Best Barbecue Recipes Ever

So, if you’re ready to host your first barbecue but you’re wondering what to cook, here are some of the best barbecue recipes ever to get you started.

There are so many good things that you can cook on a barbecue. Here are some suggestions and recipes but feel free to invent your own.

Memphis Rib Rub

This spicy, peppery rub will transform pork into something quite exotic. And it’s so easy to make.

2 teaspoons crushed black peppercorns
Half a teaspoon of sea salt
1 teaspoon caster sugar
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cayenne or chilli powder
Half a teaspoon of ground nutmeg
Half a teaspoon of ground allspice
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

Simply mix all of the ingredients together and use your hands to rub the mixture well into the meat. You might want to wear disposable gloves for this so that your hands are protected from staining.

Chilli and Garlic Recado

This delicious, semi-dry rub really packs a punch flavour-wise. Leave it on the meat for no longer than 30 minutes. Good on lamb chops or thick steaks.

4 small dried red chillies
1 whole garlic bulb, cloves separated
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Whizz all the ingredients together into a paste and chill until you’re ready to use it.

Soy and Orange Marinade

This works really well with pork and sausages, but I’ve used it on chicken before with great results. It  has a definite kick to it so best left to adults only.

Grated zest and juice of 1 large orange
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 tablespoon hot chilli sauce, such as Sriracha
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander.

Mix all of the ingredients together and use as required.

Aromatic Thai Marinade

This is fragrant and delicious and is perfect with fish or prawns.

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
Half a teaspoon of dried chilli flakes
1 lemongrass stem, tough outer layer removed and finely chopped
2 cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
The juice of 3 limes
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon light brown sugar

Mix all of the ingredients together and use as needed.

Honey and Hoisin Glaze

This sugar-based glaze will give your food a lovely shiny, sticky finish. But only brush it on towards the end of cooking time so that the sugar doesn’t burn. This glaze goes with just about anything.

2 tablespoons runny honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 cm grated fresh ginger

Mix all of the ingredients together and brush over the food 10 minutes before the end of cooking time.

Best Barbecue Sauce

This is a tasty and versatile sauce. Use it to flavour your food while cooking, or use it as a dressing for burgers, hot dogs and toasted sandwiches. Serves 6.

1 tablespoon sunflower oil
1 small onion, peeled and very finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 red chilli, seeds removed and finely chopped
4 tomatoes, roughly chopped
4 tablespoons tomato ketchup
2 teaspoons grain mustard
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion, garlic and chilli until just softened. Add the tomatoes, ketchup, mustard, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce and seasoning and cook gently for 30 minutes until thickened. You can leave it a little bit chunky or blend it until smooth if you prefer.

Tangy Grain Mustard Sauce

This goes particularly well with chicken but I love it on toasted cheese sandwiches cooked over the coals. And it doesn’t need cooking, so it’s super-fast and easy. Serves 4.

1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
2 tablespoons grain mustard
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon creamed horseradish
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper

Simply mix together all of the ingredients and chill in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.

Chilli and Garlic Stuffed Poussins

This recipe originated in Mexico and the flavours are off the charts. It works better if you have a covered kettle barbecue which acts almost like an oven. If you don’t have a kettle barbecue, you can cook the poussins in the oven until almost done, then finish them off on the barbecue.  Serves 2 but easily doubled.

2 x 500g poussins
Stuffing:
1 whole bulb of garlic
1 red onion, cut into wedges
1 lime, cut into wedges
2 dried bay leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
Chilli Sauce:
6 red chillies, deseeded and chopped
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
2.5 cm piece fresh ginger, finely chopped

Halve the garlic bulb horizontally and place it in a small roasting tin with the onion, lime wedges and bay leaves. Season, drizzle over the oil and cook over medium-hot coals for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the chilli sauce. Soak the chopped chillies in the vinegar for up to an hour – the longer the better. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and fry the onion for 10 minutes, until softened but not coloured. Strain the chillies, reserving the vinegar, and add them to the pan with the ginger. Cook for 5 minutes.

Using a food processor or a pestle and mortar, blend the chilli mixture to a coarse paste, gradually adding the reserved vinegar.

Lift up the flap of skin at the neck end of the poussins and gently wiggle your fingers underneath. The skin will come away from the flesh, forming a pocket. Spread half of the chilli paste under the skin and push the roasted garlic and onion mixture inside the cavities.

Cook for 40 – 45 minutes, turning occasionally, until the poussins are golden brown and cooked right through. Serve with the remaining chilli sauce.

Nice and Sticky Chicken Drumsticks

The sweet and spicy glaze takes the humble chicken drumstick to the next level. If you’re cooking this for children, just leave out the chilli. It still tastes good. Serves 6.

4 tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 red chilli or a pinch of chilli flakes
2 cm fresh ginger, grated
2 tablespoons runny honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
Salt and pepper
Chopped spring onions to garnish

Heat the tomatoes in a small pan with the garlic, ginger and chilli (if using) and cook for 5 – 7 minutes until the tomatoes are pulpy. Add the honey, soy, vinegar, seasoning and five spice powder, stir well and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Brush the drumsticks with some of the glaze and cook over medium-hot coals, brushing with the glaze for the last few minutes of cooking. They will be shiny, sticky, and impossible to eat without smearing the glaze around your mouth. Serve garnished with sliced spring onions and a soured cream dip on the side.

Olive and Parmesan Crusted Lamb Chops

This simple recipe is taken to new heights when cooked on a barbecue. Black olive paste, known as tapenade, is widely available. Serves 4.

12 lamb chops or cutlets
2 tablespoons black olive tapenade
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons of flour
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
8 tablespoons dried breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon finely grated Parmesan
Oil for brushing

Season the chops on both sides with salt and pepper then spread the tapenade over both sides too. Dust lightly with flour. Whisk the eggs, chives and seasoning together, then in a separate bowl mix together the breadcrumbs and Parmesan.

Dip the floured chops in the beaten egg then into the breadcrumbs, shaking off any excess. Brush the barbecue rack with some oil and cook the chops over medium-hot coals for 5 minutes on each side, until crisp on the outside but still pink in the middle.

Lamb and Apricot Kebabs

The flavours of lamb and apricots go so well together that eating these juicy kebabs is a real pleasure. The sweetness of the kebabs is offset by the tangy sauce. This recipe originated in South Africa and the milk added to the marinade helps to make the meat very tender. Serves 6.

1kg boned leg of lamb, diced
1 garlic clove, peeled but left whole
3 fresh bay leaves
Half a teaspoon of fresh ginger, grated
Half a teaspoon of ground coriander seeds
50 ml of milk
Salt and pepper
75g dried apricots
2 small onions, peeled and finely chopped
Sauce:
6 dried apricots
25g butter
2 large onions, peeled and finely chopped
1 red chilli, finely chopped
1 tablespoon Madras curry powder
Half a teaspoon of turmeric
350 ml lamb stock
4 tablespoons caster sugar
120 ml white wine vinegar
A pinch of salt
2 teaspoons cornflour

This recipe needs to be prepared the day before you want to eat it. Cut the clove of garlic in half and use it to rub all around the inside of a large mixing bowl. Cut the lamb into 4 cm cubes and put the meat into the bowl with the garlic halves, bay leaves, ginger, coriander, milk and seasoning and cover. Leave to marinate in the fridge overnight.

The next day, make the sauce. Melt the butter in a medium-sized pan and fry the onion until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the chilli, curry powder and turmeric and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the chopped apricots, stock and sugar and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, then stir in the vinegar and seasoning and leave to go cold.

Stir the marinated meat and remaining apricots into the sauce, cover and leave for a further 2 hours.

Cut the onion into wedges and take six 25 cm metal skewers. Thread cubes of meat, onion wedges and whole apricots alternately onto the skewers, leaving small gaps in between. If you try to pack too much onto the skewers the meat won’t cook properly.

Pour the leftover marinade into a pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 2 minutes then thicken it with the cornflour, dissolved in a tablespoon of cold water. Keep warm.

Cook the kebabs over medium-hot coals, turning often, for 10 – 15 minutes, until charred on the outside and pink in the middle. Serve the kebabs with the apricot sauce and some flatbreads.

Cowboy-Style Spare Ribs

The beer used in the marinade for these ribs makes them really tender and juicy. Cooking them on the barbecue makes them taste even better. Serves 4.

1 x 330 ml bottle of strong lager
Grated zest and juice of a lime
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 whole smoked chilli or 1 teaspoon chipotle chilli flakes
Salt and pepper
750g pork ribs

Mix together the lager, lime zest and juice, garlic, sugar, chilli and seasoning. Lay the ribs in a large dish that will hold them all in a single layer and pour over the marinade. Mix well with your hands to ensure the meat is evenly coated in the marinade. Marinate overnight for the best flavour, but if you’re short of time, 2 hours will be sufficient.

Cook the ribs over medium-hot coals for 25 – 35 minutes, until well browned and cooked through. Serve with barbecue sauce (see recipe above.)

Calypso Pork

The spicy rum and sugar glaze gives ordinary pork chops the taste of the Caribbean. Make sure the chops are at least 2.5 cm thick so that they stay nice and juicy. Serves 4.

4 x 175g boneless pork chops or steaks
2.5 cm fresh ginger, grated
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
Half a teaspoon of allspice
2 tablespoons dark rum
2 tablespoons pineapple juice

Mix together all of the ingredients – except the pork – in a shallow dish. Add the pork chops, turning a couple of times to get them properly coated in the marinade then cover and leave for 2 hours minimum. Overnight is even better.

Barbecue the pork for 6 – 7 minutes on each side over medium-hot coals, basting with the leftover marinade, until cooked right through and browned on the outside.

Sausages and Burgers

You can’t have a barbecue without burgers and hot dogs. Burgers are easy to make and taste much better than shop-bought ones. Especially when they’re cooked over charcoal.

Basic BBQ Burgers

These burgers are simple to make, taste delicious and appeal to all age groups. Don’t be tempted to use the extra-lean mince, the burgers need a higher fat content otherwise they will be dry and chewy. Makes 4 burgers but easily doubled.

750g beef mince, 12% fat
1 – 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper

Simply mix together all of the ingredients in a bowl, using your hands to scrunch it together. Turn out onto a board and divide it into 4 equal-sized portions. Flatten the patties with your hands or press them into a metal pastry cutter. Chill for 30 minutes.

Brush the burgers with a little oil and cook over medium-hot coals for 5 minutes on each side. This will give you a medium burger. Cook for 2 minutes extra per side if you like your burgers well done.

Cut 4 burger buns in half and place them cut side down on the rack until lightly toasted. Serve with accompaniments such as crispy bacon, pickles, mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, sliced cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and onion rings.

Peppered Lamb Burgers

These taste like a peppered steak, but are made with lamb instead of beef. The crushed peppercorns give the burger both crunch and flavour. Makes 4 burgers but easily doubled.

500g minced lamb
1 bunch of spring onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce
A pinch of salt
1 tablespoon of grain mustard
2 tablespoons coarsely crushed black peppercorns

Place all of the ingredients except the peppercorns in a bowl and scrunch with your hands to bring it all together. Divide into 4 and flatten into patties with your hands, or use a metal pastry cutter. Sprinkle with the crushed peppercorns on both sides, pressing down gently to help them stick to the meat. Chill for 30 minutes.

Cook over hot coals for 4 – 5 minutes on each side. Serve in toasted brioche buns with burger relish and rocket.

Posh Hot Dogs

These are called posh hot dogs because I’ve added a few extras to make them a bit special. Serves 6.

6 frankfurter (hot dog) sausages
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and sliced
Half a teaspoon of light brown sugar
4 tablespoons barbecue sauce or tomato ketchup
8 rashers of smoked streaky bacon
4 pickled Jalapeno chillies, sliced

Heat the olive oil in a pan and fry the sliced onions for 12 – 15 minutes until brown and almost sticky. Add the brown sugar and cook for another minute. Keep warm.

Cook the frankfurters over medium-hot coals for 6 – 7 minutes, turning often, until cooked through. Move to one side to keep them warm. Cook the bacon rashers, turning once, for 2 minutes per side and place the buns cut side down to toast for a couple of minutes.

To assemble the hot dogs, spread the ketchup or barbecue sauce over the cut surfaces of the buns and top with a frankfurter. Divide the bacon and onions between the hot dogs and scatter over the sliced Jalapenos before serving.

Fish and Shellfish

Fish cooked on a barbecue is just delicious. It takes on a whole new flavour from the smoke, especially if you throw some aromatic herbs like rosemary onto the coals before cooking. Fish takes only minutes to cook, so keep an eye on it.

Salmon with Fresh Basil Pesto

This isn’t a true pesto sauce, but it tastes very fresh and tangy and goes really well with the salmon. You can use other firm fish in this recipe but you will need to adjust your cooking times. Serves 4.

4 x 200g salmon fillets, skin on
1 tablespoon olive oil
50g of fresh basil
The juice of half a lemon
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Remove any tough stalks from the basil and put it into a food processor or pestle and mortar. Add the oil, lemon juice and seasoning and process briefly. You don’t want it to be too smooth.

Brush the salmon on both sides with a little olive oil and cook over medium-hot coals for 3 – 4 minutes on each side, skin side down, turning once. The fish should be charred on the outside but still moist and juicy inside.

King Prawns with Sweet Chilli and Honey

Prawns cooked over hot coals are a special treat. These are coated in a delicious garlic, honey, chilli and lime marinade, then grilled to perfection. Make more than you think you’ll need as everyone will want more. Serves 6.

36 raw whole prawns or 72 headless raw tiger prawns
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
1 tablespoon runny honey
1 tablespoon Thai sweet chilli sauce
Finely grated zest and juice of a lime
2 – 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
Salt and pepper

Peel the whole prawns leaving the tail in place. You don’t need to do this for the tiger prawns as they have been peeled already. Using a sharp knife, make a shallow cut along the back of each prawn and carefully lift out the black thread inside. (This is not edible.)

Mix together the marinade ingredients and add the prawns, mixing well so that they get thoroughly coated in the marinade.

Leave in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours, or longer if you have time. Stir occasionally.

Thread the prawns onto thin metal skewers. If you’re using whole prawns, you should get 6 onto each skewer and that’s enough for 1 person. If you’re using tiger prawns you’ll need 2 skewers per person.

Cook over medium-hot coals for 3 – 4 minutes on each side, until pink all over. Serve with extra lime wedges for squeezing over.

Vegetarian Barbecue Food

Just so that any veggie friends don’t feel left out, here are some great recipes that will have even dedicated carnivores tucking in. Vegetables cooked on the barbecue are delicious and take on a completely different flavour to what you’re used to.

Best Butterbean Burger

The creaminess of butterbeans makes a delicious, moist burger for your vegetarian guests. You can leave out the chilli if you prefer your veggie burgers less spicy. Makes 4.

1 tablespoon sunflower oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 red chilli, chopped (optional)
1 x 400g can of butterbeans, drained and rinsed
50g fresh breadcrumbs plus extra for coating
1 medium egg, beaten
Juice of half a lemon
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons torn fresh basil leaves
75g mozzarella, cut into 4 slices

Heat the oil in a small pan and cook the onion, garlic and chilli (if using) until softened. Mash the beans in a large bowl then add the onion mixture, breadcrumbs, egg, lemon juice, basil and seasoning. Squeeze the mixture together with your hands and divide it into 4 portions.

Flatten out the mixture and put a slice of mozzarella in the centre of each one. Bring the edges up to enclose the cheese completely and pat it into burger shapes. Chill for 30 minutes.

Brush the burgers with a little oil, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and cook over medium coals for 5 minutes on each side, until the burgers are browned and the cheese inside has melted. Place 4 halved buns on the grill, cut side down, until crisp and browned then slip a burger into each one, along with some lettuce and sliced red onions. Serve with mayonnaise or barbecue sauce and some fresh salad.

Tofu and Mushroom Skewers

These little skewers are so tasty that everyone will want to try them. Smoked tofu is best but if you can’t find it then plain tofu will work too. Serves 4.

600g smoked tofu
1 courgette, halved lengthways and sliced quite thickly
1 red pepper, cut into large chunks
200g chestnut mushrooms, wiped clean and thickly sliced
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Thai sweet chilli sauce
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
Satay Sauce:
300g coconut cream (not coconut milk)
8 tablespoons of crunchy peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Juice of 2 limes

Cut the tofu into 2 cm cubes. Mix together the soy and chilli sauces and the oil and add the tofu cubes. Stir well and marinate for 1 – 2 hours.

Put the coconut cream, peanut butter and soy sauce into a small pan and heat gently on the edge of the grill. Thread the tofu onto 2 skewers, alternating with pepper and courgette. On the other 2 skewers, alternate slices of mushroom with the pepper and courgette.

Cook on the barbecue over hot coals for 2 – 3 minutes, turning once, until browned and crispy. Stir the lime juice into the satay sauce and serve drizzled over the skewers.

Charred Sweet Potatoes with Black Beans and Lemon

Sweet potatoes cooked on the barbecue are wonderfully smoky, and when you add the lemon and bean filling, they’re very satisfying. Serves 6.

6 sweet potatoes
1 x 400g tin of black beans, drained and rinsed
Juice of a lemon
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves only, finely chopped
20g fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
25g butter
Greek yoghurt to serve

Wash the sweet potatoes and dry them, then place them directly onto the coals. They will take up to an hour to become completely soft.

Meanwhile, mix the drained black beans, olive oil, lemon juice, parsley and rosemary leaves in a bowl. Cover and leave to infuse.

Once the potatoes are cooked, cut them in half and add a generous knob of butter to each. Spoon over the marinated beans, season with salt and pepper and top each one with a good dollop of the Greek yoghurt.

Spicy Paneer Koftas

These spicy little koftas are crisp on the outside and soft in the middle. Paneer is an Indian curd cheese and is widely available. Served with a minty yoghurt dip these koftas are irresistible. Make more than you think you need as they disappear fast. Serves 4.

225g block of paneer
100g cold mashed potato
25g fresh coriander, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon of sea salt flakes
Half a teaspoon of turmeric
Black pepper
A squeeze of lime juice
1 tablespoon of oil for brushing
1 egg yolk
Natural yoghurt, lime wedges, flatbreads and chopped coriander to serve

Mix together all of the ingredients, except for the limes, until thoroughly blended. Use your hands to press the mixture together into small oblong shapes, squeezing firmly as this helps them to stay together while they’re cooking. Chill overnight.

Cook the koftas on the hottest part of the grill rack, turning now and then, for 8 – 10 minutes, until browned and crisp on the outside. Serve with yoghurt and lime wedges and garnish with fresh coriander.

Side Dishes

There are so many different and delicious side dishes that you can serve at your barbecue, you will be spoiled for choice. Here are a couple of my favourites but feel free to choose some of your own.

Cowboy-Style Baked Beans

This dish of slow-cooked beans, spicy chorizo, bacon and onions is perfect for serving with spare ribs. These can be cooked indoors as they take a long time to cook. Leave them to simmer and you can chill out until they’re ready. Serves 8.

250g dried white beans, such as cannellini, soaked overnight in cold water
1 onion, peeled and chopped
100g chorizo, roughly chopped
100g smoked bacon lardons
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon grain mustard

Put the beans into a large heavy-based pan. Add water and put the pan on the heat. Bring to the boil and boil vigorously for 10 minutes. Drain the beans in a colander and return them to the pan. Add the rest of the ingredients, cover with water and cook over a low heat for 4 – 5 hours, or until the beans are tender and the water has reduced down to a thick sauce.

Tangy New Potato Salad

I must admit, if I go to a barbecue and there’s no potato salad, I feel cheated somehow. It’s one of my favourites and it goes with just about anything. This one is made with soured cream instead of mayonnaise but you can use half and half if you like. Serves 8.

900g new potatoes, washed
3 tablespoons French dressing
175g small gherkins, cut into chunks
A bunch of spring onions, trimmed and sliced
125 ml soured cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
Salt and pepper
Chopped mint to garnish

Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water with a sprig of fresh mint added, until tender. Drain and cut into halves or quarters, depending on the size of each potato. Tip into a large bowl and pour over the French dressing. Stir well and leave to go cold. Add the gherkins and spring onions to the potatoes then mix the soured cream, chives and mint together and combine the potatoes and dressing. Season with salt and pepper and chill in the fridge until you’re ready to serve it.

For more information on cooking on a barbecue, visit outdoor cooking ideas – bbq or barbecuing for beginners

I hope that you enjoyed this article and that it’s given you the confidence to try some of the recipes. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below.

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