20 Simple Grilled Appetizers for Summer

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From ember-roasted baba ghanoush to scallops with warm tomato-basil dressing, here are fantastic grilled appetizers.

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Shrimp and Scallops with Lemony Soy

The Japanese-style marinade here works especially fast, thanks to the combination of tart citrus and salty soy sauce.

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Shrimp and Lemon Skewers with Feta-Dill Sauce

Squeeze the charred lemons over the shrimp before serving for a tangy, smoky hit of flavor. You may want to make extra feta sauce to have with lean lamb steaks or chicken skewers.

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Grilled-Vegetable Gazpacho

Grilled vegetables are brightened with a blend of vinegar, orange juice and lemon juice.

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Grilled Squash Ribbons and Prosciutto with Mint Dressing

Grilling zucchini and summer squash ribbons on skewers is terrific because the edges become wonderfully charred and crisp, while the insides stay tender and juicy.

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Sausage Lovers Grilled Pizza

This is the ultimate summer pizza, topped with lots of grated summer squash and piquant peperoncini, along with sausage.

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Smokin' Sweet Chicken Wings with Cherry Barbecue Glaze

Cherry preserves with habanero chile create a fabulously sticky, sweet and spicy glaze for grilled chicken wings. Glaze them just before serving so the sugars don’t burn.

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Grilled Beef Rolls

Traditionally, these crunchy Vietnamese beef rolls are wrapped in la lot leaves, which are similar to shiso. However, grape leaves make an excellent replacement.

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Grilled Tomato Crostini

Sprinkle generously with your favorite sea salt.

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Spiced Shrimp and Tomato Kebabs

This is a perfect party dish because it’s so easy to assemble, and you can marinate and skewer the shrimp ahead of time.

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Grilled Apricot, Arugula and Goat Cheese Salad

For this fun cross between a salad and a cheese course, Daniel Humm grills apricots to give them an alluring smokiness, then serves them with goat cheese, arugula and a toasted-pine nut dressing.

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Pork Satay

Pork satay, a staple among hawkers in Singapore, is typically very sweet. Bryant Ng’s version, which he marinates in a combination of lemongrass and coconut milk, is more balanced. He also adds extra fennel seeds, making the tender skewered meat even more aromatic.

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Grilled Oysters with Chorizo Butter

No shucking necessary: Once the oysters open on the grill, simply top them with David Kinch’s smoky, tangy butter.

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Grilled Flatbreads with Mushrooms, Ricotta and Herbs

This easy grilled flatbread—topped with sautéed mushrooms, fresh herbs and ricotta cheese—is perfect for outdoor entertaining.

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Cheese-Stuffed Grilled Peppers

As the peppers blister, the cheese mixture tucked inside turns warm and gooey.

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Grilled Zucchini with Fresh Mozzarella

The delicate taste of fresh mozzarella offers a delicious counterpoint to the garlic-and-vinegar-macerated zucchini. However, if you prefer a stronger cheese flavor, try goat cheese instead.

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Ginger-Garlic Shrimp with Tangy Tomato Sauce

The marinade for these shrimp—a piquant mix of lemon juice, garlic, ginger, basil and parsley—would be equally good with pork or chicken. The dipping sauce is almost chutney-like with chunks of whole tomatoes; lemongrass and lime juice add tang.

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Scallops with Warm Tomato-Basil Dressing

These rich, herb-scented scallops go perfectly with a crisp light beer.

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Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

These deliciously spiced grilled chicken skewers are perfect with a sweet-and-tangy peanut sauce.

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Grilled Manouri Cheese with Caramelized Plums

Michael Psilakis likes to riff on saganaki—fried cheese with lemon. He uses manouri, a fresh, milky white cheese made from the whey that's drained off during feta production. Like nearly all Greek cheeses, it's produced from either sheep's or goat's milk.

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Grilled Oysters with Spiced Tequila Butter

Blaine Wetzel grills oysters, then drizzles them with butter flavored with sage, oregano, lemon juice and tequila. He prefers oysters from Samish Bay in the northern Puget Sound, where some food historians say the first Pacific oysters grew in 1919.

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20 Simple Grilled Appetizers for Summer

1 of 20

Shrimp and Scallops with Lemony Soy

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Shrimp and Lemon Skewers with Feta-Dill Sauce

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Grilled-Vegetable Gazpacho

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Grilled Squash Ribbons and Prosciutto with Mint Dressing

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Sausage Lovers Grilled Pizza

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Smokin' Sweet Chicken Wings with Cherry Barbecue Glaze

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Grilled Beef Rolls

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Grilled Tomato Crostini

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Spiced Shrimp and Tomato Kebabs

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Grilled Apricot, Arugula and Goat Cheese Salad

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Pork Satay

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Grilled Oysters with Chorizo Butter

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Grilled Flatbreads with Mushrooms, Ricotta and Herbs

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Cheese-Stuffed Grilled Peppers

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Grilled Zucchini with Fresh Mozzarella

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Ginger-Garlic Shrimp with Tangy Tomato Sauce

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Scallops with Warm Tomato-Basil Dressing

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Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

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Grilled Manouri Cheese with Caramelized Plums

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Grilled Oysters with Spiced Tequila Butter

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