Best Grills for Roasting of 2026
Grills, kamados and ovens our reviews rate for roasting: whole birds, joints of meat and vegetables under a closed lid.
Roasting on the grill gives you a crisp outside and a juicy inside, with a little smoke in every bite.
Whole birds, joints of meat and trays of vegetables all do well under a closed lid.
Look for steady heat and room for a roasting pan, then read the grill review.
We tested 46 grills for roasting for this guide. Most of them do well on how solidly they are made. Where most fall short is how long they last, so that is where the picks below stand apart.
Our picks
- Best overall
Kamado Joe Classic II The Kontrol Tower holds its air setting through a lid opening, which the $999.99 entry Classic does not offer. $1,499 at Amazon - Best for the money
Broil King Regal Pellet 400 Around $826 buys the rotisserie spit, forks and motor in the box, plus two meat probes and app control. $825.89 at Amazon - Best gas grill for roasting
DCS BH1-36R-N 304 grade stainless named on the spec sheet, cast stainless double-sided grates, metal dials, and a burner box covered for life. $5,599 at Amazon - Best kamado for roasting
Weber Summit Kamado E6 Charcoal Grill A three-blade stainless sweep and a lift-out ash pan replace the scoop a ceramic firebox needs. $1,399 at Amazon - Best pellet grill for roasting
Broil King Regal Pellet 500 Gas-cabinet material throughout: 2 mm steel chamber, cast iron grids, double-wall gasketed lid, stainless at every hand and grease point. $1,399 at Amazon - Best oven for roasting
Gozney Roccbox Pizza Oven A stainless body under a grippy silicone jacket, legs that fold flat and no assembly at all make it feel like commercial kit shrunk down. $399 at Amazon - Best grill for roasting under $500
Kamado Joe Joe Jr with Cast Iron Stand Glazed ceramic body, cast iron top vent and cast iron stand; no plastic carries load anywhere on this grill. $429 at Amazon
Prices are what the retailer charged when we last checked. More on each pick below.
Best grill for roasting overallKamado Joe Classic II
The Classic II is the same ceramic grill with a much better lid. That lid is also what your hands are on all evening. At $1,499.99 that is a hard sell, and at the street price it stops being one. Register it the day the pallet turns up.
Good to know: At $1,499.99 the extra $500 over the entry Classic buys a hinge and a vent, with nothing new on the grate.
Best for the moneyBroil King Regal Pellet 400
Broil King built a pellet grill its gas customers would recognise. Heavy, gasketed, cast iron, with the rotisserie already in the box. What it did not build is a line saying how hot Grill goes. Buy it for the mass and the upkeep, and treat searing as upside.
Why it won this award: Around $826 buys the rotisserie spit, forks and motor in the box, plus two meat probes and app control.
Good to know: Heavy steel and rated paint last well, yet auger, fan and controller carry the risk, and no warranty term is published.
Best gas grill for roastingDCS BH1-36R-N
The BH1-36R-N does not win on burner count or output, and never intended to. It wins on two specialist burners and 304 grade stainless. The parts that see flame carry a lifetime material promise. Budget for the counter before you budget for the grill.
Good to know: About $5,599 buys the head alone; cart, covers, griddle and the jacket wood cabinets need are all separate model codes.
Best kamado for roastingWeber Summit Kamado E6 Charcoal Grill
Weber swapped a kamado's mass for a barrier and got a quicker cooker. The steel answers the crack risk, and the casters answer the lifting. What goes unanswered is what $1,399.00 leaves out. No cover, no fan for the fan port, and no help building it.
Good to know: At $1,399.00 the cover is a separate $84.99 and the built-in fan port arrives without a fan.
Best pellet grill for roastingBroil King Regal Pellet 500
Broil King built the bigger Regal Pellet by enlarging the box and leaving the fire alone. Everything that makes heat came over from the 400 unchanged. You get more grid per dollar, and you refill the hopper sooner. Take that trade if you genuinely cook to the size.
Good to know: The dial and presets read instantly, but 250 lbs and 58.75 in of width make placement and refilling real work.
Best oven for roastingGozney Roccbox Pizza Oven
The Roccbox answers its own question with a yes, for the right cook. Its small door is the whole design: it keeps the floor hot and your pizza small. If 11 inch pies suit you, this is a tough, safe and fierce oven. At around $399, it earns its place.
Good to know: The 3.5 inch mouth leaves little room to launch and spin a pie, and 44 lb is heavy work for a carry-anywhere oven.
Best grill for roasting under $500Kamado Joe Joe Jr with Cast Iron Stand
The Joe Jr is a genuine kamado in a small size, deflector included. Portable here means two people and a trunk, not one person and a trail. Bought as a compact patio grill that occasionally travels, it earns its price.
Good to know: Sold as portable at 82.5 lbs, a two-person lift with nowhere to set tools, and the deflector must come out to sear.
Questions people ask
What is the best grill for roasting?
Our top pick is the Kamado Joe Classic II. The Classic II is the same ceramic grill with a much better lid. That lid is also what your hands are on all evening.
What is the best value grill for roasting?
The Broil King Regal Pellet 400. Around $826 buys the rotisserie spit, forks and motor in the box, plus two meat probes and app control.
How much should I spend on a grill for roasting?
Most of the grills for roasting we tested cost between $430 and $2,150. Our top pick costs about $1,499. Across all our scores, paying more buys a little, and much less than the price tag suggests.
Can you roast on a grill?
Yes. Set up indirect heat, close the lid and treat the grill like an oven. Whole chickens, pork loins and beef roasts all work well. A thermometer tells you when it is done.
How do you roast a whole chicken on a grill?
Cook it on the cool side of a two zone fire with the lid closed. Medium heat gives crisp skin. It is done when the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 F.
Can you cook a turkey on a grill?
Yes, and it frees up your oven. Choose a bird that fits under the lid with room around it. Cook it over indirect heat and check the thigh and breast with a thermometer.
Do you need a rotisserie to roast on a grill?
No. Indirect heat with the lid closed roasts beautifully on its own. A rotisserie adds even browning and self basting, which many cooks enjoy. Make sure it fits your grill before buying one.
How we picked
Every pick comes from our own testing, scored the same way across six things that matter to an owner. The overall pick is the highest Avid Griller Score. Best for the money goes to the top Value score. Every other pick is the top overall scorer of its fuel or kind, or priced under the limit at the retailer we checked. How we score.
Looking for something else? See all our best grill guides.