27 Stylish and Functional Small Outdoor Kitchen Ideas

Outdoor cooking is a primal pleasure that recalls childhood campfires and simpler times. As the best chefs know, you don't need a lot of space to create a gourmet meal. If you are lucky enough to have any amount of outdoor space, creating an open air kitchen can turn the routine of cooking meals into an opportunity to dine al fresco under the blue skies or the stars.

Whether it's a compact outdoor grill or griddle station or a fully equipped mini kitchen, check out these compact outdoor kitchens that are as functional as they are stylish.

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Rooftop Garden Kitchen

New Eco Landscapes

This rooftop space in Williamsburg from New Eco Landscapes includes an outdoor custom kitchen equipped with a refrigerator, sink, and grill. While the generous rooftop space includes such luxuries as an outdoor shower, relaxation area, and an outdoor projector for movie nights, the kitchen has just the right amount of space and equipment for the simple cooking that an outdoor kitchen inspires.

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Penthouse Kitchenette

Matthew Carbone / Studio DB

The sleek kitchenette in this Tribeca home designed by Manhattan-based Studio DB is located on the roof terrace of a single-family home in a converted 1888 grocery distribution center. Built into a single wall, it has warm wood cabinetry and sliding glass doors to shelter it when not in use. A grill station is positioned just outside against the brick wall.

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All-Season Outside Kitchen

Shelter Interiors

Outdoor kitchens aren't just reserved for summer use, as demonstrated by this dreamy open air cooking area designed by Shelter Interiors in Bozeman, MT that is anchored around a grill from Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet. The outdoor kitchen is located off of the family rec room, where Sharon S. Lohss of Shelter Interiors says it was positioned "to emphasize the unobstructed view of Lone Peak." Light gray stone works well with the stainless steel grill and allows it to blend into the breathtaking natural landscape.

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Light and Airy Outdoor Kitchen

Meghan Beierle-O’Brien / Mark Langos Interior Design

This great-looking outdoor pool house kitchen designed by Los Angeles-based Mark Langos Interior Design is what quintessential California living is all about. The corner kitchen has a sink, stove top, oven, and a glass front fridge for beverages. Natural materials like stone, wood, and rattan blend in seamlessly with the natural landscape. White subway tiles, black-framed windows, and dishware add a crisp modern touch. Accordion windows open up all the way when in use to the open terrace and pool house. Outdoor seating facing in toward the kitchen creates an intimate feel for drinks and casual meals.

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Outdoor Kitchen With a Graphic Punch

Studio Life/Style

Shannon Wollack and Brittany Zwickl of the West Hollywood, CA-based interior design firm Studio Life/Style used the same dramatic black-and-white patterned tile on both the outdoor and indoor kitchen of this Mulholland home in Los Angeles. The tile brings life to the indoor kitchen and a graphic touch to the lush outdoor kitchen area, while creating a cohesive look throughout the home.

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Indoor-Outdoor Kitchen

Raquel Langworthy Photography /
Christina Kim Interior Design

This indoor-outdoor cabana kitchen from Christina Kim Interior Design has a beachy vibe that creates a vacation feel in the backyard. Rattan bar stools at the counter facing inward toward the kitchen create a comfortable seating area. A soft white, mint green, and blue palette inside and out and an ombré surfboard leaning up against the side of the cabana reinforces the coastal feel.

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Open-Air Dining

My 100 Year Old Home

The kind of outdoor kitchen that makes sense for your home partly depends on the climate. "I love having an outdoor kitchen," says blogger Leslie Saeta from My 100 Year Old Home. "We grill here at least three times a week (all year-round) and I love it when the boys sit at the counter and entertain me while I cook. When we have a party we often use this area as a bar or a buffet. The kitchen has a green egg and a large barbecue. It also has one gas burner for cooking, a sink, an ice maker, and a refrigerator. It is pretty self-sufficient and I can easily cook a full dinner out here."

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DIY Pergola

Aniko Levai / Place of My Taste

Photographer and blogger Aniko Levai from Place of My Taste built her DIY outdoor kitchen around a pretty pergola inspired by Pinterest images to give the space a visual anchor. To complement all the wood, she added stainless steel appliances to create a durable, clean look.

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Urban Backyard Kitchen

The Green Eyed Girl

UK blogger Claire of The Green Eyed Girl turned the small outdoor patio off of her kitchen and dining room into an adjunct kitchen by adding a wood-burning pizza oven constructed from a kit. “That meant it was convenient and accessible if the weather was less than perfect (worth considering when living in the UK!),” Claire writes on her blog. She used carefully chosen reclaimed brick to match the extension and garden wall and planted herbs nearby for sprinkling on freshly homemade pizzas.

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Pull-Out Kitchen

Belatchew Arkitekter

For Steps, a tiny house project in Sweden designed by Rahel Belatchew Lerdell of Belatchew Arkitekter, features an innovative retractable kitchen that pulls out when needed and slides seamlessly into the outdoor staircase structure of the house when not in use. Designed as a guest house, hobby room, or cottage, the structure is constructed with Siberian larch. The minimalist kitchen is equipped with a sink and has counters for food prep or placing portable cooking equipment, and there is additional hidden storage space built beneath the steps.

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Small Outdoor Kitchen On Wheels

Ryan Benoit Design / The Horticult

This homey outdoor kitchen created by Ryan Benoit Design/The Horticult in La Jolla, CA is rendered in construction-grade Douglas fir. The outdoor kitchen anchors the rental beach cottage garden, creating space for entertaining. Kitchen cabinetry also houses the garden hose, trash bin, and additional pantry items. The portable kitchen is built on wheels so it can be transported with them when they move, too.

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Modular and Streamlined Outdoor Kitchen

WWOO

This contemporary modular concrete outdoor kitchen from Dutch designer Piet-Jan van den Kommer of WWOO can be sized up or down depending on how much outdoor space you have.

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Screen Porch Kitchen

Design by Martha OâHara Interiors / Photo by Spacecrafting

An small outdoor kitchen located on the screen porch of this Prior Lake, MN bungalow from Martha O’Hara Interiors has an outdoor feel while being protected from the elements. Located on the other side of the indoor kitchen makes plumbing and water hook-ups easier to install.

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Small Outdoor Pizza Kitchen

Blanco Bungalow

Blanco Bungalow built a small DIY outdoor pizza kitchen in this Southern California backyard. The minimalist space is rendered in white stucco to echo the architecture of the Spanish bungalow style home.

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Small Outdoor Kitchen Grill

Inspired By Charm

This outdoor grill from Inspired By Charm is located on the deck just outside the door to the indoor kitchen, creating a small outdoor kitchen space that allows for open air grilling when the weather is right.

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Small Covered Patio Kitchen

Fantastic Frank

This small outdoor kitchen from Fantastic Frank is located under a covered backyard patio to keep it shady and comfortable, while an integrated sink allows for washing vegetables and cleaning dishes without having to carry them back inside.

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Poolside Kitchen

A Beautiful Mess

A Beautiful Mess built a small outdoor kitchen on a large covered poolside patio with a grill and a bright yellow wood-fired pizza oven, plus a peninsula with a built-in sink that faces the dining area.

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Small Outdoor Kitchen Lounge

Design by Mary Patton Design / Photo by Molly Culver

This contemporary outdoor living space from Mary Patton Design has a seamless, contemporary look, with a built-in grill, sink, and food storage that is built into a white brick wall.

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Small Outdoor Grilling Station

Design by Living With Lolo / Photo by Life Created

This simple poolside grilling station from Living With Lolo features a striking pink grill built into a freestanding block that offers plenty of prep space, finished with a waterfall countertop and tiled with glossy black tiles that set off the candy pink grill.

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Small White Outdoor Kitchen

Kern & Co.

This white and bright outdoor kitchen from Kern & Co. has a grill, sink, and plenty of refrigerated food and pantry storage. Tucked neatly into the corner and built to mimic the privacy wall, it blends in seamlessly with the backyard.

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Sleek Small Outdoor Kitchen

Seed Studio Landscape Design / Travis Rhoads Photography

This small San Francisco outdoor kitchen from Seed Studio Landscape Design is sleek and warm, with a wood-fired pizza oven and grill that is seamlessly finished with vertical wood veneer slats that match the horizontal wood fencing. A vibrant blue patterned tile backsplash adds color, while pale concrete flooring and integrated lighting add modern polish.

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Small Outdoor Corner Kitchen

Design by Thomas Guy Interiors / Photo by Haylei Smith

This outdoor kitchen from 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. A large hood vent covered in wood echoes the interior flooring to tie indoor and outdoor spaces together.

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Painted Brick Outdoor Kitchen

Home Consultant

A painted brick pizza oven adds a focal point to this Southern California backyard patio from Home Consultant, with a table and chairs under a pergola set up nearby for year-round al fresco dining.

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Small Outdoor Balcony Kitchen

White Sands

Not everyone has a backyard, but if you're an apartment or condo dweller who is fortunate enough to have a balcony or terrace, a built-in grilling station like this one from White Sands is a little luxury that will feel like having an extra room.

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Small Outdoor Kitchen With Seating

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 seating area where you can chill out while waiting for your food to cook.

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Multifunctional Outdoor Kitchen

Michelle Boudreau Design

This compact outdoor kitchen, dining, and lounge space from Michelle Boudreau Design is located in an open poolside cabana, with plenty of refrigerated food and drinks storage and a sink for cooking and mixing drinks.

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Outdoor Deck Kitchen

Design by AHG Interiors / Photo by Nick Glimenakis

A small outdoor kitchen and dining table that seats eight is located on an outdoor deck in a Catskills, NY home from AHG Interiors.

What is the least expensive way to build an outdoor kitchen?

The least expensive way to build an outdoor kitchen is to do it yourself, assuming that you have the skills and the time. Keep in mind that building a large outdoor kitchen is a major project that often requires permitting for gas and electrical lines and other requirements. A smaller, simpler, and less expensive outdoor kitchen can be set up around a grill or a wood-fired pizza oven.

Is an outdoor kitchen a good investment?

Assuming that you keep your outdoor kitchen updated and well maintained so that it is in good working condition, it can increase the value of your home by between 60% and 100% of the money you spent building it, according to Angi.

What are the disadvantages of outdoor kitchens?

While it’s easy to appreciate the benefits of an outdoor kitchen, it can also come with downsides. Building an outdoor kitchen requires space and up front costs; requires extra maintenance and weather-proofing to keep it clean and protected from the elements; and may have limited use depending on the climate where you live.

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