Father's Day is right around the corner and many people are brainstorming and researching the best father's day presents for the dads in their lives.

Dads come in many shapes and sizes with a wide variety of interests, and what might be the best gift ever for one dad might be a complete flop for another.

Grilling Gift Guide

Looking for gift ideas for yourself or someone special in your life? We've got you covered.

The list we've compiled below is not for every dad. Our list is for the dad who loves outdoor cooking and barbecue. If that describes your dad, then we're sure you'll find the perfect father's day gift to meet your budget.

Whether your dad is a seasoned pitmaster who has been grilling and smoking for years, or outdoor cooking is a new interest that he's just getting started with, we're sure he'll love any of the items on this list.

We personally own or have owned every item we're recommending and we believe they'll make the perfect gift for your dad, too.

Best Father's Day Gifts of 2023

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Gift Ideas under $25

A New Barbecue Rub

If smoked meats low and slow is something your dad enjoys, then a new BBQ rub he hasn't tried yet is a winning grilling gift for Father's Day.

Dirty Bird from Kosmo's Q is one I've been enjoying lately, and this stuff is really great on chicken. If your dad is anything like me, I want to try all of the rubs out there, so a new bottle or two is a great Father's Day gift for me. 

It's even better when it's an 8 pack of rubs that I haven't tried before, and that's what my kids picked up for me as a surprise. I love getting to try new rubs, and I like it even more when it comes as a gift and I don't have to go out and buy it myself. It just makes it taste all the sweeter. 

So, whatever your dad's go to seasoning is, pick him up something he hasn't tried this Father's Day, and help him branch out with some new flavor combinations. 

A New Sauce

A new sauce that dad hasn't ever tried is a winner in my book for Father's Day, and Captain Rodney's sauce and glaze is what we turn to keep our guests coming back for more.

I picked up my first bottle of Captain Rodney's Boucan Glaze a couple of years ago, and our house hasn't been without it since that day. It's a little spicy, a lot sweet, and it's great for everything from smoked cream cheese to glazing your favorite meats on the grill. 

We use this stuff on everything, and it's not uncommon to see our guests here at the Lab pick up the bottle and take pictures of this sauce so they can get a couple of bottles for themselves when they leave for the night.

That right there tells me it's a winner, so if your dad hasn't tried Captain Rodney's yet, this is a great Father's Day gift that will change the way you eat when you visit.

Brisket Slicing Knife

A good brisket knife is the difference between nice clean slices of brisket and chopped brisket, and I've been using this Tuo brisket slicer for years here at The Lab. 

Coming in at under $25, this knife is a great price compared to many of the other options out there, and it slices brisket with ease.

This is the knife that I used in our best offset smoker head to head comparison, and it sliced 6 brisket flats in about 15 minutes without any trouble.

It's a great gift for dad's who like to bbq and need a slicer for the larger cuts like brisket, turkey and prime rib. I just checked, and it's 1 day shipping as well, so it's a gift you can get even at the last minute to make sure that you win Father's Day.

smashing the meat flat with the sasquash burger press

Sasquash Burger Press

Does your dad have an outdoor griddle like a Blackstone or Pit Boss standard griddle? If so, this burger press is a gift that the whole family will benefit from.

It took me a long time to find the perfect tool for making smash burgers. It seemed like every griddle spatula I used would bend from the pressure. This stainless steel press is heavy-duty and exactly what Dad needs to cook the perfect Oklahoma Onion Burger.

Hawg Lifter

This oversized spatula is the best tool for removing larger and heavier items from your grill. From spatchcock chickens to pork butt, to brisket, the Hawg Lifter's nearly 10-inch width will get the job done.

Gift Ideas Under $50

Yeti Rambler

One thing you'll rarely see me without is a good insulated cup wherever I go. If your dad is anything like this dad, I know he's going to love it too, and my go to cup is the 30 ounce Yeti Rambler

I have one that I use for my morning coffee and another that I use for my afternoon beverage of choice. I just grab some ice from the outdoor kitchen, and this cup will keep me going all day long. It keeps cold drinks cold and hot drinks hot all day, and it's a staple in my daily routine.

Ditch the World's Greatest Dad coffee mug this year, and get him a cup he'll really use every day. The Rambler has been great for me, and it's trickled down to the rest of the family as well, with Melissa and the kids jumping on board the Yeti train over the last few years.

If your dad is hard to shop for, give him a Rambler. I know he'll use it.

Weber Grill Gloves

I recently wore through my last pair of BBQ gloves that I've been using for the past 5 years or so and Melissa surprised me with this pair of grill gloves from Weber to replace them.

They fit well (not too tight for my big hands) and are heat resistant to 482°F, so they help me get most of my high-heat activities done safely and comfortably.

Gift Ideas Under $100

Thermapen One

Barely a day goes by that I don't use my Thermapen One. This instant-read thermometer is about as good as they get, reading internal temperature accurately in one second flat.

Yes, there are other brands available at a lower price point, but we've tested them and know that most of the less expensive brands are only accurate within 2-3° and sometimes take several seconds (while your hand burns over a hot flame) to get that reading.

The Thermapen One can make the difference between a moist grilled chicken breast and one that overcooked and is now dry. The Thermapen One can make the difference between a steak cooked to a nice medium-rare and one that is more like medium-well.

Give Dad a Thermapen One and he won't have to worry about over or under-cooking meat again.

Infrared Thermometer

Here at The Barbecue Lab, we're always measuring temperatures, and our go to when we're not measuring internal temps for meat is the Thermoworks IR-Gun.

This infrared thermometer measures temperatures with a laser dot and is as easy as point and shoot.

I use it all the time when I'm making pizzas from measuring the temperature of the dough when mixing to make sure it doesn't get too hot to measuring stone temperature in the pizza oven to make sure it's hot enough to crisp the bottom crust before I launch a pizza.

We use it during our testing to measure how hot fire pits get when lit as well as grill grates when we're ready to sear. If your dad likes to test things and play with fire, the IR-Gun is a great Father's Day gift that won't break the bank.

Kindling Cracker

The Kindling Cracker is a great gift to give a dad that ever has a need to split firewood into smaller pieces. Whether burning wood in an offset smoker, outdoor pizza oven, fire pit, or fireplace, sometimes the wood we have is just too big for the job and needs to be broken down. This device makes splitting wood much safer and easier than it used to be. In fact, it's so safe to use that even my kids help chop wood (and love it!).

Gift Ideas Under $200

Grilling a tomahawk with beautiful sear marks on GrillGrates

GrillGrates

Is your dad using an older grill that has hot spots that are his constant nemesis whenever he steps outside to grill? GrillGrates are the best solution for bringing new life to an old grill. They're made of hard-anodized aluminum and can either sit on top of existing grates or replace your stock grates to reach more even temperatures 100-300° hotter than without them.

Your dad will be bragging to all his friends when he achieves the perfect diamond sear marks on his grilled steak and burgers. What guy out there doesn't appreciate a good sear?

Even better, the underside of these GrillGrates is a flat surface designed to be used as a griddle. So Dad can flip the GrillGrates over and make smash burgers or whatever other griddle favorites he's been wanting to try.

Just use the link below, put in the model of your dad's grill, and use the code "BBQLAB10" to save 10% off your order. The website will tell you the exact size you need to custom fit your grillgrates to your dad's grill.

Be sure to use our coupon code: BBQLAB10 to save 10% on your purchase!

GrillGun

Now, if lighting fires for charcoal grills, fire pits, pizza ovens and the like is something your dad is often found doing, the best Father's Day gift I can recommend is the GrillGun from GrillBlazer.

This propane torch is the #1 way that we light fires here at The Barbecue Lab, and it's the first thing our guests ask to see. I know that when we're having people over, nobody wants the fire lit before they get here because they want to be the one to use the GrillGun to light it.

This can be the gift you get your dad that's really a subtle gift for you, because you'll get to use it when you visit, and then you'll want one for yourself. So, you might as well order 2, because once you've tried it, you can't go back to rolled up newspaper and matches.

It's simple to use, just turn the gas on until you hear it flowing, pull the trigger to ignite and then set how aggressive you want the flame. If you pull the trigger handle, you'll get maximum power, and it's simply the most fun way I know of and the fastest way to light a fire.

Your dad will love it. 

Be sure to use our coupon code: BBQLAB to save 10% on your purchase!

Fireboard 2

Fireboard 2

If your dad is really serious about barbecue and frequently fills a smoker with multiple proteins at a time, he might really love the Fireboard 2. It's a 6 channel digital thermometer that does it all. And if Dad uses a kamado grill, be sure to also get the drive blower fan so the Fireboard can manage the kamado fire for him.

Gift Ideas Under $350

wood burning fire with less smoke

Smokeless Fire Pit

If your dad likes to light a fire but needs a place to do it, you can't go wrong with the Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0 smokeless fire pit.

There's a sale going on right now where you get a free Mesa  with fire pit purchase on their site, so it's a 2 for 1 gift. (Use code: FREEMESA) Or maybe it's a free Mesa for you and a fire pit for dad... I won't tell if you won't. 

The new Bonfire 2.0 has the easy ash clean out tray that makes cleaning out the fire pit a breeze. Just lift out the tray full of ash when it's cool, drop it in the trash or better yet the garden to enrich the soil, and you're ready to fire it up again.

If you go this route, you're also setting yourself up to make future Father's Day gift giving easier. There's so many accessories that go with a Solo Stove fire pit. The roasting sticks, grill and griddle attachments, deflector shield, stand, lid, fire pit tools to work with wood and much more.

The gift of a Solo Stove Bonfire is really setting yourself up to make gift giving easy for years to come. 

Save $10 off a Solo Stove purchase of $99 or more with the discount code: BARBECUELAB

Meat! external 16" vacuum sealer machine

Vacuum Sealer

If you have a dad who likes to grill and smoke meat, a vacuum sealer is a perfect gift. 

I know I'm smoking pork butts and briskets all the time, and it's always more than our family needs for any meal plus more than we can eat in leftovers before it goes bad. 

This is where we lean on our Meat External Vacuum sealer to take our leftovers and turn them into future ready to go meals. We'll seal up packages of brisket in just the size that our family will eat for 1 meal and freeze that vacuum sealed bag for when we're ready for brisket leftovers. 

It makes sure that we're getting the most out of our bbq meats, and our family and friends love it when they can raid the freezer and take smoked meats home with them.

Encourage your dad to stock your freezer with BBQ meats by giving the device that makes it all happen for Father's Day.

Sous Vide

When it comes to reheating barbecue in our house, we take our vacuum sealed packages of leftover barbecue meat and stick them in a sous vide to bring them back to temperature. It's by far the best way I've found to reheat leftover barbecue.

I really like the VacMaster SV1 sous vide, and recommend it as a great Father's Day gift. 

I use this sous vide when I'm cooking for a crowd, and I've cooked things ahead of time, vacuum sealed things up and need to keep it at serving temperature. It's a fantastic device that makes easy work heating frozen or refrigerated meats without overcooking them during the reheating process.

The controls are easy to use, and it just plain works. If your dad has yet to jump on the sous vide train, it's a great gift that will take his outdoor cooking to new heights.

Quality Cooler

When I think of great Father's Day presents, my first Yeti cooler comes to mind. I had just used coolers that were handed down to me or on sale at the store until a few years ago when I got my first Yeti 45 Roto-molded cooler. To say the Yeti was a stark contrast to what I was used to would be an understatement.

I use my Tundra 45 to rest briskets and pork butts overnight without them dropping into the danger zone of below 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

I use it to keep cold and frozen things cool from the multiple stops at Costco, Sams Club, the grocery store and more. It's the go to cooler that we use for long trips across the US. Just fill this thing with ice, and you can keep food and drinks for days without worry of things spoiling.

If your dad doesn't have a Yeti cooler, it's a stellar gift. I just have 1 Yeti cooler, and it comes with me everywhere in the bed of my truck. It would be an awesome gift for dad this Father's Day.

Gift Ideas Over $350

Outdoor Pizza Oven

If your dad likes pizza, the Ooni Karu multifuel outdoor pizza oven will become your dad's newest obsession. He'll want every night to be pizza night. There's nothing like the flavor of a wood fired Neapolitan pizza. And there's also nothing like the pride that a dad feels when he's able to make that for his friends and family in his own backyard.

The Karu 16 is a multifuel pizza oven that can cook pizzas up to 16" in diameter. It can be fueled by charcoal and/or wood right out of the box, or a gas burner can be purchased separately if Dad prefers the ease of cooking with gas.

Let your dad be the life of your next family pizza party and gift him an Ooni Karu 16 this Father's Day.

Pellet Grill

If you want to WOW your dad on Father's Day, you can't go wrong with the Grilla Grills Silverbac AT pellet grill. When we tested 8 grills under the $1,200 price point, the Silverbac really stood out in the comparison with features we didn't find on the rest. 

There was more stainless steel inside the grill, a more robust app and controller than most of the contenders, grill grates that could be used for both grilling and smoking and much, much more.

There's a lot to like about the Silverbac pellet grill, and if your dad is looking to up his outdoor cooking game, don't sleep on this cooker.

I've had people fighting to borrow the one we have here at The Lab, so I know that dads like this one. If you're looking to go big this year, definitely check out the Silverbac.

Le Griddle

Outdoor Griddle

If you're looking for the ultimate gift, you don't need to look any further than the Le Griddle outdoor griddle.

This is the same griddle that we installed in our outdoor kitchen, but you can get it on a stainless steel cart as well, so it's outdoor kitchen quality in a stand-alone unit.

We've used our Le Griddle 30" for so many meals with our family and friends. From countless smash burgers to pancakes and bacon, marinated chicken fajitas with onions and peppers, and more than I can list in this video, it's been our go to griddle for everything here at The Barbecue Lab. 

What really sets it apart for me is the stainless steel top, and what makes it special is the cast iron plate that's fused to the stainless top. It gives you both the heat retention of cast iron without the problems of a cast iron top being exposed to the elements.

I love that this top won't rust, and I can use ice to clean it. Ice melts and releases the stuck on bits with steam, and I scrape it into the drip tray. Easy cleanup without the worry of rust.

If you're looking to have a Mic Drop moment at Father's Day this year, here's the best idea I can think of to set you up for success. 

Your Dad Deserves the Best!

This Father's Day, give Dad the gift of quality time entertaining outdoors. Here at the Barbecue Lab we passionately believe we are better together and we love equipping people to have the best gear within their budget, have the confidence in knowing how to use it well, and have delicious recipes they're proud to share with their friends and family they're entertaining.

For the dad who loves outdoor cooking, we're sure you'll find the best gift in this list. But just in case you haven't, be sure to visit our shop page for more great gift ideas!

When you make a purchase using our link it helps support our business without it costing you any extra. You still pay the exact same amount, but the manufacturer shares a small percentage of the sale with us as their way of saying thanks for pointing you to them.