Beer is not just for drinking, and when you combine it with a barbecue, you have multiple options for delicious meals. Beer can be used in marinades and barbecue sauces to take your grilling to the next level. Here are a few ideas for beer and barbecue meals that will impress all your eaters.

6 Beer and Barbecue Meal Ideas

Beer Burgers

When you are seasoning your hamburger, add a little beer to the recipe to add something special. The flavor is amazing, but don’t add too much, or your burgers will fall apart. Adding an egg can help bind it together. Want some bold flavor? Use a dark beer like Guinness, and it will transform the burger.

Beer Brats

Before throwing bratwurst sausage on the grill, boil it in beer! Beer brats are a well-known favorite in the state of Wisconsin, but they should be a favorite at every place on the map. A pale lager is best for this one.

Baby Back Ribs

Marinating your baby back ribs in beer for a few hours before grilling will give you some tender ribs that are a mouth-watering favorite for summer barbecues. A brown beer is recommended for this meat, and avoid overly hoppy beers.

Crabs

Here’s an idea you may not have thought of for your grill. Toss some cleaned crabs on the barbecue and get a fire-roasted flavor. The beer comes into play to steam the crab meat. Simply pour a little beer over the crab while it is cooking, at it will steam and flavor the crab.

Trout

Trout can have a really fishy taste if not seasoned properly, and one way to cut the fishiness is to marinate it first in beer. A light, citrus beer works well for this one, and your grilled trout will be phenomenal. Marinade it in beer for about 30 minutes prior to cooking.

Beer Butt Chicken

If you haven’t tried beer butt chicken (or beer can chicken if you prefer), then you need to try it right away. Set the chicken over a half-full beer can while it cooks on the grills, and the steam will cook it from the inside infusing all the flavors of from the beer into the meat. A lighter beer should be used for this, and seasoning can be added to the beer can to add to the infusion.

A good rule of thumb when experimenting with beer and the grill is that lighter meats pair better with lighter beers. So, don’t go soaking your fish in a stout lager, and save the darker beer for red meat. Other than that, don’t forget that beer is not just for drinking. It’s for eating too!