Backyard Cooking Recipe Roundup for Father's Day

What better way to show your dad (or any dad figure in your life) you care than by making a medley of his favourite backyard cookout foods — even if you don’t have access to an outdoor grill. We’ve rounded up fan favourites like hot dogs, chicken wings, burgers, burritos and more. This roundup is chock-full of recipes he’ll love and appreciate.

Whether he prefers a classic beef burger with all the fixings or a plant-based version loaded with fresh ingredients, we’ve got options for every burger under the sun. The secret to a juicy burger, no matter what it’s made of? Keeping a light touch when it comes time to mixing and shaping the patties, you want the ingredients to only just come together before they’re formed into burgers. To keep the patties from sticking to the grill, lightly spray them with vegetable oil before cooking. No grill? These burgers can be cooked in a cast iron skillet or on a stove-top cast iron grill.

Looking for an impressive wing recipe with fewer Points? Try the method outlined in the recipe for our grilled Buffalo wings, which removes the skin from the wings before generously seasoning them with a dry rub. We’ve included options for grilled and baked chicken wings, which gives you the option to cook them indoors or outdoors. For the real restaurant experience, serve these chicken wings with celery and carrot sticks and a side of low-fat sour cream or ranch dressing.

Sliders are so much more than mini versions of hamburgers; they’ve got enough flavour and personality to be in a category all of their own. To make a batch of sliders in the oven, layer the bottom half of slider buns on a baking sheet with the toppings and then add the top half of the buns. Bake in a hot oven until the ingredients are warmed through and the cheese has melted (if using.)

Homemade poppers of any kind are always a treat, especially when served as a special appetizer before the main meal. We’ve included several different kinds of poppers below, including traditional jalapeño peppers and less common variations featuring cauliflower, pickles, and Buffalo chicken. Many recipes for poppers call for deep frying, but our lightened-up recipes are baked, broiled, or grilled outdoors.

Begin Father’s Day with a breakfast burrito and sweet potato hash or serve up a platter of cheesy bean burritos for dinner with some corn and black bean salsa. Adding ZeroPoint veggies to burritos is a great way to add bulk and dietary fibre without affecting your Points budget. If you find yourself with extra burrito filling, refrigerate the items separately and use them to build Tex-Mex-inspired bowls the next day.

These recipes make use of fat-free hot dogs, which are then loaded with super-flavourful, zippy toppings such as pickles, onions, grated veggies, and relish. If you don’t have a grill or the weather isn’t in your favour, you can mimic the same BBQ-crispy hot dog skin by cooking the wieners under the broiler (score the hot dog first to prevent it from bursting under the heat.)