BBQ Wedding Menu
Planning a wedding menu is one of the most important and potentially costlier items in the whole wedding process. Feeding a large crowd, whether that’s for your wedding day or for any other occasion can be complicated and overwhelming. Choosing the right foods to include in your menu takes a lot of consideration.
BBQ has become a popular theme over the years at wedding receptions and is considered among the best wedding food ideas you can offer for many reasons, not only due to the potential cost effectiveness, but also due to the flavor.
There are a few different ways you can go when it comes to serving BBQ on your wedding menu whether you’re doing it buffet style, cookout styled, or a plated dinner. Today, I’m sharing a BBQ wedding menu you can use as inspiration for your big day.
BBQ Wedding Menu
When it comes to BBQ and weddings, there are a few things you can do that make a good BBQ wedding menu and experience. Knowing this can help you plan ahead and choose which foods to include in your spread to help keep guests satisfied and keep it a night to remember.
What Makes A Good BBQ Wedding Menu
Okay, so if you’re adding BBQ food to the wedding menu ideas, there are a few things you’ll want to include to make it “good”. Whether you’re thinking about keeping this more relaxed and casual or having an elevated touch, a BBQ feast of any style needs to have a star protein, a co-star sauce, have that smokey flavor, be hardy, and served with at least one or two rich and creamy side dishes, and a side dish with a crunch. You also must include those crowd-pleaser items on your menu that’s going to satisfy tastebuds. Much of that comes from choosing the right meats, the right sauce, and the perfect side dishes.
What Do You Serve At A BBQ Wedding Reception
The meats
So when you’re curating your BBQ menu for your big day, one of the first things you need to consider is obviously, the meats – think smoked brisket, pulled pork, BBQ chicken, ribs, even a full pig roast if you’re feeling extra. If you want to do a BBQ wedding reception, *this* is how you do it! A full roast pig will definitely set the night off, bring a level of sophistication to your big day, and be an amazing center piece and food item to wow your guests. A more casual, backyard bbq wedding reception might also include hamburger buns for a pulled pork sandwich or other grilled burgers.
The sauce
Dry rub is nice and all, but you just can’t skip the sauce for a BBQ wedding reception. Even better if you have a few different styles like tangy, vinegar or tomato-based options, a sweet honey variety, a mayo-based sauce, and a hot and spicy one. At backyard weddings, I’ve seen tables set with the condiments served in mason jars; and I’ve even seen mini glass mason jars given out as favors. This is a great way to add a personal touch to your guests' bbq experience.
Side dishes
Next we need to brainstorm the side dishes. Well, you can’t have BBQ without a good coleslaw, baked beans, corn on the cob, and potato salad. And if you’d like, you can also do macaroni and cheese, deviled eggs, cornbread, a side salad, and grilled veggies like asparagus, broccolini, summer squash, and zucchini for some other ideas. I would say these are pretty much the best of the best sides you can serve for a BBQ theme on your big day.
Desserts
Next, let’s talk about desserts. Some of the BBQ sauce may already be sweet, but in a BBQ theme, guests will still want to top the night off with a sweet treat. For BBQs, great dessert options include classic chocolate chip cookies, apple pie, sweet potato casserole, fruit cobbler, brownies, or banana pudding. If you’re having a summer wedding or a backyard BBQ, you might also include a watermelon.
Drinks
When it comes to drink menu ideas, keep it simple and go with classic drink options like lemonade, sweet or iced tea, and water. Or you can also offer beer, wine, and a signature cocktail like a Kentucky Mule or Mojito, which pair well with BBQ food. Need more ideas? See also these wedding drink menu ideas.
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