9 Easy Tailgate Foods Everyone Will Want to Eat

A parking lot, a cooler, and a hungry crowd make for a tough kitchen. The best tailgate food is the kind that can be made mostly at home, travels well, and needs very little work once the game gets close.

Each dish below comes with simple steps and a note on what to prepare ahead. Pick a few and the table fills up quickly.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sliders

This is the easiest way to feed a big group. Rub a 3- to 4-pound pork shoulder with a mix of brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, then place it in the slow cooker with a splash of broth or apple juice.

Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or on high for 4 to 5.

When the meat falls apart, shred it with two forks and stir in about a cup of barbecue sauce. Pile it onto soft slider rolls, and add coleslaw on top if you like some crunch. Keep the cooker on warm at the tailgate.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Mix 8 ounces of softened cream cheese with half a cup of ranch dressing and half a cup of hot sauce. Stir in 2 cups of shredded cooked chicken, which is where a store-bought rotisserie chicken saves time.

Fold in a cup and a half of shredded cheddar and spread the mixture in a baking dish.

Bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbling at the edges. For tailgating, put the mixture in a small slow cooker on low for about 2 hours, and serve with celery sticks and sturdy tortilla chips.

Crispy Oven Wings

Pat chicken wings very dry with paper towels, then toss them with a tablespoon of baking powder and a teaspoon of salt for every pound or so. The baking powder helps the skin turn crisp without frying.

Arrange the wings on a rack set over a sheet pan.

Bake at 425°F for about 45 to 50 minutes, flipping halfway, until they reach 165°F inside. Toss with buffalo sauce, honey garlic sauce, or plain seasoning, and carry them in a foil-covered pan wrapped in towels to stay warm.

Game-Day Chili

Brown 2 pounds of ground beef in a large pot with a chopped onion, and drain off excess fat. Stir in 3 tablespoons of chili powder, 1 tablespoon of cumin, and a teaspoon of salt, and cook for a minute until fragrant.

Add a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes, two cans of drained beans, and a cup of broth.

Simmer for 45 minutes on the stove, or cook on low in the slow cooker for 6 to 8 hours. Set out bowls of shredded cheese, sour cream, and chopped green onions so everyone can build their own.

Seven-Layer Dip

This one needs no cooking and can be assembled the night before. Spread a can of refried beans in the bottom of a clear dish, then add a layer of sour cream stirred with a spoonful of taco seasoning.

Next come guacamole and salsa.

Top with shredded cheese, sliced black olives, and chopped tomatoes or green onions. Cover tightly and chill until you leave, then pack it in a cooler with plenty of chips.

Italian Pinwheels

Spread a large flour tortilla with a thin layer of cream cheese, then lay down slices of ham, salami, or turkey and a slice of provolone. Add a little lettuce if you want some freshness.

Roll the tortilla up tightly like a jelly roll.

Wrap each roll in plastic and chill for at least an hour so it firms up. Slice into rounds about an inch thick, and secure with toothpicks if they’re loose. They hold well in a cooler.

Beer-Simmered Brats

Slice two onions and place them in a pan with a few bratwursts and enough beer to cover about halfway. Simmer on medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, turning the brats once.

Then move the brats to a hot grill and brown them on all sides.

Cook until the internal temperature reaches 160°F, and serve on sturdy buns topped with the softened onions and mustard. Simmering at home and finishing on the grill keeps things fast at the lot.

Pigs in a Blanket

Unroll a can of refrigerated crescent dough and cut each triangle into three smaller ones. Place a cocktail sausage on the wide end of each piece and roll it up toward the point.

Set them on a baking sheet, seam side down.

Bake at 375°F for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden. Serve with mustard, ketchup, or honey mustard for dipping, and pack them in a foil pan to keep them warm for the first hour.

Cowboy Caviar

This chilled bean salad is a good break from heavy foods. Combine a can of black beans, a can of corn, a diced bell pepper, a diced tomato, half a red onion, and a handful of chopped cilantro.

Whisk together the juice of two limes, a few tablespoons of olive oil, salt, and a pinch of cumin.

Pour the dressing over the vegetables and stir. Let it chill for at least 30 minutes so the flavors blend, and serve with tortilla chips.

Keeping Tailgate Food Safe

Cold dishes belong in a cooler with ice packs, and hot dishes should stay hot in slow cookers or insulated carriers. Food shouldn’t sit out for more than two hours, or one hour when the weather is above 90°F.

Bring a food thermometer to check meat before serving.

Bring along extra serving spoons so no one reuses a utensil from raw meat. A few small steps keep the day focused on the game, not on a stomach ache afterwards.