While backyard BBQ parties are arguably costly as well as mean breaking the bank on ribeye steak or beef tenderloin, there are some more economic solutions. Here are several interesting backyard BBQ ideas on a budget to consider:
Appetizers
Keep your BBQ cost down by making filling yet delicious appetizers, such as:
Chips And Guacamole
Makes: 2 cups
Total Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp. minced fresh cilantro
- 1 tbsp. (or 2 tbsp.) lime juice, depending on personal preference
- 1 small, finely chopped onion
- ¼ tsp. (or ½ tsp.) salt
- 1 minced garlic clove
- 3 medium peeled and cubed ripe avocado
- 2 medium seeded and chopped tomatoes, optional
- ¼ cup mayonnaise, optional
Directions
Mash avocados with salt and garlic, then stir in remaining ingredients.
Grilled Cheese Loaf
Makes: 12 servings
Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 pound (1 loaf) French bread
- ½ tbsp. garlic salt
- ¼ cup chopped green onions
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 tbsp. butter, softened
- 3 oz. cream cheese, softened
Direction:
Beat butter and cream cheese in a small mixing bowl, then add garlic salt, onions, and cheese; give them a good mix. Spread this mixture on sliced bread.
Note: When slicing bread, leaving slices attached at the bottom.
Use a 28”x18” piece of heavy-duty foil to wrap around the loaf then seal tightly. Grill at the temperature of over medium heat for ten min, turning once. After that, open the foil carefully and grill it five more min.
Fiesta Corn Chip Salad
Makes: 10 servings
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients:
- 9 ¼ oz. (1 package) crushed chili cheese-flavored corn chips
- 1/8 tbsp. pepper
- 1/8 tbsp. salt
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 chopped medium sweet red pepper
- ·2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
- 2 cans drained whole kernel corn
Directions
Combine pepper, salt, mayonnaise, red pepper, cheese, and corn in a large mixing bowl, then chill until serving. Just prior to serving, stir the mixture with corn chips. If your guests love cilantro, add some minced fresh cilantro for extra flavors.
Main dishes
The most expensive part of your barbeque parties should be protein.
A hack to save your wallet is mixing grilled meat recipes with a vegetarian grill, such as grilled pepper, zucchini, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, thick-cut cauliflower, and so on.
Your vegetarian friends also thank you for this interesting mix. The key thing to make all of your guests enjoy this budget-friendly party is a good dipping sauce. Believe us, everything will be super-flavorful and fresh.
Here are some unique grilled vegetarian recipes for you:
Grilled Eggplant
Makes: 8 servings
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients:
- 3 tsp Cajun seasoning
- · 2 tsp lime juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ·2 small eggplants
Directions
Cut each eggplant into ½” slices. Brush them with olive oil then add lime juice and Cajun seasoning. Let your seasoned eggplant slices stand for five minutes then broil them four inches from heat or grill in over medium heat until they’re tendered.
The cooking time for each side: five minutes.
Pizza
Another inexpensive way to quickly fill up your guests’ stomach is grilled pizza.
Not only cheap, but they are also delicious and easy to make (as there are lots of pre-made frozen pizza packages available in supermarkets). You can create your own toppings to keep it more economic.
Some interesting pizza recipes for you:
Vegetarian-Friendly Pizza Recipe
Makes: 4 servings
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients:
- 2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
- 2 plum tomatoes, sliced
- 1/4 cup prepared pesto
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 4 whole pita bread or 2 naan flatbreads
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4 oz. fresh baby spinach
- 1 big green pepper, julienned
- ½ lb. sliced baby portobello mushrooms
- 1 tbsp. butter
Directions
Heat butter in a huge skillet over medium-high heat, then add green pepper and mushrooms. Keep stirring for seven minutes. Now, add pepper, salt, and spinach; stir and cook for three minutes.
Brush olive oil on flatbreads (both sides), then grill them over medium heat, covered for three minutes on one side.
After that, put all flatbreads on a plate, spread pesto on the grilled sides, and top with cheese, tomatoes, and vegetable mixture. Return them to the grill, at over medium heat, covered, for three more minutes.
Cut them in half to serve.
Pizza Recipe For Sausage Lovers
Makes: 4 servings
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 cups part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 cup tomato basil pasta sauce
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- A whole pita bread or 4 naan flatbreads
- 4 Italian sausage links
Directions
Preheat the grill to over medium heat of 160 degrees, place sausages on, covered, and grill for twelve minutes. Remember to occasionally turn them. After that, cut sausages into ¼” slices.
With the flatbreads, brush each side of them with olive oil then grill on the same heat as the sausages for three minutes. Place them on a plate, add basil, cheeses, sausage slices, and sauce then return to the grill for three more minutes.
Ready to serve.
Desserts
This session is a lot easier for the host as there are lots of budget-friendly options, such as ice cream and sliced fruits. If you’re a good cook, try making some cookies, pies, or cakes to save more.
Conclusion
That’s everything for this article. Hopefully, these backyard BBQ ideas on a budget are helpful for you to make an economic grilled BBQ recipe list without compromise of deliciousness and joyfulness. Thanks for reading!
