27 Reasons to Light Up a Charcoal Grill Tonight

By

Food & Wine Editors

Updated on June 2, 2023

Grilling over charcoal takes a little more work than using a gas grill, but the process infuses the meat, fish, or vegetables with a delicious smokiness that you just won't get otherwise.

Beef Shish Kebab — Photo by Julia Stotz / Food Styling by Caroline K. Hwang / Prop Styling by Samantha Margherita

We love a charcoal grill for slow-cooking brisket, grilling shawarma-style kebabs, getting the perfect char on a pizza, and even infusing that smoky flavor into paella. And when you're done cooking your main dish, there's nothing better than putting a s'mores pie or a skillet of brownies on the grill to cook while you eat, so dessert is ready for later that night. It's time to brush up on your skills, buy the best charcoal for your needs, and get to grilling these dishes that are perfect for a night of cooking and eating outside.

Chicken Lule Kebab

Chicken Lule Kebab — Photo by Julia Stotz / Food Styling by Caroline K. Hwang / Prop Styling by Samantha Margherita

These kebabs are made with chicken thighs ground with lamb fat, which gives them a rich, savory flavor and juicy, tender texture.

Barbecued Brisket and Burnt Ends

Barbecued Brisket and Burnt Ends — © James Baigrie

Ten hours on the grill with a slather, a rub and a mop give this brisket an extraordinarily robust flavor.

Chicken and Seafood Paella

Chicken-and-Seafood Paella — © John Kernick

"A real paella is infused with smoky flavor," says chef Seamus Mullen. "Which is why traditional Spanish cooks almost always make the dish outside over a large fire."

Corn Husk–Grilled Goat Cheese with Corn Relish and Honey

Corn Husk-Grilled Goat Cheese with Corn Relish and Honey — Victor Protasio

These grilled packets of cheese are tangy, sweet, and smoky — the perfect appetizer on a summer night.

Beef Shish Kebab

Beef Shish Kebab — Photo by Julia Stotz / Food Styling by Caroline K. Hwang / Prop Styling by Samantha Margherita

The inexpensive, tough beef cut called flap meat is full of flavor, with a coarse grain that absorbs marinades well. Marinate it 24 hours and pound it with a meat mallet for the juiciest, most tender kebabs.

Charred Jalapeños and Tomatoes

Charred JalapeÃ±os and Tomatoes — Photo by Julia Stotz / Food Styling by Caroline K. Hwang / Prop Styling by Samantha Margherita

Hot coals impart a smoky flavor and mellow the jalapeños, while tomatoes soften to juicy sweetness.

Smoky Barbecued Chicken

Smoky Barbecued Chicken — Â© James Baigrie

This amber-colored chicken is incredibly delicious thanks to an overnight marinade, a spice-and-sugar rub, a sweet-sour mop and four hours on the grill. To make the chicken extra moist, stand it upright inside the grill on top of a half-filled can of beer.

Grilled S’mores Pie

Grilled S'mores Pie — Grilled S'mores Pie.
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Ali Ramee

This decadent pie with a chocolate ganache filling is topped with gooey toasted marshmallows, giving you all the flavors of s’mores but in a pie cooked on a grill.

Kalbi (Grilled Korean-Style Short Ribs)

Grilled Korean-Style Short Ribs — Greg DuPree

The short ribs are marinated overnight in a simple mix of sake, soy, sugar, garlic, and sesame oil. Cooked quickly on a hot grill, the juicy meat is tender with a satisfying chew.

Grilled Pizza with Prosciutto

Grilled Pizza with Prosciutto — Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Thom Driver

Turn out pizza oven-quality pizzas with this technique from Johanne Killeen and George Germon, who pioneered grilled pizzas at their Providence restaurant, Al Forno.

Traditional "Santa Maria BBQ" Oak Wood–Grilled Tri-Tip

Traditional Santa Maria BBQ Oak Wood Grilled Tri Tip — Victor Protasio

Wood-grilling tri-tip brings rich, smoky flavor in this easy grilled steak recipe, while allowing plenty of time for the meat to become meltingly tender over the coals.

Grilled Bluefish with Charred Cherries and Peppers

Grilled Bluefish with Charred Cherries and Peppers Recipe — Photograph by William Hereford / Prop styling by Olga Grigorenko

Chef Ned Baldwin’s method of grilling fish takes advantage of the cavity. Slipping a spatula into the fish, instead of on either side, makes it easier to flip and does not disturb the crispy grilled fish skin or flaky meat.

Babi Panggang Karo (North Sumatran Grilled Pork)

Babi Panggang Karo (North Sumatran Grilled Pork) and Sambal Andaliman — Photo by Eva Kolenko / Food Styling by Marian Cooper Cairns / Prop Styling by Natasha Kolenko

A simple but flavorful marinade of lemongrass, garlic, lime juice, and soy sauce holds up to high-heat grilling and helps the pork shoulder caramelize beautifully over the hot coals.

Grilled Porterhouse Steak with Summer Vegetables

Grilled Porterhouse Steak with Summer Vegetables — © Quentin Bacon

This porterhouse steak is enough for two people. Use a perforated grilling pan to grill the vegetables, which are marinated in a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, mustard, and oregano

Shawarma-Style Chicken and Mushroom Kebabs

Shawarma Style Chicken and Mushroom Kebabs Recipe — Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling Heather Chadduck

Starting these kebabs over hot coals and finishing them over low heat mimics the crispy-juicy results of shawarma, kebab, and al pastor shops around the world.

Lemongrass Skirt Steak Skewers

Lemongrass Skirt Steak Skewers Recipe — Cedric Angeles

Using flat skewers helps the meat char and cook evenly by curbing any rolling around the grill. Be sure to preheat the grill; high, even heat will help guarantee strong grill marks and will caramelize the sugars in the marinade.

Smoke-Grilled Tri-Tips with Jeow Som Dipping Sauce

Smoke Grilled Tri Tips with Jeow Som Dipping Sauce — Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer and John Somerall / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis

2020 F&W Best New Chef Donny Sirisavath of Khao Noodle Shop in Dallas shared this recipe, a nod to his Laotian heritage and Texas upbringing, when his parents grilled brisket over hardwood coals for family gatherings. Here, thick and meaty tri-tip steaks get seared on the hot zone of the grill and then slowly smoke-grilled until medium-rare. Sirisavath adds oak or mesquite wood to the coals at the center of the grill, where they smolder and add a rich aroma

Tandoori Chicken

Tandoori Chicken — Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Kelsey Moylan / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle

Legendary cookbook author Madhur Jaffrey adapted tandoori chicken so that home cooks could make it on a charcoal grill. The chicken is dressed with lemon juice and salt before it marinates in a mixture of onion, ginger, garlic, chiles, and the North Indian spice blend garam masala.

Campfire Lamb Peka

Campfire Lamb Peka Recipe — Caitlin Bensel

Lamb peka is Croatia’s most prized dish, says Andrea Slonecker about this dish, traditionally cooked over embers. She adapted it for a charcoal grill, but encourages everyone to, "build a fire, and settle in for a long, slow roast."

Coal-Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Maple-Chile Butter

Coal-Roasted Sweet Potatoes With Maple-Chile Butter — Coal-Roasted Sweet Potatoes With Maple-Chile Butter.
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Ali Ramee

Maple-chile butter gives these coal-roasted sweet potatoes a nice balance of salty, sweet, and heat.

Slow-Grilled Cauliflower with Tahina and Zhough

Slow Grilled Cauliflower with Tahina and Zhough — Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer and John Somerall / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis

Maydān, Rose Previte's Washington, D.C., restaurant and wood-fired homage to Lebanon, is justly famous for its massive hearth, where this whole marinated cauliflower is cooked.

Skillet Brownies on the Grill

Skillet Brownies on the Grill — Victor Protasio

These brownies take on a deliciously smoky flavor on the grill from "baking" in a skillet set over hot coals.

Tamarind Chicken

Tamarind Chicken — Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell

The beauty of this grilled tamarind chicken is both its sharp and piquant flavor and its simplicity. A potent tamarind-and-chipotle marinade renders a richly flavored, juicy, and tender chicken in mere minutes, making it equally suited for a weeknight meal or a dinner party.

Lamb Leg Steak with Pistachio Gremolata and Marsala Onions

Lamb Leg Steak with Pistachio Gremolata and Marsala Onions — Victor Protasio

This tender and smoky grilled leg of lamb is a memorable centerpiece of a summer barbecue.

Grilled Vegetable Flatbread with Smoked Almond Muhammara

Grilled Vegetable Flatbread with Smoked Almond Muhammara Recipe — Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

This vegetarian standout is a celebration of summer vegetables.

Rosé-Marinated Grilled Leg of Lamb with Walnut Salsa Fresca

RosÃ©-Marinated Grilled Leg of Lamb with Walnut Salsa Fresca — Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Thom Driver

Studding a leg of lamb with anchovies adds savory depth to this beautiful cut of meat flavored with a garlicky, herbal rosé-based marinade.

Charred Chile–Marinated Grilled Chicken Tacos

Charred Chile-Marinated Grilled Chicken — Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Nidia Cueva

To help build deep layers of flavor in these tacos, Fermín Núñez begins his marinade by toasting and charring aromatics: dried chiles, cinnamon, allspice, and onions all hit the heat before soaking with juicy chicken thighs for an hour, imparting smoky flavor before they cook quickly on the grill.

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