BBQ Ideas for March Madness

Ditch the overcrowded restaurants and sports bars for this year’s March Madness. Instead, plan a March Madness party with these buzzer-stopping grilled dishes right in the comfort of your own home.

 

5 March Madness BBQ Recipes

 

Picadillo Poppers

These rice-and-beef peppers will definitely help get your March Madness party heated up (in the right way, of course)!

 

Ingredients:

 

8 oz. lean ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

1 8.8-oz. pouch cooked Spanish-style rice

1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives, sliced

1 tablespoon lime juice

24 plump fresh jalapeno peppers

 

For the Dipping Sauce:

 

1 8-oz. carton sour cream

1 tablespoon milk

1/2 cup ground toasted almonds

juice of 1/2 lime

a pinch of ground cinnamon

 

Directions:

 

1. In a large skillet, saute the ground beef and onion over medium heat, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Once the meat is brown, and the onion is tender, pour these into a medium-sized bowl.

 

2. Stir in the cooked rice, grated Monterey Jack cheese, olives, raisins, and lime juice into the bowl. Mix until well combined. Set aside.

 

3. Cut a slit across the length on one side of each jalapeno pepper to create a pocket. Remove the membranes and seeds inside with a small spoon and discard. Spoon the filling into each of the jalapeno peppers.

 

3. Arrange the stuffed jalapeno peppers in a grilled basket with the slit side up. Place the basket on your bbq grill rack on top of the direct heat. Cover and grill these for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the peppers are crisp-tender and the filling has completely cooked through. Remove from the grill and arrange them onto a serving plate.

 

4. To make the dipping sauce, combine the sour cream, milk, almonds, lime juice, and ground cinnamon in a small mixing bowl until well combined. Serve this along with the stuffed jalapeno peppers.

 

Grilled Buffalo Chicken Wings with Blue Cheese Dressing

 

Buffalo wings are a March Madness must-have snack. This version is not as saucy or messy, but still taste as great as those served at your local sports bar.

 

Ingredients:

 

24 chicken drummettes, skinned

1/4 cup bottled cayenne pepper sauce

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1/2 garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

3/4 cup sour cream

1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled

1 green onion, chopped

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon sugar

 

Directions:

 

1. In a large bowl, mix together the cayenne pepper sauce, cider vinegar, garlic powder and ginger until well combined.

 

2. Transfer 2/3 of the mixture into a Ziploc bag. Add the drummettes and coat them with the mixture. Allow to marinade for at least an hour.

 

3. Take out the drummettes and arranged them on your preheated grill, making sure that the drummettes are about 4 to 5 inches from your grill’s heat source. Grill the drummettes for about 15-20 minutes or until the drummettes are tender, and the meat is no longer pink. Take them off from the grill and toss these in the remaining cayenne pepper sauce mixture.

 

4. While your drummettes are grilling, prepare the dipping sauce by mixing the sour cream, blue cheese, green onion white wine vinegar, lemon juice and sugar together in a small mixing bowl. Serve this along with the drummettes and a few sticks of carrots and celery.

 

Grilled Whiskey Baby Back Ribs

 

These finger-licking ribs are guaranteed to bring a smile to you and your guests, regardless of the final score.

 

Ingredients:

 

2 2-lb. slabs baby back pork ribs, each cut in half

2 1/4 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 cup minced onion

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons whiskey

1 tablespoon plus 1/2 tablespoon ground red chili pepper

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 tablespoon dark molasses

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup tomato paste

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 1/2 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Directions:

 

1. Preheat your grill to 350 degrees.

 

2. With a paper towel, pat each of the rib slabs dry and free from moisture. Rub each slab with salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of red chili powder until they are well coated with the seasoning. Place these in the refrigerator and allow these to marinade for at least an hour.

 

3. Take out the ribs and bring them back to room temperature. Wrap each slab in aluminum foil. Place them on the grill on indirect heat. Cover and allow to grill for 2 1/2 hours.

 

4. In a medium saucepan, heat up the oil over medium heat and saute the onions until they sweat. Add the whiskey and allow this to flame up to get rid of the all the alcohol.

 

5. When the flame subsides, stir in the water, tomato paste, vinegar, brown sugar, honey, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, dark molasses, the remaining ground chili pepper. Season with salt and pepper and bring this to a boil. Simmer for 1 1/4 hours or until the sauce thickens. Remove this from the heat and set this aside to cool.

 

6. Take out the ribs from the grill and allow this to rest for 10 minutes. Remove them from the foil and place these back on the grill, this time on direct heat. Grill them for about 3 to 4 minutes on one side. Turn the slabs over and brush the sauce on the ribs. Grill them for another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove these from the grill and brush them once more with the BBQ sauce before serving.

 

Brown Sugar Smokies

 

These bacon-wrapped yummies are so quick and easy to make as they are to enjoy.

 

Ingredients:

 

1 lb. bacon strips

1 16 oz. package little smokie sausages

1 cup brown sugar

 

Directions:

 

1. Preheat your grill to 350 degrees (175 degrees Celsius)

 

2. Cut the bacon strips into thirds. Take a sausage and wrap a strip of bacon around the sausage. Place the wrapped sausage onto a skewer.

 

3. Arrange the skewers, each containing 4-5 wrapped sausages, onto a baking sheet. Sprinkle these liberally with brown sugar.

 

4. Grill the sausage skewers 2-3 minutes on each side or until the bacon is crispy and the brown sugar has melted. Serve.

 

Grilled Philly Cheesesteak

 

These quick and easy sandwiches serve hot off the grill invite your guests to make a call on their toppings decisions. Bell or jalapeno peppers? Cheese Wiz or American Cheddar? And of course, with or without onions?

 

Ingredients:

 

1 2-lb. beef tenderloin or tenderloin tail (about 1 inch thick)

2 large sweet onions, halved and sliced into thick wedges

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons steak sauce, such as A-1

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper

1/2 of a 12oz. jar fried peppers, oil drained and reserved

4 hoagie or Italian rolls

1 jar Cheese Wiz

 

Directions:

 

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the olive oil, steak sauce, soy sauce, garlic powder, paprika, and black pepper. Add the steaks to the bowl, making sure that these are well-covered by the marinade. Allow this to marinate for at least 2 hours.

 

2. Heat up the grill for at least 10 minutes. While the grill is heating, add the onions in a small bowl along with the reserved fried pepper oil and salt. Toss the onions until they are well coated. Transfer the onions to an ovenproof skillet.

 

3. Place the steaks onto the grill and the skillet with the onions over direct or high heat. Cover and allow these to grill for about 4 minutes, or until grill marks formed on one side of the steak. Stir the onions, add in the peppers, and turn the steaks. Close again the lid and continue to grill until the onions and peppers are tender and caramelized, and the steak is cooked to your desired doneness. Remove the steaks and the caramelized onions and peppers from the grill and allow the steak to rest for about 5 minutes.

 

4. Slice the rolls lengthwise 7/8 of the way through. Drizzle the inside of each roll with a little olive oil and vinegar. Thinly slice the steak and fill these into the rolls, followed by some of the onions and peppers. Top with a thick layer of Cheese Wiz.

 

5. Return the sandwiches to the grill, this time on the indirect or low heat. Cover and allow to grill for about 2-3 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the rolls are toasted and warmed through. Serve immediately.