13 'Top Chef' Recipes for the Grill, From Sheldon Simeon, Gail Simmons, and More From steak tips to showstopping quail dishes, these are some of our favorite summery grilling dishes from 'Top Chef' alumni. By Emily Ziemski Emily Ziemski Emily Ziemski is a recipe developer, editor, and food writer with a focus on sustainability and wellness. Previously a senior food editor at Well+Good and food editor at Food52, she's best known for the creation of the Dirty Martini Salad Dressing (for which she apologizes). Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on May 22, 2026 Add Us On SAVE ALL RECIPES NEW! Save as a collection on MyRecipes Close Credit: Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christine Keely As soon as the weather gets warm, it's time to get grilling. In this collection, we've gathered dishes from Top Chef contestants and judges that will help you make the most of your outdoor grill this season. From Sheldon Simeon's Huli Huli Chicken Wings to Gail Simmons' Grilled Scallops with Miso-Corn Salad and Zoi Antonitsas's Grilled Asparagus with Taramasalata, these are the grill-ready recipes you'll be making all summer long. Keep all of your recipes at your fingertips. With the MyRecipes app you can easily save and organize your favorites from anywhere, including Instagram and TikTok, in one convenient place. Get the free app. 01 of 13 Shrimp-and-Okra Kebabs with Grilled Peaches Tara Donne / Food Styling by Chris Lanier / Prop Styling by Raina Kattelson Sue Zemanick (Top Chef Masters Seasons 3 and 5) A splash of bourbon in the vinaigrette adds a sweet, boozy kick of flavor and helps tenderize the shrimp in 2008 F&W Best New Chef Sue Zemanick's shrimp and okra kebabs. Cutting okra in half lengthwise keeps it big enough to skewer and get charred and crispy on the grill without falling through the grates. Zemanick recommends salting the okra and cooking at high heat for the best texture. "Everything about this dish screams summer to me," Zemanick says. "Being able to cook with ingredients that are in season simultaneously helps ensure a delicious dish. Although I truly believe fresh is best, feel free to save time by buying peeled fresh or frozen shrimp." Get the Recipe Save 02 of 13 Grilled Quail with Sweet-and-Sour Plum Glaze Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christine Keely Melissa King (Seasons 12 and 17: All-Stars) Plums and blackberries form the backbone of this sweet-savory glaze from Top Chef Season 17 winner Melissa King; it's perfect for quail but also delicious with bone-in chicken thighs or pork chops. Serve alongside a crisp and refreshing arugula salad with a tangy lime-sesame dressing. Get the Recipe Save 03 of 13 Grilled Chicken with Banana Pepper Dip and Fattoush Tara Donne / Food Styling by Chris Lanier / Prop Styling by Raina Kattelson Anita Lo (Top Chef Masters Season 1) 2001 F&W Best New Chef Anita Lo's 2018 cookbook SOLO celebrates the joy of cooking for one, just like this weeknight-friendly chicken recipe. "The banana pepper dip in this recipe is perhaps my favorite recipe that my partner's mother Bonnie Attea makes," Lo says. "It's a three-ingredient wonder that makes a weeknight chicken breast exciting. Banana peppers can vary on the heat scale so taste a little before mixing, and mitigate with a little cayenne per your taste." Leftover banana pepper dip works well as a spread in sandwiches or as a dip with pita crackers or crudités. While pre-crumbled feta may be used in the dip, blocks of feta crumble easily and result in a richer, creamier texture. Get the Recipe Save 04 of 13 Grilled Scallops with Miso-Corn Salad Victor Protasio Gail Simmons (Judge) "What's not to love about scallops?" Top Chef judge and cookbook author Gail Simmons asks. "It's hard to find fault in their naturally beautiful shape, pillowy texture, and distinctly sweet, mild flavor. They take well to an infinite array of preparations and cooking techniques, adapt to almost any cuisine, and (as any Top Chef contestant will tell you) can be cooked incredibly quickly or served raw, making them the ultimate blank canvas for everything from black truffles to black bean sauce, citrus to sambal. In summer, I cook them on the grill until just kissed by the flames and pile them on top of warmed veggies with a bright dressing. This version, a favorite for quick and easy backyard dinners, incorporates miso, ginger, and toasted sesame, adding a savory dimension to the salad and a rich contrast to the corn and scallops' inherent sweetness." Get the Recipe Save 05 of 13 Huli Huli Chicken Wings Greg DuPree Sheldon Simeon (Seasons 10 and 14) Simeon uses fresh ginger and pineapple juice to add bright heat and tang to the sweet, teriyaki-like homemade huli huli sauce that coats the chicken wings and pineapple slices in this recipe. The marinade helps the wings get smoky-sweet on the grill and retain a delicious juicy bite. Huli huli means "turn turn" in Hawaiian — huli huli chicken is a local specialty on Oahu, where vendors thread chickens on a special rotating grill and broil it over charcoal. When grilling at home, be sure to turn the chicken wings often so they crisp evenly. The slices of fresh, glazed pineapple get smoky on the grill and play off the juicy, caramelized chicken. Get the Recipe Save 06 of 13 Anticuchos de Pollo (Peruvian Chicken Skewers) Greg DuPree Stephanie Izard (Season 4) These Peruvian chicken skewers from 2011 F&W Best New Chef Izard are coated in a thick chile marinade that holds up beautifully over high heat, creating deeply caramelized, charred edges as the meat cooks. Serve them alongside a bold South American red wine to complement the smoky, spicy flavors. Get the Recipe Save 07 of 13 Pulehu Steak Tip Skewers with Maui Onion Finadene Sauce Victor Protasio Sheldon Simeon (Seasons 10 and 14) Pulehu means “to cook over hot coals” in Hawaiian, and Simeon brings that smoky spirit to these grilled steak skewers with a bold basting sauce made from sake, soy sauce, brown sugar, sherry vinegar, garlic, ginger, and scallions. Toasted barley is the unexpected ingredient that thickens the sauce and helps the beef get crispy on the grill. The skewers are then served with finadene, a bright soy-based sauce layered with sweet Maui onions and citrusy Agrumato lemon olive oil. Get the Recipe Save 08 of 13 Sweet-and-Spicy Spareribs with Korean Barbecue Sauce Christina Holmes Mei Lin (Season 12) The Top Chef winner and chef-owner of 88 Club in Beverly Hills slow-roasts these ribs in the oven until they're very tender and then glazes them on the grill with a sweet-spicy sauce spiked with gochujang. She uses the same sauce to dress pulled pork, as a dip for French fries, and to mix with melted butter and toss with fried chicken. Get the Recipe Save 09 of 13 Grilled Asparagus with Taramasalata Nicole Franzen Zoi Antonitsas (Season 4) Taramasalata is a Greek dip or spread made with salted fish roe, olive oil, and bread (or sometimes potatoes). Chef Zoi Antonitsas' creamy version is a perfect accompaniment to grilled asparagus. Get the Recipe Save 10 of 13 Double-Cut Rib Eye with Sweet Gorgonzola Butter Victor Protasio Suzanne Tracht (Top Chef Masters Season 1) At her modern chophouse, Jar, in Los Angeles, 2002 F&W Best New Chef Suzanne Tracht's menu changes with the seasons. To celebrate summer, she says, "this juicy, sweet combo of Gorgonzola and beef alongside fresh heirloom tomatoes is how I kick off the outdoor months." A two-rib prime rib eye mini-roast makes it easy to light up the grill. Tracht offers good reason to source your steak from a trusted butcher: "You want your guests passing around the bones at the end." Get the Recipe Save 11 of 13 Braised Pork Shanks with Grilled Peach Salad Food & Wine / Photo by Abby Hocking Nina Compton (Season 11) Here, 2017 F&W Best New Chef Nina Compton uses a jerk-style rub on meaty pork shanks before slowly braising them in the oven. For balance, she serves the rich shanks alongside a summery grilled peach salad. Get the Recipe Save 12 of 13 Grilled Potato Salad with Mustard Seeds John Kernick Stephanie Izard (Season 4) For this potato salad recipe, Izard grills sliced potatoes in a pan of butter to give them an amazing crust, then dresses them with a tangy mustard-seed vinaigrette, fresh scallions, and celery. Get the Recipe Save 13 of 13 Grilled Sea Bass with Marinated Eggplant John Kernick Tom Colicchio (Judge) Chef Tom Colicchio makes a marinade with olive oil, chiles, and a mess of fresh herbs and uses it to marinate eggplant both before and after it's grilled for extra flavor. The bass, on the other hand, is simply seasoned with salt and pepper before hitting the grill. Colicchio lets it cook through and become lightly charred and then serves it with lime wedges and the eggplant. Get the Recipe Save Explore more: Food Cooking Techniques Grilling Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit