| 100% | SPIT | 4 | With 5-Across, cook on a rotating rod |
| 54% | HOGROAST | 8 | Entire pig cooked on a rotating spit |
| 54% | SHAWARMA | 8 | Meat often cooked on a rotating spit |
| 53% | KAMALA | 6 | With 5-Across, first woman of color on a national major-party ticket |
| 50% | BARBECUE | 8 | Way of cooking on a grill with sticky sauce |
| 49% | SIGNALING | 9 | . . . on a football field, with 45 Across |
| 48% | YELLOW | 6 | With 25 Across, caution, on a soccer pitch |
| 48% | ADAM | 4 | With 30-Across, Maroon 5 lead singer who's a coach on "The Voice" |
| 47% | SHISH | 5 | Kebab with cubed meat cooked on a skewer |
| 46% | HALFPOUND | 9 | With 51 Across, ''big'' beef on a bun |
| 46% | LOSE | 4 | With 5-Across, blow a fuse |
| 46% | COWBOY | 6 | With 5-Down, 2024 Beyoncé album whose cover depicts her on a horse |
| 45% | PORTO | 5 | With 5-Across, a Caribbean island, formerly |
| 45% | PALO | 4 | With 5-Across, city on San Francisco Bay |
| 45% | FIRST | 5 | With 5-Across, like a trivial problem, colloquially |
| 45% | BLOOD | 5 | With 5-Across, A+ or B-, e.g. |
| 44% | PLAY | 4 | Perform on a 5-Across |
| 43% | JANE | 4 | With 5-Across, portrayer of Grace on "Grace and Frankie" |
| 43% | RWANDA | 6 | Country with a gorilla on its 5,000-franc note |
| 43% | TEST | 4 | With 5-Across, take some wheels out for a spin |
| 43% | FIRST | 5 | With 5-Across, baby's milestone ... or a hint to the hidden layer in this puzzle's Across clues |
| 43% | BARBECUE | 8 | Cook on a grill |
| 43% | BROIL | 5 | Cook on a grill |
| 43% | GRILL | 5 | Cook on a barbecue |
| 43% | ROAST | 5 | Cook on a barbecue |
| 43% | ROAST | 5 | Cook on a spit |
| 43% | ROAST | 5 | Cook on a rotisserie |
| 43% | SEAR | 4 | Cook on a grill |
| 43% | FRIED | 5 | Cooked on a griddle |
| 43% | PLANKED | 7 | Cooked on a board |