The Best Tailgate Recipes Inspired by NFL Tailgate Takedown

What’s better than saucy ribs? How about saucy ribs dipped in smoked brie for an extra layer of creamy barbecue goodness? You can ditch the crackers and dip these baby back ribs right into the brie wheel for a genius appetizer that will blow your guests away. Just don’t forget to pack extra napkins.

If you’re looking for an app that’s sweet and sticky with just the right amount of heat, these skewers are perfect. The recipe elevates your basic chicken with a handful of ingredients, but you could swap in tofu, mushrooms, or any other meat to customize them for your own guests. They also come in skewer form, which is always appreciated when you want to walk around the parking lot with your snack.

If one of your tailgate party goals is to minimize mess, we think these mozzarella sticks are genius. That’s because they integrate creamy ranch flavours right into the actual sticks, eliminating the need for messy dipping. They’re also way more flavourful than your typical frozen variety but super easy to make if you’ve got a bag of cheese strings in the fridge.

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Meat pies in the shape of a football? We almost can’t deal with how cute these are. We guarantee guests will absolutely fawn over the impressively perfect parcels of game day goodness, but the good news is they taste as amazing as they look.

Why serve a regular cheese dip when you can wow guests with this tangy-but-fiery corn dip packed with addictive flavours? It’s a genius way to use leftover corn on the cob in the summer, but it also comes together with a cup of frozen kernels in the winter, making it one of our new favourite year-round dips to enjoy pre, during, or post-sports.

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As the title of this recipe suggests, these burgers mean business. It’s your basic chuck burger recipe paired with potato buns and delicious toppings like fresh onions, avocado, and cheese. That simplicity also makes this recipe genius: everyone can customize their own plate. If you want to get wild, make mini versions and serve up sliders instead.

There are so many chicken wing recipes to try, but if you want to put a unique twist on your tailgate food, why not try this jerk chicken recipe? Fresh Scotch bonnets, peeled ginger, and garlic come together with a medley of spices and brown sugar meant to make your tongue sing.

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We tend to associate chili with football, but it’s a warm and comforting recipe for any sport. It travels well, can be easily customized for specific diets, and is universally loved. We’re fans of this recipe, which comes together quickly in the Instant Pot, and features a touch of coffee for that extra depth guests will love but can’t quite put their fingers on.

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All you need is a heat source and a cast iron skillet to recreate these simple but delicious nachos, which makes them a great snack when you’re hanging out in the parking lot and waiting for the game to start (or celebrating a big win). We like that you can easily customize them to your guests’ tastes, not to mention that they’re ready to eat in just 10 minutes.

Everyone loves meatballs on game day, including vegetarians, thanks to this meatless recipe. These “meatballs” are packed with veggies and flavour and can be paired with a variety of sides: rice, garlic bread, pasta, or just plain old sauce. Heck, you could even whip up a batch and serve them with toothpicks.

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