The 14 Best Grilling Gifts for the Backyard Barbecue Enthusiast in 2024
Updated: Feb. 01, 2024
The outdoor cook in your life will simply love these grilling gifts. From a fire striker to a meat injector, they're all must-haves.
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There are plenty of options when you’re looking for the best grilling gifts for someone who loves to barbecue. Whether they’re grilling on the back deck or patio, having a picnic or tailgating before the game, they’ll need the right grilling tools and other accessories to get the job done.
We rounded up affordable barbecue essentials every outdoor chef needs, including gadgets for both charcoal and gas grills. There are even tech-enhanced smart grilling gifts that can make the whole experience better.
Barbecue Gloves
When it comes to outdoor grilling gifts, you can’t go wrong with these barbecue gloves. Made with food-grade neoprene rubber, they’re water-, fire- and stain-resistant. These barbecue gloves have an insulated textured palm with a non-slip design, so it’s simple to handle wet or greasy meat on the grill or smoker. They’re easy to clean and, since they’re waterproof, you can handle boiling water or steam with ease.
Walnut Cutting Board
Every cook needs a cutting board, and this walnut board from Our Place is ideal for resting and slicing grilled meat. The much-needed juice trench ensures there are no spills, and sturdy American walnut wood keeps knives sharp. Plus, it doubles as a serving platter for all those impressive spreads of meats and vegetables when they come off the grill.
Cedar Planks
Ideal for grilling fish and vegetables, these cedar planks are easy to use and will add extra smoke and flavor to the meal. Plus, they’re polished, so no splinters here! Coming in a pack of 12, they’re a grilling gift that will quickly turn the recipient into a smoked fish aficionado.
Stainless Steel Outdoor Griddle
Help your loved one expand their outdoor cooking options by gifting a stainless steel griddle to set right on top of their gas grill’s surface. It works well for cooking foods like eggs and pancakes. The universal griddle is one of our favorite grilling gifts, because it distributes heat evenly, includes sidewalls that prevent spill-over and has a lifetime warranty.
Charcoal Chimney Starter
Lighting charcoal with this charcoal chimney starter is incredibly fast and easy. Depending on weather conditions, your coals should be ready to pour into the grill in about 10 to 15 minutes. Using a charcoal chimney also removes any lingering lighter fluid taste on your food and solvent smell in the air. It even works in the rain! This is a must-have piece of equipment for grilling, tailgating, camping, beach trips and other outdoor activities.
Grill-Cleaning Kit
After grilling up your favorite foods, it’s frustrating to scrub away at the grill for an hour after you eat. Give the gift of easy grill cleanup with a Better Grillin’ Scrubbin’ Stone. It cleans racks, griddles and other grilling utensils made of steel or iron efficiently and quickly. Just rub it on a warm or cool surface to clean, then wipe with a damp cloth. Level up your grilling gift giving by combining these stones with other must-have accessories into a grill gift basket!
Digital Meat Thermometer
This digital wireless thermometer is one of the best ways to accurately monitor meat remotely. No more going back and forth to check your meat’s temperature—with this grilling gift, it can be monitored from up to 300 feet away! This system includes programmed United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)-approved temperatures for all kinds of meats at different doneness levels, making it easy to grill like a pro.
Premium Steak Box
When it comes to grilling gifts for meat cookers, nothing beats a quality steak. Butcher Box’s Premium Steak Box includes a photo-worthy tomahawk steak, as well as high-quality grass-fed and grass-finished thick-cut New York strip and ribeye steaks. Maybe if you’re lucky, they’ll invite you over for dinner!
Cast-Iron Basting Pot and Brush
Anyone looking to improve their grilling skills has to learn to baste properly. Cuisinart’s cast-iron basting pot and brush is a solid set, as the pot is made of durable cast iron, allowing for maximum heat retention. The mop-style brush head is preferred by pitmasters to evenly spread sauces over food. Plus, the brush head is removable and dishwasher-safe for easy cleanup.
Dual-Duty Grilling Trays
These Cuisinart grilling prep and serving trays are needed to avoid contaminating cooked food with raw ingredients or marinades. Made of shatterproof melamine, they nest together for convenient storage. These grilling gifts are also dishwasher-safe, meaning you can pop them in and quickly get back to that backyard barbecue.
Barbecue Utility Apron and Bottle Opener
They’ll be the envy of every grill master with the barbecue utility apron from Gentlemen’s Hardware. Made of durable cotton canvas, it not only protects clothing from spills and splatters, but comes with an attached bottle opener and plenty of pockets for grilling accessories.
Fire Striker
Just what they need for portable grilling while tailgating or camping, this Fire Striker from Solo Stove picks up the slack when your lighter fails. Whether it’s wet or dry, this tool lights a fire anywhere and lasts up to 15,000 strikes. Buyers liked that it works quickly to get a flame going and is small enough to pack in a pocket or pouch.
Meat Injector
This meat injector takes any meal prep to the next level by letting you inject different flavors into your food. Instead of just letting your turkey marinate, you can put the marinade straight into the turkey. This also helps keep your meat tender and juicy. It’s a blast to experiment with and see what kinds of combinations you can create. It’s also 100% food-safe, and comes in a nice gift box.
Barbecue Grill Cover
A grill cover isn’t the first thing someone will think about when they restock their grill supplies, which makes it a useful gift. Help them extend the life of their grill with a heavy-duty barbecue grill cover. This version of the iCover was recently reengineered to be waterproof and resistant to ultraviolet (UV) rays and tears. Plus, it’s available in several sizes.
Originally Published: July 12, 2021
