10 Best BBQ Superbowl Recipes

They there fellow lovers of all things smoked food and welcome to my post where we will discuss my 10 best BBQ Superbowl recipes to accompany all the action with this year. The Superbowl is a fantastic spectacle (even though my team never makes it – haha) and even down here in Australia, has quite a large following.

We too have Superbowl parties where we all bring snacks to graze on as we watch. So if your preferred snack comes from a BBQ or pellet smoker, then here are some good options for you to choose from.

BBQ Superbowl Recipes

So, here are 10 good BBQ inspired ideas recipes for your big Superbowl party…

1. Pulled Pork Sliders

I have started with pulled pork sliders however you really could just smoke yourself up a good pulled pork and make pretty much whatever you wanted out of it.

Sliders are a great option as they are easy to eat which is often a good thing as you can eat them over a single plate as the game progresses.

• Ingredients: Pork shoulder, BBQ rub, buns, BBQ sauce, coleslaw for topping.
• Cooking Guide:
  1. Season pork shoulder with BBQ rub and smoke at 225°F for about 8-10 hours, until internal temperature reaches 195°F.
  2. Shred pork, mix with BBQ sauce, and serve on buns with coleslaw.

For more information, check out my Traeger Pulled Pork recipe and cooking guide.

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2. Smoked BBQ Pork Ribs

Pork ribs are always a favorite as like the sliders above, they are easy to pick up and eat. You can cook them a number of ways but I have outlined the unwrapped version below as these are a little less soft making them easier to pick up. 

Party ribs however are always a good option here as well.

• Ingredients: Pork ribs, BBQ rub, apple cider vinegar, BBQ sauce.
• Cooking Guide:
  1. Remove the membrane from the back and apply BBQ rub on ribs and smoke at 225°F for 5 hours – spritzing with apple cider vinegar and water (1:3 cider/water) every 30 minutes to an hour.
  2. Brush with BBQ sauce, and smoke for another hour.
  3. Remove and cut in between the bones for easy access and eating.

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3. BBQ Chicken Wings

Another great option for a BBQ gameday snack is the chicken wing – I mean it is almost illegal to no include them on Superbowl Sunday. And for fear of repeating myself over and over, their appeal here is – apart from the taste – that they are easy to eat when standing.

For speed or cooking and ease of preparation, I like the 0-400 method myself however another easy cooking option is as follows:

• Ingredients: Chicken wings, BBQ rub, assorted wing sauces.
• Cooking Guide:
  1. Season wings with BBQ rub and smoke at 275°F for 1.5 to 2 hours until crispy.
  2. Toss in desired sauce (like BBQ, buffalo, or honey mustard).

Check out my: Traeger Hot and Sweet Chicken Wings recipe and cooking guide

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4. BBQ Pork Belly Burnt Ends

These are an absolute favorite in our house and always a hit anytime we serve them up to visitors. And if the entourage is big enough, you also can make a few batches with different flavor profiles (such as sweet BBQ, spicy, or even Asian-inspired).

The only issue with them is that they are a little messier than the other options above however with the flavors as good as they are, they are well worth the effort:

• Ingredients: Pork belly, BBQ rub, BBQ sauce, butter, brown sugar, honey.
• Cooking Guide:
  1. Cube pork belly, season with your rub, and smoke at 250°F for 2 hours.
  2. Remove and place in an aluminum tray then toss in BBQ sauce, butter, brown sugar and honey (or not, or anything else you like such as chilli or other spices)
  3. Cover tray with aluminum foil and smoke for another 1-2 hours until caramelized.
  4. Remove foil cover and smoke for a further half hour or so until everything goes really nice and sticky.

Check out my Traeger Pork Belly Burnt ends recipe and cooking guide

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5. BBQ Pulled Chicken

As with pulled pork above, pulled chicken is another extremely versatile option that can be made into anything from sliders, to nachos and anything else that chicken is good for – you could even add it to the cream cheese in your Jalapeño Poppers if you like as well.

• Ingredients: Chicken breast or thighs, BBQ rub, BBQ sauce.
• Cooking Guide:
  1. Season chicken, smoke at 225°F for 2 hours, and shred.
  2. Toss with BBQ sauce to serve on buns or sliders or add some applicable spices for nachos etc.

Check out my Trager Shredded Chicken Breast recipe and cooking guide

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6. Shotgun Shells

Although a little finicky to prepare, these are another great option for the art of watching sport due to their ability to be eaten with the fingers.

And at the end of the day, what can be better than the bacony, meaty, smokey taste mixed with the softness of the pasta shells – especially when football is involved. So, for some great and tasty shotgun shells:

• Ingredients: 12 large manicotti shells. 1 lb ground beef or sausage, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, 12 slices of bacon, Your favorite BBQ rub.
• Cooking Guide:
  1. Combine the ground beef, shredded cheddar cheese and shredded mozzarella cheese and carefully stuff each shell with the meat and cheese mixture then wrap them with bacon.
  2. Smoke for 2 hours at 250°F/121°C, turning them halfway through for even cooking.
  3. After 2 hours, brush the shells with your favorite BBQ sauce and continue smoking for an additional 30 minutes.
  4. The shells are done when the bacon is crispy, pasta saft and the internal temperature of the meat reaches 160°F (71°C).
     

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7. Smoked Mac and Cheese

If you are planning more of a meal type arrangement, then you really can’t go past the creamy, cheesy goodness of Mac and Cheese.

Its main advantage is that it can be made in large batches, and is loved by both adults and children alike.

You can make it as smoked mac and cheese, or alternatively, add some BBQ’d meats such as pork or brisket to it before cooking in a more traditional fashion.

• Ingredients: Elbow macaroni, cheddar cheese, cream, butter, smoked paprika.
• Cooking Guide:
  1. Cook pasta, make a cheese sauce with cream and cheese, and season with smoked paprika.
  2. Add anything else you like (bacon bits, chopped brisket, pulled pork etc.) and pour into an aluminum pan – Add some breadcrumbs to the top for some extra crunch if you like as well.
  3. Smoke at 225°F for 1 hour.

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8. Smoked Chicken Drumsticks

Just like the a wing, but bigger – haha. These meet the best of both worlds in that they can be eaten by hand, or added to a plate for a larger meal.

They work with all of the same rubs and sauces as the wings all with a little more meat on the bone so to speak. So, as a wing alternative, change up your Superbowl watching fare with some drummies instead:

• Ingredients: 12 chicken drumsticks, 2 tbsp olive oil, some dry rub of your choice, your favorite BBQ sauce (optional, for glazing)
• Cooking Guide:
  1. Rub the drumsticks with olive oil and coat with your chosen rub
  2. Smoke them at 250°F/121°C for about 2 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F/75°C (glazing after about 1.5 hrs).

Check out my: Traeger Smoked Chicken Drumsticks recipe and cooking guide

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9. Smoked Pizza

I mean, we have to ask, is there anything we can’t cook on a smoker? We there probably are things but pizza is definitely not one of them. In fact, pizza on the smoker is one of the most requested BBQ snacks in my household.

They are quick to make, tasty and of course easy to eat as you watch the big game. And best of all, you can add anything you like as a topping, including a lot of the meats we have talked about above.

So, if you like smoked pizza:

• Ingredients: Pizza dough (store-bought or homemade), pizza sauce (store-bought or homemade), shredded mozzarella cheese, olive oil – any toppings that you want to add.
• Cooking Guide:
  1. Set your pellet smoker to 450°F (232°C) and preheat it with the pizza stone or pizza steel inside.
  2. Brush the dough lightly with olive oil then spread an even layer of pizza sauce, sprinkle a generous amount of shredded mozzarella cheese and add your desired toppings as required
  3. Close the smoker lid and cook the pizza for 12-15 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly.

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10. Brisket

And lastly, the smoked grand daddy of them all – Brisket. This goes against every aspect I have covered above in that it is not quick and easy to cook, and is generally not eaten by itself in one hand as you watch the game.

However, if you have the time, then for pure bragging rights alone, it is well worth the effort. Additionally, it would make a fantastic alternative or option for many of the above recipes as well such as brisket sliders, brisket mac and cheese, brisket pizza and so on.

So if you have the time, I have the recipe:

• Ingredients: Whole brisket (the bigger is it, the longer it takes to cook), 1/4 cup coarse salt, 1/4 cup black, pepper, 2 tablespoons garlic powder, Olive oil (to bind)
• Cooking Guide:
  1. Trim the fat cap down to about 1/4 inch thickness, rub with olive oil then generously apply the dry rub.
  2.  Place the brisket fat side up on the grill grates then close the lid and smoke until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the brisket reaches about 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius).
  3. Once the brisket reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit, remove it from the smoker, cover with tallow and wrap with butcher paper .
  4. Return the wrapped brisket to the smoker and continue to cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 200-205 degrees Fahrenheit (93-96 degrees Celsius). The brisket is done when it feels tender and a probe inserts into it like butter.
  5. Once cooked, remove the brisket from the smoker and let it rest while still wrapped for at least 1 hour.

Conclusion

So there you have it, my 10 best BBQ ideas for your Superbowl party this year. I hope it has been of assistance but as usual, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out by commenting below. I would also love to hear of your own experiences, preferences or suggestions here as well.

Are there any other products you have been looking at but want to know more about? If so, please comment below and I will do my best to get some details for you.

Until next time

Have fun and get smoking!

Paul