When British singer Charli XCX released her sixth album, the hyperpop Brat, fans declared it to be a “brat summer,” indulging in lime green (the eye-catching color of the album art) and dancing through emotional crises to catchy club music.
But the term reached a new stratosphere when Charli XCX posted “kamala IS brat” on social media platform X shortly after President Joe Biden endorsed Kamala Harris for the Democratic presidential nomination. Harris’s campaign page even changed its header image on X to reference the album cover.
But brat summer is much more than presidential preferences, and being a brat isn’t about tantrums and toddlers. “You’re just, like, that girl who is a little messy, and likes to party, and maybe says some dumb things sometimes—who feels herself, but then maybe also has a breakdown,” Charli XCX explained in a TikTok video. Brat summer is about embracing imperfections and being energetically yourself, even through insecurity.
But you don’t have to be a party girl (or be experiencing existential dread) to take part. This selection of recipes—yes, some of them are that trendy shade of green—will bring the brat to your kitchen.
West Texas Smash
A key part of brat summer is doing unexpected things. Don’t play by the rules, and enjoy the chaos. Amarillo bartender Tiffany Reagan did just that, bringing together an unconventional blend of bell pepper, jalapeño, honey, gin, and pineapple juice into one refreshing, brat-green cocktail.
Instant Pot Okra and Tomatoes
You might think okra is uncool. I doubt it’s a staple on your dinner menu, and maybe the slime puts you off. But brat summer means not caring about being cool. In fact, it’s about being intentionally uncool. If you give this unfairly maligned green vegetable a chance, just four minutes of pressure cooking can bring out the incredible flavors of peak season okra, giving you your own so-uncool-it’s-cool summer side dish.
Southern Comfort Apple Pie
The “Apple dance,” set to the Brat song of the same name, has swept the internet, with our current favorite Texan, Glen Powell, even getting in on the trend with his Twisters costars. What could be better than a crossover between brat summer and Glen Powell summer? Embrace the viral dance with our recipe for Southern Comfort Apple Pie, which includes homemade piecrust, apple filling, crumbly toppings, and rum-caramel sauce.
Instant Pot Texas Chicken Green Chili With Cider
This dish takes advantage of Hatch chile season—which starts in August—and uses apple cider to make the bright flavor of the green chiles shine. Kind of sounds like it was designed in a lab for brat summer. The spicy, light chili will appeal on even the hottest days of summer, whether you pair it with rice, cornbread, or tortillas.
Brisket Salad
Brat summer celebrates contradictions. If the album can contain a song confessing insecurity in a friendship and another asserting that all Charli XCX’s haters are just jealous, we can lean into discordant meals too. While “brisket salad” may sound like an oxymoron, the recipe combines smoked Texas brisket (preferably bought at your favorite local barbecue joint) and herby greens into one delicious dish. We are complicated and contradictory! Let our food be too!
Kimchi Queso
The core of the Brat album is club music, a genre built for remixes. Charli XCX has already released four remixes of songs from the album, with more to come. Brat summer provides endless possibilities for reinvention, so the Peached Tortilla’s kimchi queso, a remix of Austin’s staple, fits right in.
Kerabu Cucumber Salad
Stay cool, in both a brat sense and a physical sense, with this salad, a refreshing blend of cucumbers, red onion, coconut, red bell pepper, and kaffir lime leaves. The salad also has a bit of a kick thanks to a Thai chile, keeping it from being too mainstream.
La Libertad
In “Everything is romantic,” Charli XCX waxes poetic about a trip to Naples, singing of neon-orange drinks on the beach, but you don’t need to be in Italy to match her vibe. Wait for a (somewhat) breezy summer evening and toast brat summer with a neon-orange cocktail of your own—this one’s got an unusual mixture of whiskey, pepper, salt, and orange juice.
