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SIMILAR TO how a quarterback needs a reliable tight-end to throw to, your best tailgate grill is going to be your trusted side-kick every time you're assigned grill master duties. These days, the best tailgate grills are portable, easy to transport, and have just enough grill space to chef up hotdogs and burgers (and even barbecue) for friends and family.
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While some individuals might thing any small grill will work for tailgating, the truth is there are a lot of cheaply made and poorly designed options out there. That's why we went and did the research to find the top charcoal, propane, and pellet grills that are worth your time and money.
A solid tailgate grill must be lightweight, or at least light enough to get it in the back of a truck bed or SUV. They should also have a spacious surface. What good is a tailgate if you can't make food for at least up to four people? And most importantly, a tailgate grill should cook efficiently while maximizing the flavor of your meats.
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So whether you're looking for a tailgate grill that's super lightweight or you want something that can used for more than just game day (like camping), the grills below are going to appeal to every type of chef. Simply put, these tailgate grills don't skimp on performance. They rise to the occasion.
Outfitted with three adjustable burners and designed with a spacious 285 sq. in of grilling space, the RoadTrip 285 is do-it-all grill for all types of outdoor activities. The grill uses a small propane tank and has a quick-start button to fire up the flames in lightning fast speed. On top of the grill is a nifty temperature monitor, and as for the cooktops you can easily swap between a grate and a griddle as you please. Best of all is the 285's portability, as you can fold it down and carry it like a roller suitcase. This is a certified all-star right here.
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This Traeger will give you the easiest path to cooking everything from classic burgers and dogs, to mouthwatering barbecue brisket. It's a pellet grill, so you don't have to worry about transporting a propane tank or bag of charcoal around. It's a bit heavy and has a clunky design, but thanks to its foldable legs it's still reasonably easy to get into the back of a truck bed or SUV. If you're looking to grill up some big time eats, then an investment in a Traeger is the way to go.
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This portable charcoal grill has a sneaky 218 square inches of grill space to use and is wonderfully easy to carry thanks to its two side handles. Inside, you can adjust the height of the charcoal height to allow for loading more coals. The bottom comes with an attached removable ash tray, so clean-up is pleasant. The $200 price tag might be a bit much for some, but when you consider the overall value you're getting we find it a worthy buy indeed—especially if you're a charcoal guy.
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Perhaps the coolest designed portable grill on the market right now, the HitchFire is an all-in-one grill station that attaches to your vehicle. The extendable arm and grill are made of strong alloy steel, ensuring a stability while in use or when folded back to its mounted position for transport. It takes a small propane tank, so you're going to want to transport that inside your vehicle (never drive with the tank attached outside on the HitchFire). The price point is expensive, but for people like us who love innovation, this grill hits its mark on being simple to use and supremely versatile.
In all likelihood, it's possible your old man used something similar to this when you were growing up, and the reason they're still worth buying is because they're just that good. If you're looking for a classic charcoal option then you can't go wrong with a Weber.
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A fire pit first, this grill option from BioLite is simple to set up, easy to carry, and fast to start. What's cool is this fire pit takes charcoal and wood, so you can choose what you want to cook on the included grill grate. It also comes with a rechargeable pack fan that extends your fire's burn time (the power pack fan can also be controlled via Bluetooth on the BioLite app). With a weight of under 20 pounds and a size that's likely smaller than your favorite camping cooler, this is a solid lightweight pick.
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Made with coated cast iron cooking surfaces and outfitted with an aluminum top and bottom, the PKGo is a heavy duty portable charcoal grill that will deliver tasting meats. We especially love the grill's two-venting system design; you can get a direct and fast cook by keeping the vents shut, or an indirect and slow cook by keeping the vents open. What's great about the PKGo is the aluminum is rust-proof, making it able to handle all types of use for years to come.
It's possible you've seen or used one of these Blackstone griddles at a tailgate in the past, and that's because they're super affordable and easy to use. The cooking surface is perfect for simple foods (burgers, hotdogs, chicken) and can be cleaned and packed up in a jiffy when you're ready to go inside the stadium. To ensure proper safety and to really maximize the use out of this grill, we recommend getting a proper grill table—like this top-selling Yukon Glory table station.
Propane is probably the easiest fuel type to use for tailgating, and most portable propane grills take the standard 1-pound liquid propane tank that's small and saves space. Charcoal and wood pellets are also excellent types of fuel to use, but the downside is you do need to make space in your car to hold the bags. The benefit to using these two fuel types, however, it's they're much easier to buy and dispose of when compared to propane.
Regardless of whether you use propane, charcoal, or pellets, the best type of fuel ultimately comes down to matter of preference.
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The best way to transport a grill is via a truck or SUV. Some of the tailgating grills above are even small enough to fit in a sedan, which will work as long as you have big enough space in the trunk to safely pack everything. In general, the proper steps to transporting your grill should involve having a grill mat and/or cover for it (especially if you're transporting via SUV or sedan) to take to and from wherever you're heading.
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To transport your grill back home after using, you're going to want to brush down your grill grates to get off any burnt food and then wait for your grill to cool down. For fuel disposal, the most popular method most people who use charcoal is by dumping the used rocks on asphalt or gravel and then pouring water on them to cool. Then, once completely cool to the touch, you can wrap the charcoal in aluminum foil and dispose in an outdoor trash can (something with a metal body).
For disposal of pellet ash, we recommend having some sort of metal bucket to put the ashes in after each use. The ash will cool pretty quick, and you can either dump at the site where you're at or take them home and put the used ashes in your garden. For propane, all you have to do is detach the tank from grill and then place it upright in your front or back seat of your car. You can wrap the tank with bungie cords too to keep it more tightly in place.
Once all the fuel is disposed of and packed up, you can then use your grill mat and/or cover to put your tailgate grill back into your vehicle for traveling back home.
For the past 12 months, Men's Health editors and writers, including our Gear and Commerce Editor John Thompson, have been testing tons of portable grills for tailgating. To narrow down our favorites, we evaluated tailgating grills based on their weight, performance, and price point. We also considered tailgate grills that had at least 100 five-star ratings on e-commerce sites we trust.