31 Exciting Ways to Transform Meals with BBQ Sauce

We love BBQ ribs with tangy barbecue sauce (and we have several recipes), but we wanted to branch out and see how creative we could get with more unusual uses for our favorite BBQ sauces. Our recipe developer friends did not disappoint! We’ve got 31 recipes for you, from soups to pizza, kebobs and hot dips, to Bacon Wrapped BBQ Stuffing Balls, pulled pork nachos, taquitos, BBQ Ranch Chopped Chicken Salad and more. We have also included some of our most popular BBQ sauces: Pineapple Whiskey BBQ Sauce, Blackberry Maple, our copycat version of Sweet Baby Ray’s, and others.

Chopped BBQ Chicken Salad

Chopped BBQ Chicken Salad is a delightful combination of chicken, tomatoes, avocado, black beans, corn, shredded cheese, and crisp, crunchy lettuce. It is accompanied by a creamy dressing made with our BBQ sauce, mayonnaise, sour cream and tangy lime juice. Textures, colors and flavor all in one! Get the recipe.

Iowa BBQ Soup (Pork & Corn)

With BBQ sauce, pork, corn & more, Iowa BBQ Soup is loaded with summer flavor. Perfect for tailgate parties, picnics or even a complete meal. Get the recipe.

Sweet & Sticky BBQ Sauce

This is our version of Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce, which has a cult-like following. You won’t believe how easy this is to make – and, trust us, you do not need the high fructose corn syrup of the original. Your family will demand more! Get the recipe for Sweet & Sticky BBQ Sauce.

Bacon Wrapped Stuffing Balls

Bacon Wrapped Stuffing Balls are here to rock your holiday! Dress up leftover stuffing with cheese, barbecue sauce, and dried cranberries, wrap in bacon and bake for these super tasty, salty sweet stuffing balls. Directions for making easy stuffing are included to make these any time of year for a special treat or party finger food. Get the recipe.

BBQ Chicken Dip

Sweet, tangy, and filled with gooey melted cheese, this fun, and irresistible dip is perfect for any occasion! Filled with juicy shredded chicken, sweet BBQ sauce, creamy ranch dressing, caramelized onions, and melted cheese, everyone will come begging for the recipe! Get the recipe.

Pulled Pork Pasta Salad

Pulled Pork Pasta Salad is a perfect summer salad for potlucks or any weeknight dinner. I’m using pre-cooked pulled pork and BBQ sauce instead of mayo – so it’s creamy and hearty! Get the recipe.

bBQ chicken nachos

doctored-up bbq sauce takes these bbq chicken nachos to a whole new level. they’re crispy, crunchy, cheesy, sweet, spicy, and 100% fan-favorite comfort food. Get the recipe.

Hot & Tangy BBQ Sauce

Like a little heat in your BBQ Sauce? This one has it – and you can adjust the heat up or down, to your taste. Don’t be put off by the liquid smoke. It is a natural product and adds a nuance you cannot get otherwise. Get the recipe for Hot & Tangy BBQ Sauce.

Slow Cooker Barbecue Green Beans

Slow Cooker Barbecue Green Beans add southern  flavor to fresh tender  string beans with ham and a spicy tomato sauce. Get the recipe.

Homemade BBQ Chicken Pizza

Make pizza night a breeze with BBQ chicken pizza bursting with flavorful barbecue sauce, tender chicken, and gooey cheese in every bite. Pop it in the oven, and soon you’ll have a delicious flavor combo the whole family will love for dinner! Get the recipe.

BBQ Pulled pork nachos

Pulled pork nachos are a perfect for any occasion! The ideal cheese for pulled pork nachos are cheddar and Monterrey jack. Layer it on for extra cheesiness to this dish! This recipe can use either freshly cooked or leftover pulled pork. Let’s go through the process, shall we? Get the recipe.

Panera BBQ Chicken Salad

Panera BBQ Chicken Salad is loaded with flavor! This delicious salad with grilled chicken, black bean corn salsa, crispy fried onions, and barbecue ranch dressing is great for a hearty lunch or dinner. Get the recipe.

Blackberry Maple BBQ Sauce

The puréed blackberries create a rich purple color and the maple syrup adds balanced sweetness to the smoked paprika, Worcestershire sauce and cayenne. This will become a family favorite. Get the recipe for Blackberry Maple BBQ Sauce.

BBQ Ranch Chopped Chicken Salad

This BBQ Ranch Chopped Chicken Salad is hearty and makes a great meal.  Full of black, beans, corn, chicken, and crispy greens, it’s both delicious and nutritious. Get the recipe.

BBQ Turkey Meatloaf

This BBQ Turkey Meatloaf is juicy, tender, and packed full of flavor.  The BBQ sauce takes it over the top. Healthy and delicious for any busy weeknight. Get the recipe.

3-Ingredient Slow Cooker Meatballs

These 3-Ingredient Slow Cooker Meatballs are incredibly easy, with just 3 ingredients thrown into a slow cooker! Perfect for a quick ‘n scrumptious appetizer or make it a meal by serving it over your favorite starch. Get the recipe.

Pineapple Whiskey BBQ Sauce

Sweet/tart pineapple and the nuanced smokiness of whiskey work wonders in this thick and rich barbecue sauce. Easy to make with a very complex result. Get the recipe for Pineapple Whiskey BBQ Sauce.

BBQ Pinto Bean Burgers

These BBQ Pinto Bean Burgers are everything you want in a veggie burger. They’re flavor-packed with barbecue sauce, garlic, green onions, and cheese. 

Best of all, these pinto bean veggie burgers are easy to make and sturdy enough to hold all your favorite burger toppings. Because burgers are just a vehicle for your favorite condiments anyway, right? Get the recipe.

Braised BBQ Chicken Meatballs

This BBQ chicken meatballs recipe calls for braising chicken meatballs in barbecue sauce to get tender and juicy meatballs that are packed with flavor. Make my sweet and tangy BBQ sauce ahead of time or use your favorite store-bought sauce, and dinner’s ready in 30 minutes. Get the recipe.

Loaded Southwestern BBQ Pasta Salad

Loaded Southwestern BBQ Pasta Salad — an easy make ahead pasta salad that’s loaded with flavor, veggies, and fun! Your whole family will love it!

I made this pasta salad for a pool party we attended. I love the fact that this full flavored super yummy pasta salad doesn’t have mayo in it (as you know, I’m not a fan of mayo). Get the recipe.

Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza 

Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza combines two family favorites into one recipe. Thin crust pizza topped with melted cheddar cheese, barbecue sauce, ground beef, thick-cut bacon, red onion, diced tomatoes, and melty mozzarella cheese is a fun addition to pizza night! Get the recipe.

Strawberry Chipotle BBQ Sauce

We are huge BBQ sauce lovers around here and have several options for you. This Strawberry Chipotle BBQ Sauce is sweet, spicy, tangy, with fantastic depth of flavor. You will love it on poultry, pork (try it with ribs!), shrimp – we have even whisked a little bit into salad dressing. Get the recipe.

Best Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies Recipe

These easy Lil’ Smokies sausages wrapped in bacon are one of our favorite party food recipes, especially when we’re in the mood to hog all the compliments (no pun intended) on game day gatherings or at the buffet table.

This delicious appetizer is also known as “bacon wrapped weenies,” or you can simply call them “Meat Covered in Meat.” Savory little smokies sausages are wrapped in bacon, cooked to crispy perfection, brushed with barbecue sauce and broiled until they’re lightly glazed. Get the recipe.

slow cooker hunters chicken pasta bake

Creamy and delicious, this slow cooker hunters chicken pasta bake is a weeknight dinner favourite. Loaded with pasta, chicken, bacon, barbecue sauce, cheese, passata and tinned tomatoes.

We will even show you that you can cook dried pasta in the slow cooker at the same time as the other ingredients making this the perfect dump and start chicken pasta bake slow cooker recipe. Get the recipe.

Southwestern Black Bean Burgers

Hearty and full of zesty bold flavors, these Southwestern Black Bean Burgers are sure to please! Sautéed onions and peppers, fresh cilantro, chilies, and smoky barbecue sauce are combined with healthy beans to form delicious burgers. So crispy on the outside yet soft in the middle. Yum! Get the recipe.

Brunswick Stew

Brunswick Stew is a genuinely Southern American classic originating from Virginia to Mississippi. It’s thick, hot, comforting, sweet, smokey, and an absolute must-try. This stew isn’t the quickest in the world, so be sure to give yourself about an hour, but it will be well spent. I can promise you that. Get the recipe.

BBQ Grilled Eggplant Steaks

These BBQ Grilled Eggplant Steaks are meaty, tender, and full of flavor! This recipe is vegan, gluten-free, keto, and paleo! Thick tender slices of eggplant coated with a smokey dry rub, perfectly charred and glazed with your favorite BBQ sauce! Serve as a great vegetarian entree for summer barbecues or a quick & easy vegetable side dish! Get the recipe.

Pulled BBQ Jackfruit Sandwiches with Tahini Slaw

A healthy & delicious meatless recipe that will have you forgetting about the meat! Pulled BBQ Jackfruit Sandwiches with Tahini Slaw that are gluten-free, vegan, & top-8 allergy-free! Great for a quick & easy plant-based weeknight dinner! Get the recipe.

pulled pork sweet potato sandwich 

If you LOVE BBQ as much as I do, you will love this pulled pork sweet potato sandwich recipe. Not only is it easy to make, but your pulled pork sweet potato sandwiches will disappear from your dinner table in minutes. Get the recipe.

Vegan meatloaf

This is the best vegan meatloaf you will EVER eat! Full of lentils, vegetables, and savory goodness. And if you love this vegan meatloaf recipe, stuff a bell pepper, portobello mushrooms, or some pasta shells with this yummy lentil mixture! Get the recipe.

Grilled Peach BBQ Chicken Skewers

Summer brings along one of my favorite family activities: firing up the grill and gathering everyone for a cookout. Whether it’s 4th of July or just dining “al fresco” on a breezy summer evening, I like to keep it delicious and easy. It’s all about spending time with loved ones instead of cooking all day. I’m sharing one of my favorite family recipes, our Grilled Peach BBQ Chicken Skewers. Get the recipe.

Cowboy Beans

Cowboy Beans are a hearty side dish made with ground beef, onion, bacon, brown sugar, baked beans, and barbecue sauce. Packed with flavor, this dish is the talk at any gathering! Get the recipe.

BBQ jackfruit taquitos with cucumber ranch dressing

Crispy gluten free vegan BBQ jackfruit taquitos with cucumber ranch dressing combine fresh veggies and shredded jackfruit for great flavor and texture. A dip into cool cucumber ranch is essential. Get the recipe.

Slow Cooker Barbecue Chicken Quinoa Chili

Slow Cooker Barbecue Chicken Quinoa Chili is an easy, healthy crock pot chicken dinner recipe. With just a few minutes of prep, you can enjoy this good-for-you meal! Get the recipe.

Pulled Pork BBQ Pizza with Potatoes and Caramelized Onions

This pulled pork BBQ pizza isn’t your average pie. With its tender pulled pork, spicy BBQ sauce, smoked cheese and sweet caramelized onions, this pizza delivers an explosion of flavors that makes for one crowd-pleasing meal. Don’t be surprised if this pulled pork BBQ pizza becomes your new party favorite! Get the recipe.

BBQ chickpea tacos

These BBQ chickpea tacos are hearty, flavorful, and SO delicious. Canned chickpeas are simmered with sauce and spices, and loaded into fresh warm tortillas.

Great for a quick 15 minute pantry dinner, made with inexpensive ingredients.  Add your favorite taco toppings and enjoy! Get the recipe.

30 Dinners That Beat The Heat! Easy No Sweat Meals For The Family!

Whether you are firing up the grill to keep the heat out of the kitchen, taking advantage of prepared proteins (like rotisserie chicken, or jarred tuna), or maybe using a smaller appliance, like an air-fryer, we have 30 dinner ideas that will get your family fed without breaking a sweat. And of course, some feature no cooking at all! Vegan and plant-based recipes, too.

READ: 30 Dinners That Beat The Heat! Easy No Sweat Meals For The Family!

20 Homemade Sorbets, Sherbets, Granitas, Popsicles And Ices For Summer Fun!

Ice cream and gelato get a lot of love, but sometimes we want an icy treat that is a bit lighter. Enter the world of Sorbets, Sherbets, Granitas, Pops, and Ices! And trust us: if you think these cannot be as satisfying as ice cream, we suggest you try our Chocolate Sorbet right now. Dairy-free, yet rich and creamy. Twenty in all featuring pineapple, strawberries, espresso, papaya, lime, cherries, banana, coconut and all the flavors you crave.

READ: 20 Homemade Sorbets, Sherbets, Granitas, Popsicles And Ices For Summer Fun!

18 Healthy Summer Snacks That Help You Beat The Heat & Sustain Energy

We are big snackers around here, and in the summer, we do like lighter snacks – and they are even better if they help cool us down. Luckily, there are loads to choose from, both sweet and savory. Are your favorites listed? Or, which new-to-you one will you try first?

READ: 18 Healthy Summer Snacks That Help You Beat The Heat & Sustain Energy

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