Recipes
9 Grilled or Smoked Recipes to Make in May
Finally, wintry weather has taken its leave—your cue to start cooking more meals outdoors. After all, May is National Barbecue Month! While there’s nothing like that first juicy hamburger or steak off the grill, make this the year you add some great new dishes to your repertoire.
9 Recipes to Grill or Smoke in May
Grilled Key Lime Mojitos
Though it’s not officially summer yet, warmer weather calls for refreshing libations like this grilled Key Lime Mojito. If key limes aren’t available, feel free to substitute regular limes.
Grilled Maple-Bacon Cinnamon Rolls
Make these rolls, the invention of St. Louis chef Russel Cunningham, the star of your next brunch. Strips of bacon take this breakfast or brunch dish over the top. Watch Season 4 of Project Fire for all-new recipes.
Grilled Gazpacho
Spain’s contribution to the world’s pantheon of soups is even better when the vegetables—onions and fresh tomatoes—are treated to a dose of wood smoke. For an elegant presentation, serve the soup in shot glasses or Spanish sherry glasses.
Grilled Asparagus and Corn Salad with Charred Lemon Vinaigrette
One of the most attractive salads imaginable, perfect for the “shoulder” season of May, pairs fresh sweet corn with asparagus. Serve as a side dish or with fried eggs as a vegetarian main course.
BBQ Titans’ Brisket
Warmer weather means you can add slow-cooked meats like brisket to your menus. This recipe, which features a coffee-inflected rub, utilizes game-changing tricks gleaned from some of North America’s most skilled brisket masters like Austin’s Aaron Franklin and Brooklyn’s Kim and Joe Carroll of Fette Sau.
Real Deal Holyfield Brisket Breakfast Taco
And while we’re on the topic of brisket, set aside a few succulent slices for these eye-openers from Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ in Austin. Created by proprietor Miguel Vidal, the tacos riff on huevos rancheros.
Pamplona of Pork Tenderloin
Budget-friendly pork tenderloin is stuffed with fire-roasted red peppers, garlicky Boursin cheese, and smoked ham before being wrapped with a sheath of smoky bacon. Impressive enough for weekend dinner guests or a festive weeknight meal.
Jamaican Jerk Chicken
Bring the fiery flavors of the islands to your table with this authentic recipe for jerk chicken. Serve mojitos (see above) while the chicken cooks.
Grilled Pound Cake with Fresh Berry Salsa and Smoked Whipped Cream
Long a favorite at Barbecue University, this has been one of our favorite desserts for nearly two decades. And if baking isn’t in your wheelhouse, don’t worry: This is best made with the widely available Sara Lee pound cake. (It’s sturdier than homemade, we’ve discovered.)
Plan your next cook with our full recipe collection—weeknight grills, weekend projects, and special-occasion feasts.
Get fresh ideas each week in the Up in Smoke newsletter. Sign up and get a FREE PDF of Steven Raichlen's Best Ribs Recipes Ebook
Preorder Man On Fire - A Steven Raichlen Memoir (And Get Some Really Cool Rewards)!!