17 Tailgating Recipes to Please a Crowd

Umami Burgers with Port and Stilton

Resist the urge to pile on any of the usual toppings — lettuce, tomato, ketchup. "The port is your condiment," explains Umami Burger's Adam Fleischman.

Three-Cheese Queso Nachos

Whether you're making this loaded tray of nachos for entertaining or the ultimate snack dinner, it's sure to impress.

Buffalo Wings

Cook these classic Buffalo wings in an air fryer or on the stove, then toss them in a buttery hot sauce and serve with creamy blue cheese sauce.

Super Crispy Fried Chicken Sandwiches

Seasoning boneless, skinless chicken thighs with a classic Southern fried chicken spice blend and dill pickle brine makes for the juiciest, crunchiest fried chicken sandwiches. Choose dill pickles without much sugar, which can burn during cooking.

Guacamole with Charred Jalapeño and Scallions

F&W's Grace Parisi invented this smoky guacamole, then presented three ingenious ways to use it: in a soup, an hors d'oeuvre, and a salad dressing.

Achari Pimiento Cheese Spread

Farhan Momin  took this Southern staple and gave it a makeover by incorporating her mom’s classic Indian pickling spices. 

Herb-Roasted Pork Subs with Garlicky Spinach

To create this outstanding sandwich, Matt Neal rubs pork shoulder with an herb-and-garlic mixture and then slow-roasts it for hours ("Forever," he says). He piles the meat high with pickled peppers and spinach sautéed with garlic. One key to the sandwich is to slice the pork very thinly; to do so, be sure the pork is very cold and use a deli slicer or a thin, sharp knife.

Smokin' Sweet Chicken Wings with Cherry Barbecue Glaze

Cherry preserves with habanero chile create a fabulously sticky, sweet and spicy glaze for grilled chicken wings. Glaze them just before serving so the sugars don't burn.

Nacho Burgers

Of all the burger recipes F&W has run (more than 100), and of the six from chef Bobby Flay, this one is the over-the-top best, with juicy meat, gooey cheese, salsa and tortilla chips.

Bacon-Bourbon Brownies with Pecans

Kat Kinsman tops her rich brownies with bacon and pecans. To enhance the smoky flavor, she mixes some of the bacon fat into the batter.

Adobo Chicken Wings

At her pop-up, Ulam, in Dallas, chef Anna Swann combines the flavors of chicken adobo with another childhood favorite, fried chicken wings

Game-Day Pork and Black Bean Chili

Crosshatch Hot Dogs on Grilled Croissants

These sweet-savory glazed hot dogs were inspired by a dish Marcia Kiesel discovered at a Manhattan Chinatown restaurant. They're cut in a crosshatch pattern, which makes the franks cook even faster, and served in a grilled mustard-brushed croissant.

Grilled Philly Cheesesteaks

Butcher Tom Mylan uses a cast-iron skillet on the grill to prepare his steak, onion, pepper and cheese hoagies.

Grilled Lamb Ribs with Chimichurri

Chef Santiago Garat grills these lamb ribs at outdoor barbecue parties at the farm so they're crispy on the outside. The tangy, extra-herby chimichurri is a perfect partner for the rich meat.

Grilled Shrimp with Oregano and Lemon

The sauce for this shrimp is a simple version of Italy's salmoriglio, typically made with lemon and herbs in a mortar. The sauce is also delicious spooned over grilled swordfish or any other meaty fish.

Black Pepper Jerky

This classic jerky gets a double dose of peppery flavor from both cracked peppercorns in the marinade and coarsely ground peppercorns on top.