Wow diners with delicious dishes that celebrate the all-American institution of barbecue.
America's love affair with barbecue is as deep and complex as barbecue itself. Fire, smoke, brown sugar, oak, hickory, honey, spice, molasses—with its layers of flavor and popularity among diners, barbecue is a leading option for all proteins at lunch and dinner.¹
With Kraft's extensive portfolio of barbecue sauces, our chefs are intimately familiar with barbecue, and are indeed its biggest fans. At a recent ideation session, they dedicated themselves to proteins, developing recipes that give operators versatile, crowd-pleasing, easy-to-execute protein dishes. "These recipes are designed to answer more than one operational need," says Freeman Moser III, senior executive chef at Kraft Foodservice. "So, the barbecue glaze we made for the burger will also work for steak, for instance. Each recipe, we hope, expresses the best of barbecue."
New Barbecue Recipes
BBQ Stuffed Shrimp
Menu solutions—shareable appetizer; bar food; catering event; entrée
Other uses for stuffing mixture: crusting on salmon or halibut; stuff pork chop; stuff chicken breast
The star of this dish is the stuffing—sweet and smoky tones from Bull's-Eye Original Barbecue Sauce, high notes from Grey Poupon Classic Dijon Mustard and brightness from fresh parsley and lemon juice. Kraft Mayo Real Mayonnaise binds the stuffing beautifully, imparting a rich mouthfeel, too. Once stuffed into the butterflied shrimp, Oscar Mayer Bacon wraps deliciously around for contrasting texture and added smokiness.
BBQ Shrimp Flatbread
Menu solutions—shareable app; entrée; buffet
Other dish profile with ingredients: add shrimp, cheese and tomatoes to chopped salad, dress with barbecue sauce and make flatbread croutons
Flatbreads are great for operators who don't have pizza ovens, but want to offer diners the popular pizza profile. This one couldn't be simpler—our chefs brush the dough with Bull's-Eye Original Barbecue Sauce, then top with shrimp, Pepper Jack cheese and tomatoes.
BBQ Skirt Steak
Menu solutions—plated entrée; sandwich or wrap; steak salad; flatbread
Other uses for barbecue sauce: use as a marinade or sauce for any beef protein, ribs or burger topper
Our chefs make a marinade and barbecue sauce for the skirt steak by combining Bull's-Eye Original Barbecue Sauce, balsamic glaze and A.1. Original Steak Sauce. "A.1. and Bull's-Eye have different components of sweet and sour at different levels," says Chef Moser. "A.1. gives it a great savory dimension and the balsamic glaze adds a nice sheen to the meat."
Country Grilled Lamb Chops
Menu solutions—entrée; buffet; catering event
Other uses for barbecue sauce: use in osso bucco; brush on steak as a glaze while grilling; switch out mint for cilantro for a Latin twist
Bull's-Eye Original Barbecue Sauce, Grey Poupon Country Dijon Mustard and fresh mint make a perfect marinade and barbecue sauce for the rich, meaty profile of lamb chops. "Mustard and lamb are best friends," says Chef Moser. "This recipe is simple—from prep to plate."
Sous Vide BBQ Pork Belly Strips
Menu solutions—shareable appetizer; bar food; entrée
Other uses for belly strips: top a salad with the strips; use in street taco
Pork belly is a beautiful thing—an inexpensive cut combining lush fattiness with great pork flavor. Our chefs use the sous-vide method, which breaks down the fat and results in melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. To add texture and complexity, they then flour and fry strips of the belly. For a finishing flavor of sweet, citrus and apple-cider vinegar, they drizzle the strips with Kraft Honey Barbecue Sauce.
Barbecue Glazed Char-Burger with Tangy Coleslaw
Menu solutions—bar food; entrée
Other uses for barbecue glaze: brush on steak while grilling
This burger thrills like a steak. Our chefs season the patty with a dry rub of cumin, paprika, brown sugar, garlic powder, salt and pepper, then glaze it with a mixture of Kraft Original Barbecue Sauce and A.1. Original Steak Sauce, bringing beautiful caramelization to the burger. The combination also brings a perfect balance of sweet, spicy and thick texture. For a crisp, cool counterbalance, they add a cider-vinegar-based coleslaw bound with Kraft Slaw Dressing.
Chipotle BBQ Turkey Meat Loaf
Menu solutions—entrée; buffet
Other uses for barbecue glaze: ribs, wings, Latin-inspired flatbread, dip for breaded appetizers
Barbecue and better-for-you go really well together, especially when leaner proteins are used. Here, our chefs pump up the flavor and add richness to the turkey meat loaf with Open Pit Original Restaurant Recipe Barbecue Sauce embellished with brown sugar and chipotle.
Ribs with Mustard and Brown Sugar Glaze
Menu solutions—shared appetizer; entrée
Other uses for barbecue sauce: pork or lamb roast; pork or lamb chops
Pork spareribs get both heat and sweet in this perfectly balanced, flavorful barbecue recipe. The dry rub morphs into the mop sauce with the addition of Grey Poupon Classic Dijon Mustard and chicken broth.
Kansas City Cowboy Kabobs
Menu solutions—entrée; buffet
Other uses for barbecue sauce: chicken or shrimp kabobs
This dish brings the bold flavors of Kansas City barbecue to the plate. With a simple plus four, Open Pit Original Restaurant Recipe Barbecue Sauce delivers big barbecue flavor to sirloin, corn on the cob, mushroom caps and red pepper.
Hot-Shot Wings
Menu solutions—shared appetizer; bar food; buffet
Other uses for barbecue sauce: spicy BBQ chicken nachos; spicy pulled pork; spicy BBQ quesadillas
These wings bring the heat. Open Pit Original Barbecue Sauce builds a perfect foundation, then our chefs spice things up with chili powder, cumin and jalapeño. Fresh lime juice and cilantro round out the profile with bright, fresh notes.
Whiskey-Dunked Wings
Menu solutions—shared appetizer; bar food; buffet
Other uses for barbecue sauce: cedar-plank salmon; chicken/ mushroom kabobs
With its balanced barbecue profile, Open Pit Original Barbecue Sauce works well as a launching pad for signature barbecue. Here, our chefs go for a bar-food sensibility with a simple plus two of whisky and molasses for deep, sweet barbecue flavor.
Why Kraft Barbecue?
- Endless signature sauce possibilities
- Versatile taste
- No artificial flavors or preservatives
- Low cost compared with competing national brands
- Ready-to-use format eliminates labor-intensive prep
For barbecue tips from legendary pitmaster Boss Hogg, click here.
¹ Center of the Plate: Poultry Consumer Trend Report (2008), Center of the Plate: Beef & Pork Consumer Trend Report (2008); 2010 Barbecue Market Intelligence Report.