Choosing a wedding menu is one of the main wedding planning tasks. It’s definitely a fun task, but there are a lot of things to consider when choosing your wedding food and wedding menu ideas.

One of the options that a lot of people choose, especially those looking to save some money without sacrificing the reception, is having a BBQ wedding menu.

BBQ is one of the most delicious, filling, and fun ways of feeding your guests, and it’s also an affordable option that will help you stick to your budget. Who doesn’t love BBQ food, right? It’s a comfort food for many people, so you know your guests are going to love the food.

It can be the perfect choice for an outdoor wedding, or a less formal wedding. However, it can also make its way into a more elegant wedding, if you choose to do a “fancier” BBQ menu. There are lots of outdoor wedding food ideas that can work well for a BBQ theme as well.

In this post, I’m sharing a round-up of BBQ wedding menu ideas that you can consider for your BBQ wedding reception and your entire big day.

5 BBQ Wedding Menu Ideas

Classic BBQ Spread

If you’re having a less formal wedding, perhaps an outdoor wedding, a classic BBQ spread might be the right choice for your BBQ wedding reception.

A classic BBQ spread will probably feature brisket, ribs, pulled pork, and chicken (either frilled or fried).

When it comes to side dishes, you can provide all of the traditional BBQ sides that your guests know and love - mac and cheese, coleslaw, corn on the cob, potato salad, pasta salad, grilled potatoes, and cornbread.

When it comes to table decorations, if you really want to go all out on the BBQ-themed wedding, you can do checkered tablecloths, use mason jar centerpieces, and have rustic wooden tables.

This is the perfect mix of a classic backyard BBQ and a wedding.

Southern BBQ Buffet

If you’re from the South, then a Southern BBQ buffet might be the right choice for you. You can include Southern BBQ classics, such as fried chicken, pulled pork, collard screens, and biscuits.

While those dishes probably aren’t very traditional for a wedding, you can make it work with a buffet-style meal.

Offer a few main dishes (fried chicken, pulled pork, etc.), and all of the most popular sides, so your guests can fix themselves their perfect plate.

If both of your families are from the South, the guests will definitely love this menu, as it will include all of their comfort dishes and favorite foods.

When it comes to table decorations, you can use wooden crates, burlap table runners, and wildflower centerpieces for a rustic Southern look.

BBQ Mac & Cheese Bar

A very fun and delicious idea you can utilize for your BBQ wedding menu, is having a BBQ mac & cheese.

Let’s face it - mac and cheese is everyone’s favorite BBQ side dish. So, instead of simply serving it as a side dish, you can let it shine with a BBQ mac & cheese bar!

With this mac & cheese bar, you can prepare several kinds of mac & cheese, and offer a variety of BBQ-style toppings, so your guests can make their own perfect BBQ mac & cheese meal.

BBQ toppings that work so well on mac & cheese would be pulled pork, fried chicken bites, bacon, jalapenos, and more.

If you want to make this BBQ mac & cheese bar even more special, you can also serve fried mac & cheese balls! That way, your guest can have a choice between BBQ mac & cheese, and fried mac & cheese balls. For fried mac & cheese balls, you can also provide multiple kinds for them to choose from - bacon & jalapeno mac & cheese balls, bacon mac & cheese balls, 5-cheese mac & cheese balls, etc.

Elegant BBQ

If you want to have an elegant wedding, with a more traditional wedding menu, don’t worry - you can still incorporate BBQ into that.

While BBQ might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about an elegant wedding meal, it is definitely possible to make it work.

For this kind of wedding, you will probably want a plated sit-down meal, instead of a buffet-style wedding menu.

So, instead of making different BBQ foods and letting your guests make their own plates, you can come up with a BBQ wedding menu and serve plated meals for your guests, just like you would if your wedding menu wasn’t BBQ.

For the appetizer, you can serve smoked salmon bites, Caprese salad, mac & cheese bites, deviled eggs, or pulled pork hors d’oeuvres.

For the main meal, you can offer grilled chicken or smoked brisket, pair it with a side like mashed potatoes,mac & cheese, or grilled asparagus, and add a fresh salad to elevate the dish.

BBQ Dessert Table

If you’re wondering what to serve on your BBQ wedding dessert table, there are lots of options for that as well! Of course, the main star will be your wedding cake, but if you want to add some smaller desserts to provide more dessert options, here are some ideas.

Mini pies make a lot of sense for a BBQ dessert table. You can offer different flavors, like apple, pecan, or cherry.

You can also make mini cakes, brownies, and grilled fruit kabobs.