Symon's Dinners Cooking Out: 100 Recipes That Redefine Outdoor Cooking

by Michael Symon

Go beyond the basics with 100 recipes for showstopping mains, salads, even desserts—all cooked outside—from the host of Symon’s Dinners Cooking Out on the Food Network.

In Symon's Dinners Cooking Out, Michael Symon offers 100 recipes for barbeque, grilling, and outdoor cooking. Featuring 50 fan-favorite recipes from his popular Food Network show, Symon’s Dinners Cooking Out, and 50 brand new recipes, this cookbook is sure to excite budding and expert grillers alike. From live-fire classics like Bacon-Cheddar Smash Burgers to unexpected dishes like Charred Broccoli Salad and Crispy Feta Eggs, cooks who opt to take it outside will find all kinds of creative ways to use their grills year-round paired with 100 beautiful photos shot at Michael's home in Southern California.

Michael knows how to dish out impressively easy and guaranteed crowd pleasers like Gyro-Style Lamb Burger with Tzatziki and Grilled Onion, Grilled Eggplant Parmesan, and Birria Style Beef Tacos. Plus there's lots of ideas to round out the meal with sides like Stuffed Squash Blossoms, Duck Fat-Fried Fondant Potatoes, or Blue Cornbread with Honey Butter, as well as salads that threaten to steal a burger's thunder like Shaved Carrots with Yogurt Dressing, Grilled Greens with Lime Vinaigrette, or Avocado, Orange, and Jicama Salad. And of course there are desserts, too, from Fresh Strawberry Pie to Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars—all cooked (you know it) outside.

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction

256 pages, Hardcover

Published March 25, 2025

About the author

Michael Symon is an American chef, restaurateur, television personality, and author.

Reviews

[DAVID JAYCOX · Rating 1 out of 5]

The worst grilling cook book ever written

At least 2/3 of theses recipes including 1/3 of the meat recipes are cooked over charcoal entirely in a cast iron skillet. What! Simon must have never heard of a range or cooktop. What the he'll is the point of that. How stupid. Before this book I thought Simon was great. Not anymore. Don't waste your time or money.
If you love outdoor cooking you can't go wrong with Steven Reichlan's project fire or project smoke.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think the purpose of this cookbook is to show that you can cook almost anything outside on a grill. And I agree with that, but I felt like a lot of the recipes in here would have just been easier to do inside. Can you bake a cake on a grill? Yes. Is that the easiest way to do it? Probably not. I guess depending on where you live if you just want to be outside doing all the cooking then this cookbook might be helpful. My husband and I grill year round but it's often me making sides inside while he grills the main course outside. There were also a few inconsistencies like for a recipe about grilled corn the picture shows corn with the husk pulled back (almost like a handle) but the recipe talks about marinating the corn - how are you marinating it with the husk still on? That kind of stuff was frustrating to me. Overall, the photos of the food are beautiful and I do think you might be inspired to try more outdoor cooking, but I didn't love it.

[Kristen Barenthaler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delicious. Mouthwatering. Appetizing. What other words can I use?

[PottWab Regional Library]

O

[Minnie Olson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Typical symon. Just wish he wasn't so fond of mint and cilantro