No matter the sport, a game just isn’t complete without a tailgating party. Here are the top 30 tailgating foods for you to try at the next big game.
Burgers (Beef, Turkey, Veggie)
First things first: tailgating involves a lot of grilling. Burgers, of course, are a classic. They’re one of the top tailgating foods for a reason.
They’re easy to grill, and you can make a lot at once. Just because it’s relatively simple, though, doesn’t mean that making them has to be boring.
After melting some cheese onto your burger, load on the grilled peppers and onions. It’ll be delish regardless of what kind of patty you use.
Hot Dogs & Sausages
Still got peppers and onions left over from the burgers? Well, they go perfectly with sausages. It all depends on the type of sausage, though.
Italian sausages with bell peppers on a roll is the optimal combo. Aside from that, there’s hot dogs. They’re another classic, right alongside burgers.
You seriously can’t grill anything without including hot dogs in the mix. You could also serve up some cheese-stuffed sausages or chili dogs, for variety.
BBQ Ribs
Baby back ribs are easy to transport, making them the best for tailgating. While there’s lots of sauces and dry rubs you can try, classic is best.
It’s all in the sauce. Combining ketchup with vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, molasses, and a bunch of other spices will make your ribs absolutely to-die-for.
Once you’ve mastered that, you can move on to bigger and better things. Since the sauce might take a little while to perfect, we suggest prepping it beforehand.
Guacamole
Who doesn’t love some fresh guacamole? You don’t have to make it fresh, though — you could honestly just buy a container and call it a day.
While you can go the classic route and bring a bag of chips, you’d be missing out. There’s lots of avocado recipes you can try with guacamole.
You could put it on your hot dogs, put it on a cucumber slice with grilled shrimp, or even make some ice cream! Seriously, the possibilities are endless.
Salsa & Chips
Chips and salsa are always the correct choice, for both tailgating and literally any other event in life. It’s pretty low effort, too.
You don’t have to go any further than buying some Tostitos and a jar of salsa. But you can, if you want. That’s the beauty of it.
If you decide to make homemade salsa, make it ahead of time. You won’t want to chop tomatoes and blend veggies in a parking lot.
Grilled Chicken Wings
Okay, so you don’t like hot dogs or hamburgers or ribs. That doesn’t mean you have to forego grilling entirely. Chicken wings are here to rescue you.
Grilled chicken wings are another classic that deserve to be named as one of the top tailgating foods. Like ribs, you can make this with any sauce.
Buffalo wings with bleu cheese? Wings with a sweet and spicy flair? Yes, to both. You could grill them at the tailgating party or cook them beforehand.
Skewers (Chicken, Beef, Shrimp, Vegetable)
The top tailgating foods are both simple and delicious. Skewers (or kebabs) totally fit the bill. Not only that, but they’re also super versatile.
They can suit anyone’s tastes, and be made with any kind of meats or veggies. Preparing a bunch ahead of time will help you cover all your bases.
Need some inspo? You can’t go wrong with grilled chicken, chopped peppers, and onions. If you’re a vegetarian, you can grill tofu and pineapple chunks.
Grilled Corn on the Cob
Corn on the cob on its own is good as is. But when it’s grilled? Forget about it. Especially when you sprinkle some salt onto it.
It’s pretty simple as far as tailgating foods go, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get experimental. After all, one of the best Mexican foods is elote.
If you didn’t know, elote is made of corn kernels. You can mimic that with your corn by sprinkling chili powder and cheese onto the cob.
BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Barbecue pulled pork sandwiches are probably one of the best foods to exist. They appear in my dreams, and I’m a vegetarian, so that’s saying something.
This is something you’ll definitely have to cook before game day. Whereas the others could be grilled on the spot, pulled pork calls for a slow cooker.
Not everyone eats pulled pork sandwiches with barbecue sauce, which is really weird and borderline blasphemous. Use barbecue sauce. Why wouldn’t you? Unless you’re allergic.
Grilled Shrimp
Out of the top 30 tailgating foods, you might not have expected to see these. Shrimp are easy to transport and quick to grill, making them ideal.
First, there’s no real need to cook them ahead of time. Plus, they’re a great way to enhance other dishes, like skewers and such.
That doesn’t mean you should totally wing it. There’s one thing you’ll want to plan ahead: the marinade. Anything with garlic and lemon will taste great.
Queso Dip
Okay, so neither salsa nor guacamole are your cups of tea. Bring queso! It can be as simple as buying it from the grocery store.
If you want to make it yourself, don’t start yet! Before you just melt a block of cheese, let us give you some tips and tricks.
Queso’s calls for more than just cheese. In addition to garlic and onions, you’ll want to add evaporated milk to get that typical queso dip consistency.
Spinach & Artichoke Dip
Now that we’re on the topic of legendary dips, how could we not talk about spinach and artichoke? You can’t make this in a stadium parking lot, unfortunately.
It won’t take much to make beforehand, though. Aside from the spinach and artichoke, you’ll be using lots of different cheeses. Lactose intolerants, beware.
You’ll need cream cheese, mozzarella, and parmesan, among other spices and such, like garlic. After you mix all the ingredients together, bake it for a crispy top layer.
Potato Salad
You can’t grill anything without having a side of potato salad. Well, technically you can, but the meal would feel weird and incomplete, so don’t.
Everyone has their own potato salad recipe that they swear is the best. We’re not going to pass judgment on whether it should be spicy or have eggs.
Just…don’t put raisins in it. Okay, now that that’s been said, we’ll give some suggestions. Add some celery for crunch and paprika for spice.
Jalapeño Poppers
Jalapeño poppers are a sports bar staple — why not bring them to your tailgating party? This Tex-Mex delicacy is usually stuffed with a cream cheese mixture.
To jazz it up, add bacon! Whether you stuff it with tiny bacon bits or wrap the whole thing in bacon is for you to decide.
You could also make dip out of the poppers themselves. To do so, you would use all the same ingredients and bake them together.
Cheese & Crackers Platter
I rescind my earlier statement on fresh guacamole. Well, I still think it’s one of the best foods, but there’s seriously no better combo than cheese and crackers.
You can try any cheese, with any crackers! Not a big fan of Ritz crackers with cheddar? How about whole wheat with pepper jack?
You can literally do anything. I’m a sharp cheddar person myself, but to each their own. Regardless, this is one of the best things to snack on.
Veggie Tray with Ranch Dip
Of all the top tailgating foods, this one might be slept on the most. It’s always there, though, even when you’re not paying attention to it.
On the table of every get-together or holiday dinner lies a veggie platter. You might not notice it, but it’s integral to any party’s success.
They’re so easy to buy, too. Even if you somehow couldn’t find one at the supermarket, they’re so easy to make. What’s stopping you?
Coleslaw
Coleslaw gets a terrible rep. This is because the coleslaw most people are exposed to on a regular basis is slimy and weird and from a diner.
Chances are, you only know one person who actually likes it. But that’s not the end all be all of coleslaw! Judging coleslaw by its worst version does it a disservice.
Go light on the mayo, so that the coleslaw stays crunchy (like it should be!). Take your next tailgating party as an opportunity to prove everyone wrong.
Mini Meatballs
Mini meatballs get points for being really small and cute. They’re portable, too, which is great for a tailgating party, but I like them mostly because they’re cute.
They’re taste good even outside of an IKEA. You can skewer a few, or just eat as is. You’ll still want to use a toothpick, though.
As for sauces, there’s no one right sauce to use. If you want variety, you can have a bunch of dipping sauces available in paper cups.
Pigs in a Blanket
These are another tiny food that are so much cuter than the food they’re based on. Like, hot dogs are cool, whatever, but pigs in a blanket? Adorable.
Out of the top 30 tailgating foods, they’re one of the easiest to make. The only downside is that you’ll have to make a lot of them.
Everyone at the tailgating party will treat you as their savior if you bring these. Dunk them in mustard! Or ketchup. But you should choose mustard.
Buffalo Chicken Dip
Buffalo chicken dip is a game day classic that never gets old. The recipe calls for a slow cooker, so you have to cook it ahead of time.
That is, unless you want to slow cook in the parking lot overnight. We don’t get why you’d choose to do that, but you do you.
This dip doesn’t call for that many ingredients. All you really need is chicken, buffalo sauce, ranch dressing, cream cheese, and cheddar cheese, and you’re golden.
Popcorn
Popcorn is a fantastic snack. It doesn’t matter whether you’re eating it in the movie theater or at a tailgating party, popcorn reigns supreme.
As far as we’re concerned, those long bags of kettle corn fit the bill. Those work just as well as any other tailgating food.
Popcorn is easy to make no matter how you slice it. You could buy it bagged, get microwaveable popcorn, or pop the kernels yourself.
Baked Beans
Baked beans, like potato salad, are a staple side dish with any grilled meal. You have got to include it in your tailgating party.
To spice them up, you can add some bacon bits or mix them with spicy brown mustard. They’re just as delicious all on their own, though.
It’s best to make a big pan of baked beans beforehand and bring them in a big aluminum foil container. They’ll be eaten up in no time.
Caesar Salad
Hear us out! Hear us out. If there’s any kind of salad that belongs at a tailgating party, it’s got to be a Caesar salad.
Maybe you don’t want a burger. Maybe you can’t eat a hot dog. The answer? A container of Caesar salad. Just make sure it doesn’t get soggy.
Make it right before you leave, or have the dressing in a separate container and add it later. Just don’t skimp on the croutons!
Pretzels & Beer Cheese Dip
Soft pretzels are already perfect as is. With a little bit of mustard? They’re out-of-this-world. With a beer cheese dip? Their deliciousness can’t even be defined by words.
You can store both the pretzels and the cheese in the freezer overnight before bringing to the tailgating party. When you arrive, everyone will love you.
You can make whole pretzels, or just soft pretzel bites. We suggest the bites, though, since they’re smaller and easier to share with people.
Mozzarella Sticks
Mozzarella sticks are the perfect finger food. Five stars, no notes. You could heat up some frozen ones before the game, or you could make them yourself.
Whatever you do, it’ll be cheaper than whatever stadium concessions there are, anyway. Oh, and don’t forget the marinara sauce. You can’t have mozzarella sticks without it.
If you want to get really fancy, you could make your marinara sauce from scratch. All you need is tomatoes (duh), onion, thyme, garlic, olive oil, and basil.
Chicken Tenders
Come on. They’re chicken tenders. You definitely love them. Well, maybe you don’t, but there’s a 9 out of 10 chance that you do.
Since they involve lots of breading and prior preparation, you can’t exactly grill them onsite. That’s the case with much of the top 30 tailgating foods, though.
And that doesn’t take away from how good they are! Pop them in the air fryer and you’re golden. You don’t have to put in any more effort.
Steak Tips
If you’re from New England, you’re probably well-acquainted with steak tips already. If you’re not, you might not have a clue. Allow us to enlighten you.
Steak tips are basically small chunks of steak. They’re made from flap steak, or the loin, and cooked until medium rare. There’s lots of ways to eat them.
For a tailgating party, though, you might want to skewer them. Or eat as is. Honestly, anything but a stew. That’s way too much work.
Macaroni Salad
Macaroni salad is another key side dish. You’ll want to serve it cold, and transport it in a cooler. Most people use elbow macaroni.
If you don’t know your way around a grill but still want to contribute something, macaroni salad is the perfect go-to. Like any salad, it requires little effort.
Most of your energy will probably go into making the dressing. Whatever you decide, don’t skimp on the mayo. That’s what makes a macaroni salad a macaroni salad.
Nachos Supreme
Regular nachos are fine. I mean, they are good. It’s cheese over chips. Can’t go wrong with that. But nachos supreme? Now we’re talking.
Ditch your simple nachos recipe and opt for nachos supreme. By supreme, we mean load as many ingredients as possible onto your nachos without them breaking.
We’re talking jalapeños, olives, pico de gallo, two, three, four different types of melted cheeses. The world is your oyster (or plate of nachos).
Deviled Eggs
What better to close this off than another iconic side dish? Deviled eggs are a little more involved than macaroni salad, but are still super simple.
You don’t need to be a professional chef to make them. If you know how to boil eggs and mix things, you’ll figure it out.
Once they’re done boiling, scoop the egg yolks into a separate bowl. Mix them together with mustard, mayo, and whatever else your heart desires.
Top 30 Tailgating Foods: Which One’s Your Fave?
When it comes to tailgating foods, there’s actually lots of options for you to choose from. You might think you’d be limited, but you couldn’t be more wrong.
It doesn’t matter if you made deviled eggs ahead of time or grill burgers in the lot. Either way, you’re bound to eat some delicious food.
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