Tailgate Food Ideas

You've come to the right place to find some new tailgate food ideas.  When it comes to tailgating playing games, drinking and eating all add up to a good time, but thinking of some new tailgate food ideas can be challenging, so I have put together a list of some of the most popular tailgate foods to help you enjoy your next tailgate party.

Tailgate Food

Chicken Wings

Chicken wings are delicious—when done right. True chicken wings should taste like chicken.. Great wings never touch hot oil and the flavoring comes from a marinade that compliments the chicken instead of overpowering it.

Chicken Breasts

Marinade your chicken in a bag of balsamic vinegar, oil, garlic, rosemary, oregano, and pepper at least 30 minutes before throwing it on the grill with some peppers, onions, potatoes, and other veggies.

Steak

We usually like a little more fat on our steaks, but this richly flavored beef try your steak with a blue cheese butter.

Burgers

You're grilling burgers; make them from the best beef. You’ll need season them to your liking. Then, grill them until droplets of blood appear on the raw side, about 3 minutes. Now flip. For medium rare, cook this side about 2 more minutes (or 3 more minutes for medium). Resist the urge to press on the burgers to make them sizzle.

Sausages

Get an assortment of sausages, sweet, spicy, plain and smoked, I bet they will all be gone by the end of your party.

Chilli

For those cold wintery nights a hot chili is the best.

Lamb Chops

They're quick cooking and you can gnaw them right off the bone

Shrimp

A Shrimp tray with a nice dipping sauce is so popular and ready-made from the store.

Shell-on Shrimp

Split the shell down the back, but toss them on the grill with the shell still on. Cook until pink throughout. This will toast the shell and deepen the flavor of the shrimp

Cold Cut Meats

For a quick sandwich cold cut meats such as ham or turkey are always popular with the ladies. Make your own deli sandwiches or subs.

Pickles

Eat these crisp pickles straight out of the jar or pop a few slices atop a grilled chicken sandwich.

Chips and Dips

Get your favorite type if Chips and Dip, the Santa Barbara Salsa Medium not too sweet or salty—unlike other salsas. You might want to bring a second tub, just in case.

Pretzel Sticks, Whole Grain, Honey Wheat The perfect beer pretzel.

Cheese – the best are slices and a tasty is a favorite for most people.

Don’t’ forget the condiments:

Burger Buns, I like the sliders and it makes the burgers stretch out a little further.

Hot Dog Buns, the sesame seeds are nice for a change, the fresher the better.

Pita Bread is really nice with luscious lamb, creamy hummus, lots of garlic.

Heinz Organic Tomato Sauce is simple the best; it tastes fresher than the non-organic variety.

Upgrade dinner with your favorite steak sauce.

Mayonnaise, there is a really tasty Kraft Mayonnaise with Olive Oil

Mustard and Relish for those hotdogs.

Lettuce and Tomato to get your veggie intake for the day!

You won’t forget the Drinks

Beer…Beer….and more beer.

Wine

Juice

Water

Coffee, because you're going to need something to help with the post-game hangover. This dark roast coffee brews up beautifully.

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Tailgate Games

Every tailgate party has tailgate games and there are so many to choose from.

 Tailgate parties are social events usually held in the parking lot next to a stadium before a sporting event. The guests gather around the tailgate (open back end of a truck)-where food is usually placed-to eat and socialize. Tailgate parties are fun for people of all ages.

Here are some of the more popular Tailgate Games played at Tailgate Parties

• Cornhole / Bean-Bag Toss / Baggo
• Ladder Toss / Ladder Golf
• Washers / Tailgate Horseshoes / Polish Horseshoes / Traditional Horseshoes
• Bocce Ball Sets
• Beer-Pong Tables



Beer Pong

 For the World Series of Beer Pong main event, 24 ounces of beer or water will be used per team and will be distributed evenly in the 6 front cups. The back 4 cups will be filled 1/3 with water. These water cups are not for consumption--they are to be reused every round.



Cornhole

There are many versions and rules for cornhole. Here is just one posted below.



Cornhole Boards
1. Place on a flat surface 27 feet apart (front to front).
2. The cornhole board surface should be 2' x 4'.
3. A 6” hole, centered 9” from the back and 12” from either side
Cornhole Bags
1. There should be 8 bags, 4 bags of each color.
2. Each bag should be 6 inches by 6 inches and have 1 pound of corn inserted into each bag.
Point System
- 3 points for a cornhole bag that goes through the hole.
- 1 point for a cornhole bag that is on the playing surface.
- 1 point for a cornhole bag that is hanging into the hole.
- 1 point for a cornhole bag that is hanging off the edge but not touching the ground.
- 0 points for a cornhole bag that is on the playing surface, but also touching the ground.
- 0 points for a cornhole bag that is hanging off the front edge and is resting on a cornhole bag that is on the ground. If you can remove the bag on the ground without the one on the board falling then a point is given.
1. The team with the highest round score, adds the difference of the two scores to their game score.
2. The team who wins the round is given honors to throw first in the next round.
3. If both cornhole teams have the same round score then the game score stays the same and honors stays with the team who had it the previous round.



Horseshoe

Two persons, or two teams of two persons each may play the game.

The players begin by choosing a set of two horseshoes based on color, traditionally green or red. Horseshoes will also be marked with an "A" or "B" in anticipation of the inevitable time when the paint is worn from the sets. The player to throw or pitch first is determined. This can be done by chance, or a pitch of one horseshoe from each player with the player getting closest to the stake determining the beginning order of play. (There is no scoring advantage to pitching first or last.)




 

Best Tailgate Grill under $100

I have reviewed the best tailgate portable grills under $100, again Weber has come out on top for a portable grill for that price point.

Weber Go Anywhere Grill

Most of the top grills under $100 tend to be charcoal grills, but the best portable grill for $100 is the Weber Go Anywhere 121020., this has a 9.4 rating out of 10. If you like charcoal cooking and you either want a small grill or you need a portable grill, I would highly recommend this product, it is easily portable and great for my tailgating parties.

The ease of use and cooking quality make this the best grill I have ever used.
Its compact size makes this easy to travel with and pack, and cleaning is not that hard (even after a couple of beers :). The flame heats up quickly and cooks meat evenly, so you can cook up to six hamburgers or two steaks at one time.
 Check out the features and video below of the Weber Go Anywhere grill.

The Weber Smokey Joe charcoal grill is an ideal portable grill for cookouts and  tailgate parties, this also has a 9.4 rating. This is the best grill for under $50, for less than $40, this is a little gem.

One great feature of these grills is that when you are done cooking, you can close all the vents and the fire will go out in about 15-20 minutes, saving whatever's left of your charcoal for the next time. I have left my Smokey Joe outside for 3 years and it has no rust on the outside and still works great.

Weber Gas Go- Anywhere

• The Weber Gas Go-Anywhere charcoal grill makes a great companion for camping and tailgate parties
• The porcelain enameled coating prevents rust and fading
• Pivoting legs lock the lid in place for add safety
• This grill offers 160-square-inches of cooking surface on the triple nickel-plated cooking grate
• Packs away nicely in a tight space  

Weber Smokey Joe Grills

Weber Smokey Joe Grills

• The Weber Smokey Joe charcoal grill is an ideal portable grill for cookouts, tailgate parties, and car camping
• The glass reinforced nylon handle allows you to easily remove the lid as needed
• The cooking grate measures 14-1/2-inch diameter and is triple nickel-plated
• The porcelain enameled coating prevents rust and fading
• 10-year limited warranty
• Another great Weber Grill for Under $30 is the Smokey Joe 10020, this has a 9.4 rating from over 130 reviews, and this small lightweight, portable, durable charcoal grill is perfect for cooking for a few people and is fantastic value. It's small and does a nice job in a small space like apartment porch or patio.

The Cuisinart CGG 180 T



Cuisinart CGG 180 T

The Cuisinart CGG-180T Petit Gourmet portable tabletop gas grill is an ideal choice for families who like to grill on the go. The Petit Gourmet grill--which includes a folding table base--offers a 145-square-inch grilling area, enough space to accommodate from four to six people at a time.

At the same time, the grill saves space by eliminating extra grilling spots and burners that waste propane and rarely get used. With the Petit Gourmet grill, you can grill up a small feast everywhere you go, from the campsite to the beach to a pre-game tailgater.

• Portable gas grill with 145-square-inch grilling area and foldaway legs
• Cooks 8 burgers, 8 steaks, 6 to 10 chicken breasts, or 4 pounds of fish at once
• Powerful 5,500 BTU stainless-steel burner and even-heating porcelain-enameled grate
• Aluminum legs and stabilizing feet set up in seconds; integrated lid lock keeps lid secure
• Pronounced briefcase-style carrying handle; weighs 13 pounds

Best Tailgate Grills

Weber Q120

There is a really good selection of grills for your tailgating party, I have reviewed some of the top rated portable grills, so you can get the best value tailgate grill for you. The rating has to be over 8.4 out of 10 to make my review.



Weber has three great portable grills in this classification, the top pick is the Weber Q120.
 Weber make (6) models 100, 120, 200, 220, 300 & 320 The 100 series is the most compact, 200 series is mid size but still quite portable & the 300 series is plenty big enough for serious entertaining. By adding the "20" at the end of each series you get the fold up & in side tables (which are great), A temp. gauge and electronic Ignition is really awesome.


 The Weber Q 120 portable gas grill provides a 189-square-inch cooking area, and it includes a 8,500-BTU stainless-steel burner, an electronic ignition system, and an adjustable burner valve for just the right amount of heat. The grill also comes with a porcelain-enameled cast-iron cooking grate, a drip pan, a built-in lid thermometer, and two folding work tables with tool hooks. Ideal for grilling at your tailgate party.

The  Coleman 9949-750 Road Trip Grill LXE grill comes equipped with durable cast-iron grilling surfaces. When you're ready to grill, push a button to ignite the InstaStart matchless lighting system .

Two side tables attach to the grill's sides for extra preparation space and store neatly under the grill. A grease tray catches drippings, sliding out for cleaning.