Helen Salter
When it’s finally time to fire up the barbie, brush up on your skills with these crowd-pleaser dishes showcasing international flavours. From piri-piri chicken to Aussie-style burgers and Greek-inspired kebabs, we’ve got a whole host of recipes designed to stretch your barbecue-hosting skills. Who knows, these dishes may even become a firm fixture in your repertoire.
The ideas below are also perfect for making during this year’s summer of sports, with the return of the Euros and Olympics.
For more barbecue inspiration visit the Boss the BBQ hub, Good Food’s summer 2024 campaign in which the team share the best recipes, tips and tricks. We also have expert barbecue reviews and deals.
You can also discover our hit-list of the most popular barbecue recipes.
1. Korean chilli, sesame & honey chicken
Level-up your BBQ skills with this Korean chicken kebab with a glossy gochujang glaze. Sweet, spicy and sticky, it might just become your new favourite barbecue chicken dish.
Try more Korean recipes as well as our best-ever kebab recipes.
2. Homemade BBQ lamb doner kebab
Fancy trying something new for your next barbie? Try your hand at this homemade version of the Turkish takeaway classic, and serve with a variety of toppings and condiments. Even those who don’t normally like doner kebabs will love this.
See more Turkish recipes as well as more fakeaway recipes.
3. Piri-piri chicken
Marinate a whole chicken in smoky piri-piri spices and cook on the barbecue for a crowd-pleasing centrepiece. If you don’t like it too hot, adjust the amount of chillies in the piri-piri marinade. We like to serve with homemade wedges or jacket potatoes, coleslaw, some buttered corn cobs and chilli & mint peas.
If you’re a fan of piri-piri, try these piri-piri pork ribs and piri-piri pulled pork.
4. Fish tacos with green jalapeño salsa & chilli cream
Upgrade your barbecue feast with these easy Mexican fish tacos – cubed white fish is marinated, skewered and barbecued, then piled onto corn tortillas with a complementary spicy mango salsa.
If you like the look of these, see our beer-battered fish tacos. We even have a recipe for air-fryer fish tacos.
5. Chicken souvlaki
Souvlaki are a popular fast food choice in Greece, and the assemble-your-own element makes them perfect for a summer gathering. Serve yours with warm pitta, a simple salad and tzatziki.
For another Greek-style barbecue dish, try these chicken gyros with warm pittas.
6. Mexican corn on the cob
Spice up barbecued sweetcorn with chilli, lime and lashings of melted butter in this Mexican-inspired side dish. To ramp up the Mexican theme serve with our elote-inspired pasta salad, if you like.
Find more barbecue side dish recipes.
7. Roast puttanesca aubergines with tomato rice & feta
Experiment with Italian flavours in this roast aubergine platter, channeling a popular Italian dish, spaghetti puttanesca. Served with tomato rice, feta and a leafy salad, it makes a sophisticated alternative to your standard veggie burgers.
Take a look at more of our vegetarian barbecue recipes.
9. Jerk-seasoned pork & pineapple skewers with black beans & rice
Packed with more-ish Creole spices, try these barbecued skewers for a healthier addition to your spread. It’s a bit different to your typical skewer, layering pork fillet with juicy charred pineapple and served with black beans and rice.
See our BBQ skewer recipes for more ideas.
8. Aussie burgers with the lot
Switch things up by serving your burgers the Australian way, stacking grilled beef burgers with cheese, bacon, pineapple, beetroot, tomato and lettuce. If you’re left with more burger patties than you need, you can always freeze for future dates.
Find more ideas in our collection of beef burger recipes.
10. BBQ smores
Our take on an American campfire classic is an easy dessert to cook on the barbecue, using just three ingredients. Simply sandwich two digestives with a square of chocolate and marshmallow, wrap up tightly in the foil, pop on the hot BBQ and leave to cook for 3-4 mins on each side.
Check out more barbecue desserts.
