9 Must-Haves for Your Barbecue

Charcoal

Gas grills may be easier to heat up and use to cook things uniformly, but if you have a little extra time and skill at the grill, charcoal is where it’s at. There’s nothing like a little smoky char on that meat to kick things up in the flavor department. If you need a primer, we have the tips you need for how to use a charcoal grill.

Outdoor Lighting

If you want to keep the party going long into the night, it’s time to break out the groovy twinkle lights. You can just get a few strings of plug-in bistro lights and string them above your table for a nice effect or get solar-powered lights to hang in your backyard.

Meat + Mushrooms

It goes without saying that any barbecue is not complete without the meat and some portobellos to throw on the grill for the vegetarians in the house. If you’ve never made a hamburger on the grill, we’ve got a foolproof method. Try one of our out-of-the-box burger ideas, or our tasty homemade veggie burger.

Skewers

What’s the easiest and most crowd-pleasing barbecue dish to make? Kabobs! They have plenty of fun stuff on them (you can basically cut anything into cubes and throw it on the grill) and are very easy to cook. Make sure to pick some up at the grocery store when you buy your barbecue supplies, and while you’re at the store, get ingredients for one of our tasty kabob recipes.

Sides

You’ll want sides that are light and can sit outside in the heat for a while if people are going to be snacking throughout the day. Pasta salad is always a good option, as are fresh fruit and veggies. Need inspiration? We’ve got you covered. 

Cool Cocktails

Once you get that meat cooked up, you’ll want to have a drink to pair with it. White wines and beer are great for alfresco drinking season, as are any of these cool-down cocktails.

Chilled Desserts

Who wants ice pops? If you’re at a summer barbecue, the answer is pretty much everyone. Instead of getting those same old pops at the grocery store, why not make our own? From icebox cakes to popsicles, we’ve got the frozen desserts you need to stay cool.

Games

And what are you going to do to keep yourself entertained once the plates are cleared? Whip out the games! We’re huge fans of the game corn hole here in the Midwest, but any activity you can do outside will work, from card games to badminton.

Your Camera

Summer only lasts a short while, so make sure to snap a few pics. You’ll want something to remember your summer dining success once the cold season hits!