Three Grilled Watermelon Pineapple Skewers with ramekin of warm fudge sauce set on black plate. Sprig of mint leaves as garnish.

Summer is coming, and while this season may look different from years past, the love of grilling on the patio is still searing strong. Before you fire up the grill, we’ve rounded up our favorite tips, tricks and recipes to jumpstart your next plate of barbecued masterpieces this patio season.

Time For a Prep Talk

We all know great things can happen on the grates of a grill, but when planning your next outdoor cooking session, where should you start? When building out the BBQ lineup, your recipe selections should help guide your grilling preparations. Will you need to use direct or indirect heat? Marinade or glaze topping? Charcoal, gas or wood coals? Make sure all the necessary elements are determined prior to firing up those flames for easy cooking.

Once all your heating methods are determined and ingredients prepped, it’s time to season the grill. Similar to cooking with a cast iron skillet, seasoning your grill by applying heat and oil prior to cooking not only helps keep grill rust at bay, but can also prevent food from sticking once placed directly on the rack.

Grilled Watermelon and Kale Salad

Recipe: Watermelon and Kale Salad

The Glaze Stage

The (not-so) secret to great grilling: it’s all about the sauce. And you can’t underestimate the powerful flavor force that is a marinade glaze. Unlike a traditional marinade that often has to sit overnight, a marinade glaze only requires a few hours to absorb and form the layers of your meal’s full delicious potential.

Pork and Watermelon Kebobs

Recipe: Grilled Watermelon and Pork Kebobs

Keep The Heat On

Think you’re ready to put out that flame? Don’t forget dessert! When fruit meets fire, flavors become enhanced as the heat caramelizes all the natural sugars, perfect for when you want a quick sweet treat, an addition to your favorite dessert recipe or simply need something to splash into your summer cocktails. Who knew it could be that easy?

Three Grilled Watermelon Pineapple Skewers with ramekin of warm fudge sauce set on black plate. Sprig of mint leaves as garnish.

Recipe: Grilled Watermelon and Pineapple Skewers