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BBQ recipe ideas

Get your outdoor kitchen working harder this spring and summer!
A pita wrap with lettuce, tomato and tzatziki and lamb chops on the side.

This collection features BBQ recipe ideas for every occasion, from quick dinners to weekend feasts to feed a crowd.

The backyard barbecue has come a long way from the days of chargrilling some sausages. Not it’s an indispensable part of summer life – and with instant gas and electric barbecues, some people barbecue every single night. When choosing a barbecue, consider the amount of space you have and the type of fuel you want to use. And choose accessories that suit the type of barbecue you have, long handled tongs, a wire brush with scraper and fish grill, for instance. Some can even be picked up in bbq tool sets.

Barbecue cooking methods

Direct heat

This method is when the food is cooked directly over the heat or burner, with hood open. It is used for searing and is best for food that requires short cooking times. Usually food should be seared first over high heat and then cooked over a lower heat until done to your liking.

Indirect heat

This method is used with kettle or hooded barbecues, when lower temperatures and longer cooking times are required, cooking in a similar way to an oven. It is best for large cuts or joints of meat and whole poultry. Often meat or poultry with skin will be seared and browned directly on the grill first to seal in the juices before being finished with indirect cooking.

Combination heat

If you have a covered barbecue you can use a combination of both methods. Thick steaks or pieces of chicken, for instance, can be seared first using direct heat, then covered and cooked using indirect heat for more even cooking and juice retention.

Smoking

This is a cooking style in which the flavours of the food are affected by the choice of wood used. Hickory and mesquite are the best known woods for smoking, but there are many different varieties available. Wood chips, available from barbecue shops, must be soaked first in cold water so they smoulder slowly over the fire, rather than burn.

Barbecued prawns with Julie's chermoula
Quick & Easy
January 17, 2012

Barbecued prawns with chermoula

Overcooking or a hotplate that’s not hot enough will result in tough prawns. Note
By Women's Weekly Food

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