The Dog Days of Summer are a perfect time to pull out your Big Green Egg and prepare a fantastic feast for your nearest and dearest. Whether you’re in the mood for a casual backyard BBQ, an al fresco brunch, or anything in between, these fifteen recipes will satisfy everyone’s cravings. Plus, you can prepare them quickly on the Big Green Egg and still have plenty of time to entertain your guests.
1. Skillet Cornbread
I adore this recipe because it’s a great sidekick to all your BBQ meats. Plus, it comes together with just a few ingredients, and you can tailor the spice level to your liking. You’ll need a reliable cast iron skillet, one package of Lodge Skillet True Southern Cornbread Mix, canola oil, eggs, butter, buttermilk, and jalapenos to taste. I like to keep things festive and fiery with two to three peppers charred to perfection in the Big Green Egg.
2. Maple Bourbon Peach Pie
Make the best of summer’s bounty with this boozy bourbon pie spiked with just the right amount of maple and studded with delicious chunks of pieces. You’ll get oodles of texture, from the tender fruit to the crunchy brown sugar streusel on top. You’ll also enjoy plenty of smoky flavor that perfectly complements the bourbon and rich spices of this epic dessert.
3. Smoked Chicken with White Sauce
This recipe proves that your Big Green Egg works brilliantly for higher-end food and is fabulous for any garden soiree. It’s an elegant dish with a bold and rich balance of flavors, like juicy chicken brined and marinated in pickle juice, seasoning, and buttermilk for a fall-of-the-bone finish. After cooking your brined chicken to perfection, it’s bathed in white sauce and simmered for ten more minutes. The result is beautifully cooked chicken and velvety white sauce.
4. Big Green Egg Chicken
If I’m feeding a group, I’m pulling out this crowd-pleasing recipe featuring a whole fryer chicken stuffed with root vegetables and plenty of seasoning. It’s simple but tasty fare, and you’ll need to cook the bird low and slow for three to four hours, depending on the size. Although you’ll be tempted to eat it right away, it’s essential to let your bird rest for at least ten minutes before carving into it.
5. Pizza on the Big Green Egg
I love using my Big Green Egg for pizza because you get those classic grill marks and marvelous bubbly cheese. Plus, the real beauty of Big Green Egg pizza is that you can customize it with any toppings that you’d like. I like to clean out my vegetable crisper and toss some fresh basil on at the end for a fresh finish, but you can go with a classic Margarita, a blend of sausage and peppers, or anything else you fancy.
6. Smoked Beef Brisket
The Big Green Egg is best when paired with juicy meats that it can cook low and low, including this simple and fork-tender smoked brisket, which gets plenty of flavor from pecan or hickory wood chips. Pair your beef with yellow mustard, a seasoned rub, and some strong coffee for intense flavor depth, and three hours later, you’ll have a tender cut of meat that is guaranteed to have people lining up for seconds.
7. Smoked Macaroni and Cheese
Everyone loves macaroni and cheese, and this Big Green Egg version amps the flavor with a hit of smokiness and glorious browned edges. Don’t skip the mustard powder; it adds tons of depth to the dish and pairs beautifully with mild Muenster cheese. I also like to take my time with the smoking process, to infuse every bite with grilled goodness. It takes about an hour to do it right, but it’s more than worth it.
8. Big Green Egg Pig Shots
This appetizer is one of my absolute favorites when I’m craving a bite-sized treat full of satiny cream cheese, fiery green chilis, and plenty of bacon and sausage. It takes some prep work, but once you get the method down, it goes by in a flash. Top your rounds of bacon-wrapped sausage with a mixture of shredded cheese, cream cheese, and minced chilis, then smoke for about an hour and a half on your Big Green Egg. The result is beautiful bites packed with flavor.
9. Smoked Sweet Potatoes with Candied Pecans and Bourbon Caramel
Sweet potatoes are one of Mother Nature’s best and most nutritious desserts, and combined with some bright thyme and rosemary, butter, and a silky bourbon caramel spiked with heavy cream, spice, and good-quality booze, they rival anything you can find at your local sweet shop. Candied pecans liberally coated in cinnamon, ginger, brown sugar, and cayenne lend textural interest and level up these sweet spuds.
10. Stuffed Peppers
These stuffed peppers are an excellent way to incorporate nutritious vegetables into your next summer feast and maximize your Big Green Egg. You can use any kind of peppers that you’d like; I prefer a mix of red, yellow, orange, and green for visual interest, and stuff them with ground meat, spinach, black beans, corn, and tomato. Topped with grated cheese, these single-serving meals are a fantastic alternative to your more standard BBQ fare.
11. Smoked Queso
No summer party is complete without a series of delicious and decadent dips. This smoked queso is bound to be your BBQ MVP and takes just minutes to put together. The Big Green Egg does all the work, infusing your queso with layers of rich smokiness. All you need is a block of Velveeta, mixed cheese, cream cheese, sausage, chorizo, Rotel diced tomatoes and chilis.
12. The Perfect Steak
Treat your guests to the perfect steak, cooked Big Green Egg style with a crisp sear outside and tender, juicy meat inside. This is one of those recipes that I love because it’s elegant and impressive. I can customize it in any way I like, and once you get the technique down, it’s simple to make. I like to use a bit of sea salt and black pepper to let the steak shine through. Once you taste this steak, you’ll never crave an expensive steakhouse variety again.
13. Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings
Skip the deep-fried pub wings and opt for these sensationally seasoned garlic parmesan ones that cook to crunchy perfection in less than half an hour on your Big Green Egg. I like to add red pepper flakes to taste, toning down the spice depending on who I’m serving. These wings are tasty all on their own but also pair well with blue cheese or Ranch dressing.
14. Smoked Chocolate Brownie
You will want to bookmark this recipe if you crave chocolate brownies as much as I do. You need standard brownie ingredients like cocoa powder, eggs, vanilla extract, and chocolate chips. Mix your batter and cook over apple chips in your Big Green Egg for about 45 minutes. You’ll enjoy traditional brownie flavor infused with smokiness in every bite.
15. Cedar Planked Salmon
Cedar and salmon are a match made in culinary heaven. One of the best things about preparing your fish this way is that you don’t need much else to make it feast-worthy besides a bit of compound butter, some spice, or a spritz of lemon juice. Make sure you soak your planks thoroughly for at least half an hour before popping them on your egg and then let the magic happen.
There’s still plenty of time to enjoy a spectacular summer feast. These recipes are nearly foolproof, mouthwatering, and universally pleasing. Try one of them today.
