What is the Best Beach Food? 11 Amazing Options

You don’t want a pang of hunger to ruin your day at the beach. This is why it’s important to bring beach food with you. But what kind of food should you bring to the beach?

What’s easy to bring and eat? There are many types of beach food you can consider. The goal is to bring something that is not only convenient but also tastes great.

Keep reading and check out some of these great beach food ideas below.

1. Texas-Style Beef Chili

Chili is a classic meal choice that is easier to bring to the beach than you’d expect. Many people think that the best beach food consists of small snacks, but this isn’t true. You can easily enjoy more complex food at the beach as well.

Everyone loves chili. It is savory, slightly spicy, and very filling. Texas-style beef chili may be the best chili of all. 

This is because it is all about achieving explosive flavors without being overwhelming. The heart of this dish is high-quality ground beef. This is where all the flavor and body come from in the dish. 

These flavors are then amplified by additional ingredients, such as onions, red peppers, and so on. There are also many different species, chili peppers, garlic, and more. 

Beef stock prevents the chili from being too thick while also improving the dish’s flavors. Not all chili has to be super spicy, either. Many options are milder so you can still feel your tongue after you’re done eating. 

The chili wouldn’t be complete if it wasn’t topped with cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream. These dairy toppings balance out the heavy, savory nature of the rest of the meal. 

This is a great option to bring to the beach because it is delicious and filling. 

2. Lasagna

Lasagna is another dish that everyone loves. It is very similar to spaghetti but in a drastically different form. It is also very portable since you can easily cut it up into squares and serve it to your friends or family. 

Lasagna is made of long, thin noodles that are layered over several layers of filling. This filling mainly consists of ground meat and tomato sauce. To give the dish more flavor, this filling is cooked with onions, garlic, and Italian herbs. 

Common Italian herbs include oregano, basil, parsley, and so on. There is sure to be plenty of black pepper and salt in the mix, too. There may also be some red pepper if you want your lasagna to be slightly spicy.

You can’t forget about the most important ingredient: cheese. Mozzarella cheese is the star of the show. It is thick, juicy, and flavorful. 

This cheese is added inside the lasagna as well as on top. This gives the dish a solid layer of stretchy cheese that your friends won’t be able to resist tearing into. The lasagna may be topped with added seasonings, such as parsley, parmesan cheese, and so on. 

3. Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes

You can’t get more classic than this. Meatloaf and mashed potatoes are two important staples of the American diet. You can’t have one without the other. 

Both are great for bringing to the beach. What’s better than sitting down on the sand or a picnic bench with a great meal? Meatloaf is famous for being very tender and flavorful. 

It has delicate flavors of black pepper, salt, and various herbs and spices. You can make this dish more flavorful by adding some crispy onions on top. This not only adds to the flavor but also makes the dish more interesting with an added texture.

The mashed potatoes are equally delicious. They are creamy and sure to fill even the most ravenous stomach. They also pair very well with the meatloaf since they offset the meat’s savory nature. 

You can improve this dish by making sure that it is gluten-free. This ensures that everyone can enjoy a bite or two.

4. Steak Fajita Bowl

If you’re looking for a different flavor profile, consider a steak fajita bowl. Anything that comes in a bowl will be easy to enjoy at the beach. Fajita steak is cooked differently than most types of steak. 

It is often marinated in a variety of herbs and spices for several hours. This gives it a unique flavor before it even touches a cooking surface. It also ensures that the flavor penetrates the entire steak rather than sitting on the surface. 

This steak is then topped with delicious bell peppers and onions once it’s cooked. These ingredients may cook in the same marinade as the steak to amplify the flavor. To offset the savory nature of the meat, the fajita bowl comes with light and fluffy Spanish rice. 

This rice is mild compared to the steak and almost acts as a palate cleanser. You can also get refried beans to improve the experience. 

5. Beef Pad Ke Mao AKA “Drunken Noodles”

You may have not heard of beef pad ke mao, but you may have heard of drunken noodles. This is a traditional Thai dish that is sure to satisfy every person’s taste buds. Be warned that this dish can be spicy. 

If you don’t have a very high tolerance for spice, it would be better to opt for a very mild option. This ensures that you can taste the dish without your tongue going numb. 

This dish consists of delicious rice noodles and stir-fried beef. There are also bell peppers, eggs, tomatoes, and broccoli. A handful of basil leaves counteract any savory and spicy flavors, creating a very complex and flavorful dish. 

This dish is unique because it is spicy, sweet, and savory at the same time. 

6. BBQ Chicken Brown Rice & Quinoa Bowl

Again, anything that comes in a bowl is great for taking to the beach. This beach food idea is no different. Everyone loves BBQ chicken, and BBQ chicken goes well with a variety of foods. 

Brown rice is a classic option. Brown rice is also very healthy compared to other types of rice. It also has a more rustic flavor and texture.

You can improve the chicken’s BBQ flavors by tossing in some crispy bacon. This is sure to make the bowl more flavorful. You can counteract these savory notes with chopped pineapple and quinoa. 

You can also toss in some onions, spices, herbs, peppers, and so on. Chipotle BBQ sauce is a great option if you want to try something different than your classic BBQ sauce. You can also add some extra spice with a few slices of jalapeno peppers.

To make the bowl smokier, don’t forget about the cheddar cheese as a garnish.

7. Tiramisu

Suppose you’re not looking for a full meal while you’re at the beach. You might be more in the mood for a sweet snack. Tiramisu is a fantastic option. 

Tiramisu means “pick me up” in Italian. This refers to the irresistible nature that this dessert has. It consists of many layers of many different ingredients. 

There is mascarpone cheese, which is sweet and creamy. There are light and flaky lady fingers that are dipped in coffee (or sometimes liquor). There are also many layers of heavy whipped cream, vanilla extract, granulated sugar, and cocoa powder. 

All of these layers come together to create a heartstoppingly delicious dessert. 

8. Classic Italian Spaghetti

Who can pass up spaghetti? It’s yet another classic option that you can take to the beach without any effort. Spaghetti is a very simple meal, but that doesn’t take away from how delicious it is. 

If you get high-quality spaghetti, it won’t be just noodles drenched in a can of tomato sauce. It will instead be finely crafted and full of the best ingredients. The tomato sauce will be perfectly seasoned with all sorts of Italian herbs.

Oregano, basil, and parsley will infuse the tomato sauce with their delicate flavors. There may also be some black pepper and salt to balance the flavor. Italian tomato sauce often has some butter and wine mixed in. 

These two ingredients do wonders to further balance the sauce and ensure that it’s not too acidic. It will also improve the sauce’s aroma. The better the sauce smells, the better it will taste. 

The noodles must be cooked until they are al dente. This ensures that they are not too soft and not too hard. 

9. Chicken Pasta Salad

This kind of salad is great to bring to the beach if you don’t feel like anything too heavy or savory. This salad is often served cold to make it more refreshing and light. 

This is also a very healthy salad while still being filling. Common ingredients include red wine vinegar, spinach, salt, black pepper, and so on. You can choose whatever noodles you want for this salad. 

Some of the most popular options include Penne or Ziti. These noodles easily get coated on all sides with the ingredients in this salad. The chicken should be tender and well-seasoned, but not seasoned too heavily. 

This ensures that the chicken blends well with the rest of the light and fresh ingredients. This is also an easy dish to share while at the beach. You can also use it as a side if you also feel like eating heavier and more savory dishes.

10. Chicken Teriyaki Noodles

Chicken Teriyaki is one of the most classic Japanese-American dishes you can think of. The chicken in this dish is usually marinated in Teriyaki sauce. Teriyaki sauce mostly consists of soy sauce, sugar, honey, and mirin. 

Mirin is a traditional Japanese white wine. It is sweet and often thicker than other types of white wine. This thickens the sauce’s texture and makes it perfect for coating chicken and noodles. 

It may also contain ginger to give the flavor some extra spice. To keep this dish from being too sweet and savory, it is often served with plenty of vegetables. Common vegetable options include carrots, broccoli, cabbage, and so on. 

These vegetables also give the dish a nice crunch. This ensures that the dish isn’t too mushy or bland. The dish may be seasoned with sesame seeds and other similar options. 

This is a great option if you can’t decide whether you want something sweet or savory. This dish has the best of both worlds!

11. Pork Tamale

A tamale is a delicious little pouch of flavor. It is made of corn dough that is paired with a slightly spicy Verde sauce. It also comes with plenty of cheese, refried beans, and Spanish rice. 

This combination of flavors and textures creates a magical, mouthwatering dish. This dish is spicy but not too spicy, and cheesy without being too cheesy. It is a very filling dish. 

This makes it perfect for ending your day at the beach. After you’ve been swimming in the waves or running around on the sand, you’ll surely be famished. This is a great dish to fill your stomach and take some time to relax. 

It is also an easy dish to share with your friends or family. What else could you ask for from your beach food?

The Best Beach Food Options

There are many beach food options to choose from, but the ones on this list are some of the best. You can’t go wrong with things like lasagna or pork tamales. Chicken salad, spaghetti, and tiramisu are all great options, too. 

You can narrow down your options based on what foods you prefer. This ensures that you’ll always have great food to bring to the beach. To learn more about food options, check out what we have to offer.