who likes to throw fruit like peaches on the grill, too.

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Peppery Grilled Steak With Tomatoes

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Our steak's peppery rub and a topping of juicy tomatoes make a colorful and flavorful main dish. Serve with a baked sweet potato or our Grilled Sweet Potato Wedges.

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Grilled Fish with Lime and Tarragon

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At Angry Trout Cafe in Grand Marais, Minnesota, this grilled fish is often served as a salad, atop a "whatever is colorful and seasonal" mix of lettuce, veggies and fruits. (For the full effect, make the restaurant's Maple-Mustard Dressing, too.) But the fish is equally tasty as a stand-alone main.

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Barbecue-Sauced Burgers

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Horseradish mustard adds a kick to grilled burgers, while barbecue sauce and white Cheddar cheese create a flavorful topping combo.

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Chimichurri

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This classic Argentinian sauce with fresh parsley and cilantro is made for spooning over grilled meats (especially steak), but we also love it with scrambled eggs or roasted potatoes. The recipe comes from chef Michael Ollier of Certified Angus Beef in Wooster, Ohio.

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Mango-Barbecue Fish Tacos

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Fresh fruit and bottled barbecue sauce lend sassy sweetness to low-cal, vitamin-rich grilled fish tacos.

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Grilled Sirloin Kabobs with Zesty Top City Sauce

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Joann Gough-Stallbaumer of Topeka uses Kansas top sirloin steak and a horseradish-mayo dipping sauce in her recipe, one of the finalists at Midwest Living's first Best of the Midwest cook-off.

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Grilled Steak Fajitas

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All you need is a steak, a three-ingredient marinade, a few veggies and tortillas heated right on the grill. Boom.

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Ribs made easy

When we say easy, we mean it! With our foolproof technique, you don't need fancy gear or secret spices. See our "Ribs Made Easy" story for step-by-step instructions, and check out our recipes for All-Purpose Rib Rub and Chipotle BBQ Sauce.

Ribs Made Easy story

All-Purpose Rib Rub recipe

Chipotle BBQ Sauce recipe

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Planked Salmon with Grilled Tomato Salsa

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Grilling brings out the sweetness in cherry tomatoes, which pair beautifully with the smoky flavor of planked salmon. Brown rice or quinoa round out a healthy dinner.

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Pizza Burgers

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Bring along extra toppers inspired by pizza-parlor classics: thinly sliced sweet peppers and onion, spinach, sautéed mushrooms, jarred banana peppers or sliced olives.

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Spring Revival Couscous Salad with Filet Mignon

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Lean and tender steaks crown a bright, lemony salad made with asparagus, peas and couscous. The recipe comes from chef Michael Ollier, of Certified Angus Beef in Wooster, Ohio. He calls for generous 8-ounce steaks; for budget or dietary reasons, you may want to use a more modest 4-ounce steak. Just reduce the grilling time accordingly.

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Sweet on a Pig

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Cider-molasses marinade perks up slices of grilled pork loin in this sizable sandwich.

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Chinese Five-Spice Marinated Pork Satay

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Although it sounds like it would be burn-your-mouth-hot, the five-spice powder in this fall comfort food is actually a mild blend that commonly consists of star anise, anise seed, cloves, cinnamon and ginger.

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Grilled Fish with Moroccan Vinaigrette

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This flaky white fish looks like a gourmet dish when served over a bed of couscous and dressed with mesclun (a mix of salad greens) and colorful radish slivers.

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Greek Burgers

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After searing a burger on cast iron (and tasting the crust that develops), you may never grill burgers outside again. We topped ours with herby veggies and feta cheese.

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Grilled Steak Sandwich with Herbed Tomato Sauce

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Move over, burgers! There's a new sandwich in town. Rosemary and oregano season a rustic, open-face pileup that's ready in just 35 minutes.

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Steakhouse Salad with Ribeye and Blue Cheese

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Simple and perfect are the only way to describe this fabulous salad from chef Michael Ollier of Certified Angus Beef in Wooster, Ohio. The steak, blue cheese and garden-fresh veggies meld beautifully with the honey-sweetened balsamic dressing.

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Honey-Bourbon Salmon

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Although this recipe takes very little hands-on cooking time, be sure to allow an hour to marinate the salmon so it absorbs all the flavors of the sweet-and-salty marinade.

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Grilled Portobellos

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This simple, flavorful recipe comes from reader Doug Heiken of Grand Rapids, Minnesota. It's a quick, easy recipe to throw together if you have a vegetarian at a cookout.

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Baconista Brats

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A wrapping of bacon gives special flair to this beer-soaked brat. A quick stop on the grill crisps the bacon and browns the brat.

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Grilled Veggies and Brats in Kraut

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One-pan cooking, summer-style: As the vegetables and brats finish grilling, nestle them in a pan of seasoned sauerkraut.

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Sesame Grilled Chicken

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A lively ginger marinade flavors chicken pieces on their way to the grill. The recipe is a backyard favorite from Linda Taylor of West Des Moines.

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Porketta Roast

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Garlic and fennel flavor this dish with northern Minnesota heritage.

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Grilled Salmon with Pistachio-Basil Butter

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A mixture of fresh basil, pistachios, lime juice, garlic and butter tops easy grilled salmon. Store leftover pistachio-basil butter in your refrigerator for up to a week; toss with hot pasta or spread on toasted French bread.

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Spice-Rubbed Grilled Pork Chops on a Stick

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A mix of paprika, brown sugar, onion salt, garlic powder, ginger, cinnamon, cumin, dry mustard and pepper creates a pork chop rub that's sweet and a little spicy. The recipe was inspired by Paul Bernhard of Bancroft, Iowa, known on RAGBRAI as Mr. Pork Chop.

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Chicken Sausage Sandwiches with Watermelon Salsa

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Basil and lime juice flavor the fruity salsa on this ready-in-minutes, low-cal grilled sausage sandwich.

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Horseradish-Mustard Mayonnaise

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This easy sauce spices up hot dogs, sandwiches or any grilled meat.

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Peppery T-Bones and Chili Corn

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Serve this grilled steak-and-corn-on-the-cob duo with your favorite warm or cold potato salad.

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Spicy Chicken Wings with Blue Cheese Dressing

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These succulent chicken wings might disappear as fast as you can grill them. The recipe comes from Danny Edwards Famous Kansas City BBQ, formerly Li'l Jake's Eat It and Beat It. The tiny, no-frills eatery has served weekday lunch crowds in Kansas City for more than two decades.

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Grilled Pork with Cranberry Chutney

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This sweet-and-savory recipe features a Circle B Ranch product called Marina's Cranberry Chutney. Buy it at circlebranchork.com or just substitute another chutney.

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Honey-Lime Lamb and Melon Skewers

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Combine cubes of lamb, cantaloupe and honeydew for this Mediterranean-inspired kabob recipe. Serve with yogurt seasoned with lime peel and tarragon.

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By The editors of MidwestLiving.com

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More

Fast-and-Easy Grilling Recipes

1 of 34

Spiced Chicken with Cucumber-Mint Sauce

1 of 34

2 of 34

Beer Simmered Brats and Potatoes

2 of 34

3 of 34

Beer-Glazed Grilled Pork Chops

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4 of 34

Peppery Grilled Steak With Tomatoes

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5 of 34

Grilled Fish with Lime and Tarragon

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6 of 34

Barbecue-Sauced Burgers

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7 of 34

Chimichurri

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8 of 34

Mango-Barbecue Fish Tacos

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Grilled Sirloin Kabobs with Zesty Top City Sauce

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10 of 34

Grilled Steak Fajitas

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11 of 34

Ribs made easy

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Planked Salmon with Grilled Tomato Salsa

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Pizza Burgers

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Spring Revival Couscous Salad with Filet Mignon

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15 of 34

Sweet on a Pig

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Chinese Five-Spice Marinated Pork Satay

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17 of 34

Grilled Fish with Moroccan Vinaigrette

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Greek Burgers

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Grilled Steak Sandwich with Herbed Tomato Sauce

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Steakhouse Salad with Ribeye and Blue Cheese

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Honey-Bourbon Salmon

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Grilled Portobellos

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Baconista Brats

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Grilled Veggies and Brats in Kraut

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Sesame Grilled Chicken

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Porketta Roast