One Week Grilling Meal Plan

Keep the heat outside using these easy recipes with grilling! You’ll get a plan with 1 week of ideas for grilling dinner, complete with recipes and a shopping list. Beat the heat with this grilling meal plan!

Summer in the south is HOT. Even more so when the air conditioner decides to stop working.

It’s funny that the idea to have a grilling meal plan was in my head LONG before our air conditioner broke. But let me tell you this, I’ve never been more thankful to have a meal plan focused on the grill in all my life!

I’ve shared before that meal planning is CRUCIAL to eating real food on a budget (here’s how to get started with meal planning). How in the world can you go shopping when you don’t know what you’re going to eat?!

Schedules get a bit hectic in the summer, so a planned week of recipes with grilling keeps my head on straight. As a bonus, it keeps our kitchen cool too!

Whether you need to keep the heat outside or you’re just looking for some new recipes with grilling, this meal plan is for you!

ONE WEEK GRILLING MEAL PLAN

WHAT’S INCLUDED:

• 100% real food grilling recipes that are simple, straightforward, and family-friendly.
• All of the recipes are easy to make and can typically be made in under an hour.
• This one-week plan is very meat-heavy and uses the grill. Each recipe can be cooked in the kitchen OR on the grill. Don’t feel limited if you don’t have a grill.
• A couple of store-bought items for things I usually make from scratch (breads and beans). Feel free to make these items from scratch if you prefer.

WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED:

• This easy grilled meals plan is not tied to a specific grocery store or price point. Not everyone has access to the discount grocery stores like ALDI or Grocery Outlet or Walmart. Even though I did not tie this specific plan to a price point like my $50 ALDI meal plan, it is still frugal and budget-friendly.
• Precautions for food allergies. My family is blessed not to have food allergies, so I don’t plan for them in my meal plans. With a few tweaks, I think these grill meal ideas would work for most food allergy families, too.

We’re going beyond grilling burgers or steak to using the grill for flavor-packed dishes you maybe hadn’t considered cooking on the grill before!

NO BREAKFASTS OR LUNCHES?

I’m giving you ideas for grilling dinner, but this meal plan doesn’t include any breakfast or lunch recipes. Most families have personal preferences on what they want for breakfast or lunch.

No worries though – I have NO DOUBT the ingredients you buy for this meal plan will provide extras that you can use to cover breakfasts and/or lunches. Here’s why:

• Every meal on this menu is something I make frequently with my family. Every single one of them covers dinner for the four of us AND enough for at least one leftover lunch (usually two).
• Use the “Bonus Meal Ideas” section at the bottom to create your own breakfast and lunch menu. Those are just some ideas to get you started, but they’re there to help you use the ingredients you’re already buying!
• If you still don’t think this is enough food to cover breakfast AND lunches, buy a bag of apples and a container of oatmeal for breakfast and only add a few more dollars to your bill!

NOTES FOR THESE GRILLED DISHES

• Even though this is a meal plan of grilled dishes, all of the meals can be cooked in your kitchen from start to finish. Some of the meals require you to start at the stove, but none of them have you turn on the oven.
• This meal plan is continuous. This means some of the food prepared earlier in the week will be used later in the week.
  • Be careful if you decide to make a dish in a different order. I’m not saying you have to follow the plan exactly, just be aware that other parts of a meal are assumed to be ready when you get to specific days.
  • Following the meal plan in order gives you some really easy days!
  • For example, the Teriyaki Chicken Lettuce Wrap recipe assumes you have already made the chicken and cabbage slaw on another day, so all you have to do is assemble!

WHAT TO BUY FOR 1 WEEK OF RECIPES WITH GRILLING

The goal with any plan is to buy as little food as possible, use everything you buy, and to do both without sacrificing taste or quality. Here’s what you’re buying for these easy grilling recipes:

VEGETABLES PRODUCE

• Carrots. These are going to be used in the Grilled Vegetable Foil Pack on day 1. Foil packs are one of my favorite things because they are a cooking vessel AND plate! Easy clean up all around!
• Grape Tomatoes. You’ll find grape tomatoes in your foil packs and salads. While these can be on the expensive side, halving them makes them go further, and they are so good cooked.
• Zucchini. Zucchini will also be in the foil packs, along with an awesome recipe straight on the grill: Grilled Lemon-Salt Zucchini.
• Cucumber. A refreshing addition to your garden and side salad.
• Garlic Cloves. The majority of these are going to be in an amazing Beef Chili! Don’t skimp on the garlic – it adds a great flavor.
• Green Cabbage. Green cabbage is so versatile and adds a great crunch to the Sweet Potato “Tacos” and Teriyaki Chicken Lettuce Wraps as the base of the Cabbage Slaw.
• Green Onions. These go easily with the Teriyaki Grilled Chicken Kabobs on day 5. Make sure you don’t throw out the scallions white stems because you can use them in Bonus Meal Ideas later.
• Jalapeño. You will be using the jalapeno to add some spice to the Sweet Potato “Tacos”. Feel free to omit if you would rather keep the heat down (or double if you like it hot!).
• Lemon. Lemon is the star of the show in a couple of the meals this week: Grilled Lemon Honey Chicken and Grilled Lemon-Salt Zucchini. You will have some leftover juice that you can use in a bonus recipe, so don’t discard those lemons!
• Onion (white). We go a little heavy on the onions this week, so be sure to count the number in the bag or buy 2 bags. Red onions or yellow onions work if that’s what you have on hand.
• Iceberg Lettuce. Cheap option for a Side Salad and Garden Salad that uses leftover Grilled Lemon Honey Chicken. I love to add iceberg side salads to lighter meals to ensure full bellies and lots of veggies while sticking to my budget.
• Red Leaf Lettuce. I recently came across this option when my store was out of romaine lettuce. The leaves are nice and big and come apart beautifully – perfect for Teriyaki Chicken Lettuce Wraps.
• Russet Potatoes. Russets are very light in this meal plan, but I still recommend buying a 5-to-10-pound bag (you only need 2 ½ pounds) because they are so versatile and cheap!
• Spinach. One bag of fresh spinach could do the trick here (you only need 3 cups), but if a bunch is cheaper, you could always add the remaining spinach to your salads for the week.
• Sweet Corn. Corn on the cob is cheapest in summer, and I don’t think I could have a Grilled Vegetable Foil Pack without some buttered corn 🙂
• Sweet Peppers. Any type of peppers will work here, but green is the most frugal choice (and it tastes great, too!).
• Sweet Potatoes. The star of the Sweet Potato “Tacos.” These tacos are cooked and eaten from foil packs with delicious Cabbage Slaw on top. No tortilla or plate needed!

COLD CASE/DAIRY

• Butter. I don’t think it’s possible for me to create a plan without butter! In this plan, butter is the main oil in the Grilled Vegetable Foil Pack. Like I said before, this plan can’t be complete without corn and butter. (Besides, butter IS good for you.)
• Cheddar Cheese. Delicious topping for the Spinach and Bacon Quiche.
• Eggs. Only half a dozen eggs are needed here. You could purchase the exact amount you need (if your store offers a ½ dozen option) or get a full dozen and use them up with the Bonus Meal Ideas.
• Greek Yogurt. This is the base of the sauce for the Cabbage Slaw. I like to use plain whole milk Greek yogurt, and while it can be tart on its own, it is not overbearing in this slaw at all.
• Milk. You’ll use this in the Spinach and Bacon Quiche and the Skillet Cornbread.

PANTRY

• Black Beans. While dry black beans are cheaper, it is still inexpensive to purchase canned beans. The type you purchase won’t affect your meal at all; it’s all up to personal preference (and time).
• Chili Powder. I don’t usually include spices, but the Beef Chili recipe calls for ¼ cup of chili powder. While this does seem like a lot (I thought it was a typo), it is not overwhelming or too spicy for the average eater.
• Cornmeal. Cornmeal is for the skillet corn bread. No need to heat up the kitchen when you can cook cornbread on the grill!
• Diced Tomatoes. Diced tomatoes give the Beef Chili a nice consistency.
• Dijon Mustard. I don’t normally include mustards in my meal plan shopping lists, but they are important in this week’s chicken dishes.
• Honey. This sweet ingredient is used in a couple of meals this week: Grilled Honey Lemon Chicken and Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs. There are a couple of ideas on how to use up any remaining honey in the Bonus Meal Ideas this week (if this item isn’t a staple in your kitchen and you’re not sure what to do with the extra).
• Pickled Jalapeños or Green Chilis. These canned jalapenos or green chilis add a nice kick to the chili. I prefer green chiles.
• Kidney Beans. As with black beans, dry beans are cheaper than canned, but the type you decide to use ultimately comes down to personal preference and your budget for the week.
• Sesame Seeds. While these are for garnish, I think they also add a nice flavor to the Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs.
• Soy Sauce. If you are a soy-free family, feel free to substitute coconut aminos for the soy sauce. (Liquid aminos are a good option, too.) This is used in the teriyaki sauce for the Chicken Kabobs.
• Tomato Sauce. Two recipes call for tomato sauce this week – each with a different amount for the can (14 & 16oz). Whichever amount you find should be fine in each recipe, so don’t worry if you can only find one or the other.
• Worcestershire Sauce. This adds its own special flavor to the Grilled Lemon Honey Chicken on day 1 (leftovers on day 3!)
• Brown Rice. An easy filling addition to the Teriyaki Grilled Chicken Kabobs and Grilled Lemon-Salt Zucchini – perfect for soaking up that yummy teriyaki sauce.

MEAT

To keep my meals frugal, I usually don’t include as much meat as I did during this week’s meal plan, but I just couldn’t pass up the freedom leftover shredded chicken can provide to get me out of the kitchen. I can cook it on the grill, and it allows me two weeknight dinner meals with no cooking!

This meat heavy meal plan is helpful if you’re tracking your protein as well.

Bacon. An important ingredient for the Spinach and Bacon Quiche dinner on day 6. If you buy a one-pound package, you’ll have some left over to add to another meal.

Chicken Breast. There is a LOT of chicken in this meal plan, but I made sure to change it up, keep the flavors fresh, and alter the presentation to make sure you don’t get tired of it by the end of the week.

On two evenings, you’ll grill plenty of breasts and kababs, and each of those dinners includes extra chicken to be cooked alongside your regular meal (no extra time needed!).

A day or so later, we change up the extra chicken and add it to a wonderful Grilled Lemon Honey Chicken Garden Salad and a Teriyaki Chicken Salad Wrap that’s topped with leftover Cabbage Slaw. That means two no-cook nights, all from a couple of extra breasts on the grill!

If you need to, you can use chicken thighs for the Teriyaki Skewers instead of breasts. Either way they are super tender and juicy!

Ground Beef. The beef is used in the Beef Chili and Sweet Potato Tacos. I usually only use 1 pound of ground beef in my chili, but this recipe makes a large amount, so I used 2 pounds to make sure it didn’t get lost with the other ingredients.

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ONE WEEK GRILLING MEAL PLAN: DINNERS

Ready to get cooking? Here are the simple grill recipes we’ll be making this week:

DAY 1: Grilled Lemon-Honey Chicken // Grilled Vegetable Foil Pack

DAY 2: Sweet Potato “Tacos” // Cabbage Slaw

DAY 3: Grilled Lemon Honey Chicken Garden Salad

DAY 4: Beef Chili // Skillet Cornbread

DAY 5: Teriyaki Grilled Chicken Kabobs // Grilled Lemon-Salt Zucchini

DAY 6: Spinach and Bacon Quiche // Side Salad

DAY 7: Teriyaki Chicken Lettuce Wraps // Roasted Potatoes (optional)

Find these recipes, along with the shopping list and all the details, in the FREE grilling menu plan download.

BONUS MEAL IDEAS

As you can see from the items above, you’ll have a few leftover ingredients after you make the recipes on the BBQ. Below are some bonus meal ideas to use it all up, so nothing goes to waste!

• Honey Roasted Carrots (using leftover honey and carrots)
• Mashed Potatoes (leftover potatoes, milk, and whites of the green onion)
• Grilled Cheese (using leftover cheese). You’ll need to add bread.
• Hash Browns and Eggs (using leftover eggs and potatoes). A great choice for breakfast!
• Quiche (using leftover eggs, plus bacon, spinach, and hash browns if you have extras of those too)
• Salad Dressings or Marinades (using leftover Dijon mustard, honey, and lemon juice). You’ll need to add olive oil.
• Yogurt and Banana Breakfast (using leftover Greek yogurt). You’ll need to add bananas or other fruit.
• Vegetable Stock. Save the vegetable peels and ends throughout this week (you can store them in old yogurt containers or freezer bags) and make your own vegetable stock.

FAQS FOR RECIPES ON THE BBQ

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT ANY OF THESE FREE MEAL PLANS!

• One Week No Cook Meal Plan
• $50 ALDI Meal Plan
• 7 Chicken Meal Prep Recipes
• One Week Vegetarian Meal Plan
• Budget-Friendly Whole30 Meal Plan

What is your favorite meal on the grill?