Looking for more interesting dip recipes for your BBQ party?

Well, we have some great dip recipes you and your guests may enjoy! Because as we all know, having the right dips to go with the dishes and snacks is just as important as the food itself. We have already talked about quick and easy dips before, now it’s time for something more interesting, something you may not have tried. 

Check out these interesting, delicious and easy homemade dips!

Delicious, Interesting and Easy Dips: Recipes

1. Beet Hummus

Hummus (alternative names: hommos, houmous) is a Middle Eastern dip which traditionally is made from blended chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic and spices. But there are also several variations of the traditional hummus. One of our favourite is the beet hummus.

It’s a very simple recipe that can be made in 10 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 1 x 400 g can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• 1 small cooked beet
• 1/2 tsp each cumin and coriander
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 1-2 tablespoons tahini (optional)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Rinse the chickpeas and put them in a blender cup.

Add the rest of the ingredients to the blender cup. Blend all of this for a couple of minutes until smooth. Your beet hummus is ready!

Beets: To Cook or Not to Cook?

What is the best way to make beet hummus? 

Should you buy the cooked beets from the store or cook fresh raw beets at home? In our opinion, it doesn’t make any difference. You don’t have to cook the beets, unless you want to do it all by yourself. You can buy cooked beets from grocery stores. It will speed up the cooking process.

Is Tahini Paste Needed to Make Beet Hummus?

Very often hummus is made with tahini paste. But in our opinion, it’s optional. Hummus without tahini tastes just as great.

2. Zhoug Sauce

Zhoug (or Zhug) dip originates from Yemen. 

It is a hot sauce made from green hot peppers (in this case — jalapeños) seasoned with garlic, salt, red pepper and other spices, then mixed with olive oil and, later, with yoghurt (if necessary). Zhoug sauce will add a spicy cilantro flavour to your dish. 

It can be used with snacks, too.

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 – 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 240 ml cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/2 – 1 jalapeño, depending on how spicy you want it to be (if you use sliced jalapeños, it’s 8-12 slices to replace 1 whole jalapeños)
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• salt to taste
• 120 ml natural yogurt

Directions:

Mince garlic cloves and slice jalapeños.

Pour the minced garlic and jalapeño slices in a blender cup. Add the rest of the ingredients (except for the yoghurt) to a blender cup or a tall widemouth jar. Blend the ingredients with a hand stick blender until the mixture is even.

Add yogurt to the jar or blender cup and stir it in with a spoon.

3. Baba Ganoush

Baba Ganoush is an Arabic appetiser or dip. 

It’s made from mashed cooked eggplant, olive oil, lemon juice, various seasonings, and sometimes tahini. Baba Ganoush is a creamy vegan dip that can be eaten with slices of fresh vegetables, nachos, bread and other snacks. This dip takes more time to make than most BBQ dips, but it’s absolutely worth it. 

You’ll be rewarded with a delicious dip for your snacks.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium eggplant
• 3 tablespoons tahini
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• A generous pinch of cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley (plus extra for garnish)
• Pinch of smoked paprika (for garnish)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 200 °C and line a baking pan with baking paper to prevent the eggplants sticking to the pan. Cut the eggplants in half and coat lightly in olive oil. Place them on the pan with the halved sides down.

Roast the eggplant for 40 to 50 minutes, until they are tender and collapse to the touch. Remove them from the oven and set aside to cool.

Once eggplants are cool, peel the skin and remove the seeds. Place the peeled eggplants in a strainer and let it stand for 20 minutes (or so) to get rid of the excess water.

Put the peeled eggplants, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, parsley, cumin, pepper and salt in a food processor or blender and blend until it’s nice and smooth. Before serving, sprinkle the dip with chopped parsley and smoked paprika.

What are your favourite quick and easy dips for BBQ?

Featured photo by Taryn Elliott from Pexels

Outdoor parties usually mean barbecue, and barbecue mean dips.  

Food and snacks are important part of a successful party, and so are the dips. It’s very important to make a number of dips to go with the dishes and snacks. While it may sound like a lot of work, but actually it’s not. There are a lot of quick and easy dips for parties and barbecue. And today we’ll be sharing with you some of our favourites — 6 easy homemade dips.

BBQ dips are easy to make and often require only a few ingredients.

Quick and Easy Dips: Recipes

1. Guacamole

Guacamole is an avocado-based dip, originating in Mexico.

This dip is really easy to make, it uses fresh ingredients and is one of the best quick and easy dips you can make at home. You can eat it with tortilla chips or grilled veggies, or spread it on toast.

Ingredients:

• 3 ripe avocados
• 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 small onion, finely diced
• 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 jalapeño pepper without seeds, finely diced (or a pinch cayenne pepper)

Directions:

Slice the avocados in half, remove the pit and put them in the bowl. Mash the avocado with a fork. Add the remaining ingredients and mix them together.

2. Salsa

Salsa is easy to make and delicious.

Enjoy this fresh dip with tacos or nachos!

Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 medium sized tomatoes
• 1 small red onion (or 1/2, if it’s medium sized)
• 1 whole jalapeño pepper from a jar (or 8-12 slices, if you are using sliced)
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• A pinch dried oregano
• A pinch of ground cumin
• Juice of 1 lime
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Roughly chop the tomatoes, chilli peppers and the red onion.

Remove the seeds from chilli peppers and set them aside.

Put all the ingredients in the food processor and pulse a few times until the ingredients are finely diced. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Taste it. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add some of the chilli seeds if the dip is not spicy enough. For a better taste, let the salsa sit for an hour (room temperature or in the fridge).

3. Sour Cream, Dill and Garlic Dip

This creamy garlicky dip is perfect for potato wedges, chips and grilled veggie strips.

No cooking required. Just mix together these 4 ingredients and serve.

Ingredients:

• 200 ml sour cream
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons finely shopped dill or dried dill
• A pinch if black pepper

Directions:

Add ingredients to a bowl and mix until well combined. That’s it!

The dip is ready for serving. 

For a better taste, leave it in the fridge for 1 hour.

Sour cream can be substituted with Greek yogurt. You can add a pinch of chilli powder for heat.

Photo by Suzy Hazelwood from Pexels

4. Sour Cream and Spring Onion Dip

A great dip to make when you are short on time.

It’s easy to make and it tastes great. Just like the sour cream, dill and garlic dip, this dip is perfect for nachos, potato wedges, chips and grilled veggie strips.

Ingredients:

• 200 ml sour cream
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 3-4 tablespoons finely shopped spring onions (depends on how strong you want)
• A pinch if black pepper

Directions:

Add ingredients to a bowl and mix until the mixture is even. The dip is ready for serving. For a better taste, leave it in the fridge for 1 hour.

Sour cream can be substituted with Greek yogurt. 

For a bit stronger taste, use both mayonnaise and sour cream. We recommend to use 1:1 sour cream to mayo ratio.

5. BBQ Sauce

BBQ sauce is one of our favourite dips for a BBQ party.

It’s perfect for dipping chicken wings and strips, giving the meat sweetness and spice.

Ingredients:

• 160 ml ketchup
• 120 ml vinegar
• 50 grams brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon fine table salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

Put all ingredients in a small saucepan, bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes. That’s it! The dip is ready for serving.

6. Hummus

Hummus (alternative names: hommos, houmous) is a Middle Eastern dip which traditionally is made from blended chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic and spices. There are also several variations of the traditional hummus, such as the beet hummus, avocado hummus, sweet potato hummus and pumpkin hummus.

But our absolute favourite is the traditional hummus.

It’s a very simple recipe that can be made in 10 minutes. 

What are your favourite quick and easy dips?

Featured photo by RODNAE Productions from Pexels

Here are 6 easy homemade chicken marinades for the BBQ.

How to marinate chicken at home? It’s easy, and it’s definitely worth it because this way the meat gains flavour and remains tender and juicy after you’ve cooked it. Marinate it in oil, lemon juice or yoghurt, flavouring it with garlic, spices or herbs. The recipes for chicken marinades are countless. 

Below we have listed a few of our favourite marinade recipes.

Homemade Chicken Marinades for the BBQ

Just remember — if you want marinated meat for the party, plan ahead. You’ll need to marinate the meat in advance, as it takes a minimum of 1 hour, often more, for the marinade to do its magic.

Try these easy homemade chicken marinades for the BBQ!

1. Lemon Garlic Marinade

A simple and spicy chicken marinade.

This tangy marinade is easy to make and will add loads of flavour to your chicken. Perfect for a warm summer day BBQ party.

Ingredients (for 500 grams of chicken):

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Zest of 1 lemon, grated or peeled
• Honey to taste
• Parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Red pepper flakes (optional)

Marinating time: at least 1 hour in the refrigerator. 

For a better taste, marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

2. Garlic, Soy and Lime Marinade

A super easy chicken marinade for your next BBQ dinner.

There are only 6 ingredients, and it takes only minutes to make it. Being almost as simple as a 4 ingredient chicken marinade, this garlic, soy and lime marinade infuses the meat with deep lime flavours and gives just the right amount of sweetness.

Ingredients (for 500 grams of chicken):

• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Juice of 1 lime
• Zest of 1 lime
• Cayenne pepper or hot chilli pepper to taste (optional)
• 2 tablespoon finely chopped coriander (optional)
• Pepper to taste
• 60 ml water
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar

Marinating time: overnight.

3. Chicken Kebab Marinade

Chicken kebab is one of the top BBQ dishes for many.

One of the reasons behind this being the fact that chicken kebabs are simple to make. Just marinate the meat, thread it onto skewers and cook through. Easy and delicious! If you are cooking the kebab on a charcoal grill, it will have the unique smoky taste that only charcoal grills offer.

Ingredients (for 500 grams of chicken):

• 120 ml Greek yoghurt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• a pinch of ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• Black pepper to taste
• Salt to taste

Marinating time: 2-8 hours.

If you have kebab seasoning spice mix, you can also use that. Mix it with yoghurt, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and ketchup.

4. Teriyaki Marinade

A simple chicken marinade for an Asian-inspired meal. 

The chicken teriyaki is the perfect option for an Asian-inspired barbecue meal. It’s easy to make and it makes your chicken delicious, juicy and tender. Teriyaki marinade gives meat sweet, savoury and tangy flavour which is favourite combination for so many BBQ enthusiasts. 

Ingredients (for 500 grams of chicken):

• 120 ml cup soy sauce
• 120 ml cup water or pineapple juice
• 120 ml cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

Marinating time: at least 2 hours. 

For a better taste, marinate overnight.

5. BBQ Marinade

The BBQ marinade is one of the best marinade recipes for summer grilling.

It is easy to make and will give your chicken a sweet and smoky barbecue flavour. It’s also one of our favorite recipes for chicken marinade.

Ingredients (for 500 grams of chicken):

• 4 tablespoons honey
• 4 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 tablespoon dried onion flakes (or 1 teaspoon onion powder)
• A pinch of garlic powder (optional)
• A couple of pinches of chilli (optional)
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 4 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste

Marinating time: at least 2 hours, for a better taste — overnight.

6. Italian Marinade

A refreshing chicken marinade, perfect for hot summer days.

Also, it makes the chicken tender and juicy.

The Italian-style chicken is best eaten with fresh salad.

Ingredients (for 500 grams of chicken):

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon minced onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning (or use basil, thyme and oregano)
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley and / or basil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Marinating time: 1 – 12 hours.

How to Marinate Chicken at Home?

What containers can you use for marinating?

Method 1 — Zip-Lock Bag

You can place all the ingredients in a large resealable freezer bag / zip-lock bag. Seal and shake to combine the ingredients. Then place the meat in the bag. Close the bag and move the meat around to coat it in the marinade. Massage the meat to distribute the marinade evenly.

Put the zip-lock bag in the fridge.

Method 2 — Plastic Container

Mix all the ingredients in a plastic container with a lid. Put the meat in the marinade, close the lid and shake the container well. Pierce the meat with fork so that the marinade seeps through and gives it a deeper flavour.

Put the container in the fridge.

Method 3 — Metal Bowl

Mix all the ingredients in a metal bowl. 

Cover the meat in the marinade. Cover the bowl with aluminium foil.

Put the bowl in the fridge.

How Long Do You Need to Marinate the Chicken?

If you don’t have much time, 1 or 2 hours will be OK.

Just remember that the flavour won’t be as intense as when you marinate the meat for a longer period of time. At the same time it’s important to understand that you also shouldn’t be marinating for too long. 

How long is enough, and how long is too long?

It depends from the type of marinade you plan to use.

Acidic marinades (lemon juice, vinegar, yogurt) can ruin your chicken if you marinate it too long. It’s best to leave the marinated meat in the fridge for a maximum of 5-6 hours. If you leave the chicken in the marinade for too long, the meat will become dry and stringy, and the texture will be ruined.

If the marinade doesn’t contain acid — up to 48 hours. 

Not all homemade marinades for chicken work the same way. Take that into account when you’ll be looking for marinade ideas for chicken and choosing the one for your next meal.

For more tips see our Charcoal Grilling 101.

What are your favourite chicken marinades for the bbq?

Featured photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels

It may surprise you, but you can actually make a pizza on BBQ.

The best part is that it’s quite easy, really, and requires only a few ingredients. Especially if you’re going to use a ready-made pizza base. There are hundreds of recipes for grilled pizza, and here is one of our favourite grilled pizza recipes. Be warned — these pizzas are seriously addictive, and you might end up eating a bit too much of them!

You can cook just about any food on a charcoal grill.

Charcoal Grilled Pizza Recipe

Make your own charcoal grilled pizza in 10 minutes.

Ingredients (4 pizzas):

• 4 Large “Santa Maria” pizza tortillas or large “Santa Maria” ordinary tortillas
• 125 g pack of mozzarella cheese
• 150 — 200 g semi-hard cheese (such as Gouda or Edam)
• 10 tablespoons tomato paste
• Salami/pepperoni (spicy is the best) — 4 large slices for 1 pizza (or 10-12 small ones)
• A few jalapeños from a jar to taste
• Pitted black olives
• A bit of olive oil
• Dried oregano
• A few teaspoons of basil pesto (optional)

You don’t need a grill pizza oven for that.

Directions:

First, prepare your toppings. 

Slice mozzarella and pepperoni/salami, grate Gouda or Edam cheese, and slice the jalapeños.

Then put the pizza base on the pan or directly on the grill grates (they must be greased) and cook it on both sides. Take it off, put it on a plate and cover with a little bit of olive oil. Then cover it with tomato puree. 

Now arrange your toppings evenly. 

First the salami, then the mozzarella slices, jalapeños and olives. End with the Gouda or Edam. Sprinkle the oregano. Drizzle some pesto (optional) over the pizzas.

Finish cooking on the grill or pan, until the cheese has melted.

Your grilled pizza is ready!

Featured photo by Engin Akyurt from Pexels

Here is our favourite, easy hummus recipe.

Hummus (alternative names: hommos, houmous) is a Middle Eastern dip usually made from blended chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic and spices. It’s a very simple recipe that can be made in 5 to 10 minutes. Very often hummus is made with tahini paste. But in our opinion, it’s optional — hummus without tahini tastes just as great.

Easy Hummus Recipe

Hummus is super tasty and super easy to make.

Ingredients (2 servings):

• 1 x 400 g can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• 2-4 tablespoons of water
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (from a bottle or squeezed from a lemon)
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• A pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon tahini paste
• A pinch of chili powder (optional)
• A few parsley or coriander leaves (optional)

In just a few minutes, you will have creamy delicious homemade hummus which is better and cheaper than store-bought. You can enjoy hummus with grilled bread, toast or flatbread, grilled paprika, potatoes and other veggies.

Directions:

Rinse the chickpeas and put them in the blender cup.

Add water, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin and salt, and the optional ingredients if you choose to. Blend all of this for a couple of minutes until smooth. 

Your simple hummus is ready!

Easy Hummus Recipe Without Tahini Paste

Most of people make hummus with tahini paste.

However, we believe it’s optional. Take the same ingredients except for tahini paste, follow the same directions, and you’ll get a similar as tasty hummus. There’s also a possibility that you will like it this way even more, as not everyone like the taste of tahini.

Enjoy!

Featured photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich from Pexels

Craving for a grilled chicken sandwich?

Yes, you can make delicious sandwiches on the grill! Chicken grilled sandwiches are tasty, and a simple recipe for all the family to enjoy. So simple to make and they work great for breakfast, lunch or even dinner — everyone loves them.

Here is an easy grilled chicken sandwich recipe.

Grilled Chicken Sandwich Recipe

Learn how to make a delicious grilled chicken sandwich.

Ingredients (4 portions):

• 2 chicken breast fillets
• Chicken marinade of your choice
• 150g bacon
• 8 slices of bread
• 2 medium tomatoes, neatly sliced
• 2 avocados
• romaine lettuce
• dried or fresh herbs (coriander or parsley)
• BBQ sauce

Directions:

Cover chicken with marinade and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Grill the chicken on the grill on both sides until well cooked. Safe internal temperature for chicken and poultry is 75 °C (minimum). Use a meat thermometer to measure it. It’s the only safe way to tell if meat is cooked. Afterwards remove the fillets from the grill and allow to cool for 5 minutes before cutting.

Fry the bacon until crispy. Set it aside on a paper towel to drain excess oil.

Cut chicken fillets into thin slices.

Grill the bread over the BBQ until golden brown.

Now assemble the sandwich. Spread BBQ sauce on both bread slices. Take one slice. The chicken goes on first. Then add tomatoes, avocado and romaine lettuce. Bacon goes on top. Add a sprinkling of herbs and cover with the second slice of bread.

Your grilled chicken sandwich is ready to serve! Enjoy!

Learn how to start a charcoal grill properly.

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