10 Big Green Egg recipes we love, from steak to cobbler to cocktails
Impress all of your guests with smoked cocktails and tacos on a Big Green Egg — Photo courtesy of R.Batista / Big Green Egg
After enjoying many meals cooked on an iconic Big Green Egg kamado-style live fire grill, whether in a friend’s backyard or a restaurant, we finally got one.
The ceramic grills are modeled after centuries-old clay cooking vessels in Japan. On our Big Green Egg, we’ve prepared everything from breakfast to appetizers, smoked cocktails (yep!) and delectable desserts. As the Georgia company celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, it’s safe to say we’ve become diehard EGGheads.
Knowing what to cook is sometimes trickier than how to cook it, so we’re sharing our 10 favorite Big Green Egg recipes and why we loved them the most.
Mushroom and spinach quiche
You can cook a mushroom and spinach quiche on a Big Green Egg — Photo courtesy of R.Batista / Big Green Egg
This “eggxtarordinary” Big Green Egg quiche recipe uses both direct and indirect cooking and calls for an accessory called a ConvEGGtor, which essentially creates a convection oven for cooking over indirect heat.
As with most Big Green Egg egg recipes and other breakfast casseroles, you first sauté garlic, onions, and spinach in a cast-iron skillet directly over the coals, and then you set up the ConvEGGtor for indirect cooking to bake the quiche until it’s golden brown. We’ve made this breakfast recipe and variations of it on many weekends and when we have guests.
Cedar-planked salmon on the Big Green Egg
Make delicious salmon bonbons on cedar planks — Photo courtesy of R.Batista / Big Green Egg
Smoked salmon Big Green Egg-style sometimes means cooking the fish on wood planks, which enhances the flavor of whatever we’re cooking. Cedar planks are particularly popular to use with salmon.
For this salmon bonbons recipe, leave the skin on and place the filets or cubes of salmon skin-side down on the planks. When the fish cooks over indirect heat, moisture rises, and that smoky cedar wood flavor permeates every bite of the salmon without overcooking it. We love serving these as appetizers while preparing the main course.
Smoked mango mojitos and shrimp tacos
Who knew you could use a Big Green Egg for delicious mango mojitos and other cocktails? — Photo courtesy of R.Batista / Big Green Egg
Who would have thought a cocktail could come from a Big Green Egg grill? Fruit grilled or smoked on our EGG is fantastic, so this recipe for smoked mango mojitos became a favorite.
Skewer mango slices, then grill the fruit for about 30 seconds on each side. Once cooled, muddle the mango with mint and simple syrup, add some rum and club soda, and you have a delicious sipper for an evening cookout.
Pair the mango mojitos with these Big Green Egg shrimp tacos, made with skewered shrimp grilled over direct heat for about two minutes. They’re fast and full of flavor and super adaptable with toppings.
Big Green Egg steak: Filet mignon with herb butter
Grill one of the best Big Green Egg steaks: filet mignon with herb butter — Photo courtesy of R.Batista / Big Green Egg
It’s hard to ignore a Big Green Egg steak. We love this grilled filet mignon recipe and found that it’s easy to prepare on the grill, taking less time than you think. After trying several methods for filet mignon using our Big Green Egg, this is our favorite method.
Get the temperature of your Big Green Egg to 500 F and grill the seasoned steaks for two minutes on one side, two minutes on the other side, and then another one to two minutes back on the other side. Use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature for doneness — you’re looking for 120 F for rare, 130 F for medium-rare, and 145 F for medium-well.
Make sure to let the meat rest for a few minutes to let the juices redistribute. Serve it with a simple herb butter for extra flavor and lusciousness.
Big Green Egg chicken
You can make Big Green Egg chicken in many ways — Photo courtesy of R.Batista / Big Green Egg
Is there anything better than smoked chicken? The kiss of smoke is what makes it taste so delicious.
We’ve enjoyed several grilled and smoked chicken recipes, but this simple dish is one of the best. This recipe uses Big Green Egg Savory Pecan Seasoning, and as is typical with many chicken recipes, it calls for indirect cooking at just 275 F, using a handful of wood chips or chunks to enhance the smokiness.
In just a couple of hours, you have tender, falling-off-the-bone chicken that’s full of flavor.
Blackened grouper with cheese grits
Use your Big Green Egg for blackened grouper and cheese grits — Photo courtesy of Big Green Egg
We found that grouper and other thick fish filets do well on our Big Green Egg. With this blackened grouper recipe, the blackening seasoning is perfect for mild fish, and it cooks in a flash.
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The recipe calls for a cast-iron, plancha-style griddle, but a Lodge cast-iron skillet does just fine. Blackening seasoning consists of chili powder and several herbs and spices — and it can be spicy!
Sear each side of the fish for three minutes, depending on the thickness of the filets. Served over cheesy grits, it’s a real crowd-pleaser.
Smoked oxtail brisket
You won’t regret trying Big Green Egg smoked oxtail brisket the way Black Girls Grilling makes it — Photo courtesy of R.Batista / Big Green Egg
One of the most popular cooking stations at a recent EGGtoberfest belonged to Atlanta’s Black Girls Grilling. Sisters Felicia Jordan and India Glass come from a long line of pitmasters and southern cooks.
They provided a great tip to us that’s become our mantra: “You ain’t cooking, if you’re looking,” which simply means, let the Big Green Egg do the work.
That’s certainly true with this slow-smoked oxtail brisket, which cooks over low indirect heat in a Dutch oven. The smokiness that the Big Green Egg imparts makes this recipe a real winner.
“Taco Juan” smoked pork belly tacos
Smoke pork belly on the EGG for these “Taco Juan” tacos — Photo courtesy of Big Green Egg
We met Alejandro Gutiérrez at EGGtoberfest and were immediately united by our love of cooking with live fire on a Big Green Egg. Based in Monterrey where Big Green Eggs are produced, Gutiérrez is the passionate president and founder of the Sociedad Mexicana de Parrilleros (“SMP” for short and translated as “Mexican Grilling Society”).
A recipe that Gutiérrez and the SMP team enjoys is smoked pork belly tacos. The recipe is a riff on a traditional Christmas ham recipe Gutiérrez’s mom still prepares, using a rub and cola in the marinade.
The pork belly cooks low and slow in the Big Green Egg, which is incredible in fresh corn tortillas. The recipe includes extras like a zippy green salsa and pickled red onions.
Tomato galette on the Big Green Egg
You can make a Big Green Egg pizza or something more delicate, like this tomato galette — Photo courtesy of R.Batista / Big Green Egg
We’ve prepared many pizzas on our Big Green Egg, with consistently tasty results. Our success led us to this pizza-like tomato galette recipe, which uses a ready-made pizza or pie crust.
One tip we loved was sprinkling the sliced tomatoes with salt and pepper about 10 minutes before you add them to the crust, which removes excess moisture. Bake the galette on a pizza stone, using indirect heat, for 40 to 45 minutes until the crust is golden brown.
Make sure to use the freshest seasonal tomatoes, heirloom varieties if you can get them. It will knock your socks off.
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Peach cobbler
Don’t stop believing: The Big Green Egg peach cobbler is a knockout — Photo courtesy of Big Green Egg
We figured that a company based in Georgia would have great recipes using peaches, and we found that in this luscious peach cobbler. We used sweet Georgia peaches, a deep Big Green Egg cast-iron skillet, and indirect cooking at just 250 F for about 30 minutes or so. It’s great topped with vanilla ice cream.
