We Prepped 148 Burgers to Find the Best Grills for Tailgating

Best Overall

Weber Traveler Portable Gas Grill

$449 at Amazon $350 at Walmart $400 at Target

Your fellow sports fans might laugh when you pull what looks like a moving dolly out of your trunk, but they’ll change their tune when you unfold it and show off just how much cooking space the Weber Traveler crams into its compact frame. It’s fairly heavy, but the wheels and folding layout make it incredibly easy to move around. The Traveler is on the more expensive side, especially for portable grills, but it’s a high-quality machine that will keep you in burgers and hot dogs for years.

When we tested this grill in our Lab, its single burner was able to get the cooking surface well over 600 degrees—plenty hot to sear steaks or chops—but it also offers fine control at lower temperatures so you can use it to keep a pot of chili nice and warm. That’s especially impressive given that the grate is 320 square inches in area, enough for up to 15 burgers at once. (Just keep the lid closed as much as possible for longer-cooking items: We got uneven temperatures on the grill surface with the lid left open.) We also like the porcelain-coated cast-iron grill for its combination of heat-retaining density and nonstick capabilities. Even fish filets released from the surface easily.

Depending on just how mobile you need it to be, the Traveler can use either a small 1-pound propane cylinder or the 20-pound version you’d attach to a larger backyard grill. (You need an adapter hose for the bigger cylinder, but one is included.) After cooking, it’s easy to fold down and take home, but once you get back, cleaning is a bit of a pain since you have to scrub the grate without removing it.

Dimensions: 42.7 x 43.6 x 37.2 inches | Weight: 49 pounds | Cooking Area: 320 square inches | Fuel: Propane | Power: 13,000 BTU/hour

Best Splurge

Hitchfire Forge 15 Grill

$499 at Amazon View on Hitchfire.com

If you're a tailgating regular, the unique HitchFire Forge 15 is a worthwhile splurge for your on-the-go cooking setup. This grill is designed to be mounted to the back of your car via a standard 2-inch hitch, and you can drive and cook without ever taking it off your vehicle! It's mounted on a swing arm that gives you access to your trunk or tailgate as needed, and our tester was impressed by how well the grill stayed in place while driving, even along bumpy dirt roads.

In terms of its performance, the HitchFire Forge offers 335 square inches of cooking space and two propane-fueled burners. It even has two fold-out side tables for extra prep room. During testing, the grill easily reached temperatures over 500 degrees with both burners on high, and it gets hotter faster and maintains a more consistent temperature than other portable grills. Plus, when you're not on the go, it doubles as a tabletop grill, as well.

Dimensions: 25 x 39 x 21 inches | Weight: 70 pounds | Fuel Type: Propane | Cooking Area: 335 square inches | Power: 15,000 BTUs/hour

Best Budget

Weber Go-Anywhere Gas Grill

$89 at Amazon $89 at Home Depot View on Weber.com

For those who only tailgate occasionally and don’t want to splurge on an expensive grill, the Weber Go-Anywhere Gas Grill is a budget-friendly alternative. This affordable grill, which can also be used with charcoal, comes from one of the most trusted brands in grilling, and it has all the features you need to cook delicious meals before the big game. 

The Go-Anywhere Grill has 160 square inches of cooking space and one stainless steel burner, and it provides 6,500 BTUs per hour to help you cook burgers, hot dogs, and more tailgating favorites. The propane-powered model features a porcelain-enameled steel cooking grate, and it has a convenient push-button ignition and glass-reinforced nylon handles. During testing, it was able to efficiently reach 600 degrees, though we did experience wild swings in temperature when opening the lid.

We found the design a little awkward since the gas hangs below the grill, and a little too close to the control knob. When you’re finished cooking, the grill’s plated steel legs can be pivoted upward to lock the lid in place for worry-free transport. Overall, the compact form and affordable price make this grill an unbeatable option for your next tailgate party.

Dimensions: 12.2 x 21 x 14.5 inches | Weight: 13.5 pounds | Fuel Type: Propane | Cooking Area: 160 square inches | Power: 6,500 BTUs/hour

Best Charcoal

Masterbuilt Portable Charcoal Grill and Smoker with Cart

Orig. $330 $298 at Amazon $308 at Wayfair $298 at Home Depot

The tailgate is perhaps the best time to show off your grill skill, but it’s also a time when you might be apt to get distracted by celebrations and let your charcoal burn down too low (or up too hot). The Masterbuilt comes with a collapsible wheeled cart that lets you load it up and move it around with ease, but its big advantage is that it controls the charcoal temperature for you.

The SteadyTemp dial on the front of the grill can be set to anywhere between 250 and 500 degrees, and it activates a (battery- or outlet-powered) fan that blows air over the coals to control the heat. Literally dialing in a precise temperature with a charcoal grill sounds too good to be true, but in our tests, the grill stayed within 10 degrees of the set temperature across the entire range. The charcoal hopper sits off to the side of the main grill area, which makes it a snap to refill during longer cooks, too.

On the downside, though the wheels make it quite mobile, this grill is awfully heavy; don’t expect to haul it for that long a distance. The initial assembly is also a little annoying. It wasn’t difficult; it just involved a lot of steps, a lot of time, and an Allen wrench that made us feel like we just got home from IKEA.

Dimensions: 36 x 45 x 19 inches | Weight: 52 pounds | Cooking Area: 200 square inches | Fuel: Charcoal

Best Propane

Weber Q 2200 Gas Grill

$406 at Amazon $329 at Wayfair

If you’re on the hunt for a propane-powered grill that will be the envy of any tailgate party, look no further than the Weber Q2200 Propane Grill. This portable grill has everything you need to cook up delicious meals on the go, including 280 square inches of cooking space, porcelain-enameled cast-iron grates, and two folding work tables for quick and easy food prep. 

The Weber Q2200 runs on disposable liquid propane cylinders (not included), and we love that it has a number of high-end features usually reserved for full-size grills—we’re talking a built-in lid thermometer, electronic ignition, and even an infinite control burner valve. "The grill was incredibly easy to use—with a push of the ignition button, a blue flame quickly shot up all around the stainless steel burner, which circles the bottom of the grill body," said our tester. The grill’s lightweight cast aluminum body and ergonomic side handles make it easy to move from your car to the grilling area, and the stainless steel burner gives off an impressive 12,000 BTUs per hour.

Dimensions: 25.1 x 51.4 x 26 inches | Weight: 42.5 pounds | Fuel Type: Propane | Cooking Area: 280 square inches | Power: 12,000 BTUs/hour

Best Pellet Grill

Traeger Tailgater Pellet Grill

$480 at Amazon View on Walmart $480 at Williams-Sonoma

If having a pellet grill may not be what first comes to mind for a great tailgate, think again. At 64 pounds, the Traeger Tailgater still take a buddy to help you get it into place, but we found this small-but-mighty option easy to set-up and start grilling away.

The 36-inch-high grill is on the smaller side, of course, with enough grilling space to cook up 12 burgers or, as we discovered, up to 5 pounds of wings. If you're feeding a big crowd, you might need to bring along an extra bag of pellets to keep 8-pound hopper filled, but a full hopper lasted us for more than 6 hours of smoking. The finished pork butt could have used a bit more smoke flavor, but it was still enjoyable.

All of our testers had accolades for how well this handles smoking, grilling, and searing—often performing as good as pricier options. We tested the latest version in our Lab and there's been some design improvements including better heat consistency, though we did observe hot spots towards the back of the grill. The current version also includes a digital interface, which is much preferable over an inaccurate dial. Since this needs outdoor power, we suggest picking up the battery-operated Grilla Power Station and the Traegar Power Inverter, which connects to your car's battery.

Dimensions: 37 x 18 x 36 inches | Weight: 62 pounds | Grilling Area: 300 square inches | Hopper Capacity: 8 pounds | Temperature Range: 175-450 degrees Fahrenheit

Best Small

Everdure Cube Portable Grill

Orig. $199 $155 at Amazon $160 at Food52 View on Bbqguys.com

It might look like a designer beer cooler or picnic basket, but when you take off the Everdure CUBE’s cover/prep tray, you’ll find a small but mighty charcoal grilling setup underneath. It’s a mini grill in size, for sure, but two burgers, two brats, and two ears of corn fit snugly and perfectly in testing, and we got quality charring and searing, with grate temperatures we measured at well over 600 degrees.

While it can get very hot for grilling, this is probably not the best choice for slow-and-low smoking. The small charcoal capacity and lack of lid don’t allow for very precise temperature control—or very much room for large cuts of meat. For a couple ready to grill it up during football season, however, it’s a great choice.

Dimensions: 13.7 x 16.7 x 9.1 inches | Weight: 15.4 pounds | Cooking Area: 115 square inches | Fuel: Charcoal