Top Ten Christmas Gifts for Grilling and Barbecue Guys n Girls

If you have a grill guy or girl on your holiday list, there are loads of great gifts that are sure to make your special barbecue person want to fire up the charcoal or hit the gas button. Best of all, you can get great grilling gifts in a big range of prices from just a few dollars to off the charts.

I'm sharing some of my favorite barbecue items drawn from years of outdoor cooking here at home. I don't sell grilling products (or make a profit on these top picks), so my links will be to reviews I've written (for more info) or to home sites for the companies.

Top Ten Christmas Grill Gifts - On a Budget 

1. Barbecue sauces - There must be thousands of barbecue sauces on the market. I was amazed when I started looking around and trying out new ones. Wow. I've had the opportunity to try out some absolutely fabulous sauces, and I can't begin to name all the great ones (sorry to all you great sauce makers that I can't get in a single post - I'll do a sauce only post one of these days).

One of my favorite barbecue sauces for this year is Nephew's which is out of Raleigh, NC. I especially love the Cherry Polte that we enjoy on country ribs. They have a yummy pumpkin barbecue sauce and a peach sauce that I'm planning to try out soon.

 If you're on a tight budget you can get your griller a new sauce and put a whole new twist on a favorite grilled dish.

2. Marinades - Marinades make a big difference when it comes to grilling or smoking. Marinades add moisture and flavor. It is hard to find really great bottled marinades, but I found a line that I fell in love with when my son gave me a gift certificate to Southern Seasons (a high end food/cooking store in Chapel Hill). That marinade was Allegro Spicy. It's still my all time favorite, but all the Allegro marinades are super.

After I wrote about Allegro marinades, Food Lion added them. So, you may be able to find Allegro at your local grocery store. If not, you can order online. The prices are very reasonable, and these marinades turn even cheap meat into something really special.

3. Oils - This may seem an odd pick for a top barbecue item list, but a rub of a nice oil seals, crisps, and adds flavor to grilled foods. I brush olive oil on boneless, skinless chicken breasts, and they come out really moist and full of flavor.

I've tried and liked a lot of oils, but my favorite for oils would be Garlic Gold. They have all natural products with American grown garlic. The flavor is so smooth, you may not even be able to pinpoint that you have a garlic product. This stuff really is like liquid gold.

I'd recommend the sprinkles too. I use the oil and sprinkles on my Greek grilled potatoes, and they are wonderful. I lived in Greece years ago, and I built on what I learned there along with these products to come up with our favorite potatoes on the grill.

4. Grilling and Barbecue Cookbooks - There's nothing much better than kicking back with a great grill or barbecue cookbook. I like to page through and read at night before I go to bed. Then, I have visions of ribs and burgers dancing in my head when I dream.

Again, there are loads of cookbooks to pick from. You can't go wrong with the Weber brand grilling books. I have several and often give them as gifts.

If have a low and slow person on your list, then I'd highly recommend Peace Love Barbecue. It is chock full of stories as well as great recipes.

5. Bear Paws - While I've got low and slow on my mind, I have to mention Bear Paws. If you do pork butts or shoulders, then you'll know that it can be hard to chop them. You need good knives and space to do a nice chop. I've found it easier to shift over to Bear Paws. They are a really simple idea, but they do a great job. It only takes a few minutes to pull the meat and have it on the table.

 
6. Basting brush - I much prefer the silicone basting brushes out now over the bristle brushes that always seem to leave some bristles behind. Clean up is also easier. You can also get recplacement heads for some of the silicone brushes. There are several basting brushes that I like and use. The ones from Oneida have been solid.

7. Grill Gloves - Outdoor cooking is hard on kitchen gloves and mitts, so it really does pay to spring for a real grill glove. There are two that I especially like. For general outdoor cooking with gas, I love the Oxo grilling mitt. It can go on either hand, and it has a magnet so can be stuck to the side of the gas grill. For charcoal, smoking (especially with larger meat cuts), and for Dutch oven, I go with the Lodge red gloves. They are super sturdy and stand a whole lot of heat.

Here is the Lodge Dutch oven glove:

And, here's the Oxo grilling mitten:

8. Chimney Starter - If your favorite grill guy uses charcoal and does not have a chimney starter, it's an excellent purchase. It's low tech, but it really works. I never buy lighter fluid. The charcoal starts right up with perfect coals in about 10 minutes with my Weber chimney starter. Charcoal starters are under $20 and pay for themselves in just a few grillings. If you want to know more about charcoal starters, I wrote a guide showing how cchimney starters work.

9. Grill Wok - I find that a lot of my barbecue gear gathers dust, but my grill wok gets constant use. It's much easier to wok shrimp, meat chunks, and vegetables rather than thread them on skewers. I usually put them in a marinade beforehand, wok them quickly on the grill, and serve over rice. Quick and easy meal - and really yummy.

Yes. This dinner made in a grill wok was great. In fact, just posting the photo makes me want to go out and find some shrimp.

Here is a photo of my grill wok. I would share the company, but I've had this wok for years, and I don't know who made it. You can find similar woks at most big box stores.

10. Cast Iron Skillet - This may sound odd, but you can do a whole lot with a cast iron skillet on top of a grill grate. I've been using my Lodge skillet on the grill for years. Since it's black, it does not mess it up to have it over flames. If you have more bucks to spend, then Weber came out with a really neat grate system with cast iron drop ins. I don't have that for my Weber kettle, but I hope to get that set one of these days.

Merry Christmas - And Happy Grilling!

See there. Shopping for the barbecue fan or grill guru in your life isn't hard, and it won't break the bank. All of these ideas are inexpensive but very nice to have if you grill or smoke.

If you have a bigger budget, then your outdoor god or goddess likely has his or her eye on a fabulous new grill or a smoker to add to the arsenal. That's terrific too. I won't name out any best grills or smokers, or this post will be a book. Plus, different units work for different people. I have more than 20 grills and smokers, and I love them all (-:

Making a List - Checking it Twice

If you follow my blog, you'll know that there are loads of products that I've tested out and loved. Please feel free to add your products here and tell us about them. Or, if you have a favorite I've not mentioned, toss it out.

How to Grill Boneless Chicken Tenders - Fast, Easy, Inexpensive

Chicken Tenders in Marinade - Getting Ready to Grill Out

I decided to grill chicken tenders tonight, because my son and I have been working hard all day. We needed a hearty meal, but I didn't feel up to going gourmet on the grill this evening especially since I juggle both the outdoor and indoor cooking most of the time.

If they don't sell chicken tenders in your area (and I don't mean the frozen McNugget types), then they are just boneless, skinless chicken breast strips. You can get the full sized boneless chicken breasts and cut them in strips if those are on sale.

The advantage with the small pieces of chicken is that the grill up really fast. It depends on your grill heat, but I'd say the average time on grilling is 10 minutes.

The little chicken strips can be bland and turn out dry on the grill, but if you marinate them, then they have moisture and flavor. The marinade I used this evening is Allegro Hot & Spicy that I got with my birthday gift certificate from my son in college.

Chicken Tenders in Grill Basket or Grill Wok

After warming up the grill and grill basket or wok, I just pour the chicken and marinade in the wok. The chicken strips can go directly on the grates, but it's easier to work with them in the grill basket.

Do be careful when pouring the chicken and marinade in. The heat can cause steam which can burn your arm or hands. I'm big on using grill gloves, but I know a lot of people skip that part.

The chicken turns from a pink color to white. You can see the white moving up the sides. It's time to flip the chicken tenders when you see that. I use grill tongs to do that.

All this does take just a few minutes with a hot grill. If you have any doubts about the chicken being done, you can cut into the side of one. Some grill folks will tell you never to do that, but it's really not a big deal on chicken tenders. After a time or two, you will be able to eyeball them and tell they are done without having to double check.

Chicken Tenders Hot Off the Grill

Here are our grilled chicken tenders. The lighting makes them look much dryer than what they really were.

If you do get them a little dry though, you can add some marinade after they are grilled. Just don't use any marinade where you had raw chicken sitting. You may be sitting on the bathroom throne if you do stuff like that when you're grilling.

My Grilled Chicken Tenders Dinner

No. This is not a fancy grilled meal, but it sure tasted great. I put the rice on and then went out to grill the chicken. After I put the chicken in the grill wok, I stuck the canned biscuits in the oven (those can also be done on the grill grates too). So, it all timed out nice, and we had a solid meal. Sure beat a frozen dinner and really didn't take more time than sticking one of those in the microwave.

The highlight of the meal for me was the Allegro Hot & Spicy marinade on the chicken. I've not been big on checking out marinades (but will be all over that now). I usually make my own marinades - olive oil and seasonings (not hard). But, I sure fell in love with Allegro.

I will warn you that the Allegro Hot & Spicy is, indeed, hot and spicy. Eli is yelling uncle on that. Too hot for my mild son. So, I'll have to try some others in this line and find one with a little less heat. For those who love some heat (but not burning the hair out of your nose), Allegro Hot & Spicy is excellent. I just love this one but will keep in mind that some folks can't handle this much hot.

Grill Wok Chicken on the Char Broil Urban Grill

Getting Ready to Grill Chicken and Vegetables in a Grill Wok

I had some chicken thawed out and decided to grill wok that with some vegetables. My son put on some rice while I marinated the chicken, green peppers, and onions and fired up the Char Broil Urban Grill.

You can use any type of oil to marinate chicken and vegetables to wok cook on the grill. Today I was using Garlic Gold, since that is one of my favorites. It's olive oil infused with organic garlic. Really great stuff.

My college son (not the younger one) loves spicy food, so I broke out the Too Hot for Momma. Gary sent me that, and I'm been chomping at the bit to try it but was waiting for another hot fan to be around to enjoy some heat. This was a free product to try out (no strings), and I'm a huge fan or the original Gary's seasoning blend.

Loading up the Grill Wok with Chicken and Vegetables

After letting the grill heat up (important), I sprayed the grill wok with a little Pam non stick spray, put it on the grill and let it heat a couple of minutes, and then I added the chicken chunks (quarter size bites) plus the vegetables - also cut in bite sized pieces.

Every minute of so I'd use a spatula (large spoon would be fine as well) and stirred quickly so that the chicken and veggies would cook evenly.

Grilled Bread on the Side

We love our bread around here, so I put some Texas Toast on beside the grill wok. It's super easy to grill Texas Toast.

Yum! Grilled Dinner in Less Than a Half Hour

It took about 15 to 20 minutes to grill wok the chicken and vegetables and to finish off the grilled bread which takes only a couple of minutes.

Time to Dig In

Caleb had the rice ready, and I plated up our grilled chicken and vegetables with grilled Texas Toast. I especially liked the little extra kick with Gary's Too Hot for Momma, and NO it was not too hot for this Momma.

The meal was a as good as it looks. Trust me. I'd tell you if it wasn't. I hate to waste my food and time. This is a real easy and very tasty meal. It's also inexpensive if you look for the boneless chicken breasts on sale. I used about $1/worth of meat for this meal. Can't beat that.

Grilled Shrimp in a Grill Wok - Super Easy Grilling Recipe

We had grilled shrimp again tonight, and YES we had shrimp wok grilled last week as well. I've had a sinus and double ear infections, and frankly the guys are lucky they are getting food at all around here. I feel dreadful.

Shrimp in the grill wok is super simple though and easier than going and picking up something to eat. No. We do not have delivery out here in the country. Sigh that.

I did decide to fancy things up a bit with our grilled shrimp, since this is two weeks in a row. So, I used Melanie Yunk's Big Acres Teriyaki & Ginger marinade on this batch of vegetables and shrimp.



Melanie's marinade gave the grilled shrimp and veggies a richer and fuller flavor without adding any extra work on my end. Her Big Acres gourmet marinades and sauces are top notch, and I recommend them and also note that her collection that you see above is a real cool gift for friends or family who are foodies or ones who just don't know what they are missing.


How to Grill Shrimp in a Grill Wok

1. First I fire up the grill. This can be a charcoal, gas or electric grill. I used a gas grill tonight. The temperature should be fairly hot - around 375 degrees F or close.

2. I spray the grill wok with non-stick spray to make clean up easier. Tonight, I used Weber's grill non-stick spray. I think it's new. I've not seen it until lately here, and it works great. Then I let the grill wok heat a bit.

3. I have my vegetables in marinade. In this case, it was Melanie's Gourmet Teriyaki and Ginger. I also use Kraft Zesty Italian or I use olive oil and add my own seasonings.

4. I put my vegetables in the grill wok for about 5 minutes to give them a little head start, unless my shrimp are large. Mostly, around here, the shrimp sold are medium.

5. Once the vegetables grill for a few minutes, I add the shrimp to the grill wok.

6. I stir now and then and watch the color. My grilled shrimp took about 10 minutes, but that can vary on the heat and size of the shrimp. The main thing is to get the shrimp the pretty orange cooked color. That means they are done. And, if you keep cooking them, they get rubbery. Just watch the color. That's the key. When they look done, they are done.

Well, that was my quick and easy grilled dinner tonight. It took 15 minutes total on the grilling (not including the heating times). We ate the food like a Low Country Boil - just picked up shrimp and veggies (green peppers and mushrooms) and had lots of paper towels. This same meal can be served over a rice bed for a more upscale meal, but I did not feel like doing rice tonight.

I did boil some corn on the cob and made some canned biscuits to go with our wok grilled shrimp. Again - going easy on the dinner when not feeling great.

There were sure no complaints. The guys grabbed plates of the wok grilled shrimp and vegetables and watched the ballgame on TV. They did the dishes too, so I call this a really good dinner night and sure super easy.

Tools of the Trade are Important for Outdoor Grilling Too

I find many folks end up thinking they are grilling failures, because they do not invest in the right equipment. Even if your barbecue "base" is a standard grill and not a fully equiped outdoor kitchen (which includes most of us), it's still important to have the correct grill gear. You don't try to paint your house without drop clothes and rollers and line tape (or I hope not), so dedicate some time and a little money to ensure much better barbecue grilling fun.

You may think, "Well, I have a grate, so I don't need any pots and pans."

Hum, WRONG. Good grillers use cookware sets and cast iron skillets and grill woks. Some foods just don't work on the grates. Then, there's that side burner on the gas grills. Sadly, few people take full advantage of that feature which allows for full meal cooking outdoors and no heat or mess in the kitchen. Get good pots and pans that conduct heat well, and you expand your grilling horizons tremendously.

On charcoal, I stick with old style cast iron which is black anyway and will withstand flares. Over gas grill heat, I use most any of my good cookware pots and pans - depending on what I'm grilling. The side burner is fine for basically any good quality pot or pan. I like the Le Creuset, because it's sturdy and holds the heat well (and side burners tend to be lacking a bit on the heat output).

I also keep grill gloves on hand. I like Lodge and Oxo Grill gloves. Kitchen mits are not made for the high grill heat, and they get scorched and nasty. If you're a guy, you will not make your lady happy if you mess up her nice kitchen mits. Invest in grill gloves which protect your hands and hold up much longer.

There are loads of accessories and grill gear on the market, and most items aren't too expensive. Look around and put the extras on your birthday or Christmas list. Just a few nice pots/pans, skillets, gloves, really good barbecue sauce like Wild n Mild and an excellent grate cleaner like Grill Floss.

Yes you can grill (as I say at my grill web site by the same name), but it's much easier and the results are much better if you're armed for the job. Start building your barbecue grill gear collection and see the difference.