the lazy list: my favorite summer BBQ recipes
any excuse to use my new grill
What’s the lazy list again? Making dinner (and life) feel just a bit easier for you, is kind of my thing. So each week I send my high-impact, low-effort faves straight to your inbox including:
• Some super easy recipes from the dinner, sorted archives so you don’t have to worry about dinner next week
• My favorite lazy girl finds. The things I swear by that make my life easier
• Any hot tips I’ve got on how to live your best lazy life
Like what you see here? As a paid subscriber you an exclusive dinner recipe each week, extended content on all recipes and subscriber-only content like giveaways!
this week’s lazy list: summer's best BBQ recipes
Look, I get it. It's hot, you're tired, and the last thing you want to do is stand over a stove making dinner while sweating through your cute summer outfit. But here's the thing about grilling, it gets you outside (where it's probably cooler anyway), keeps the heat out of your kitchen, and somehow makes everything taste better with zero extra effort.
This round up is a good one. 6 low-effort, high-impact dinners that get you outside with a drink in hand while your grill does all the work.
grilled summer salad with basil vinaigrette
why it's perfect: you guys loved this one when I first posted it. Grilling every ingredient screams summer and the smoky char adds so much depth to what could be just another boring salad. Plus there's something so satisfying about eating a "salad" that was entirely made on the grill - like you're being healthy but also getting that BBQ flavor we all crave.
lazy girl hack: use pre-washed lettuce and store-bought pesto instead of making vinaigrette from scratch. Thin the pesto with olive oil and lemon juice for an instant dressing. Make this your weekly meal prep base - grill a bunch of veggies on Sunday and eat grilled salads all week.
smoky turkey burgers with creamy corn relish
why it's perfect: these turkey burgers are anything BUT dry and sad. The corn relish is like summer in a bowl and makes you feel fancy without any actual effort.
lazy girl hack: use frozen corn (seriously, it's already perfect) and make the relish while the grill heats up. Form all your patties at once and freeze half for next week - they'll defrost perfectly and grill straight from frozen. Pro tip: make extra corn relish to use on eggs, tacos, or literally everything else this week.
summer crispy bean and halloumi salad with basil vinaigrette
why it's perfect: halloumi on the grill = crispy, salty perfection. Add some beans and suddenly you have a salad that actually fills you up. Game changer.
lazy girl hack: use canned beans (obviously) and grill extra halloumi to snack on all week. You won’t regret it!
pineapple zucchini chicken skewers
why it's perfect: sweet pineapple, tender chicken, and all those summer zucchini in a slightly fancy form so jazz things up just a bit. Everything cooks together so you can actually sit and enjoy your drink.
lazy girl hack: buy pre-cut pineapple and chicken already cubed from the butcher. Summer’s too short to dice things when someone else will do it for you.
grilled pickle-brined chicken skewers + 3-ingredient pitas
why it's perfect: pickle juice as a marinade is genius level lazy. It makes the chicken incredibly juicy and tangy, and the 3-ingredient pitas will make you look like you actually tried.
lazy girl hack: instead of cutting chicken into cubes, use whole chicken thigh and thread them onto skewers.They cook just as fast, stay juicy, and you skip all the dicing. And go ahead and use store pitas - I’ll never tell.
grilled lime chicken with mango chimichurri over coconut rice
why it's perfect: there’s so much more to life that plain chicken breast. A quick marinade on that chicken, a summery sauce to top, and serve it up over some creamy coconut rice. Summer in a bowl, yes please!
lazy girl hack: use a rice cooker for the coconut rice (just swap water for canned coconut milk) and buy pre-made chimichurri from the store. Doctor it up with diced mango and no one will know.
other grilling essentials
I’ve done the browsing for you! one less task to check off
my new grill: we upgraded our grill this year and I couldn’t be happier with our choice. The last few years, we used a small portable one but after using it constantly we decided it was worth the upgrade. trust me on this one
portable speaker: because grilling without a good playlist is just cooking outside. This one is waterproof so you don't have to stress about summer storms. It’s also great for the beach, by the bath tub, or taking on road trips for the Airbnb.
meat thermometer: I don’t know how many times this thermometer has helped my cooking, especially when I was first starting to grill. It takes all the guesswork out! No more cutting into everything to check if it's done like some kind of barbecue amateur.
grill brush: because nobody wants last week's burnt bits on this week's dinner. Get a good one and your grill will thank you.
Save your energy for what actually matters... like finding the perfect patio playlist and making sure your wine glass never goes empty. Don’t forget to let me know if you try any of these recipes in the comments ⬇️
I need a Grillworks grill