The Best Tailgating Recipes
I don’t care who tries to tell me otherwise — tailgating is basically the best season of them all. Because we want to celebrate in proper fashion, I’ve got a roundup of my favorite delicious tailgating recipes for you to try at any big game! These easy tailgate food ideas are perfect for football season (or really any game day), but I bet you could take them camping or to the beach too. Our favorite tailgate foods are at home anywhere! Table of Contents Why You’ll Love These Tailgating RecipesTips for a Great TailgateThis sauce is FYR!My Favorite Tailgating Recipes​Hot DogsBurgersChicken WingsQuesadillasTacosSlidersJalapeño PoppersDip Tailgating Recipes What to Serve with Tailgating RecipesLeftovers and Reheating​Tailgating Recipe FAQsFlavor X Fire & FOOD X Fire Why You’ll Love These Tailgating Recipes Tips for a Great Tailgate This sauce is FYR! My Favorite Tailgating Recipes ​Hot DogsBurgersChicken WingsQuesadillasTacosSlidersJalapeño PoppersDip Tailgating Recipes ​Hot Dogs Burgers Chicken Wings Quesadillas Tacos Sliders Jalapeño Poppers Dip Tailgating Recipes What to Serve with Tailgating Recipes Leftovers and Reheating ​Tailgating Recipe FAQs Flavor X Fire & FOOD X Fire Why You’ll Love These Tailgating Recipes There are plenty of ways to tackle your next tailgate party, and they’re all so freakin’ delicious. The perfect tailgate recipe falls into one of three categories: recipes you can make beforehand and reheat, ones you can prep in advance and cook at the tailgate, or have an easy prep and grilling process to do at the tailgate itself. When it’s game time, you’ll be ready no matter which tailgating recipe you choose. Tips for a Great Tailgate Start with the right gear. Because we’re on the move at a tailgate, we want a portable grill and other gear items that are packable, durable and lightweight. If you’re looking for gear ideas, I’ve got some suggestions in my post about camping essentials. Give yourself time to pack. Whenever I’m in a rush, that’s when I end up forgetting something essential for my tailgating menu. If that sounds like you, then make a checklist. Or, for ingredients that can stay at room temperature, you can pack those the morning of for your tailgate spread. Keep it cool. Your cooler is your best friend once you hit the parking lot. Whether you’re keeping beverages cold or storing meats to reheat, you’ll want something that’s big enough and performs well. I like the Barebones Living Trekker Cooler. This amazing cooler not only keeps your meat and beer cold, but it packs in your car without taking up too much room. Don’t forget the fun stuff. What’s a tailgate without a football to toss, cornhole boards or a giant Jenga set? We’re here to have fun while we’re cooking, right? Start with the right gear. Because we’re on the move at a tailgate, we want a portable grill and other gear items that are packable, durable and lightweight. If you’re looking for gear ideas, I’ve got some suggestions in my post about camping essentials. Give yourself time to pack. Whenever I’m in a rush, that’s when I end up forgetting something essential for my tailgating menu. If that sounds like you, then make a checklist. Or, for ingredients that can stay at room temperature, you can pack those the morning of for your tailgate spread. Keep it cool. Your cooler is your best friend once you hit the parking lot. Whether you’re keeping beverages cold or storing meats to reheat, you’ll want something that’s big enough and performs well. I like the Barebones Living Trekker Cooler. This amazing cooler not only keeps your meat and beer cold, but it packs in your car without taking up too much room. Don’t forget the fun stuff. What’s a tailgate without a football to toss, cornhole boards or a giant Jenga set? We’re here to have fun while we’re cooking, right? Watching the game at home instead? Check out my round up of grilled appetizer recipes because they’ll also work for your football party! Get stoked for life This sauce is FYR! an all-new line created for live fire cooking Born from a deep passion for food and flavor. Whether you’re grilling in the backyard or live fire cooking around the world, we have what you need to transform every meal into an adventure. My Favorite Tailgating Recipes ​We’ve got a whole list of the perfect tailgate recipes for you to try. They’re freakin’ delicious, easy to make and a whole lot of fun. Let me know which ones you try in the comments! ​Hot Dogs Bacon Wrapped Chorizo Dogs These Bacon Wrapped Chorizo Dogs are stuffed with cheese and topped with cilantro lime cream sauce, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeño. View Recipe Elote Chorizo Dogs Elote Chorizo Dogs for a colorful and delicious dog. View Recipe Chorizo Hot Dogs with Baconnaise Chorizo Hot Dogs with Baconnaise View Recipe Grilled Hot Dogs with Chimichurri Our grilled hot dogs with chimichurri recipe takes the humble frankfurter to the next level. Perfect for camping with a crowd! View Recipe Cheesy Bacon Wrapped Chorizo Dogs These Cheesy Bacon Wrapped Chorizo Dogs ain't your average grill out food. Stuffed with cheese and wrapped in bacon, they are everything you are missing right now. View Recipe ​ Burgers Here are my favorite burgers for a tailgate menu! If you’re looking for more delicious recipes for burgers, then check out my smashburgers roundup and my thicc patty burgers roundup. Cheesy Onion Smash Burgers Today we’re prepping for summer with Cheesy Onion Smash Burgers. Short rib patties with onions smashed for the perfect burger recipe. View Recipe Animal Style Burger Animal Style Burger for an In-N-Out experience right at home. View Recipe Jalapeño Popper Smash Burger Jalapeño Popper Smash Burger for a fun, smash burger switch up. View Recipe Oklahoma Onion Burger This classic burger recipe celebrates Oklahoma in a big way with the Oklahoma Onion Burger made with an Oklahoma Joe's Grill! View Recipe Grilled Cheese BBQ Cheeseburgers Grilled Cheese BBQ Cheeseburgers for hyped up version of your grilled cheese. View Recipe Chicken Wings People always think of Buffalo wings and blue cheese dressing, but wings can do so much more! For a deeper dive into wings, check out my best chicken wings recipes. Elote Style Chicken Wings These Elote Style Chicken Wings are grilled chicken wings tossed in a chili lime sauce and topped with grilled corn, cotija cheese, and more! View Recipe Huli Huli Chicken Wings These Huli Huli Chicken Wings are grilled in a rotisserie basket until tender and smoky, then tossed in a sweet, spicy pineapple BBQ sauce. View Recipe Garlic Parmesan and Beer Wings Everyone, it’s time for another chicken wing throwdown! Garlic Parmesan and Beer Wings are here and they’re ready to party. View Recipe Grilled Buffalo Chicken Wings with Melted Cheese Grilled Buffalo Chicken Wings with Melted Cheese for dinnertime deliciousness! Tossed in buffalo sauce and wrapped in cheese, you don't want to miss these wings! View Recipe Hot Honey Garlic Wings Hot Honey Garlic Wings for juicy but crispy wings tossed in a sweet heat glaze. View Recipe Quesadillas Easy Steak Quesadilla Nothing quite beats steak and cheese. This Easy Steak Quesadilla is the ideal mixture for the outdoor cook! View Recipe Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadilla Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadilla for a delicious, hand held meal! View Recipe Cheesesteak Quesadilla Cheesesteak Quesadilla for the fun, family dinner. View Recipe Tacos People don’t always think of tacos for an easy tailgate recipe, and I’m here to tell you they’re a big hit! I’ve also got more taco recipes in my best tacos roundup. Chicken Bacon Ranch Tacos Chicken Bacon Ranch Tacos are a fun way to elevate Taco Tuesday, using my FYR Grill with some Cowboy Charcoal that delivers a clean smokiness that is never overpowering. View Recipe Cowboy Butter Steak Tacos Cowboy butter steak tacos are another way to use this spicy garlic herb butter, which is freakin' delicious on everything. View Recipe Pulled Pork Elote Tacos Pulled Pork Elote Tacos View Recipe Steak Tacos with Corn Salsa The next time you're on the road, skip the PB&Js and fire up your portable grill to make the best Steak Tacos with Corn Salsa. View Recipe Sliders Sliders are the ultimate tailgate finger foods. I’ve got more ideas in the sliders roundup too! Chimichurri Steak Sliders Chimichurri Steak Sliders are as straightforward and good as it gets. Tender ribeye steaks are grilled, sliced, and paired with melted mozzarella and a zesty homemade chimichurri sauce. View Recipe Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders This easy Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders recipe is leveled up by a spicy twist of buffalo sauce. View Recipe Italian Sliders Italian Sliders for a delicious handheld dish! View Recipe Grilled Steak Elote Sliders Grilled Steak Elote Sliders for a so freaking delicious meal! View Recipe BBQ Beef Sliders BBQ Beef Sliders made with my new HNY FYR BBQ Sauce from FYR are the ultimate comfort food for your next game-day party. View Recipe Smoked Cheesesteak Sliders These Smoked Cheesesteak Sliders are made up of buttery slider buns loaded with juicy steak, caramelized onions, and Monterey jack cheese. View Recipe Nashville Hot Chicken Sliders Nashville Hot Chicken Sliders for a spicy, savory treat. View Recipe Jalapeño Poppers Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers Sweet and spicy with a touch of zest. Try these bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers asap. View Recipe Shrimp Jalapeño Poppers Shrimp Jalapeño Poppers for a fun, easy and impressive appetizer! View Recipe Surf and Turf Jalapeño Poppers Surf and Turf Jalapeño Poppers for a seafood twist on a griller's favorite appetizer. View Recipe Dip Tailgating Recipes Skillet Choriqueso Skillet Choriqueso is quick, simple but extremely delicious! Enjoy! View Recipe Smoked Chorizo Queso Smoked Chorizo Queso is the dip that every chip wants to be coated in! View Recipe Jalapeño Popper Dip Jalapeño popper dip is a spicy, cheesy appetizer — right in the middle of stuffed pizza crust — that's perfect for your next party. View Recipe Smoked Brisket Queso Smoked Brisket Queso for a delicious bowl of melty cheese and savory brisket. View Recipe Easy Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Crust Dip For this killer dip, roasted in the Oklahoma Joe's Judge Charcoal Grill, hot buffalo sauce, shredded chicken, jalapenos, red onions, and cheese are melted and nestled into a killer pizza dough crust stuffed with more cheese. View Recipe Cream Spinach Here's my take on classic steakhouse cream spinach, which goes great with steaks (obviously), chops, salmon and more. View Recipe ​ What to Serve with Tailgating Recipes For vegetable sides, go with something easy that stores well in the cooler. Potato salad, slaw with green onions or pasta salad all work well here. And because there’s nothing sadder than a flavorful dip without chips, don’t forget the tortilla chips or pita chips! For recipes like the tacos or quesadillas, make sure you pack finishing touches like sour cream, limes and hot sauce. Plus beer or seltzer. We have to hydrate here.​ Leftovers and Reheating Because these recipes are all easy to make ahead of time, they’re also great for leftovers and reheating. Some of them even taste better the next day! If your individual components, like proteins and toppings, need to be refrigerated, store them in separate airtight containers in the fridge for 3-5 days. Then, when it’s time to reheat, stick to medium heat (like 300-350 degrees F) on the grill or the oven. Each of my tailgating recipes has individual instructions too! ​Tailgating Recipe FAQs Can I make these tailgating recipes in the slow cooker? Definitely! Since the slow cooker uses slow and low heat, it’s best to stick to cuts that braise well, like pork shoulder, chicken thighs, ground beef or brisket. You might miss out on that smoky flavor, but if you’re grilling other components, you’ll get it there. How can I adjust the spice level in these tailgating recipes? When you see jalapeños in a recipe, removing the seeds and ribs is the best way to dial down the spice level. If you’re using hot sauce (like one of my FYR sauces) or ingredients like cayenne pepper, chili powder or red pepper flakes, then just adjust the measurements to your liking. All right, let’s hear it: Who’s your favorite team? Because I’m a proud Tennessean, I am, of course, a Titans fan. For college football, I’m wearing orange and cheering on the Volunteers. You’ll see me in my team colors any time of year. Get The Cookbooks! Flavor X Fire & FOOD X Fire By Derek Wolf All the major tastes—salty, sour, sweet, bitter, and umami—are explored in depth, along with an investigation of other components you should consider when it comes to flavor, such as aroma, heat, and texture. Derek Wolf Derek is the driving force behind Over the Fire Cooking. He started cooking with live fire in 2016 and decided to start a social media page so his friends and family could follow the journey. Fast forward to today and Over the Fire Cooking has spread across multiple platforms with millions now following Derek's fire cooking journey. He's a southern fellow who enjoys everything from classic BBQ to Central and South American inspired dishes. Whatever he's cooking up, it's guaranteed to be so freakin' delicious!