Home Improvement Ideas Porches & Outdoor Rooms Outdoor Rooms 15 Outdoor Grill Ideas for Your Summer Entertaining Spot If you love a backyard cookout, get inspired with these outdoor grill ideas to elevate your al fresco dining experience. By Gemma Johnstone Gemma Johnstone Gemma Johnstone is a writer and editor who is passionate about sustainable living. She enjoys covering home, garden, and lifestyle topics. Her writing regularly appears in publications including Reader's Digest, Family Handyman, The Spruce, and the American Kennel Club. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on May 23, 2024 Close Photo: Kathryn Gamble Nothing signifies the start of summer more than the smell of something delicious sizzling on an outdoor grill. Gone are the days when a portable charcoal barbecue was your only option. Now, there's a wide variety of grilling station designs, sizes, and functions. Plus, practical add-ons like built-in sinks, outlets for extra appliances, and food prep counters are all in demand. Whether you're adding a new outdoor entertainment area or want to upgrade your existing barbecue setup, these outdoor grill ideas are sure to have you cooking up a storm and impressing guests. The 6 Best Propane Grills of 2024, According to Testing 01 of 15 Design Around Your Grill Ed Gohlich Why not make your grill station the star of your yard? An anchoring focal point in landscape design is an outdoor grill idea that helps provide purpose and cohesion. Showcase your grill and build the other design elements around it. In this yard, the furniture placement, surrounding border plants, trellis, and orange accent colors all help draw the eye to the grill area. 8 Tips for Buying Patio Furniture That Suits Your Outdoor Space 02 of 15 Add a Stone Surround Peter Krumhardt Modern outdoor grill ideas can complement romantic cottage garden landscaping. Here, natural stone offers rustic style that fits with the potted plants sprinkled throughout the outdoor kitchen. Plus, stone finishes are hard-wearing and heat and bacteria-resistant. Keep in mind that you'll likely need to seal a stone surround to keep grill splatters from penetrating. 03 of 15 Connect Your Outdoor Grill to the Indoors Ed Gohlich Outdoor cooking and dining areas provide practical living space. And by cleverly blurring the line between outdoor and indoor, you can create continuity in your outdoor grill idea. Coordinate color palettes and textures, and consider the placement of furnishings to unify the two areas. However, keep patio doors closed if you don't want cooking smells wafting inside. 04 of 15 Create a Grilling Zone for Year-Round Use Werner Segarra If you're investing in a top-of-the-range grilling station, it's a plus if you can use it year-round rather than just in the summer months. Designing a covered patio, especially one that joins directly to the house, lets you do just that. But you don't have to have a formal extension on your home. Add a pergola for a lower-cost yet functional alternative. The 18 Best Pergolas of 2024 to Keep Your Patio Shaded 05 of 15 Put in a Pizza Oven Lisa Romerein If barbecued burgers aren't your bag, use this outdoor grill idea to make an authentic Neopolitan-style pizza instead. Whether you go for a traditional wood-burning stove or a gas or electric-powered alternative, there are many outdoor pizza oven options. A covered spot to prevent the pizza stone from cracking when wet is a must, and a traditional brick design is something you can DIY. 06 of 15 Add Shine with Stainless Steel Brie Williams If you're looking for a modern, practical, and stylish finish for your outdoor grill station, you can't go wrong with stainless steel. This weather-proof material won't corrode, can handle hot temperatures, and lasts for years with little maintenance. Plus, its sleek look complements just about any outdoor kitchen design. 07 of 15 Build a Pergola to Create Shade Mark Lohman No one wants to stand over a hot grill when summer temperatures soar. Incorporating some shade into your design can help keep things cool. Whether you build a pergola that also acts as a focal point for your design, set up your outdoor grill under tall shade trees (making sure there aren't overhanging branches that could create a fire risk), or screen in part of your patio or deck, you'll be thankful for this relief on scorching days. 08 of 15 Make the Best Use of Small Spaces Adam Albright Even if you only have room for a small backyard grill station, it can still feature functional extras. The key is good planning and keeping clutter to a minimum. Any accessories you introduce should always have a purpose. An L-shaped grill design, like the one above, makes smart use of space, though it might mean you'll have your backs to guests when barbecuing. The 11 Best Grill Covers of 2024 to Protect Your Grill 09 of 15 Create a Cohesive Space Kathryn Gamble Don't let your outdoor grill idea stick out like a sore thumb in your yard. Blend it with other elements in the landscape for a serene space. In this yard, the color and texture of the brickwork are the unifying elements. The trees and plants help to add a layer of textured interest, and the outdoor dining table placement ensures a natural traffic flow around the patio. 10 of 15 Consider Your Color Palette Dominique Vorillon Black isn't a typical color in landscape design, but it's a great outdoor grill idea that adds contemporary drama. Here, black exterior paneling provides a stylish backdrop and draws the eye to the grill station's warm wood and contrasting steel tones. Plus, dark colors make greenery pop. 11 of 15 Opt for Modern Minimalism Julie Soefer If your cookouts are all about having a space to kick back and relax, keeping things clutter-free is crucial. A modern, minimalist backyard grill idea can create a soothing atmosphere, and contemporary styles are easy to keep clean and make grill areas seem more spacious. Plus, minimalist designs can be more economical. Limit the number of materials you use in the space, stick with an understated color palette, and think about well-defined boundaries in the surrounding landscape for a streamlined look. 12 of 15 Embrace Your Favorite Design Style Ed Gohlich If you're drawn to a particular design style, consider incorporating it into your outdoor grill area, especially if the theme already runs through your indoor spaces. This luxurious outdoor cooking and dining space encapsulates Old-World style. With vintage accents, wood beams, and rustic nods, it creates a welcoming atmosphere. 25 Ways to Bring Vintage Flair to Your Outdoor Living Space 13 of 15 Carefully Consider Grill Placement Bob Stefko Don't forget safety considerations when deciding where to locate your grill in your yard. You don't want it too far away, making it a chore to bring all the supplies down from the house. Equally, it shouldn't be too close—you don't want smells traveling right back in the door. Plus, to minimize fire risks, you want to keep it a sufficient distance away from structures and clear of any overhangs. Any outdoor seating should be close enough to make it easy to socialize with guests and pass them plates of grilled goodness while you cook. 14 of 15 Install Tile Ed Gohlich You don't have to confine tiles to indoor kitchens. They're easy to clean, hard-wearing, and available in a wide range of designs. But if you want to use economical and versatile tiles as part of your outdoor grill idea, consider frost-proof porcelain tiles rather than ceramic. That way, they won't crack or absorb water when winter temperatures arrive. 15 of 15 Build with a View in Mind Matthew Benson Take advantage of beautiful vistas beyond your backyard by creating a focal sightline in front of your outdoor grill area. This can make your space feel bigger. Frame the view to emphasize the beauty in front of you using walls, hedges, tall plants, or fencing. More Ways to Add Style Outdoors Add decor to your outdoor area to give it the extra touches it needs to feel like a part of your home's living space. You can hang art on the exterior walls or install shelving for plants or pottery displays. Outdoor rugs help define a seating or dining area and come in large or small sizes. Colorful planters add greenery, and outdoor pillows bring colorful accents to seating. Invest in dinnerware that's unbreakable and safe to use outside for entertaining. If you need more privacy, outdoor curtains are an attractive, easy-to-install solution that creates a cozy atmosphere. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit