Beer Can Chicken, Raw Carrot & Snap Pea Salad, Bottled Strawberry Basil Margaritas

the perfect menu for a summer BBQ

we had family over at my dad’s for a pool day last week, and it reminded me how much i love a good summer bbq. casual, loud (especially the Cubans), everyone passing plates around. so i wanted to share three recipes that feel just right for that kind of day. scroll down for all 3 full recipes with grocery lists included.

Dad’s Famous Beer Can Chicken: my dad has been trying to make me his beer can chicken for the past year. everyone raves about it. it’s salty, smoky, and perfectly juice. the last time we visited, he fired up the smoker, only for it to break mid-cook, turning into a 3-hour backyard repair saga that ended in… no chicken. so when we came back to town, i knew two things: one, i needed to try it for real. and two, i wanted to learn how to make it myself and share it with all of you.

Raw Carrot & Snap Pea Salad: this raw carrot salad is my go-to for getting veggies on the table. even my dad eats it, and he’s very anti-lettuce. it’s endlessly riffable depending on what’s in the fridge AND has major skin benefits (raw carrots have a ton of retinol i guess). at home, i make a smaller batch just for thom & myself, but for a bbq, it’s the easiest thing to scale: grab a big bag of carrots and snap peas, throw everything in, and call it a salad. no cooking required.

Bottled Strawberry Basil Margaritas: these are my favorite kind of drinks! low effort and just as good without the alcohol. perfect for backyard hangs and pool days plus they’re prepped right in the bottle so there’s no mess, and they look cute too!!

Backyard BBQ Menu:

Dad’s Famous Beer Can Chicken

ingredients:

for the brine:

• 1 whole chicken (3.5–4 lbs)