When the weather heats up, it’s time to enjoy the outdoors and a great way to do just that is by having a cookout! Need help or inspiration putting together an entire menu you can cook outside? We got ya! We’ve gathered some great food ideas for a cookout that include main dishes, sides, and mucho más. We’ve left off some of the summer basics that go in buns because we're pretty sure that you already know about those and could easily put them on your cookout menu without our help.
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Check out the following recipes that are prefect for your cookouts and use them as inspiration to create your own menu. And remember that cookouts aren't just about the food, they are also a great way to get together, especially nowadays when outdoor gatherings are probably one of the healthiest ways to spend time with our loved ones. It’s also great to cook outdoors on warm or hot days because it keeps you from sweating it out in a hot kitchen. And now, your consideration, here are a few scrumptious menu items that are perfect for your next cookout.
Make nachos or totchos on an outdoor griddle.
If you have an outdoor griddle, you can use it to make nachos or totchos. You know what nachos are, but what are totchos? They are nachos made with tater tots instead of tortilla chips. This particular recipe is made using roasted tri-tip, so it's not an appetizer, it's a whole meal.
Make black been soup and tequeños.
Can you cook soup outdoors? Absolutely! And just so you know, this particular recipe features bacon, but you could easily leave the bacon out if you want to make this recipe vegetarian friendly. This is also one of those recipes that’s basically an entire meal because it’s so filling. Get the full recipe here.
If you’ve got a smoker, smoke some salmon.
If you have a smoker, you should seriously be using that thing all summer long and one of the dishes you should make in it is this smoked salmon. Smoking food, as opposed to grilling it, means you have to plan ahead, but that planning is so worth it once you take a bite out of your smoked dish.
Ingredients:
- (2) 1 lb. salmon filets
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp. liquid smoke
- 2 tbsp. garlic powder
- 1 tbsp. lemon pepper
- 2 tbsp. smoked paprika
- Cold water to cover filets
You can serve it with cucumber slices, cream cheese, crackers, or whatever you can think of. Get the full recipe here and enjoy this delicious food for your next cookout.
You can make zucchini quiche on your grill.
Quiche probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you’re thinking about food for a cookout, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a great option. This zucchini quiche is cooked on your grill and is ready in about 45 minutes. To prepare it you will need the following ingredients.
Ingredients:
- 5 cups shredded zucchini
- 11 eggs
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup shredded asiago
- 3/4 cup cheddar
- 2 tbsp. fresh basil leaves
- 2 green onions
- 14.5 oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes or approximately 1 cup diced fresh tomatoes
- 1 tbsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tbsp. Italian seasoning
- 2 tsp. minced onion
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Get the recipe here and enjoy with the family!
Make some delectable grilled honey chicken wings.
This recipe is described as “a super simple Honey Buffalo wing recipe that offers a bold taste without all the hassle.” There is no frying involved, which is great.
Ingredients:
- 3 1/2 to 5 lbs. chicken wings
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 8 oz. honey
- 12 oz. Buffalo wing sauce
And best of all, you can accompany it with the best sides for a cookout such as pico de gallo, saltines, crackers, and much more. Get the recipe here.
You could also make mango tamarind wings, because YUM!
This marinade has a vibrant flavor and you can make another batch to use as a side for a cookout in case we want to use it as a spread. Such great flavors combine to delivery sweet, tangy, and spicy wings.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 lbs. chicken wings
- 1 tbsp. oil
- 1 tbsp. tamarind concentrate
- 1 tbsp. soy sauce
- Salt, to taste
- 1 small mango
- 1 serrano pepper
- 7 garlic cloves
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 1/2 tsp. chili powder, to taste
These great flavors combine to deliver sweet, tangy and spicy wings, get the recipe here and taste for yourself at the next barbecue.
These grilled honey lime shrimp cook up fast.
Shrimp are a great cookout menu item because they cook up super fast – as in they are done in six minutes once you put them on the grill. You can serve them as appetizers while other items that take longer to cook are still on the grill.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 lbs. peeled shrimp
- Juice of a lime
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. honey
- 2 cloves garlic
- Pinch of red pepper (optional)
- 1 bunch chopped cilantro
Get the full recipe here and include it in this summer's menu for a cookout.
You can serve grilled avocados as a cookout side or an entrée.
Avocados are delicious as is and grilling them and stuffing them with more yumminess just adds to their appeal. This dish can work as a side salad or an entrée. You can also riff on the recipe and stuff the avocado centers with whatever you like.
Serve grilled brie topped with preserves and grilled slices of baguette.
Quite possibly one of the best food ideas for a cookout on this list and incredibly flavorful. The trick is to grill the brie on both sides for about two minutes or until it’s golden on the outside and warmed through.
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 sliced baguette
- 1 brie cheese round
- 1/2 cup cherry preserves
When you cut into it, it is soft and easy to spread, not to mention that you can combine it with other ingredients, according to your preferences. Get the full recipe here.
How about some crispy garlic potatoes?
Come on! These are bound to be a hit at any menu for a cookout. These potato wedges are seasoned with salt and garlic and grilled to crispy perfection. Might we suggest squeezing some lime or lemon on them before devouring? Get the recipe here.
Grilled Mexican street corn for the win!
Nothing says summer like grilled corn and grilled Mexican street corn says it with so much flavor. Just be prepared to have to make this every time you host a cookout because people will request it.
Ingredients:
- 6 ears of corn
- Canola oil spray
- Salt, to taste
- 2 tsp. black pepper
- 2/3 cup crumbled Cotija cheese
- 1/3 cup Mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup crema or sour cream
- Hot sauce
- 6 tbsp. chopped cilantro
- 1 tbsp. paprika
- 1 lime
Get the full recipe here and don't miss this fantastic Mexican recipe for cookout.
Wow them with smoked barbecue beans with ground sausage.
Have you ever made baked beans using a smoker? The smoky flavor makes baked beans taste like heaven. The ingredients are simple.
Ingredients:
- Loose breakfast sausage
- Diced onion
- Bell pepper
- Ketchup
- Barbecue sauce
- Jalapeno (optional)
- Brown sugar
- Light kidney beans
- Black beans
- Cannellini beans
- Butter beans
- Barbecue rub
- Worcestershire sauce
- Dijon mustard
This particular dish can be served as the main dish or a side. And if you don’t have a smoker, there are directions to make it without one so get the recipe here and try it!
Grilled zucchini is a quick and easy cookout side dish.
All you need to make this are zucchinis, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, and a grill. The zucchinis come out tasting amazing. Like how can a simple zucchini taste so dang good? It’s magic. Get the recipe here.
Yes, you can make grilled beef ribs.
A lot of people are intimidated by the thought of grilling their own ribs, but you don’t have to be. This recipe has step-by-step instructions that will have everyone thinking you are a grill master. We leave you the list of ingredients along with the complete recipe here.
Ingredients:
- 1 rack ribs, beef or chuck plate
- Olive oil, to taste
- Rub A Dub Seasoning, to taste
- Instant coffee, to taste
- Rib spray
- 4 cups beef stock
- 1/2 cup fire honey
Grill up some asparagus.
Grilling vegetables is wonderful because not only are they good for you, they are also incredibly easy to prepare and cook. This asparagus just needs a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Get the recipe here and bon appétit!
Throw some spring onions on the grill.
The creator of this recipe says: "Spring onions are sweeter and more mellow than regular onions, but their greens are more intense than those of scallions. When you grill them, however, their flavor goes up to a whole other level and they become incredibly sweet, yet still a little pungent. It’s incredible!"
Ingredients:
- 12 spring onions
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Sea salt, to taste
- 7 ml olive oil
You can accompany this recipe with the green top dipping sauce, which you can find in the complete recipe here.
Grilled chocolate marshmallow bananas are great for dessert.
How amazing do these look? You are going to need some heavy-duty foil to make these because you know how ooey-gooey melted marshmallows can get.
Ingredients:
- 4 bananas
- 5 tbsp. chocolate chips
- 5 tbsp. mini marshmallows
- 2 tbsp. chopped pecans or walnuts
- 1/4 cup caramel sauce
- Heavy duty tin foil
Get the recipe here and serve them with graham crackers for a wonderful family cookout this summer.
