A cookout is an outdoor meal where food is cooked and eaten outside, usually in a backyard, park, or campground. At a cookout, someone grills hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, or other foods over an open flame or hot coals while family and friends gather around picnic tables or lawn chairs to eat and socialize.

Cookouts are popular in warm weather and often happen during summer holidays like the Fourth of July or Labor Day. The smell of charcoal smoke and grilled food drifting through the neighborhood is a classic sign that someone's having a cookout. People might bring side dishes like potato salad, corn on the cob, or watermelon to share.

The word cookout is similar to barbecue, though some people use barbecue specifically for slow-cooked meat with special sauces, while cookout can mean any casual outdoor cooking gathering. A cookout is less formal than a dinner party: kids run around playing games, adults chat while tending the grill, and everyone relaxes outside. The focus is on both enjoying good food and spending time together outdoors while the weather's nice.