The Best Grills and Tasty Recipes for Your Next BBQ

By Ginger Strejcek

Looking to take your grilling game to a whole new level? We’ve selected the best grills, along with delicious BBQ and grilling recipes from top chefs. Learn about gas, propane, charcoal and wood pellets grills before your next backyard get together.

As the sizzle of summer melts into the cool, crisp days of fall, there’s no better time to get outside and enjoy some flame-grilled goodness with family and friends while taking in all the leaf-changing colors. Whether you’re bbqing burgers and dogs on the patio or whipping up gourmet delights in the outdoor kitchen, show off your chops with a full range of cooking equipment, innovative techniques and lip-smacking recipes. Here are a few of our favorites:

Bring Out the Big Grills 

Don your “World’s Best Chef” apron and get cooking on the Viking 5 Series 42”W Built-in Grill with ProSear Burner and Rotisserie. Boasting heavy-duty welded construction and a 1200-square-inch cooking surface, this premium gas grill delivers pro performance to outdoor kitchens with a price tag of $7,329. Features include two cast brass burners and a ProSear burner, a dual-position rotisserie and stainless steel grilling grates with ceramic briquettes for even heat distribution.

Zesty Shrimp, Zucchini & Quinoa Grilled Sachets
By Chef Jaime Laurita

Chef Jaime Laurita is a brand ambassador for Viking, designer of Middleby Residential’s showrooms in Chicago, New York and Irvine, a cookbook author, and a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. Jaime has traveled the world with famous musicians as a chef and designer. Food, mood and music drive his passion. Instagram.com/JaimeLaurita

Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 30 minutes
SERVES: 4 people

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound large shrimp, peeled & deveined
• 3 cups zucchini, cut in ½ inch slices
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 small red onion, sliced
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled & smashed
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 pinch red chili flakes
• ¼ cup of any white wine
• 1 cup quinoa, cooked
• Salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:
Mix all of the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and chill in refrigerator for 1 hour. Preheat your Viking grill to 400°F.

Prepare 4 sections of heavy aluminum foil (20” x 12” pieces). Split mix into 4 portions, centering each one on a piece of foil. Fold edges to create a sealed sachet. Place sachets on grill for 25-30 minutes. Leave on grill longer if caramelized vegetables are desired.

Remove from grill and open carefully to serve.

BBQ Wood Fire Flavor Grills

Bring tasty recipes with hardwood flavor to the table with the best-selling Traeger Ironwood Wood Pellet Grill that grills, smokes, bakes, roasts, braises and barbecues with all the latest tech advancements. You can even add smoke or change temperatures from the palm of your hand, thanks to a WiFIRE^® enabled controller and smartphone app that monitors the food. Available in two sizes, this grill series starts at $1,199.99.

3-2-1 BBQ Baby Back Ribs
By Danielle “Diva Q” Bennett

Danielle Bennett, aka Diva Q, is a certified BBQ and grilling expert, Pitmaster, celebrated TV host, best-selling author, and former world pork, bacon, sausage, and grilling champion at the largest most respected BBQ contests in the world. With over 400 BBQ awards to her name and having taught over 20,000 students, she is an authentic and respected BBQ industry leader and ambassador for all things Grilling & BBQ. Instagram.com/DivaQBBQ

PREP TIME: 15 minutes
COOK TIME: 6 hours
SERVES: 6-8 people

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 racks baby back pork ribs
• 1/3 cup yellow mustard
• ½ cup apple juice, divided
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ½ cup dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup honey, warmed
• 1 cup Traeger ‘Que BBQ Sauce
• Traeger Pork & Poultry Rub

INSTRUCTIONS:

Set the Traeger grill to 180° F and preheat with the lid closed for 15 minutes. While the grill preheats, remove the thin, silverskin membrane from the bone-side of the ribs by working the tip of a butter knife or a screwdriver underneath the membrane over a middle bone. Use paper towels to get a firm grip, then tear the membrane off.

Next, in a small bowl, combine the mustard, 1/4 cup of apple juice (reserve the rest) and the Worcestershire sauce. Spread the mixture thinly on both sides of the ribs and season with Traeger Pork & Poultry Rub. Then move the ribs to the grill and smoke, meat-side up, for 3 hours. Once done, transfer ribs to a rimmed baking sheet and increase the grill temperature to 225°F.

Tear off four long sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Lay one down and top with a rack of ribs. Pull up the sides of the foil to keep the liquid enclosed. Sprinkle half the brown sugar on the rack, then top with half the honey and half the remaining apple juice. Use a bit more apple juice if you want more tender ribs. Lay another piece of foil on top and tightly crimp the edges so there is no leakage. Repeat with the remaining rack of ribs.

Return the foiled ribs to the grill and cook for an additional 2 hours. When done, carefully open foil and brush ribs on both sides with Traeger ‘Que Sauce. Remove ribs from the foil and place directly on the grill grate. Discard the foil. Continue to grill ribs until the sauce tightens, 30 to 60 minutes. Let ribs rest a few minutes before serving.

Grills That Use Gas

Seamlessly blending into an elegant outdoor room, the Lynx 36” Professional built-in grill is a superior cooking machine that performs on par with restaurants. With one trident infrared burner, two ceramic burners and a rotisserie, it’s offered in three different configurations and features luminous blue-lit control knobs. Pricing ranges from $2,869-$5,859.

(Photo): The Lynx Professional is pictured in an Urban Bonfire outdoor kitchen system. Beyond the professional quality grilling and cooking equipment, each custom kitchen is configured to maximize outdoor storage and entertainment spaces. Both Lynx and Urban Bonfire products are proudly displayed at AuthenTEAK’s Atlanta showroom.

Tasty Recipe for Grilled Honey-Chipotle Chicken Wings
By Andrés Dangond, Director of Culinary Development at Lynx Grills, chef-owner of Dinner with Dres / The Cut

Chef Andrés Dangond’s professional career began at age 14 in the kitchen of his parents’ Bogotá restaurant. Now, he’s traveled the world for his craft, cooking on Alaskan glaciers and at 3-Michelin Starred restaurants such as Alinea and L2O. Thanks to his Chicago pop-up Yellow, Blue, & Red – which presented Colombian food in an avant-garde format – he’s now recognized as the “Ambassador of Colombian Cuisine in the US.”  As both Executive Chef for Lynx Grills – one of the top professional grill companies in the nation – and one of the youngest Michelin-experienced chefs cooking today, Chef Dangond knows his way around fancy kitchens and casual barbecues alike. Instagram.com/AndresDangond

PREP TIME: 1 hour, 5 minutes 
COOK TIME: 20 minutes 
SERVES: 4 people

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 pounds of bone-in chicken wings
• 1 tablespoon Ancho chili powder
• 2 tablespoons salt, kosher
• 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• ½ cup honey
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS:
In a bowl, combine chicken wings with chili powder and salt. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Preheat Lynx Grill to medium heat, or 400°F. While the grill heats, puree 3 chipotle peppers, honey, rice vinegar and soy sauce in a food processor or blender, pour into a small bowl and set aside. Pat dry chicken wings and combine with vegetable oil. Grill for about 10 minutes on each side, until skin is brown and crisp. Remove from the grill. Toss wings in a bowl with the honey-chipotle sauce, sprinkle
with cilantro and serve.

Free-Range Grilling For Delicious Veggies

Sure to be the envy of the block, the Saber Stainless Steel 4-Burner Gas Grills delivers delicious results for gatherings small and large, with four cooking zones, an expansive cooking surface and a side burner for easy prep of sauces and veggies. Whether cooking low and slow, or hot and fast, the patented grilling system heats evenly, eliminates flare-ups and uses 30 percent less propane. The internal halogen lights are perfect for nighttime grilling. Price is set at $2,399.

Bacon-Wrapped Filet Mignon with Lemon Herb Butter Recipe
By Ashby Fitzmaurice

Ashby Fitzmaurice is a home cook who developed her love of cooking in her twenties, testing out recipes on friends and family. She enjoys learning about new techniques and ingredients and is an avid reader, foodie and admitted cookbook addict. Ashby lives in Roswell with her husband and two sons. Instagram.com/IfTheFoodFitz

PREP TIME: 20 minutes
COOK TIME: 5-7 minutes
SERVING SIZE: 2

INGREDIENTS:

Lemon Herb Compound Butter
• ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons fresh sage
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¹/₈ teaspoon black pepper

Bacon-Wrapped Filet Mignon
• Two 6-8 oz beef filets at 1 ½-2 inches thick
• 2-4 slices of bacon, depending on circumference of steaks
• Coarse salt
• Ground black pepper
• Lemon for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS:
HERB BUTTER: Combine room temperature butter, zest, herbs, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a bowl until well incorporated. Spoon mixture onto the center of a piece of plastic wrap, shaping into a rough ball. Fold one side of wrap over butter and roll into a log. Twist ends to secure. Place in refrigerator to firm.

BACON-WRAPPED FILETS: Remove steaks from the refrigerator about 30 minutes prior to grilling.
Preheat 1 burner on the grill to medium/high.

Wrap steaks with bacon slices. Secure with a toothpick if necessary. Season steaks liberally on both sides with coarse salt and ground black pepper, brush with a high heat friendly oil, like canola.

Place filets on grill, close lid and let cook for 2-3 minutes, rotating a quarter turn if desired. Flip steaks, close lid and cook for another 2 minutes for medium-rare. Three more minutes should provide a medium steak, depending on thickness.

Using tongs, carefully place bacon edges onto the grill for about 1 minute per side. Remove steaks from grill, squeeze lemon over if desired and top with a round of lemon herb butter. Cover loosely with foil and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Tasty Recipes for Weber SmokeFire Grills

From searing steaks to smoking ribs, the new Weber SmokeFire grills elevate the art of wood-pellet grilling with a low-and-slow smoker and high-heat searing grill. Impressive features include Weber Connect, a built-in, tech-smart grilling assistant, and a versatile 200-600°F temperature range. The unique auger and hopper system prevents pellet jams and speeds up preheat time, while the signature porcelain-enamel finish helps prevent rusting and cracking. It’s available in two sizes, the EX4 and EX6, for $999-$1,999.

Delicious Blue Cheese Burgers with Red Wine Onions Recipe
By Jamie Purviance

A short Q&A with Jamie Purviance

WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU DO FOR WEBER?
I am Weber’s Culinary Director, which means I get to spend a lot of time — almost every single day — playing with grills and developing new recipes and techniques for our cookbooks. So far I’ve written more than a dozen books. The more I grill, the better I get.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WEBER PRODUCT?
Putting aside the grills themselves for a moment, I’d like to give a shout out to the grill pans that have come along in recent years. When I’m grilling oddly shaped vegetables and any little items that otherwise might slip between the bars, those perforated pans are fantastic.

FAVORITE THING TO GRILL?
When I’ve got a hot fire and well-marbled steaks, it’s bound to be a great day.

CHARCOAL OR GAS?
That question always puzzles me because it suggests that one is always better than the other. I disagree. That would be like saying chocolate ice cream is always better than vanilla. Whether we are talking about ice cream or grills, my top choice depends on the situation.

WHAT’S YOUR BEST GRILLING ADVICE IN ONE SENTENCE?
Create at least a couple zones of heat so you can give your food with exactly what it needs when it needs it.

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED WITH GRILLING?
As a little kid, I started by helping my dad at the grill, but decades later I took the deep dive into grilling while living in Southeast Asia, where outdoor cooking is a form of art as old as mankind and it is always evolving.

For more about Jamie visit: Instagram.com/JamiePurviance

PREP TIME: 15 minutes
COOK TIME: 10 minutes
SERVES: 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, cut into thin half-moons
• ½ cup dry red wine
• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1½ pound ground chuck (80% lean)
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 4 ounces blue cheese, preferably Blue Castello^®, cut into 4 slices
• 4 soft hamburger buns, split
• 1 cup mixed baby greens

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a large skillet over medium-high heat on the stove, warm the oil. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until well softened. Add the wine, thyme, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat, and simmer until the liquid reduces to a glaze and the onions are very tender, about 10 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.

Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat (400° to 500°F). In a medium bowl mix the ground chuck, paprika, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Gently form 4 patties of equal size, about ¾ inch thick. With your thumb or the back of a spoon, make a shallow indentation about 1 inch wide in the center of each patty to prevent them from doming as they cook. Refrigerate the patties until ready to grill.

Grill the patties over medium-high heat, with the lid closed, until cooked to well done (160°F), 9 to 11 minutes, turning once. During the last 30 seconds to 1 minute of grilling time, place a slice of cheese on each patty to melt. Toast the buns, cut side down, over medium-high heat. Build each burger on a bun with a patty, caramelized onions and baby greens. Serve right away.

Now That’s a Pie

The solution for restaurant-quality pizza at home fits right into your kamado-style grill. With the Pizza-Porta, you cap off the chimney and trap all of the heat inside the dome for steady, balanced pizza cooking. Available in a variety of sizes for different types of kamado grills, including Big Green Egg and Kamado Joe.

Pesto Prosciutto Pizza Recipe
By Cortlandt Minnich

Cortlandt has spent his career developing new products. He has worked with lawn and garden, plumbing fixtures, radios, cordless telephones, and more recently safety garments. While tinkering with a better way to make pizza on a Big Green Egg, he discovered a way to preserve and balance the heat. It turned out that many people were having this same challenge. He found a manufacturing partner here in Atlanta and Launched the Pizza-Porta. Instagram.com/PizzaDashPorta

Quantity is per 12-inch pizza

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 ball of raw pizza dough
• 1 ounce jarred artichoke hearts 
• ¼ ounce raw onions, sliced
• 2 ounces pesto
• 2 ounces ricotta cheese
• Zest of ½ an orange
• 1 ½ ounces fresh mozzarella
• 1 ounce arugula tossed in olive oil
• ½ ounce prosciutto, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat Pizza-Porta to high (about 650°F). Prepare raw dough and stretch it out on a wooden peel. Spread pesto on dough in an even layer. Arrange mozzarella, ricotta and onions to liking and place pizza in the Pizza-Porta.

Cook for 3-4 minutes. When crust edges are brown, pull the pizza. Arrange arugula and prosciutto. Enjoy!