Top 10 Vegan Tailgate Food Ideas and Recipes
I love tailgating! I don’t mean the kind where you follow a car too close (I’m not a monster), but the popular pastime in stadium parking lots during football season. It’s basically a picnic in a parking lot where football fans socialize over food and beer before the big game starts. It’s a brilliant idea, especially if you want to save money on stadium concessions. I’ll show you some tremendous vegan tailgate food to bring to the game or serve at your own “tailgate” party at home.
Popular Tailgate Food
Instead of grilled animal parts at tailgates, try tasty vegan hot dogs, burgers, bratwurst, and chicken-free wings. Popular tailgate sides include chips and dip, corn on the cob, and chili if it’s cold.
Top 5 Vegan Tailgate Sides
Chips and Vegan Dip
I don’t think there’s a more perfect pair. You can make your vegan dip or buy one on our complete list of vegan dips at the store.
How to Make Vegan Dip for a Tailgate
This creamy vegan queso dip is a fan favorite and only takes half an hour to make. It’s made from cauliflower, a handful of spices, and cashews that give it the essential creaminess.
If you’re in a rush, this 5-minute vegan dip made from almonds saves the day.
Cilantro-Lime Vegan Corn on the Cob
Simple grilled corn on the cob with vegan butter is enough for a tailgate, but this cilantro-lime corn-on-the-cob recipe is a game changer. The cilantro-lime recipe works whether you oven-roast the corn ahead of time or grill it at the game.
Dog guardians: Dogs can’t eat corn cobs, so make sure you know what to do if your dog eats a corn cob at your tailgate.
Vegan Mac and Cheese
Tailgaters love mac and cheese, so you’ll need lots of it. There are a number of ways to make a vegan mac, but this vegan mac and cheese casserole serves many and is my go-to for any party or holiday get-together.
Vegan Chili
As autumn turns to winter, tailgates get colder, so chili is a great vegan side dish to offer. Some store-bought vegetarian chili brands are accidentally vegan if you check the ingredients, but if you want to make your own, I think this vegan chili recipe is an easy pleaser.
Vegan Deviled Eggs
Stealing eggs from chickens is devilish, but I recently learned that “deviled” is a term for heavily seasoned and spicy food. Who knew?
This vegan deviled egg recipe is impressive and simple to make. The kala namak or black salt gives it an egg flavor.
Best Vegan Tailgate Foods for the Grill and More
Vegan Hot Dogs
Grocery stores recognize that hot dogs are a must-have at any tailgate because there are many vegan hot dog brands available everywhere nowadays.
Classic hot dog toppings like ketchup, mustard, relish, and onions are vegan, but if you want to get fancier, we compiled a list of 9 unique vegan hot dog toppings and recipes.
Vegan Bratwurst
Bratwurst and hot dogs often go together at tailgates, and there are a number of vegan sausage brands widely available at the store. The Brat Original by Beyond Meat is a top contender in my book, but they’re all winning the game.
This vegan beer-basted Tofurky Brats recipe is delicious if you’re a Tofurky fan like me.
Vegan Pulled Pork
Jackfruit makes an excellent vegan pulled pork. You only need four ingredients to make these vegan pulled barbecue jackfruit sandwiches!
Vegan Wings
Several brands offer vegan chicken wings now, but if you prefer homemade, check out how to make vegan wings at home:
Vegan Burgers
You can’t go wrong with a vegan burger on the grill—check out these vegan burger brands!
Vegan Beer for Tailgates
While many beer brands are vegan, occasionally, beer is made using cruelly obtained ingredients, such as lactose from cow’s milk meant for baby cows or honey stolen from bees. Others are clarified using isinglass (made from fish bladders). Coors, Corona, and Modelo are just a few popular vegan beers, but Barnivore.com is an easy way to search for them all.
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Tailgate parties are all about family and friends, food, and fun. Sports fan or not, there’s no need to kill animals for a party or a holiday.
Our free vegan starter kit has everything from recipes and tips on eating out to health information. Order one to help you or a friend make the switch.
