When football season kicks off, there’s lots to get excited about. Spending time with friends and family, cheering on your team, and, most importantly, tailgate parties!
Before you go breaking out the BBQ smoker and grill, there are a few things to keep in mind to make sure your tailgate party goes off without a hitch. Here are a few tips on how to throw a summer tailgate party to remember:
Remember to Prep
When it comes to tailgating, you’ll have a lot to do once you arrive at your location. Setting up your smoker grill, getting the cooking started, entertaining your guests, and having a good time are all going to take up a lot of time and attention.
So, give yourself a head start by doing as much prep and organization as possible the day before:
Start marinating anything that needs it the night before.
Separate all your meats out and package them up so they can go straight in the BBQ smoker and on the grill the next day.
Pre-slice any burger fixings you’ll be bringing.
Pack your condiments, utensils, cups, etc.
Don’t forget to pack any cleanup equipment you’ll need.
Models of meat smokers such as the Southern Comfort Reverse Flow Smoker come with built-in storage for lots of these items. Just make sure everything is properly secured before transporting it on the day of the tailgate party.
Think About the Meat!
During a tailgate party, it’s best to keep it pretty simple with the types of meat you cook while trying to make sure there’ll be something for everyone.
Keep it simple with burgers, hot dogs, wings, and anything else that is easy to cook. Smoker grill models such as the Goliath Reverse Flow Smoker give you tons of smoking and grill space to keep the food supply moving.
People are moving around a lot and might not have a place to sit down, so handheld foods like burgers let you flip them off the grill and straight into a bun!
Meat is important, but try to include some vegetarian and vegan options just in case. It’s nice to make people with these dietary preferences feel welcome at your tailgate party, too!
There are many burger, sausage, and dog plant-based options in the refrigerator case of most markets these days. Add a little barbecue sauce and your friends might not notice the difference. You can also skewer up some mushrooms, onions, summer squash, peppers, and eggplants; bring an oil and vinegar dressing with which to baste them, and watch them disappear. Roasted corn is also hugely popular.
Choose Your On-Site Setup Carefully
The way you set things up at your tailgate site is important because it’s going to get busy around the BBQ grill—especially when people get hungry!
Set up your meat smoker and grill, your topping and condiments table, and your utensils in a logical flow. Keep drinks separate and away from this area to avoid confusion.
Check out the Gameday Smoker—it has tons of storage to help you bring along everything you’ll need!
Tailgate parties can feel like a lot of work, but they’re so worth the effort! To make life easier, check out our range of trailer mounted smokers for sale to help with storage, transport, and cooking for large groups once you get there. Got questions? Call us today at (405)-820-8846 to talk about all your BBQ smoker needs.