Best BBQ Foods
BBQ season is finally here and my all time favourite thing about BBQ’ing is trying out new things and just throwing foods on the BBQ to see how they will come out. Honestly, anything can be grilled and in my opinion most grilled foods turn out delicious.
Spice up your BBQ season or get some inspiration on how to grill some foods you never thought would go on the grill or just check out the classics in the list below. Remember these are just some recommendations and some of my favourites so feel free to go wild and grill anything you want! The grill times may differ if you are using an open fire grill vs. an electric or gas grill. If you are grilling with open fire on bigger grates where food can fall through you can always get an aluminum recipient to grill things like beans, clams etc.
🌱 Vegan
🧀 Vegetarian
🐟 Fish
🐄 Meat
Grilled Romaine Lettuce 🌱
Something fun and unusual - Grilled Romaine Lettuce will surprise you int he best of ways. Take your romaine lettuce, slice it lengthwise, add some oil and grill it so that it gets blackish but not burnt. Remove it from the grill and eat it as a warm salad with tomatoes, avocados and corn or sprinkle some feta on it.
Grilled Sweet Potatoes 🌱
One of my absolute favourite grilled foods are sweet potatoes and they are incredibly easy to make. If you are doing a grill with an open fire just wrap your sweet potatoes in aluminum foil and place them right in the fire for around 30/40 minutes (poke them once in a while to check on them). If you are cooking on a gas or electro grill slice the sweet potatoes and add them to the grill until tender.
Grilled Watermelon 🌱
Grilled Watermelon does sound a bit crazy but but the grill caramelizes the watermelon and gives it a somewhat smoky flavour. Firstly cut your watermelon into slices with the rinds still on, then prepare your sauce: throw some sugar, lime zest, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl and sprinkle the mixture onto the watermelons. Grill for 5 minutes on each side. Serve on its own or with some feta.
Grilled Potato Chips 🌱
Making grilled potato chips is incredibly easy and delicious. Grilled Potato Chips differentiate themselves from Grilled Potatoes by being much thinner. Prepare the potatoes, throw them in a bowl with salt and olive oil and grill them for around 5 minutes on each side.
Grilled Aubergines 🌱
Grilled Aubergines are a BBQ classic. You can make some many delicious dishes with them or simply cut them up sprinkle some olive oil on them and grill them. My favourite thing to do is to combine oil, oregano, salt and chilli flakes, cut the aubergines, brush the mixture on them and grill them for around 4/5 minutes on each side. Once they are cooked I like to add feta, parsley and lemon juice.
Grilled Zucchini 🌱
Zucchini are another vegetarian BBQ star. Super easy to make and versatile. Cut your zucchinis lengthwise, season them with oil, vinegar, herbs and spices and grill them for around 4/5 minutes on each side. I like to serve them with fresh goat cheese and mint rolled inside.
Grilled Corn 🌱
What’s a BBQ without grilled corn? A BBQ where you won’t spend half an hour removing corn from your teeth afterwards. Yes, corn can be a little annoying but it’s also delicious. My favourite way to make it is to spread butter all over the corn and then add chilly flakes and salt before grilling it.
Grilled Pineapple 🌱
Another strange but yummy one. I made my Grilled Pineapple by cutting an entire pineapple and adding it into a bowl or a bag with ¼ teaspoon honey, 2 tablespoons melted butter and chilly flakes or 1 Tbs of Sriracha and some salt. Leave to marinade in the mixture for 1/2 hours. Grill for around 3 minutes on each side.
Grilled Green Beans 🌱
Grilled Beans are honestly one of the easiest vegetables to make at a BBQ. I usually put them in an aluminum container when grilling on thicker grates and add some olive oil and salt. Once cooked add them to your favourite summer salad.
Grilled Cauliflower 🌱
You might not have brought cauliflower to your last BBQ but you definitely should bring it to your next one. Wash and cut your cauliflower steaks (they should be thickish so they don’t crumble apart) and add olive oil, salt, and pepper. Grill for around 10/15 minutes and if you want to go a bit more crazy add some lemon juice, garlic, parsley and red pepper flakes once cooked.
Grilled Brussels Sprouts 🌱
The best thing to do when grilling brussels sprouts is to make a skewer or put them in aluminum foil. I like to cook them with olive oil and some salt and pepper. Once cooked I like to sprinkle some parmesan on them or some chilly flakes.
Grilled Leeks 🌱
Another easy vegetable to grill - leeks are very under-utilised especially when it comes to BBQing but once you’ll try them you’ll want more and more. Make sure you clean your leeks well and remove the first layer, then brush them with olive oil and salt and throw them on the grill until they are ready (they should be soft and a have the black grill lines).
Grilled Cheese 🧀
One of my all time favourite things to put on the grill is cheese. Some types of cheese you can throw on the grill are: halloumi (eat it with some pita bread, salad and tomatoes), provolone, feta and tomme cheese (with the softer cheeses wrap them in aluminum foil before they hit the grill or it will be a mess).
Grilled Octopus 🐟
Why not try a delicious sea food grill this season? Octopus is one of the most delicious seafoods when grilled and is super easy to make. Once you have bought your fresh octopus tenderise the flesh by beating the octopus with a mallet for 10 minutes. After this marinate the octopus with olive oil and seasoning of your choice (I like mine a little spicy) - let it marinade at least 4 hours. After this simply place it on the warm grill and it should be ready within 20 minutes.
Grilled Clams 🐟
Another idea for your fish grill - Grilled Clams! These could not be easier to make. Just make sure you buy fresh clams, clean them and throw them on the grill for a couple of minutes until the shells open (if they don’t open throw them away as they might be bad). Enjoy these on their own or with some garlic.
Grilled Shrimp. 🐟
Grilled Shrimp is another great option for the grill. Make sure you wash your shrimp well before adding them to the grill. The easiest way to make them is to throw them in a bowl with olive oil and salt, grill them a couple of minutes per side and squeeze some lemon juice on them. You can definitely go a bit more crazy and add cayenne pepper, paprika and garlic as well.
Grilled Fish. 🐟
Who doesn’t love grilled fish? Some options of grilling fish are either buying a piece of fish (salmon or tuna for example) and wrapping them in aluminum foil along with some olive oil and lemon slices. Alternatively you can grill a whole fish like a red snapper sea bream or any other fish you like.
Grilled Ribs. 🐄
The classic BBQ food - Grilled Ribs are yum and quite easy to make. People have a lot of fun marinading their ribs and in my opinion it’s the most important step if you want to wow your guests. My favourite marinade is honey mustard but soy sauce is also amazing.
Grilled Hamburger. 🐄
Another item that couldn’t be missed on the list - Hamburgers. The most important thing when it comes to hamburgers is to buy the right ones, good quality meat that will taste delicious also on its own once it’s off the BBQ. If you have time why not try to make your Hamburgers at come?
Grilled Chicken. 🐄
One of my favourite ways to make Grilled Chicken is to marinade it with olive oil, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, brown sugar, dijon mustard and some seasonings like oregano, dried basil and paprika. Leave to marinade for some hours and throw the chicken on the grill.
Grilled Sausages. 🐄 🌱
Last but definitely not least are sausages - any kind of sausages weather they are vegan or not are super easy to cook and should not be missing from your BBQ. Make sure you have some nice spicy mustard to go along with them.