How to Throw the Perfect Backyard BBQ

Over 14 million grills and smokers were sold last year, showing just how popular backyard cookouts are. 

Hosting a backyard cookout is a great way to spend time with friends and family, and it’s easy to put together. All you need is a grill, some burgers, and your friends — or you can go all out with event planning to provide an experience they’ll never forget.

To ensure your next backyard BBQ is the best one yet, we’ll go over several things you can do in this quick guide. In no time, you can grab a few BBQ items and start impressing all of your friends.

Read on to learn how to throw the perfect backyard cookout!

Consider the Guests

When throwing a backyard BBQ, the first thing to do is consider the guests you’ll have. This will help you figure out how much food to get and the types of activities to offer.

A simple way to do this is by asking yourself some of these questions:

• Is it a party for kids?
• Does anyone have allergies?
• Are some of the guests vegan or vegetarian?

The more you think about your guests, the easier it’ll be to offer an experience that everyone enjoys.

Set a Budget

After considering your guests, the next thing to do is set a budget, which is much more important if you’re hosting a large backyard cookout. When hosting a small cookout, you can get away without one.

Food will take the most out of your budget, especially if you’re having a large group over. However, certain activities can also take a large chunk out of it. For example, cornhole boards can easily cost you a few hundred dollars, though they provide a ton of entertainment.

Determine How Long You’ll Cook

The last thing to do is determine how long you want to cook. If you have a larger group, you can expect to spend more time cooking. However, something as simple as prepping your food overnight will help you save some time on the day of the backyard cookout.

The amount of time you’ll need will also vary depending on the type of food you get. Hot dogs and burgers can be done within minutes, but things like ribs and chicken breasts take longer.

Even if you go with cheaper food that doesn’t take long, you can still make things fancy for guests. For example, you can use bourbon and burger meat to make delicious patties that don’t require breaking the bank.

Start Preparing for Your Backyard BBQ

Now that you know how to throw the perfect backyard BBQ, it’s time to start preparing.

A backyard cookout can be as simple or complex as you want, so ensure you go through these steps to get the most out of yours. Implementing just a few BBQ tips will go a long way.

To learn about other outdoor activities and cooking tips, have a look at the rest of our blog.