Christmas Gift Ideas for Dad: 9 Picks for the Dad Who Grills

Dads are hard to buy for, and dads who grill are worse, because the obvious gifts are the ones he’s already bought himself. He has tongs. He has a spatula. Somebody got him a branded apron in 2019.

So here’s the thing that actually works: give him flavor he couldn’t have found on his own, and something to cook with it. Here are nine ideas, sorted so you can stop reading as soon as you’ve found the one.

1. A BBQ subscription, the gift that keeps showing up

This is the one that beats everything else on this page, and not because it’s ours. It’s because it solves the real problem: he doesn’t need more equipment, he needs something new to cook. Every delivery brings 5+ full-size sauces, rubs and tools from small-batch makers, plus a printed booklet of recipes written for those exact products. Over $80 of retail value in every box.

And every box has its own theme, which we never repeat. He gets to discover something he’d never have pulled off a shelf, refine how he cooks it using recipes built for that box, master it, then do the whole thing again with a theme he’s never tried.

Want the flavor side handled for you? A new theme every delivery, never the same one twice, with recipes written for that exact box. See how gifting a subscription works.

Plans are framed the way you’d give them: half a year is three boxes at $115.18, a full year is six at $220.75, and two years is twelve at $431.88. Free pitmaster gloves come with 4+ box plans, and the first box ships within 72 hours, so you can order on the 23rd and still have something real to hand over.

2. Let him pick his own 5 or 10 BBQ items

If you don’t know whether he’s a sweet-and-sticky guy or a salt-and-pepper guy, this is the safe one. Five sauces, rubs or tools, chosen by you, from 337 products. Ten if you’re feeling generous.

3. A digital BBQ gift card, the gift with a 100% success rate

We’ve all been there. A digital gift card is delivered instantly, you can write him a personal note at checkout, and you can schedule it to land on Christmas morning instead of the moment you panic-bought it. He picks what he actually wants, which is the whole point.

🎁  Digital gift cards

Always the perfect gift

Instant delivery. Add a personal gift note at checkout, and schedule it for any time. Thoughtful, stress-free, on time.

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$50 to $250 · Delivered by email · Never expires

Six more, sorted by what you want to spend

Under $50

Sear & Safety Bundle

$49.99

Heat-proof silicone gloves and a heavy cast iron press, so he can grab a hot grate and smash a burger properly. The unglamorous gift he’ll use every single cook.

Under $50

Build Your Own BBQ Bundle

$49.99

You pick five sauces, rubs or tools from 337 products. The safest gift on this list, because you can match it to what he actually cooks.

Under $50

Big Rib Energy BBQ Box

$49.99 from $89.99

Rib rub, sauce and the recipes written for them. For the dad whose ribs are good and who wants them to be the best on the street.

Under $50

Smokin’ Smashburger BBQ Box

$49.99 from $70.00

Everything for a proper smashburger night. The one he’ll use first, because burgers happen more often than brisket.

Around $110

Upper Crust Steak Kit

$109.99 from $134.99

A thermometer, a brining rack, wagyu tallow, SPG and two rubs. This is the gift for the dad who keeps serving grey steak and doesn’t know why.

Around $180

Competition BBQ Bundle

$179.97 from $199.99

Grill basket, resting blanket, butcher paper, XL prep tub and tongs. For the dad who’s started talking about entering a competition.

What to get the dad who already owns everything

Here’s the trick. Stop shopping for hardware and start shopping for things that run out. He owns the thermometer. He does not own a sauce from a maker in Alabama he’s never heard of, and he can’t buy one at the supermarket.

That’s why consumables beat gadgets every time at Christmas: he uses it, he likes it, and he remembers who gave it to him when he runs out. A sauce and rub gift set is already put together if you want it done for you, and the bundles are sorted by the kind of cooking he does.

When to order BBQ gifts for Christmas delivery

How gifting a BBQ subscription works

Worth knowing before you buy, because this is where most gift subscriptions get awkward and ours doesn’t.

He never enters a card. A prepaid gift continues on your card at the same price, because we don’t raise your rate for staying. We’ll email you a week before any renewal so nothing surprises you. Don’t want it to renew? Tell us after checkout and we’ll take care of it, and every box you’ve already paid for still ships. Happiness Guaranteed!

Christmas BBQ gift questions people ask

What should I buy my dad for Christmas if he loves to grill?

Start with what he runs out of rather than another gadget. Sauces, rubs and seasonings get used up and replaced, so they are almost impossible to get wrong. A Build Your Own BBQ Bundle lets you pick five for $49.99. If you want the gift to keep arriving after Christmas, a prepaid BBQ subscription delivers 5+ full-size products with recipes every two or three months.

What do you get the dad who has every grilling gadget?

Consumables and discovery, not hardware. He owns the tongs. What he does not own is a sauce from a small-batch maker he has never heard of, with a recipe written for it. That is exactly what a subscription box is for, and every box has a new theme we never repeat.

How much should I spend on a BBQ gift?

Half a year of the subscription is $115.18. A full year is $220.75. A digital gift card starts at $50 and goes to $250 if you would rather he picked. Look at all of our curated and themed bundles: we have lots of options between $125 and $200. You can’t go wrong.

When do I need to order for Christmas delivery?

Order physical gifts by mid-December to be comfortable. A digital gift card is delivered instantly, so it works right up to Christmas morning. Subscription first boxes ship within 72 hours, then on the 9th or 23rd.

Does he have to enter his own card for a gift subscription?

No. The recipient never enters a card. A prepaid gift continues on your card at the same price, and we email you a week before any renewal. You can tell us the day you order that you do not want it to renew, and every box you have already paid for still ships.

Can I schedule when the gift arrives?

Yes. With a digital gift card you add a personal note at checkout and schedule it for any time, so you can buy it today and have it land on Christmas morning.

Whatever you land on, the good news is that this is one of the easier people to please. He already loves the thing. You’re just giving him a new reason to stand outside in December holding tongs.

Holiday gifting made easy

Give the Gift of BBQ

Sauces, rubs, tools and recipes delivered to their door. The gift that keeps showing up all year.

Gift a Subscription Prepaid boxes, free US shipping. Add a personal gift note. Give a Subscription Gift Card $50 to $250, delivered by email. Perfect for last minute. Shop Gift Cards

Free US shipping on orders $100+ · Shopping for yourself? Code USA takes 10% off one time orders (does not stack with subscription savings).