50 Outdoor Kitchen Ideas Designed to Get You Cooking

There is something deeply satisfying about cooking in an outdoor kitchen — you get to make your food in the great outdoors and enjoy it there too. More and more socializing and entertaining takes place outdoors, encouraging us to fix up our outdoor decks, patios, and backyards to move the party outside whenever possible.

Let these stylish outdoor kitchen ideas in a range of sizes, styles, and price points inspire you to build your own outdoor cooking space fit for casual family meals and epic entertaining.

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Vertical Garden

Design by Heather Hilliard Design / Photo by David Duncan Livingston

This vibrant modern outdoor kitchen in San Francisco’s Cow Hollow neighborhood from Heather Hilliard Design is located on a large balcony just off of the main kitchen and dining space. Bright blue cabinetry adds an unexpected splash of color, but the towering multi-colored living wall behind it steals the show with its manicured design that resembles a work of modern art.

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Wood Fired

Design by Seed Studio Landscape Design / Photo by Travis Rhoads Photography

This warm and relaxing San Francisco outdoor kitchen from Seed Studio Landscape Design features a tiled, wood-fired pizza oven and grill that is seamlessly integrated with vertical wood veneer slats that match the same tones as the horizontal wood fencing. A vibrant blue Moroccan-style backsplash adds some color and indoor sophistication, and light toned concrete pavers and integrated lighting adds modern polish and a pleasing nighttime ambiance.

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Seamless

Design by Thomas Guy Interiors / Photo by Haylei Smith

This outdoor kitchen from interior designer Lance Thomas of Thomas Guy Interiors is tucked onto the back wall of a spacious exterior patio and blends in perfectly with the outdoor space's gray and white palette and adjacent lounge space. Thomas recommends using weather-friendly materials and fabrics in an outdoor space for durability, such as eco-friendly rattan. And he recommends incorporating greenery such as banana leaf trees and orchids "to add a touch of nature," adding that "high-design planters can be a creative way to show off one’s own personal style."

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Mixed Materials

Design by Maite Granda

This long, linear outdoor kitchen and dining area from interior designer Maite Granda has a mix of brick, concrete, stainless steel, and wood, with a vaulted skylight and a clear glass sheet railing that separates the dining room from the pool. The spacious kitchen includes plenty of closed storage space so that supplies can be neatly stored outside, eliminating annoying trips back and forth between the indoors and the outdoors.

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L-Shaped

Design by Marie Flanigan Interiors

This L-shaped outdoor kitchen from Marie Flanigan Interiors has stainless steel appliances and a pretty patterned tile backsplash that makes it feel as put together as an inside space. An oversized statement hood vent helps to whisk away smoke from the grill and adds dimension to the outdoor space.

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Family Style

Design by Mel Bean Interiors / Photo by Laurey Glenn

This spacious outdoor kitchen from Mel Bean Interiors is connected to the outdoors on one side and to the indoor kitchen on the other, separated by sliding windows, and features an outdoor living room space on the other side of the patio with a sofa and a fireplace. “It is important that the design is functional for the family," says Bean, who recommends "prioritizing hardworking fabrics and an open-concept layout that connects to the outdoors for family—kids and dogs included—to move around."

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Industrial

Design by Manscapers / Photo by Dane Tashima

This compact backyard kitchen grilling station from Manscapers has no-nonsense industrial stainless steel appliances, matte black wood fencing, and plenty of surrounding greenery to define the kitchen and lounge spaces and to soften up the industrial vibes of the kitchen.

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Bar Style

Design by New Eco Landscapes / Photo by Anthony Crisafulli

This Brooklyn outdoor kitchen from New Eco Landscapes has a wood-clad bar opposite the grilling area that is clad in the same warm wood siding for a cohesive look. The bar offers a place for casual meals or keeping the grill master company, while a larger dining table, banquette and chairs is located a few feet away for sit-down meals and large gatherings.

The Best Grills to Upgrade Your Outdoor Kitchen

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Up on the Roof

Fantastic Frank

The outdoor kitchen on this rooftop terrace from Fantastic Frank is sleek and compact, with stainless steel appliances and a barbecue built into a freestanding block positioned with its back to the outdoor lounge area on the other side. A pergola provides shade for dining and designer chairs in shades of white, gray, and blue add a contemporary note.

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Transitional

Design by Marie Flanigan Interiors

This transitional style outdoor kitchen from Marie Flanigan Interiors has a massive signature oven hood with a pewter finish that creates a focal point and provides an essential service for those who don't like choking on smoke from the barbecue. A counter to ceiling backsplash of pale buttery stone adds texture, wood cabinetry adds warmth, and a large modern table and chairs with clean lines keep it from leaning too traditional. Located on the back patio just off the kitchen and separated by stylish modern metal grid glass walls and doors makes it feel like a well integrated extension to the home and provides convenient access.

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Pizza Oven

Design by Julian Porcino

The main event in this outdoor kitchen from real estate agent and interior designer Julian Porcino is a brick pizza oven painted in a warm shade of gray along the side wall of a spacious Los Angeles patio.

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Create a Corridor

Design by Maite Granda

While some people like their outdoor kitchens to be as open plan as their indoor kitchens, there are still some people who prefer to keep their kitchens discreetly tucked away and their meal prep mess mostly out of sight. This Florida outdoor kitchen from interior designer Maite Granda is set up corridor-style and behind a half wall that's tall enough to hide clutter from the lounge space on the other side. A row of pendant lights defines the space.

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Go Full Size

Fantastic Frank

This outdoor kitchen from Fantastic Frank is sheltered from the elements by a large tarp, and equipped with a wall of black appliances and prep space that includes a full-size fridge. The wood deck flooring is a nice contrast with the stone wall surrounding the yard, and woven rattan chairs with black metal bases offer a casual chic look.

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Semi Outdoor Space

Design by Martha O'Hara Interiors / Photo by Spacecrafting Photography

Depending on the climate where you live, a fully outdoor kitchen isn't always desirable or realistic. This semi-outdoor kitchen from Martha O'Hara Interiors is located on the back screened in porch of a Prior Lake, Minnesota bungalow that protects it from the elements and keeps cooks and diners safe from the bugs.

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Holiday Home Vibes

Fantastic Frank

The outdoor kitchen in this Ibiza home from Fantastic Frank has a holiday beach vibe. The boxy white structure creates a well defined space that's separate from the main house, and the cooking and prep area is largely hidden behind a covered outdoor bar. Two open sides ensure that the breezes keep flowing and that the kitchen and bar area remains open to the rest of the backyard entertaining space.

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Fine Dining

Design by Lisa Gilmore Design / Photo by Native House Photography

If you live in a state like Florida, you can invest in an outdoor kitchen knowing that it will get year-round use. This formal Florida outdoor kitchen and dining space from Lisa Gilmore Design is fully equipped and lit for poolside cooking and dining thanks to built-in lighting on the ceiling, the cooking and prep spaces, and a giant chandelier over the dining table.

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Carved Details

Fantastic Frank

This luxurious poolside kitchen from Fantastic Frank is designed in shades of pale stone and black finishes, with a sleek built-in kitchen wall and a large outdoor dining table. An imposing hood vent and large carved stone sculptures on either side of the kitchen wall define the space and create a dramatic handcrafted focal point when viewed from behind the glass doors on the inside.

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Background

Design by Breeze Giannasio Interiors / Photo by Meghan bob Photography

An outdoor kitchen can be the focal point of an outdoor patio, or tucked away to give the rest of the decor a chance to shine. On this outdoor patio kitchen and dining space from Breeze Giannasio Interiors, a compact grilling and prep area is located at the back of the long, linear space, leaving the formal dining area with its black-and-white play of patterns and retro vibes to take center stage.

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Hamptons Style

Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet

This expansive, secluded outdoor kitchen in Bridgehampton, New York from Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet is the stuff that summer house dreams are made of, decked out in cool, calming shades of gray that complement the stainless steel, state-of-the-art outdoor cooking equipment and cabinetry. The vast outdoor space is a self-contained living space designed for outdoor summer living and entertaining, complete with a lounge area, a firepit, and large dining table under a majestic tree.

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Balcony

Design by White Sands Design Build

Not everyone has a backyard that can house a large outdoor kitchen, but if you're an apartment or condo dweller who is fortunate enough to have a balcony, a built-in grilling station can feel like a luxury. This small outdoor space from White Sands Design Build has a compact grilling station and lounge seating, but an outdoor table and chairs would work here, too.

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Wallflower

Design by Mindy Gayer Design Co.

While an outdoor kitchen can be a focal point in some exterior spaces, in this large Newport Beach, California backyard from Mindy Gayer Design Co., the kitchen is visible from the main outdoor space but tucked along a side wall, leaving space for lounge and dining areas around the pool.

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Arch

Design by Design Lines Signature / Photo by Jane Beiles

The grilling station in this outdoor kitchen from Design Lines Signature includes a regular grill and a Big Green Egg, located steps away from a shaded, well appointed seating area through an archway that offers a place to relax while you're waiting for your food to cook.

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Minimalist

Design by New Eco Landscapes / Photo by Costas Picadas

Decorating a rooftop space can require a great deal of vigilance and maintenance. If you like to keep things simple and don't want to have to worry about your outdoor space when you're not up for a rooftop grill session, opt for a minimalist approach, like this New York City rooftop kitchen from New Eco Landscapes. With a long linear grilling and prep space built against an outdoor wall, it has plenty of built in storage for food, cookware, tableware, and other essentials, and wood cladding for warmth.

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Mixed Stone

Design by Studio KT

This outdoor kitchen from Studio KT has contrasting mixed light and dark stone finishes that gives the backsplash and bar counter dimension against the sprawling stone patio. Built in sconce lighting adds polish and warm light after dark.

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Corner

Design by Manscapers / Photo by Dane Tashima

This small outdoor kitchen grilling and prep station from Manscapers is tucked away in the corner of an urban rooftop deck in New York City, sheltered with tall wood fencing for shade and privacy, and surrounded by mixed greenery climbing up the walls and in reclaimed wood planters to give it a casual chic urban vibe.

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Contrast

Design by New Eco Landscapes / Photo by Costas Picadas

This long linear outdoor kitchen from New Eco Landscapes is clad in warm wood that contrasts with the stainless steel grill hood and the rough stone pavers that cover the spacious patio floor.

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Sleek

Fantastic Frank

The sleek white minimalist outdoor kitchen on this sun-bleached rooftop terrace in Ibiza from Fantastic Frank is seamlessly built into the wall, making it almost look like part of the architecture until you squint.

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Black Decking

Design by New Eco Landscapes / Photo by Anthony Crisafulli

The outdoor kitchen and dining area in this backyard living space from New Eco Landscapes has painted black deck flooring that defines the space and offers contrast with the adjacent paved stone patio and lounge space.

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Indoor Outdoor

Design by Mark Langos Interior Design / Photo by Meghan Beierle-OâBrien

This small pool house kitchen and bar from Mark Langos Interior Design has industrial style black framed accordion windows that protect the space from the elements when not in use.

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Beverage Station

Design by Mark Langos Interior Design / Photo by Meghan Beierle-OâBrien

The interior of this small indoor outdoor kitchen and bar from Mark Langos Interior Design includes a glass-front deli-style fridge stocked with beverages.

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Modern Farmhouse

Design by Marie Flanigan Interiors

This covered modern farmhouse-style outdoor kitchen from Marie Flanigan Interiors has a gleaming stainless steel backsplash, a vintage-style oven, fresh painted blue cabinetry, a mix of wood finishes, and a swinging slatted half door just for fun.

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Camouflage It

Design by New Eco Landscapes / Photo by Anthony Crisafulli

Covering the front of the outdoor kitchen cabinetry with natural toned wood similar to the outdoor fencing and tall angled pergola gives this outdoor kitchen from New Eco Landscapes a cohesive look. Bright blue chairs around the dining table add a colorful focal point that complements the surrounding greenery.

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Add Bar Seating

My 100 Year Old Home

Blogger Leslie Saeta from My 100 Year Old Home added an island with a built-in sink, cold storage, and prep space on one side and bar seating on the other to her outdoor patio to expand an outdoor cooking station that already included a barbecue and a smoker. The lightly white-washed brick island matches the patio floor and looks like it's always been there, creating a central hub in their large outdoor living space that also includes an outdoor living room and additional conversation area.

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All White

A Beautiful Mess

This all-white outdoor space from A Beautiful Mess includes a sink and peninsula that divides the dining space from the all-white kitchen that is built into a back wall and features a single yellow accent that catches the eye. A smattering of potted plants help connect the outdoor space to the yard beyond.

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Galley Style

Design by New Eco Landscapes / Photo by Anthony Crisafulli

New Eco Landscapes created a functional galley-style kitchen layout by positioning a bar opposite the outdoor kitchen block. Using the same stone countertops and similar warm toned wood cladding makes the two elements feel cohesive despite their slightly varying proportions, like fraternal rather than identical twins.

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High Glam

Officine Gullo

This glamorous outdoor kitchen from Italy's Officine Gullo is an over-the-top exercise in luxury and glamour, with its sleek white and silver tones, high-end appliances and fittings, classic marble flooring, and fun details like a restaurant-style wineglass rack suspended from the pergola ceilings.

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Indoor Outdoor

Design by Mel Bean Interiors / Photo by Laurey Glenn

A large window over the sink in this outdoor kitchen from Mel Bean Interiors offers a view of the indoors for a change.

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Loungey

Design by Mary Patton Design / Photo by Molly Culver

This outdoor grilling area and lounge space from Mary Patton Design has a seamless, contemporary look, with comfortable modern seating, clean lines, a patterned rug, and neutral tones save for some nearly fluorescent pops of green that are a callback to the green lawn beyond.

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Entertaining Space

Design by Robert W. Adler & Associates / Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet

This outdoor kitchen designed by Robert W. Adler & Associates with an outdoor kitchen from Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet is part of a large home entertaining space in Oakhurst, New Jersey that features a dining area and lounge space complete with a modern linear fireplace.

The 8 Best Patio Tables of 2023

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Center Stage

Design by Robert W. Adler & Associates / Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet

This outdoor kitchen designed by Robert W. Adler & Associates with a kitchen from Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet is built in a compact U-shape that creates an efficient layout for meal prep and includes built-in bar seating off to one side.

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Step Up

Design by New Eco Landscapes / Photo by Anthony Crisafulli

This modestly proportioned outdoor kitchen from New Eco Landscapes is located on a New York City rooftop patio, two steps up from the astroturf lawn, and adjacent to an outdoor lounge space and dining area under a pergola. Reclaimed planters filled with mixed greenery lining the walls of the rooftop add a welcome dose of nature in the middle of the concrete jungle.

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Separate Spaces

Design by Seed Studio Landscape Design / Photo by Travis Rhoads Photography

Installing an outdoor kitchen that's right outside the house can be convenience and might save money on plumbing and electrical installation. But installing a kitchen on the far end of the yard can make your outdoor kitchen space feel like a self-contained unit and ensure that the house doesn't get permeated with grill smoke or cooking smells. Case in point: this outdoor kitchen from Seed Studio Landscape Design located across the pool area and lawn of this spacious backyard.

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Shades of Gray

Officine Gullo

This outdoor kitchen and bar set-up from Officine Gullo has cabinetry, appliances, and fittings in tones of stainless steel and silver, and gray stone and concrete finish flooring and a containing wall and bar island that creates a sophisticated tone on tone design.

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Green Wall

Officine Gullo

A low-slung ledge planted with bulbous succulents adds a fresh green element behind this shiny outdoor kitchen from Officine Gullo.

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Pretty in Pink

Design by Living With Lolo / Photo by Life Created

This simple outdoor grilling station from Living With Lolo features a striking pink grill built into a freestanding block that offers plenty of prep space, and a front tiled in glossy black square tiles that gleam in the sunlight.

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Kitchen Island

Design by Landscape Associates / John Koss Builders / Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet

This outdoor kitchen from Landscape Associates, John Koss Builders, and Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet is a freestanding structure built on a sprawling property on the outskirts of Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Thick columns support a sturdy roof with built-in ceiling fans and open sides that offer wrap-around views of the surrounding landscape that includes a pond for fishing tonight's dinner.

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Decked Out

Design and Photo by Aniko Levai / Place of My Taste

Photographer and blogger Aniko Levai from Place of My Taste built her DIY outdoor kitchen around a wood pergola that matches the two-level decking and outdoor dining furniture. Stainless steel appliances add contrast.

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Bar Style

Officine Gullo

This luxurious outdoor kitchen from Officine Gullo has wraparound seating, a central grill, and sleek contemporary finishes that is ideal for entertaining.

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In the Ivy

Design by Kern & Co.

This white and bright outdoor kitchen from Kern & Co. has painted wood siding, stainless steel appliances, scattered ivy and large pavers in a green grass grid pattern.

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Luxury

Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet

This Coral Gables, Florida outdoor kitchen from Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet is the centerpiece of a large year-round entertaining space that includes a dining and lounge area. The fully equipped kitchen has every luxury imaginable for the outdoor home cook, from a built-in grill that can be used to cook for parties of 50 people, a powerful oven hood, a gas-fired pizza oven, four cooktop burners, energy efficient refrigerator and freezer space, an outdoor wine chiller, plenty of prep space, and perhaps best of all, an outdoor dishwasher.

Does adding an outdoor kitchen add value?

Adding a functional and stylish outdoor kitchen will add value to your life by optimizing your outdoor space for family time and entertaining, particularly if you live in a warm climate where outdoor living is viable year-round. Assuming that you keep your outdoor kitchen updated and well maintained so that it is in good working condition when you go to sell your home, it can increase the value of your home by between 60% and 100% of the money you spent building it, according to Angi.

How much does it cost to build an outdoor kitchen?

An outdoor kitchen can mean anything from a compact built-in grilling station on your condo balcony to a backyard patio with a wall of cooking and prep space to a full-blown luxury outdoor entertaining oasis complete with a fully equipped kitchen, dining and lounge spaces. The cost of building an outdoor kitchen will vary depending on its size and layout, the materials used, and the equipment and appliances you choose. According to Angi, building an outdoor kitchen ranges from $1,000 to $50,000, with the average coming in at $15,717. Local materials and labor costs are always a factor in determining price, and you can of course save money if you have the DIY skills to build your own.

The Best Grills to Upgrade Your Outdoor Kitchen

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