Break out the stretchy pants! It’s that time of year again, the time to mow-down on unhealthy food and drink yourself silly — ok, perhaps not, but it’s at least the right time to indulge in some delicious tail-gate food. Here at Babes Dig Balls, we like to make things easy for you, so we’ve narrowed down the 5 most popular Tasty Tailgate recipes on our site!
Atlanta’s Sweet Vidalia Onion Bloom
Yields: 4 servings
Cook time: 30 minutes Prep time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
2 medium Vidalia or other sweet onions
4 slices Swiss cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup bread crumbs
¼ cup butter
Instructions
1. Light grill using Kingsford® briquets.
2. Cut onion in half across the middle. Then cut crosswise three times without slicing through the sides of bottom of onion. Remove two cross sections of onion to create small cups.
3. Place onion halves sliced side up on aluminum foil and evenly distribute butter, bread crumbs and parsley in the onion cups. Top with cheese and salt and pepper. Fold aluminum foil around onion until all ends meet to make a tight seal.
4. Place onion packet on covered grill over indirect heat for 30 minutes, rotating occasionally. Onion should be soft and “melted” with the bottom caramelized when done.
5. Serve as a side dish with grilled steak.
Credit: David Larkworthy/Kingsford’s Grilling.com
Beer-Can Chicken
Yields: 4 servings
Cook time: 1 1/2 hours Prep time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
1 12-ounce can of beer, preferably Budweiser or other domestic beer
1 roasting chicken (4-5 pounds), preferably Amish or Organic
3 tablespoons of your favorite dry spice rub recipe, divided
Olive oil
Special Equipment
Church key can opener
Kingsford® Charcoal with Sure Fire™ Grooves
Vertical chicken roaster, optional
Instructions
1. Prepare grill for indirect/medium heat cooking.
2. Remove neck and giblets and rinse chicken inside and out, if desired; pat dry with paper towels. Coat chicken lightly with oil and season with 2 tablespoons dry rub. Set aside (Note: If you prefer a more classic roasted chicken flavor, omit the dry rub and use only kosher salt and black pepper.)
3. Open beer can, pour out about ¼-cup of the beer and make an extra hole in top of the can with church key can opener. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of the dry rub inside beer can. Place vertical chicken roaster (such as the Grill Friends™ Chicken Sitter) or beer can in center of cooking grate and “sit” chicken on top of the beer can. The chicken will appear to be “sitting” on the grate.
4. Cook chicken for 1–1½ hours or until the internal temperature registers 165°F in the breast area and 180°F in the thigh. Remove from grill and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.
Note: When removing from grate, be careful not to spill contents of the vertical roaster or beer can, as it will be very hot.
Credit: Elizabeth Karmel/Grilling.com Fired Up by Kingsford
(Photo Credit: Kingsford)
BBQ Jalapeño Texas Cheeseburger
Yields: 6 servings
Cook time: 20 minutes Prep time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
1 yellow onion, sliced in large rings
1/8 cup butter
1/8 cup KC Masterpiece® Barbecue Seasoning
11/2 pounds ground beef
8 hamburger buns
8 slices pepper jack cheese
1/4 cup jalapeño peppers, thinly sliced
1/2 cup KC Masterpiece® Original Barbecue Sauce, divided
Instructions
1. Combine ¼-cup barbecue sauce, seasoning and jalapeños in a small bowl. Knead spice mixture into ground beef and roll into 6 balls.
2. Light grill using Kingsford® briquets. Brush grill grate with oil or coat with nonstick cooking spray.
3.Grill burgers for 12–16 minutes on a covered grill, until burgers are cooked through, turning once. In last 6–8 minutes of grilling time, place onions on grill. Top burgers with cheese during last minute of cooking time. Lightly spread butter on bun. Grill bun, buttered side down, until lightly toasted.
4. Serve burgers on buns and top with grilled onions, barbecue sauce and your favorite toppings.
Credit: Don Blake/Grilling.com Fired Up by Kingsford
(Photo Credit: Kingsford/Grilling.com and Getty Images)
Beer-Basted Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Yields: 12 servings
Cook time: 7 hours Prep time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
1 bottle (12 ounces) dark beer
1 bottle of KC Masterpiece® Southern-Style Barbecue Sauce, divided
1 cup KC Masterpiece® Southern-Style Barbecue Sauce
1 pork butt (7–8 pounds)
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon paprika
12 King’s Hawaiian® Sandwich Rolls
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
31/2 teaspoons garlic salt
4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon oregano
3/4 teaspoons chili powder
Instructions
1. Build a charcoal fire for indirect cooking with Kingsford® charcoal by situating the coals on only one side of the grill, leaving the other side void. Add a small aluminum pan to the void side of the grill and fill it halfway with water.
2. In a small bowl, combine the dry rub ingredients. Coat the pork evenly with dry rub, patting gently until the mixture adheres to the meat.
3. When the grill reaches 250°F, place pork butt on the void side of the grill over the water pan, close the lid, and cook over indirect heat for four hours. While the pork is cooking, combine the beer and barbecue sauce in a medium bowl. Cook pork an additional three hours basting the pork every half hour until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 190°F. Continually monitor the grill temperature and add hot charcoal as needed, to maintain the grill temperature of 250°F.
4. Remove the pork butt from the charcoal grill and let it rest for 15 minutes. Pull the cooked meat from the bone and place in a skillet with any remaining marinade and toss. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes to heat through and keep the mixture moist. To serve, brush on some of the remaining Southern-Style barbecue sauce onto the inside of a sandwich roll and stuff with some of the pulled pork mixture.
Credit: Kingsford/Grilling.com Fired Up by Kingsford
(Photo Credit: Kingsford/Grilling.com and Getty Images)
BBQ Blitz Chicken Wraps
Yields: 8 servings
Cook time: 15 minutes Prep time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
2 cups shredded lettuce
2 medium ripe tomatoes, stems removed, seeded and coarsely chopped
2 medium yellow onions, cut horizontally into half-inch thick slices
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, rinsed and patted dry
8 flour tortillas (6-inch) wrapped in foil
Salt and pepper (to taste)
¾ cup KC Masterpiece® Barbecue Sauce
Instructions
1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Grill over Kingsford® charcoal together with the onion slices over medium heat on all sides for about five to seven minutes on each side.
2. Brush both the chicken and onion generously with the KC Masterpiece® barbecue sauce and finish grilling until crispy and chicken has reached an internal temperature of 150˚F.
3. Remove the chicken from the grill and cover with foil and allow cooling. Once cool enough to handle, shred the chicken and separate the onions into rings.
4. Warm the tortillas over the grill for two to three minutes. Once warm, take tortilla and fill it with chicken and onions. Top with some of the chopped tomato and lettuce and roll into a snug wrap. Serve immediately.
5. Recipe created by football analyst Mike Golic, on behalf of Kingsford® charcoal.
Credit: Mike Golic/Kingsford’s Grilling.com