Is Grilling Becoming Too Expensive?

The price of groceries is no joke. The price of EVERYTHING these days is no joke. It’s 2026, and everything’s getting more expensive – and sadly, meat is one of the things that’s been rocked hardest by inflation and supply chain disruption in the last 12 months or so. While there are definitely ways to save money on meat at places like Costco, the fact remains that prices are stubbornly high – and it’s now hitting people where it hurts most: At the grilling station.

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That’s according to a recent study, which found that the majority of Americans now rethink grilling plans because of cost. Here, we break it all down.

Fire Up The Grill? Not Unless It’s Payday

A new study conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of grocery app Flashfood found that people are increasingly feeling that grilling is a cooking and entertaining style they can no longer afford. According to the results of the study, published via a press release, 53% of Americans are worried about hosting summer events, primarily because of how expensive food is now. Furthermore, the vast majority of Americans – 85% of them, in fact – now feel that BBQs and cookouts will be more expensive this year than in 2025. 

The worry around higher prices may also be reflected in hosting behavior. Just over a third of people polled (with the polling pool comprised of just over 2,000 adults) said that they’d be asking guests to contribute to the cookout or BBQ, instead of doing all the catering on their own. This is sort of in the spirit of cookouts, after all, with events usually being a communal, shared, contributory experience – but the fact that financial pressure is now driving that more than ever is noteworthy. 

Is There Any Relief In Sight?

As yet, not really. Food prices are set to continue rising throughout the rest of 2026, with meat, as mentioned, being particularly heavily affected. It’s not just animal protein that’s going up in price, either: Last month, we discussed how protein supplements were also getting more expensive, due to an increase in demand for whey and whey-containing products. We don’t think you’d be serving protein shakes at your cookout, but it might be time to check out plant-based proteins more generally. Hey, your wallet would likely thank you for it.