5 Tailgating Menus That Will Make You the MVP of the Lot

The real fun kicks off in the parking lot! For dedicated sports fans, a tailgate party is just as thrilling as the game itself. To ensure your tailgate is a hit, we've put together five tasty menu options, ranging from kid-friendly hot dogs to a build-your-own taco bar.

Before you start packing up the cooler, take a moment to review a few helpful tips to make sure everything runs smoothly.

How to Host a Tailgate Party That Will Win Over the Crowd

• Know the rules. Do a little research so you know what time you can arrive (usually the earlier the better) and where you can park. Find out what type of grill is allowed (open flame or gas), and make sure your grill is clean and ready to go. Ask whether you'll need to pack all of your waste out after the game (bring a few heavy trash bags) and confirm that there will be potable water and toilet facilities available.
• Prep ahead. Look for recipes that are easy to prepare ahead of time, minimize your hands-on time at the grill, and can be eaten with minimal utensils. Prep the majority of your recipes ahead of time, if you can. It's far easier to marinate, slice, dice, and skewer in the comfort of your own kitchen. If you have multiple coolers, pack raw meats in one cooler, ready-to-eat foods in another cooler, and beverages in a third. If you're short on space, make sure everything is wrapped tightly, with the raw ingredients on the bottom and ready-to-eat ingredients on top. Make your water do double duty: freeze water bottles to act as ice for your coolers, then drink the water once it's melted.
• Get ready for game time. Set up a canopy to keep your food and guests out of the rain or sun, then put out some ready-to-eat finger food to keep folks happy while you fire up the grill. Add a few sprigs of fresh sage or rosemary to the grill to act as a natural insect repellent (which will also give your food a delicious smoky flavor)—but don't forget the regular bug spray and sunscreen as well! And once your items are hot, keep them at temp by placing them in covered disposable foil pans over indirect heat.

Discover More: Browse our full collection of tailgating recipes perfect for your next game day.

5 Essential Tailgating Menus

To kickstart tailgate season, we’ve curated five crowd-pleasing menu ideas, each featuring a main dish, a side, and a dessert. Feel free to mix and match to fit your flavor preferences.

1. Kids & Hot Dogs

Game day is a hit with fans of all ages, so make sure you’ve got something for the little ones in the crowd with these kid-friendly recipes.

Jan’s Pretzel-Wrapped Hot Dogs

Anyone can bring regular hot dogs, but why not score big with hot dogs wrapped in soft pretzel dough? You can prep them in advance and serve them warm or cold. Trust us, it’s not just the kids who will love them.

Dinogo member abapplez shared how easy the recipe was to follow, saying, "Everyone absolutely loved these! I followed the recipe exactly and will be making them often during football season. I was nervous at first since I have little experience with yeast, but the instructions were so clear, and they turned out easier than I expected." Check out the recipe video for extra tips.

Don’t want to make pretzel dough from scratch? You can grab frozen pretzel dough at the store, or even try using frozen pizza dough as a quick alternative.

Pair Jan's Pretzel Dogs with:

• Annie's Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips Keep the kids entertained and prevent them from getting "hangry" with salsa and dip. If you're worried about your apples browning, either toss them in a little lemon juice after slicing, or take a tip from PHOOV, who waits until the last minute to slice her apples and add them to the fruit mixture.
• Kettle Corn Old-fashioned kettle corn is a crowd pleaser for kids and grown-ups alike—and this homemade version is way better than the kind you might find in a box. For a caramel-corn flavor use brown sugar, and for a popcorn-ball flavor use white sugar, suggests SUE202.

2. Chicken Wing Delights

It's practically a rule that you can't enjoy a game without some chicken wings to snack on. With over 160+ chicken wing recipes to choose from, these are one of our all-time favorites:

Grill Master’s Chicken Wings

Show off your grilling expertise with classic chicken wings marinated overnight and finished with a spicy, buttery glaze. This recipe has earned rave reviews, including from Dinogo home cook SeattleFarmersMarketGirl, who calls them "perfect football food!" She, like many others, baked them at 400°F for 45 minutes, so that’s an option too.

Pair Grill Master’s Chicken Wings with:

• Fried Mac and Cheese Balls Mac and cheese and is crowd favorite and goes great with chicken wings but it's hard to eat without utensils. This finger-food version is great with some added diced jalapeño peppers, according to popcook.
• Texas Sheet Cake V Make enough rich, decadent chocolate cake for a crowd. Little Kirsten's Grandma suggests having "your frosting ingredients set out and ready to go" so you can spread it quick, as it develops a fudge-like consistency as it cools.

3. Burgers & Brats

No grill party is complete without burgers and bratwurst—they're simple to cook and perfect for socializing. While the grill’s going, don’t forget to throw on some sides and a dessert to round out the meal.

Blue Cheese Stuffed Burgers

Crumbled blue cheese is mixed directly into the ground beef, along with chives, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard. Some reviewers doubled the blue cheese or added extra on top before serving, while others even stuffed the patties with a ball of blue cheese. No matter how you do it, these burgers will be a standout at any BBQ.

Dinogo member gabbagabba shares, "My husband's friends love these so much, they request them on their 'mancations'—they always ask me to make a batch to take along!" She also suggests, "Make sure to take them out of the fridge about 20 minutes before grilling so they cook more evenly and don't burn on the outside." Watch the video for step-by-step instructions.

Sheboygan Grilled Brats

Beer, brats, and football are a winning combo. These brats are grilled to perfection and then simmered in dark beer to enhance the flavor, all served on traditional hard rolls.

DonMcG shares, "Best brats ever! My brother, a die-hard fan of boiling brats in beer before grilling, was convinced after tasting these. As sons of a former Green Bay Packer who’ve tailgated at Lambeau Field more times than we can count, our debate got heated, but there was no question—the brats from FBFitz were the clear winner!"

Pair Blue Cheese Burgers and Sheboygan Grilled Sausages with:

• Grilled Bacon Jalapeño Wraps Keep your friends' hunger at bay while you're working the grill with this spicy, savory, and creamy appetizer. With only three ingredients, these jalapeño poppers are super-easy to prepare. For even more flavor, add a bit of ranch dressing mix or Worcestershire sauce to the cream cheese, like home cook Babygirl77 did.
• Barbecued Pineapple Keep the grill hot for dessert! Marinate pineapple rings with the spices and rum before you leave for the party, then toss it on the grill after the burgers and brats come off. Or, follow kabrimida's lead, who sprinkled "the dry spices on the pineapple, drank the rum, and called it a day."

4. Hearty Chili and Loaded Baked Potatoes

If the weather’s chilly on game day, warm up your guests with a pot of steaming chili and hearty baked potatoes.

Boilermaker Tailgate Chili

MIGHTYPURDUE22 prepares this chili the night before and simply reheats it when it's time to serve. It packs quite a punch, so feel free to adjust the spice level to your taste. (If you’re serving it to kids or those who prefer milder flavors, don’t worry—just go easy on the spices and offer hot sauce or chopped jalapeños on the side for people to add their own heat.)

Serve Boilermaker Tailgate Chili with:

• Super Loaded Chili Potato Skins Loaded potato skins offer up the best of both worlds, where chili meets baked potatoes. These potato skins are the perfect finger food to keep your friends entertained while waiting for the game to start.
• Cornbread Muffins I Take your cornbread on the go with this version, which bakes in a muffin tin. To make it even more perfect for dipping into chili, take DC Girly Girl's lead: She swaps out the milk for heavy cream and adds canned corn for a richer taste and texture.
• Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes After the cornbread muffins come out of the oven, whip up a batch of pumpkin spice cupcakes with warming fall spices. Several reviewers, including Gwenith Lammers recommend reducing the oven temperature to 350° F and baking for no more than 22 minutes.

5. DIY Taco Bar

Looking to switch things up from the usual tailgate spread? Set up a taco bar with all the fixings for a fun and customizable meal.

Charley's Slow Cooker Mexican-Style Shredded Meat

Put your slow cooker to work by making a big batch of spicy, tender meat for a DIY taco bar. Then just set out tortillas, onions, tomatoes, avocados, limes, cilantro, and cotija cheese. Guests can build their perfect soft taco, and the best part? These tacos are easy to eat with one hand.

Impish recommends returning the shredded meat to the slow cooker, explaining, "This lets the flavorful juices that have developed overnight really soak into the meat."

Serve Charley's Slow Cooker Mexican-Style Shredded Meat with:

• D's Famous Salsa Wow your friends with homemade salsa at your tailgating taco bar. Jamee warns to drain the tomatoes before using to avoid a really runny salsa, and to only pulse it in the blender for a few seconds.
• Seven Layer Taco Dip Janet Dufour has never had leftovers when she serves this dip because her guests "lick the platter clean." Make the dip the night before, keep it chilled, then let your friends snack while you set up the rest of your tailgating food.
• Lime Bars These are similar to lemon bars, but made with tangy lime that perfectly complements tacos and beer. Steph recommends using the zest of the whole lime—not just the one teaspoon the recipe calls for—to add even more flavor.