What food will hit your spit during National Grilling Month?

The culinary method of cooking food over a fire has evolved over thousands of years. Grilling today takes many forms, both indoors and outdoors, using charcoal, gas, pellets, planks, or chopped wood. For most, price plays a part in deciding what to throw on the grill. 

Chicken prices declined 2.3 percent over the 12-months ending June 2026 making split chicken, chicken kabobs, chicken legs, chicken breasts, chicken burgers, and chicken wings grilling possibilities for those watching price shifts at the grocery store. Serving up fresh vegetables from grate to plate will cost 9.9 percent more than last year. 

Prices for pork chops, fresh fish and seafood, frankfurters, and other uncooked poultry including turkey (but excluding chicken) increased between 5 and 10 percent over the year ending June 2026. Uncooked beef steaks and ground beef increased 11.4 percent and 12.4 percent, respectively.

These data are from the Consumer Price Index program and are not seasonally adjusted. To learn more, see "Consumer Price Index — June 2026." We also have more charts on consumer prices.