The Best Black BBQ Menu Ideas
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West Africa was the homeland of most Africans who arrived in America as enslaved people.
These ancestors brought their culinary traditions with them to the Southern United States.
Is BBQ part of Black culture?
Barbecuing is a US favorite way of cooking with a rich history dating back to West Africa before 1500, including deep frying fish and barbecuing meats.
These barbecue traditions are what we know today as a Black BBQ menu. An integral way of cooking that has shaped American food culture.
Black BBQ menu ideas
When it’s summer or football tailgating season, tantalize your taste buds with classic soul food recipes from a Black BBQ menu.
Finally, a menu that’ll get your grill all fired up!
Just add your favorite soul food cookout side dishes like Black potato salad, Southern coleslaw, or soul food macaroni salad. Then indulge in the season of BBQ grill and chill!
What is a Black BBQ?
A Black BBQ menu is a fantastic collection of recipes featuring a variety of mouth-watering soul food dishes. Recipes from juicy soul food burgers to sticky sweet BBQ chicken.
If you want to spice up your dinner routine with lots of summer soul food favorites rich in flavor, then these recipes are what you crave!
What is a Black cookout?
Black cookouts are outdoor events where African American families, friends, and the community gather to cook out, eat, drink, and interact with a festival full of soul food.
These cookouts memorialize Black communities’ culture and are great ways to bring people together.
How do you survive a Black BBQ?
You’ll want to pace yourself as you eat to survive this fantastic cookout feast!
Because Black cookouts usually center around barbecued foods, like burgers, sausages, hamburgers, hot dogs, and briskets, followed up with the best in soul food side sides.
Black BBQ events are hosted in backyards, parks, and other outdoor locations, providing room to throw down a blanket if you were to overeat and need a nap!
Why do people get “the itis” after eating?
the itis [noun, ayh-tes] (Urban Dictionary) – “The drowsy, sleepy feeling you get after eating a large meal.” Usually, meals like Thanksgiving dinner or a big Sunday soul food dinner.
What do you have at a Black cookout?
It’s not just the food – family, friends, music, and the food are integral to a Black BBQ menu. But, even so, the food is the party’s centerpiece!
But what foods are usually at a cookout? And what should you bring to a Black BBQ?
These are the most common foods you’ll find on a Black BBQ menu:
- BBQ meats: chicken, ribs, brisket, pulled pork
- Soul food BBQ chicken
- Southern pulled BBQ chicken
- Black folks coleslaw
- Black folks potato salad
- Soul food macaroni salad
- Grilled corn on the cob
- Soul food homemade cornbread
- Black folks banana pudding
- Southern soul food pig pickin cake
Or maybe you like to get out on the grill and barbecue yourself some chicken and ribs to eat with a side dish of baked beans and potato salad?
Check out these soul food grill recipes!
You’re also likely to find a sweet soul food beverage on a Black BBQ menu. These vary from lemonade to Southern sweet tea, red drink, or soda.
Alcoholic drinks like beer and wine are also welcome on the Black cookout menu!
Why is food so important to Black culture?
Soul foods are an African American culture of hearty homecooked meals that you can point out as dishes with plenty of seasoning and rich with flavor!
Black people have a culture that goes deeper than our African roots. And the food we eat reflects our rich culture.
Black music, the way we talk, what we eat, and the way we talk about the things we love are all entwined in our food. So often referred to as swag and flavor.
Food is vital in Black culture because it brings people around the table and puts a pause on the constant oppression of our people, along with fast-paced living. Replacing it with good times, comfort food, happiness, and laughs.
Black people gather, connect, and celebrate with soul food. Food is a way to show how much another person is cared for.
Being able to feed someone is a significant and respected part of Black food culture.
What’s the difference between a barbecue and a cookout?
Many use the terms ‘barbecue (BBQ)’ and ‘cookout’ interchangeably, but there is a difference between the two.
A barbecue is usually a significant event with meat and other foods cooked on an open fire. It’s an event where hot dogs, hamburgers, and sausages are grilled outdoors.
On the other hand, a cookout is more of a social event, with more of a focus on preparing food outdoors using a grill or open fire.
It’s a friends and family picnic. A get-together where food is made and prepared for cooking outside.
The best Black BBQ menu
Black BBQ menu main dishes
Do Black people like BBQ sauce?
Is fat meat greasy? The answer is the same to both questions – Yes. And always!
Black cookout rules
It’s important to point out the one mandatory main dish to show up at every potluck, party, and on every Black BBQ menu – The Black potato salad recipe!
What is a Black folks’ potato salad recipe?
Simply answered – it’s flavorful.
The same way Persian people feel about their beloved fesenjan recipe is also how Black folks cherish soul food potato salad.
If Black folks Southern fried chicken is Michael Jackson.
Black folks’ potato salad is Prince.
Its fans are Die. Hard!
People will wait in line for Black folks’ potato salad. And if it were to ever die, people would mourn it for months. (If not years!)
All of what I just said might be lost on you, so let me explain…
What’s special about Black America’s potato salad?
Soul food is all about seasoning to perfection. The flavor! The same holds true for a Black folks’ Southern potato salad recipe.
Black BBQ menu sides
Black BBQ menu drinks
Black BBQ menu desserts
Black BBQ menu FAQs
What do you serve at a Southern BBQ?
The answer to this question depends on the region of the US you’re talking about.
It also depends on what kind of BBQ event.
If it’s a family event, the essentials are pork ribs or beef ribs, collards, potato salad, baked beans, chicken, cornbread, and corn on the cob.
If it is a larger BBQ, you can include more delicacies such as a seafood boil, pig roast, Cajun food, BBQ chicken wings, and so on.
What should you expect at a Black barbecue?
Black barbecue, also known as Black BBQ, is a popular outdoor grill gathering. Black barbecue is usually held in a backyard or someplace around a house.
The food at a Black barbecue is traditionally grilled and sometimes old school (the best) cooked on an open fire pit.
You can expect a lot of fun, music, dancing and not to mention food that is the core reason for all this gathering. The food eaten on a Black BBQ menu is usually ribs, chicken, and hamburgers.
You can also find hot dogs, green beans, macaroni salad, coleslaw, and baked beans.
And for dessert, banana pudding, peach cobbler, or a down South pig pickin cake!
But aren’t all BBQ recipes the same?
Don’t get yourself caught out there by asking this question in a room with folks from North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, or Tennessee. A culinary argument over who’s BBQ is the best is sure to ensue!
Like all soul food recipes – this is a dish where Black folks have put their own seasoning spin on things!
And after a legacy of Black people’s food and recipes, it turns out the little things make the most significant difference!
What is the difference between Texas and Carolina BBQ?
- North Carlina BBQ – Carolina BBQ is commonly a pork cut doused in homemade BBQ sauce and vinegar. Then cooked over an open fire pit.
Carolina BBQ is then shredded or pulled and served on a plate with coleslaw or in a sandwich.
- Texas barbecue – Sometimes called “cowboy style BBQ.” The BBQ is generally a beef brisket cooked over mesquite for a unique smoky flavor different from other wood-smoked styles.
Dry rubs are often used on Texas BBQ smoked meat, and BBQ sauce is almost always served on the side.
What is a Texas-style smoker?
Smokers are cooking apparatus for barbeque. It allows you to cook food at low temperatures in a controlled, smoky environment.
Smokers either cook with direct heat or indirect heat.
Offset smokers allow you to cook with indirect heat. On the other hand, there are the meat smokers with the heat source directly beneath the grate to cook with direct heat.
While most Texas-style smokers use direct heat, both types are used at barbecue restaurants throughout the state.
What are 6 types of smokers?
- Stick burners
- Charcoal smokers
- Pellet smokers
- Gas smokers
- Electric smokers
- Kettle grills
What are items to BBQ other than meats?
Where my vegetarians at?
What to bring to a cookout that you don’t have to cook?
Instant Pot recipes are always easy.
Also, a cucumber salad or a tomato pasta salad are both super quick and easy cookout recipes.
What are the most popular BBQ sides?
And what sides go with hamburgers and hot dogs?
What is the most popular food to put on the grill?
At the top of the list of 10 most popular foods for grilling are hamburgers, grilled steak, hot dogs, and ribs.
How do you throw a BBQ party on a budget?
Potluck style! Ask friends and family to arrive with a dish.
And what to ask people to bring to a cookout?
Any item from the Black BBQ menu above!
The same holds true when people ask what do you need for a last-minute cookout?
Friends, family, and a potluck-style setup!
Need easy grilling ideas?
What do you think of these recipes?
A Black cookout is a lively get-together of family and friends.
At the center of it all is the love poured into the Black BBQ menu. Often with a focus on barbeque and slow-cooked soul food.
Black cookouts have taken on many names and themes, from family reunions to church potlucks and elevated all-white-attire parties!
How does your family celebrate?
Did you enjoy these favorite Black BBQ menu ideas?
Have you had it?
Would you make it?
Comment below and lemme know.
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Equipment
- Instant Pot multi-cooker, Crock Pot or stockpot
Ingredients
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 6 tablespoons garlic powder
- 7 tablespoons pure cane sugar
- 15.25 oz BBQ sauce Rufus Teague Honey Sweet BBQ Sauce
- 15.25 oz BBQ sauce Rufus Teague Touch O’ Heat BBQ Sauce
Instructions
Stovetop Instructions
- Place all ingredients (apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, sugar, and 2 Rufus Teague BBQ sauces) in a large pot on the stove on warm.
- Fill an empty 15.25 oz. Rufus Teague bottle with water 1 ½ times, and add the water to the mixture in the pot.
- Stir to combine the ingredients.
- Simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes and cover with a lid.
- This recipe makes 4 ¾ cups of BBQ sauce.
- Approx 2 ¾ cups will sauce a whole chicken or a rack of ribs. You'll have approx 2 cups (a 16 oz. mason jar amount) to save for later.
- Use approx 2 ¾ cups of BBQ sauce to coat your desired meat (Steve Harvey slathers his sauce on ribs).
- Store the remaining sauce in a mason jar or an airtight container.
- Cook your BBQ sauced meat, serve, and enjoy!
Instant Pot Instructions
- Place all ingredients (apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, sugar, and 2 Rufus Teague BBQ sauces) inside the Instant Pot stainless steel inner pot.
- Fill an empty 15.25 oz. Rufus Teague bottle with water 1 ½ times, and add the water to the mixture in the pot.
- Stir to combine the ingredients.
- Close the Instant Pot lid and turn on the 'slow cook' setting for one hour.
- This recipe makes 4 ¾ cups of BBQ sauce.
- Approx 2 ¾ cups will sauce a whole chicken or a rack of ribs. You'll have approx 2 cups (a 16 oz. mason jar amount) to save for later.
- Use approx 2 ¾ cups of BBQ sauce to coat your desired meat (Steve Harvey slathers his sauce on ribs).
- Store the remaining sauce in a mason jar or an airtight container.
- Cook your BBQ sauced meat, serve, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Steve also recommends his favorite Big Green Egg for BBQ on the grill!
Nutrition