BBQ recipes, product reviews, & how-to's
Ever since I got into smoking meat, I’ve been told that brisket burnt ends are the pinnacle of barbecue. To be honest, I never had much of an interest in making them. After waiting 12-14 hours of smoking a brisket, then letting it rest for…
This smoked shrimp recipe is one I have been longing to post ever since I first made it. I usually like to try the recipe out a few times to make sure I’ve got the best taste possible. I love this smoked shrimp recipe so…
Do you love pulled pork, but don’t have all day to smoke it? Did you know you can get the same salivating results in about half the time? The hot and fast pulled pork method will shave hours off your cook time and give you…
In this recipe, I’m going to teach you how to cook a chuck eye steak on the grill. I’ll also tell you some fun facts about the cut, the other names it goes by, and what else to serve with it. What Makes Chuck Eye…
Kick up your mini burger game by making these mouthwatering animal style burger sliders! You may want to double the recipe because they will get gobbled up quick! I’ll walk you through the simple process below. What is Animal Style on a Burger? Animal style…
Buffalo chicken and jalapeño poppers – two of the food world’s greatest gifts. What if I told you that you could have a mouthwatering appetizer featuring both at once? With these Buffalo chicken jalapeño poppers, it is possible!
These buffalo chicken jalapeño poppers on the grill are a game changer for your next party, tailgate, movie night, or just when you’re in the mood for something ridiculously delicious. Let’s get down to the tips and tricks to make sure these poppers are as perfect as they sound.
Here’s the brief rundown of ingredients for Buffalo chicken poppers:
You want your poppers to have a good balance of flavor without totally burning your taste buds off. The majority of the spice from jalapeños come from the seeds and membranes. When those are removed, jalapeños have very little heat to them.
Cut jalapenos in half long ways, then scoop the seeds and membranes out to make room for the Buffalo chicken stuffing. But if you want extra heat, leave some of the seeds in.
Since this is a BBQ page, I love using smoked chicken in my buffalo chicken jalapeño poppers. Simply take one chicken breast, season with your favorite BBQ rub (I’m using Chicken Rub from Girls Can Grill), and cook on the grill at 375 degrees over indirect heat. I like using hickory wood for smoking this way.
The target temperature of the chicken breast should be 160 degrees. Remove, let rest, and internal temp should rise to the FDA approved 165 degrees. Shred with forks or with your hands. I like to use food safe gloves for this as it helps provide a little insulation from the hot chicken breast.
Note: You can use cooked chicken from a rotisserie, oven, grill, or slow cooker. The key is to keep that chicken nice and juicy.
You know how cream cheese makes everything better? Well, in the case of jalapeño poppers, it’s doing some heavy lifting. It’s the secret to a creamy, dreamy filling that will make you forget you’re eating plain ol’ jalapeño. I’ve used generic and premium brands of cream cheese and I notice a difference in flavor.
With that said, I highly recommend a premium brand of cream cheese such as Philadelphia or Tillamook. An eight ounce package, or “brick” of cream cheese, is just the right amount. Make sure the cream cheese is softened by either pulling it out of the refrigerator an hour beforehand. Or do what I usually do and cut the block up into pieces and microwave for 20 seconds.
In a large mixing bowl, put in the shredded chicken breast, softened brick of cream cheese, 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup of Buffalo sauce (or hot sauce), and some blue cheese dressing. Add in a tablespoon of BBQ seasoning for more flavor.
Mix ingredients by hand or with a large spoon. Once mixed well, spoon the creamy Buffalo chicken filling into the hallowed out jalapeños. This should fill between 16 to 20 jalapeño halves (sizes of jalapeños will vary). Place on a large baking sheet and top the poppers with a light amount of shredded cheddar cheese.
With the grill preheated to 350 degrees over indirect heat, place baking sheet full of Buffalo chicken poppers in smoker and cook for 25 minutes. Remove from the grill and serve immediately. That’s it!
While you can eat this game day appetizer exactly how it is, they do taste great when dipped in blue cheese dressing. Serve alongside carrots and celery to give it a more authentic Buffalo chicken wing effect.
Folks from Buffalo, where Buffalo wings were created, prefer blue cheese dressing to pair it with. The Midwesterner in me loves ranch and uses it with a lot of foods, so it is tempting to pair it with Buffalo chicken poppers. Ultimately, it is a matter of personal preference.
Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers w/Chorizo
These buffalo chicken jalapeño poppers are a game changer for your next party, tailgate, movie night, or just when you're in the mood for something ridiculously delicious.
Note: Nutrition information isn't always accurate.
Baked beans are a classic side dish for any barbecue. They pair well with smoked brisket, pulled pork, and ribs. Most baked beans recipes will require soaking dry beans for hours then simmering all of the ingredients together for a few hours more. While the…
If there is such a thing as dessert comfort food, then apple pie would be it! The balance of sweet and tart in the apples, combined with cinnamon and nutmeg. Add in the smell of it coming fresh out of the oven or grill makes…
This smoked cream cheese with apple cinnamon is the ultimate cream cheese dessert recipe! This dip is very easy to make and is sure to vanish fast at your holiday party or any other gathering! Let’s dig into the process.
Cream cheese is often used in desserts due to its unique flavor, creamy texture, and appearance. Adding a hint of cherry wood smoke adds another element of flavor!
To begin, preheat your grill to 250 degrees with cherry wood over indirect heat. While the grill is preheating, take out two 8 ounce bricks of cream cheese and place on a greased cookie sheet. I prefer to use the premium brands of cream cheese as the quality makes a difference in the taste. If you would like a savory smoked cream cheese dip, follow this recipe.
Score the top of the cream cheese with 1/4 inch cuts that are an inch apart in a diagonal direction. Cut diagonally the other direction to make hash marks. We do this to get more smoke flavor into the cream cheese.
Season the cream cheese with a blend of sugar and cinnamon. I like to make this mix in a small bowl by doing four parts sugar and one part cinnamon. Mix together and sprinkle on top of cream cheese. Place the cream cheese on the grill and smoke for 90 minutes.
Tip: line the cookie sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup.
Take a 28 ounce can of apple pie filling and pour it onto a cutting board. With a knife, take the apple slices and cut them into fourths. We do this to get more apple bits with each dipping into the smoked cream cheese dessert.
Do a light sprinkle of cinnamon on your apple pie filling to enhance the flavor. When done, place the filling in a medium sized bowl and pour evenly over the two bricks of smoked cream cheese while they are on the grill. Close the lid and smoke for another 30 minutes to get the apple cinnamon dessert warm.
If you prefer to make an apple pie filling of your own, then by all means do it! I have a recipe for that here. Doing the canned version saves time and is more convenient.
The final step in the smoked cream cheese dessert recipe is to make the icing. This is simply done by combining one cup of confectioner’s sugar, two tablespoons of milk, and a half teaspoon of vanilla extract in a small bowl. Stir with a small whisk until ingredients are well mixed together.
Drizzle the icing over the apple cinnamon smoked cream cheese and serve immediately. This recipe is best while it is warm.
Tip: for thicker icing, add more confectioner’s sugar. For thinner icing, add more milk. Also, add a pinch of salt for balance.
This dessert dip goes great with baked bread slices such as crostini and bagel chips. Feel free to venture out and dip with fruits such as strawberries and …more apples!
While it is possible to eat this dip chilled, the cream cheese firms up and will be tougher to eat as a dip. Reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds or until soft.
This smoked cream cheese with apple cinnamon is the ultimate cream cheese dessert recipe! This dip is very easy to make and is sure to vanish fast at your holiday party or any other gathering!
Note: Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
This smoked pork belly recipe is an absolute must try for any BBQ lover! This pork belly brisket uses simple ingredients and cooks in less time than the traditional beef brisket. As a bonus, it also costs less. Let me show you the process. Watch…
Texas style smoked spare ribs are an absolute must for anyone who enjoys BBQ! All you need for this Texas style ribs recipe is smoke, salt, and pepper. In this recipe, I’ll walk you through the of making the best pork ribs! Ingredients for Texas…
Queso fundido is the easiest dip to make and only takes two ingredients. Also known as queso flameado or chorizo con queso, this melty, cheesy dip recipe is one that you’ll love!
This Mexican dip only takes two ingredients:
That’s it. That’s the list!
The first step is to cook the chorizo in a medium or large sized skillet. How much chorizo you cook depends on how much cheese you plan to use. I prefer to have more cheese than chorizo for the dip. So if you’re cooking eight ounces of chorizo, then use at least 10 ounces of that melty Oaxaca cheese.
Cook the chorizo over medium heat until it starts to brown. Easily break up the chorizo by using a meat masher like I use in the video in this recipe. Drain the grease in a colander or use paper towels to soak up grease in the skillet while the chorizo is still in there.
Turn the heat source for your skillet down to medium-low heat and add the cheese. Oaxaca cheese is a mild cheese with a similar taste to Monterey Jack, but more melty. Which make this perfect for dipping.
Oaxaca cheese comes in a ball and can be picked apart and put into the skillet. I usually see Oaxaca come in 10 oz. portions and use the whole thing. It melts quickly and should take about three minutes. Once it’s done melting, serve right away!
This dip is best served with tortilla chips, pretzels, and vegetables such as carrots for dipping. While the cheese is melty, it is thick so using a thicker tortilla chip is preferable. Queso fundido can also be served as a topping on tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and even taco salads.
If you don’t have Oaxaca cheese, Monterey jack is very comparable and can be used instead. Another common cheese that can be used is mozzarella, for it does melt well and has a similar taste. Other Mexican cheeses, such as queso fresco or asadero, can be substituted as well.
This Mexican dip is good for up to four days when stored in an airtight container and placed in the refrigerator. Can be reheated in the microwave, oven, or even on a stovetop.
Griddled Chorizo Breakfast Burritos
Chorizo Jalapeno Poppers with Bacon
Queso fundido is the easiest dip to make and only takes two ingredients. Also known as queso flameado or chorizo con queso, this melty, cheesy dip recipe is one that you'll love!
Note: Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
Pickles have grown in even more popularity recently and the fried pickle dip recipe is now the perfect dip to try! This easy pickle dip recipe stands out as it uses smoked cream cheese, ranch seasoning, and bacon. And dill pickles, of course (amongst other…
In this recipe, I’m going to teach you how to cook a chuck eye steak on the grill. I’ll also tell you some fun facts about the cut, the other names it goes by, and what else to serve with it. What Makes Chuck Eye…
Kick up your mini burger game by making these mouthwatering animal style burger sliders! You may want to double the recipe because they will get gobbled up quick! I’ll walk you through the simple process below. What is Animal Style on a Burger? Animal style…
Buffalo chicken and jalapeño poppers – two of the food world’s greatest gifts. What if I told you that you could have a mouthwatering appetizer featuring both at once? With these Buffalo chicken jalapeño poppers, it is possible! These buffalo chicken jalapeño poppers on the…
Baked beans are a classic side dish for any barbecue. They pair well with smoked brisket, pulled pork, and ribs. Most baked beans recipes will require soaking dry beans for hours then simmering all of the ingredients together for a few hours more. While the…
If there is such a thing as dessert comfort food, then apple pie would be it! The balance of sweet and tart in the apples, combined with cinnamon and nutmeg. Add in the smell of it coming fresh out of the oven or grill makes…