The 50 Best Meats to Put on Your Grill, Ranked

Today is Labor Day. 

For one reason or another — those reasons mostly seasonal, and coinciding with the loss of the good weather that occasions cooking outside for large groups of people — Labor Day has become the official day of worshiping one’s grill.

So today, as you fire up the coals or woodchips or Hank Hill-approved propane tanks, throw some meat on the burners and crack open a cold one, know that you are part of something bigger: a mass ritual of the most benign and delicious kind, carried out by a network of grill-loving men and women all over the country.

As for what you’ll be cooking? It’s up to you. But for our money, these are the 50 best meats to throw on your grill or in your smoker this weekend, ranked.

Ed. note: If you’re wondering what our criteria are, just know that they are extremely arbitrary, but were reached through much critical discussion and decades of collective experience. 

50. Turkey burger

49. Chicken sausages

48. Leg of rabbit

47. Whole turkey

46. Goat leg

45. Clams

44. Oysters

43. Duck

42. Wild boar

42. Skirt steak

40. Crab

39. Beef tenderloin

38. Bison burger

37. Beef ribs

36. Leg of lamb

35. Flank steak

34. Whole chicken

33. Venison sausages

32. Filet mignon

31. Lamb ribs

30. Italian sausages

29. Pork chops

28. Lobster

27. Hot dog

26. Tuna steaks

25. Turkey leg

24. Beef short rib

23. White fish (branzino, tilapia, mahi mahi)

22. Sardines

21. Pork shoulder

20. Shish kebabs

19. Calamari

18. Lamb chops

17. Chicken wings

16. Scallops

15. T-bone/porterhouse

14. Hot links

13. Tri-Tip

12. Swordfish

11. Pork belly

10. Salmon

9. Pork baby back ribs

8. Brisket

7. Shrimp

6. NY Strip

5. Octopus

4. Bratwurst

3. Pork spare ribs

2. Ribeye

1. Hamburgers

Don’t agree? Go yell at us on Facebook or Twitter.