20 Simple Grilled Appetizers for Summer

By Food & Wine
Updated July 12, 2018
From ember-roasted baba ghanoush to scallops with warm tomato-basil dressing, here are fantastic grilled appetizers.
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Shrimp and Scallops with Lemony Soy

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The Japanese-style marinade here works especially fast, thanks to the combination of tart citrus and salty soy sauce.

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Shrimp and Lemon Skewers with Feta-Dill Sauce

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Squeeze the charred lemons over the shrimp before serving for a tangy, smoky hit of flavor. You may want to make extra feta sauce to have with lean lamb steaks or chicken skewers.

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Grilled-Vegetable Gazpacho

Credit: © Matthew Hranek
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Grilled vegetables are brightened with a blend of vinegar, orange juice and lemon juice.

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Grilled Squash Ribbons and Prosciutto with Mint Dressing

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Grilling zucchini and summer squash ribbons on skewers is terrific because the edges become wonderfully charred and crisp, while the insides stay tender and juicy.

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Sausage Lovers Grilled Pizza

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This is the ultimate summer pizza, topped with lots of grated summer squash and piquant peperoncini, along with sausage.

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Smokin' Sweet Chicken Wings with Cherry Barbecue Glaze

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Cherry preserves with habanero chile create a fabulously sticky, sweet and spicy glaze for grilled chicken wings. Glaze them just before serving so the sugars don’t burn.

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Grilled Beef Rolls

Credit: © Stephanie Foley
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Traditionally, these crunchy Vietnamese beef rolls are wrapped in la lot leaves, which are similar to shiso. However, grape leaves make an excellent replacement.

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Grilled Tomato Crostini

Credit: © Con Poulos
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Sprinkle generously with your favorite sea salt.

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Spiced Shrimp and Tomato Kebabs

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This is a perfect party dish because it’s so easy to assemble, and you can marinate and skewer the shrimp ahead of time.

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Grilled Apricot, Arugula and Goat Cheese Salad

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For this fun cross between a salad and a cheese course, Daniel Humm grills apricots to give them an alluring smokiness, then serves them with goat cheese, arugula and a toasted-pine nut dressing.

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Pork Satay

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Pork satay, a staple among hawkers in Singapore, is typically very sweet. Bryant Ng’s version, which he marinates in a combination of lemongrass and coconut milk, is more balanced. He also adds extra fennel seeds, making the tender skewered meat even more aromatic.

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Grilled Oysters with Chorizo Butter

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No shucking necessary: Once the oysters open on the grill, simply top them with David Kinch’s smoky, tangy butter.

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Grilled Flatbreads with Mushrooms, Ricotta and Herbs

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This easy grilled flatbread—topped with sautéed mushrooms, fresh herbs and ricotta cheese—is perfect for outdoor entertaining.

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Cheese-Stuffed Grilled Peppers

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As the peppers blister, the cheese mixture tucked inside turns warm and gooey.

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Grilled Zucchini with Fresh Mozzarella

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The delicate taste of fresh mozzarella offers a delicious counterpoint to the garlic-and-vinegar-macerated zucchini. However, if you prefer a stronger cheese flavor, try goat cheese instead.

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Ginger-Garlic Shrimp with Tangy Tomato Sauce

Credit: © Matthew Hranek
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The marinade for these shrimp—a piquant mix of lemon juice, garlic, ginger, basil and parsley—would be equally good with pork or chicken. The dipping sauce is almost chutney-like with chunks of whole tomatoes; lemongrass and lime juice add tang.

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Scallops with Warm Tomato-Basil Dressing

Credit: © Anson Smart
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These rich, herb-scented scallops go perfectly with a crisp light beer.

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Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

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These deliciously spiced grilled chicken skewers are perfect with a sweet-and-tangy peanut sauce.

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Grilled Manouri Cheese with Caramelized Plums

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Michael Psilakis likes to riff on saganaki—fried cheese with lemon. He uses manouri, a fresh, milky white cheese made from the whey that's drained off during feta production. Like nearly all Greek cheeses, it's produced from either sheep's or goat's milk.

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Grilled Oysters with Spiced Tequila Butter

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Blaine Wetzel grills oysters, then drizzles them with butter flavored with sage, oregano, lemon juice and tequila. He prefers oysters from Samish Bay in the northern Puget Sound, where some food historians say the first Pacific oysters grew in 1919.

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