10 Foods That Always Taste Better Grilled — And How To Grill Them Right

There are just a few weeks left to fire up the grill in your backyard. Set aside the hot dogs: We have 10 recipes that are even better. Plus, we're giving you tips on how to grill them perfectly.  

Peppers, corn, fruit, pizza, sweet potatoes, and steak all taste amazing when grilled. Grilling fruit brings out its natural sugars and creates beautiful grill marks, giving it a sweet and smoky flavor. Corn on the cob is always delicious, but simply boiling it doesn't do it justice. Corn is meant to be grilled with the husks on. They act as a barrier and keep the corn from drying out — you are essentially steaming it. You still get the smoky flavor that you crave, along with delicious juicy kernels. 

Peppers are one of those foods that you don't always know what to do with. They are perfectly fine in a salad or fajitas, but sometimes you just want a little more. Putting them on the grill takes peppers to the next level — especially when you stuff them with cheese. Place peppers on the grill with olive oil coated on the outside and place skins on the grill until they blister and soften — about five minutes. As the peppers char, the cheese mixture tucked inside turns warm and gooey. For the Cheese-Stuffed Grilled Peppers recipe, click here.

Grilled corn is one of the best things about summer. Fresh, juicy, and slightly charred is exactly how I want my corn — and grilling it is the perfect way to achieve these qualities. Start with peak-quality corn on the cob, which you'll find mostly in the summer months. This is a basic recipe with butter and seasoning, but grilled corn is also great with Parmigiano-Reggiano and chopped herbs. Placing the corn on the grill with the husks on keeps the corn juicy while also maintaining a smoky flavor. For the Grilled Corn recipe, click here.

Throw some eggplant on the grill to use in this super simple summer salad. To grill your eggplant, cut it into one-inch-thick slices, season it with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and place it on the grill for three to four minutes. Dress your eggplant with a tahini-based dressing, and add in quinoa for a light, gluten-free, and vegan lunch option. For the Grilled Eggplant and Quinoa Salad recipe, click here.

When you have fresh fruit, it's easy to make your cooking skills look impeccable. This recipe takes ripe summer peaches and enhances them just enough to make them even more delectable. Place fruit on the grill for three to five minutes until they start to develop grill marks — the natural sugars in the fruit allows it to caramelize for a sweet and smoky snack. For the Grilled Peaches with Mint and Goat Cheese recipe, click here.

Making grilled pizza is a bit of a participatory event — it's best done when people are milling near the grill. Guests can get involved by customizing their pizzas or requesting combinations. Use whatever toppings you'd like in addition to the tomatoes. Making pizza on the grill is ideal: The crust gets a little burnt, gaining a char that it can't get from the oven. For the Grilled Pizza recipe, click here.

Vegetables usually cook at different temperatures, so it's better to grill them separately and then put them on the skewers to serve. Season your favorite veggies with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Put them on the grill in batches until they are charred all over and tender. Grilled bell peppers take about 10 minutes on the grill, while squash, zucchini, and eggplant only take about seven. If you're grilling asparagus or green onions, cook them only for about four minutes. For the Grilled Veggie Shish Kabobs recipe, click here.

Here's a quick and simple side dish that gets a flavor boost from the grill. Charring sweet potatoes gives them a smoky edge, and a piquant cilantro-lime dressing contrasts nicely with their natural sweetness. Cut your sweet potatoes into wedges, season, and cook them over direct heat. Keep them on the direct heat for about three minutes on each side and then move to indirect heat for about 20 minutes, turning them twice during the cooking time. For the Grilled Sweet Potatoes recipe, click here.

If you're going with grilled chicken for dinner, odds are you're looking to keep the cooking process nice and simple. That's exactly the philosophy behind this lemon chicken recipe: easy, fast, and delicious. In order to grill chicken, season it to your liking, cook on direct heat at 350 degrees F, and cook until its temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Alternatively, take a piece off the grill, cut it in the middle, and look for white meat and clear juices. For the Lemon-Caper Grilled Chicken recipe, click here.

Grilled steaks are part of almost every cookout. There are plenty of steak recipes to choose from, but the best ones use just a few ingredients. Our grilled steak recipe calls for just a drizzling of olive oil, salt, and pepper to accentuate the juicy and rich flavor of a good steak. For this particular grilled steak recipe, we recommend boneless rib-eye, New York strip steaks, or filet mignons for their juicy and meaty texture, but you can easily substitute the less-expensive flank steak. When you're grilling steak, remove the meat from the refrigerator 20 minutes ahead of time, make sure the grill is on high, and cook for five minutes on each side for medium steak. For the Best Grilled Steak recipe, click here.

This recipe lends an Italian twist to an American classic. Pork and beef burgers are seasoned with a basil, oregano, and garlic spice blend, then topped with fresh mozzarella and salty pancetta. Burgers on the stovetop are delicious, but they are even better on the grill. Place your formed patties on the grill with salt, pepper, and olive oil and cook in each side for five minutes. Add your desired toppings and serve. The internal temperature for your burgers should be 160 degrees F. For the Tuscan Burger recipe, click here.