It’s that time of year for awesome outdoor cookouts! But aside from the typical hot dogs and hamburgers, what do we serve at these alfresco get-togethers? We’re glad you asked! Keep reading for the recipes to five of our favorite summer appetizers!
Peach Salsa
Every summer function should have a big bowl of chips for guests to munch on. But instead of store-bought salsa, try your hand at something homemade. We love this peach salsa recipe from South Living.
Ingredients:
- 3 peaches, pitted and diced
- ½ cup red onion, chopped
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- ½ small serrano chile, cut thin
- 1 tsp grated lime zest
- 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp chili powder
Directions:
- Stir all ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl.
- Let the salsa stand for approximately five minutes at room temperature before serving to allow the flavors to blend together.
- Stir regularly.
Sea Island Wings
This wing recipe from Food Network is the perfect blend of sweet, spicy, and smoky. Plus, they don’t take that long to prep!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup hot sauce
- ½ cup molasses
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 Tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp ground black pepper
- ¾ cup olive oil
- 3 pounds chicken wings
- ½ cup scallions
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Directions:
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
- Mix hot sauce, molasses, and butter in a bowl and heat until combined. Set aside.
- Whisk together brown sugar, salt, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and pepper in a different bowl. Add oil to mixture to create a rub.
- Use a brush to lather wings with rub. Put the wings in a grill pan and grill for 10 minutes.
- Flip and baste the wings. Apply remaining rub and cook for 15 more minutes.
- Remove from the grill and toss in hot sauce mixture. Sprinkle with scallions and parsley. Serve hot.
Steak Frites Bites
What’s an outdoor cookout without some tasty steak? Add fries to the mix, and you have the perfect combination. Luckily, that’s exactly what you get when you make steak frites bites using this recipe from Delish.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound flank steak
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp rosemary, chopped
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
- 1 pound frozen French fries
Directions:
- Preheat oven to the temperature marked on frozen fry packaging.
- Slice steak against the grain into 2-inch-long strips.
- In large bowl, combine olive oil, rosemary, Dijon, and Worcestershire sauce. Whisk together.
- Add steak and coat all surfaces with sauce. Let marinate in the fridge for 15 minutes to 2 hours.
- Generously season with salt and pepper before grilling.
- Add French fries to the oven to bake fully.
- Heat the grill to medium-high heat. Place steak in a grill pan.
- Add baked fries on top of the steak and roll up; secure tightly with a toothpick.
- Grill until charred. Serve fresh.
Cherry Tomato Bruschetta
A fresh tomato bruschetta appetizer is a great way to win over your guests. We love this slow-roasted recipe from Southern Living.
Ingredients:
- 1½ pounds cherry tomatoes
- 6 garlic cloves
- 5 thyme sprigs
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp sherry vinegar
- ¾ cup olive oil
- ½ baguette, sliced diagonally
- 4 oz goat cheese, softened
- Fresh basil leaves
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Toss tomatoes, garlic, thyme, fennel seeds, salt, vinegar, and ¼ cup olive oil in a baking dish. Roast mixture until tomatoes are tender, 25-30 minutes.
- In the meantime, place baguette slices in a baking pan and drizzle ¼ cup olive oil over them. Bake until browned, 8-10 minutes.
- Once tomatoes are done and cool, remove peels. Spread goat cheese on baguette slices, apply tomato mixture, and drizzle remaining olive oil.
- Sprinkle basil leaves on top.
Coconut and Lime Pork Kabobs
Now it’s time to bring in the pork. Check out this delicious coconut and lime pork kabob recipe from Food Network.
Ingredients:
- 1½ pounds pork tenderloin
- 13½ oz canned coconut milk
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 garlic cloves
- ⅓ cup + 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- ⅓ fresh cilantro
- 2 Tbsp fish sauce
- 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- 2 Tbsp sriracha
- Romaine lettuce
- Chopped peanuts, scallions, and cucumber
Directions:
- Mix vegetable oil, garlic, ½ of coconut milk, ⅓ cup brown sugar, and 1 Tbsp each of fish sauce, lime juice, and sriracha. Toss pork in mixture and refrigerate 1-4 hours.
- Preheat grill to medium heat and brush the grates with vegetable oil. Thread pork onto skewers and grill, turning occasionally.
- Meanwhile, combine 1 Tbsp water and remaining brown sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, and sriracha. Serve kabobs in romaine and drizzle sauce on top. Add peanuts, scallions, cucumber, and cilantro.