Backyard BBQ Menu Ideas For Your Next Cook out
A backyard cookout is both a laid back and intimate outdoor dining. Here are some Backyard BBQ Menu Ideas for you to plan you next BBQ!
Cooking up loads of food in the open air during a backyard barbecue is almost as much fun as watching your guests enjoy it. Large or small, backyard barbecues can provide terrific memories.
A BBQ menu is also handy during camping. As a matter of fact, outdoor cooking is one of the reasons why we love camping.
Despite the trend toward gourmet food and precious presentation techniques, there’s no substitute for the traditional backyard barbecue basics: chicken, pork, beef, potato salad, and corn on the cob.
Here is a basic foundation to work on to build some Backyard BBQ Menu Ideas!
Backyard BBQ Menu Ideas for your Next Cook Out
Chicken
Barbecued chicken is a backyard classic. The enormous range of marinades and sauces, homemade or packaged, can mean that no two barbecues are the same.
Try marinating chicken in lemon or lime juice and garlic before grilling it. Or, use a buttermilk or sour cream marinade preparation for the ultimate tender meat. Infused the marinade with fresh herbs or a dry salad dressing mix.
A flavorful marinade may make barbecue sauce unnecessary. But for more fun and variety, you can choose from sweet, spicy, or aromatic tomato-based products.
You can also find packaged barbecue sauces that are based on Thai, Hawaiian, Korean, and other cuisines. Browse through the ethnic section of your grocery store for culinary inspiration.
One caveat: Cook chicken thoroughly to prevent food poisoning. If you cannot tell when chicken is cooked through, employ a meat thermometer.
- The Best Grilled Chicken
- Korean BBQ Chicken
- Grilled Chicken Kabobs
- Hawaiian Grilled Chicken
- Best Grilled Chicken Breast
Beef
Grilled beef is another BBQ classic. Grilling beef can be quick depending on how cooked you like your meat to be. From inexpensive cuts to pricey ones, you have a variety of cuts to choose from.
Check out Best Beef Cuts for Grilling, with a guidelines on the cooking method and temperature.
- Garlic Butter Grilled Steak and Shrimp
- Perfectly Grilled Steak
- Grilled Skirt Steak Fajitas
- How to Grill the Best Burgers
- Texas BBQ Brisket
Pork
Pork is another delicious grilling staple. From pork chops to skewered pieces, grilled pork can take on many flavors by the use of a variety of marinades and glazes.
- Grilled Pork Chops
- Filipino BBQ Pork Skewers
- Moo Ping ( Thai-Styled Grilled Pork BBQ Skewers)
- Vietnamese Grilled Pork
Potato Salad
Potato salad is another backyard barbecue mainstay. The creamy version, chock-full of genuine mayonnaise, chopped boiled eggs, and pickle relish, is the American standard.
You can vary it a bit by adding green onions, celery, or bacon bits.
You can depart from it entirely by using a vinaigrette instead of mayonnaise. You can even try a warm potato-salad recipe in the German tradition, or with a radically modern twist. Any way you slice or dice them, potatoes are comfort food. Should you decide to serve a variation on the American classic, your guests will probably be impressed.
Corn on the Cob
The success of grilled corn on the cob can depend on two factors: The quality and freshness of the corn, and your grilling it just long enough to elicit its flavors. Too little cooking time can result in undercooked corn. Too long on the grill may lead to dry corn with little flavor.
For sweet, juicy corn on the cob, choose the freshest product available. Look for corn with green, moist husks that hug the cob. Pull back the husk a bit to be sure the kernels appear to be healthy, not dry.
For corn, a marinade may not be in order, but the sky’s the limit when it comes to the butter or oil you brush on after grilling. Mix dried chives or minced green onions into whipped butter.
Or, blend fresh herbs, such as tarragon, into softened butter. Prepared garlic butter is a convenient option and homemade or store-bought olive oil infusions can add abundant flavor.
- Bacon Wrapped Corn with Honey Chipotle Glaze
- Grilled Corn on the Cob
- Grilled Mexican Street Corn
- Grilled Corn Salad
Salads
Salads are commonly made as sides on a barbecue menu. Potato salad is likely the most popular, but coleslaw, macaroni salad, and pasta salad are also common favorites. Other common barbecue side salads would include fruit salad, garden salad, cucumber salad, and bean salad.
Other Sides
Grilled vegetables are also a popular choice for most barbecue menus, and corn on the cob is a popular choice. Baked beans are also a favorite menu item. Both can be cooked on or off the grill. Like barbecue meats, baked beans tend to be most flavorful when they are slow-cooked.
Bread
Most traditional barbecue menus have some type of bread or roll. Cornbread is probably the most commonly served as a side. Dinner rolls are served at some barbecues in place of, or as an alternative to cornbread.
Even though a barbecue seems like a laid-back affair, more often than not, a lot of planning goes into it. Whether you are planning your first barbecue or you are an old pro, having a barbecue menu plan can be useful.
Knowing a few classic barbecue foods will help you get a shopping list together, and it is also fun to have others bring something to the mix. Nothing beats a backyard BBQ with lots of food made with love!
