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…
What if I told you that you can make one of the most irresistible appetizers at home? These carne asada fries are a lot like nachos, but swapping tortilla chips for fries! The recipe is easy and can be done by following these simple steps:…
This American dessert trifle recipe is one my family and I look forward to every year! Remember on that episode of Friends when Rachel makes a traditional English trifle and gets the ingredients all mixed up? Thankfully, this is NOTHING like that. We have layers…
It’s not a party unless you have chicken wings! These garlic Parmesan chicken wings from the grill are a must for any occasion. Savory, buttery, mild flavors make these a crowd pleaser for all types of taste buds.
Can I let you in on a little secret? You can indeed get crispy wings without having to use a deep fryer or air fryer. Here are the three things I do:
When adding a teaspoon of corn starch, use your favorite chicken seasoning or my very own Rocky Mtn Beef Rub. This gives a great blend of salt, pepper, garlic, coriander, and a hint of lime.
With the grill preheated to 400 degrees over indirect heat, place the seasoned chicken wings on the grill. Make sure to space them out just enough to where they aren’t touching. If they are touching, then the skin won’t cook as well and leave you with soggy spots.
Grill the wings for 30 minutes away from the flames with pecan wood. Remove and place in a large mixing bowl with two cloves of minced garlic, 1/2 Cup of grated Parmesan cheese, 1/4 Cup of chopped parsley, and four tablespoons of melted butter. Mix ingredients by hand until all wings are coated evenly.
Place wings back on grill for another 10 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 175 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook by temp, not time.
Once internal temp of chicken wings is achieved at 175 degrees, remove and coat with extra Parmesan cheese and a little extra seasoning. Serve immediately.
If you happen to have leftover chicken wings, simply store them in an airtight container and place them in the refrigerator. They can be stored like this for up to four days.
If you happen to have leftover chicken wings from your Super Bowl party (for example), the best ways to reheat are either in the broiler for two to three minutes or in the air fryer. You can air fry them at 375 degrees for four minutes.
Bacon Wrapped Chorizo Jalapeño Poppers
Animal Style Sliders (In-N-Out Burger Copycat)
Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings are perfect for parties at events such as the Super Bowl, New Year’s, Fourth of July, or any tailgate! Tips for crispy chicken wings included!
NOTE: Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
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…
What if I told you that you can make one of the most irresistible appetizers at home? These carne asada fries are a lot like nachos, but swapping tortilla chips for fries! The recipe is easy and can be done by following these simple steps:…
This American dessert trifle recipe is one my family and I look forward to every year! Remember on that episode of Friends when Rachel makes a traditional English trifle and gets the ingredients all mixed up? Thankfully, this is NOTHING like that. We have layers…
It’s not a party unless you have chicken wings! These garlic Parmesan chicken wings from the grill are a must for any occasion. Savory, buttery, mild flavors make these a crowd pleaser for all types of taste buds. Ingredients Needed The Secret to Crispy Wings…
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…