We Tested Tons of Portable Grills—These Are the Best for Tailgating

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SIMILAR TO how a quarterback needs a reliable tight-end to throw to, your best tailgating 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 hot dogs and burgers (and even barbecue) for friends and family.

While some individuals might think 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.

Best Tailgating Grills

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.

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.

What to Consider

Being a festive gathering of food and fellow fans, tailgating gear boasts unique considerations. Here are are a few key ones related to grills.

Fuel Type

What's fueling your heat source is important, as it dictates everything from flavor to spare room. Propane is great, as it burns the cleanest but charcoal tends to produce the best flavor, even if a bit messy. Alternatively, there are wood-burning options, electric options, pellet options, and more. The fuel source should be easy to travel with, even when you're packing extra (nobody wants a dull flame on game day). Consider safety too as all of these sources are flammable and should be given extra thought especially in light of hot weather or travel in an automobile.

Dimensions

Portability is crucial with tailgating equipment as you're basically working with a mobile kitchen unit, one to be set up in the parking lot of the stadium. That means the dimensions of the grill need to work with your car, at least when the unit is broken down (if it does that). Knowing the dimensions will also help you determine how much additional room you have for related equipment like canopies, coolers, folding chairs, and the like.

Weight

Breaking down and setting up is only a breeze if there's not too much weight involved. Yes, you'll likely have a crew of sports fans with you but assembling the tailgate cookout should not be a back-breaking endeavor. Some have a fixed spot for heavy grills but chances are good that you'll want something that can haul in and out of a car with relative ease, giving you added flexibility.

Cooking Surface Area

The amount of cooking area will determine how many servings you can put together and how many simultaneous things you can have grilling at one time. Knowing this value can also help you decide what kind of big ticket items you might like to thro on the grill, like racks of ribs or whole fish.

How We Selected

If finding the best tailgating grill were a game, this list includes the last standing. These models are so dynamic that they've made lasting impressions on our staff, playoff-ready units that can make a good tailgate day the GOAT.

No, football season hasn't started yet. But that fact didn't deter us from creating tailgating scenarios in our backyards and local parks as we tested out a slew of grill models. Our staff crammed these in stuffed truck beds, cooked sausages on them in daylight and nighttime conditions, tried the same ingredients on several options to gauge flavor and functionality, and witnessed how they fared in weather ranging from hot and dry to cool and windy. We also considered tailgate grills that had at least 100 five-star ratings on e-commerce sites we trust.

Here are the very best tailgate grills of 2024.

RoadTrip 285

Outfitted with three adjustable burners and designed with a spacious 285 square inches of grilling space, the RoadTrip 285 is a 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.

We took it camping, to the local music festival, and to the rooftop. Time and time again it was the little engine that could, performing like a much bigger, more powerful, more expensive commercial-level grill. While light, there's nothing cheap feeling about the model and the dual nesting side tables are extremely helpful. This puppy turns out plenty of heat (20,000 BTUs) and again, walking with it like it's your carry-on at the airport is a nice touch. This is a certified all-star right here.

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Tailgater 20 Wood Pellet Grill

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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Rambler Portable Charcoal Grill

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 to allow for loading more coals, and thereby having greater heat control. 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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Jumbo Joe Charcoal Grill

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. Compact, durable, and functional, it's a timeless, go-anywhere grill. We love the classic design and deceptively large cooking surface. And we haven't even started talking about it's a more interactive experience when you're in command of the vent holes and ash drop. Greater work, greater reward.

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FirePit+

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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PKGo

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 great-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. That means you can play portable pit master and even do brisket or pork shoulder. 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.

Best Type of Fuel to Use As Your Tailgate Grill

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 for Tailgating

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.

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