What do you like at a BBQ?

[FizzyPink]

Planning a BBQ in a few weeks when our new garden is complete and keen to find out what people like to eat?

In my Tesco order I currently have burgers, sausages, beef kebabs, lamb kebabs and halloumi. Will probably also do a big bowl of pesto pasta and buns obviously.

Any other requests? There’s no veggies attending but I’d love some nice easy salad recipes if anyone has any suggestions

Always potato salad and coleslaw. I like to also do a big carrot and apple salad as can help to cut through the flavour of any burnt meat.

I've never liked the Sausage or Burger stuff and prefer chicken or vegetable skewers with naice marinades. Absolute favourite have always been bbq fish, so salmon, prawns or monkfish skewers are delicious.

The thing about burgers on the BBQ is that they are almost always overcooked in my experience. Ruining what could be nice.

We make our own kebabs/skewers with lamb neck, tomatoes, peppers and onions. Marnate in lemon juice, olive oil, rosemary and thyme (just the meat, you don't need to marinate the veg.

Also chargril veg on BBQ if you're doing a big one. Asparagus and aubergine come out beautifully. Mushrooms wrapped in pancetta also nice (use a skewer with a few of them for cooking. Asparagus also works well wrapped in pancetta or parma ham.

Home made tzatiki is always popular. Whatever recipe you use, if it doesn't tell you to, add a teaspoon of vinegar. Preferably white vinegar but sherry/red wine vinegar will work, balsamic or malt vinegar at a push.

Watermelon, cucumber and feta salad is nice. Dress it with lime juice and a hint of fresh/dried chilli.

If you want a vegetarian burger option - these are great. They are a bit of a faff to prepare, but can be frozen individually uncooked which makes them worthwhile as they're a good option a few weeks later for a regular dinner.

I've always wondered what to do with PorkBelly slices. No longer

Oh, and for chicken on BBQ, the best tip is to marinade it then cook it in the oven in a container with a lid for about 20 minutes before you put it on the BBQ. About 170 fan. So your'e just finishing it off and browning on the BBQ.

I'm
With @00100001 here, our bbq go to is usually steak, we rarely have burgers. I tend to do chicken breasts too, butterflied and covered with lemon juice, salt, pepper and garlic.

Not a sausage and burger on the bbq fan at all. I like to do a big chunk of meat eg lamb shoulder or brisket, did a Cuban pork shoulder recently and the then relevant sides to go with them.

I like to have a chicken and fish option. Salmon or prawns, chicken skewers or wings that kind of thing. I love any mayonnaise type salad. Coleslaw, pasta salad, potato salad etc. Fresh salad too and cheese slices for burgers. Nice buns. Corn on the cob

Also some sour cream and chive dip and garlic mayo please!

I like to concentrate on one really good thing. Last time we did great quality burgers (beef, pork and apple and lamb and mint) with a burger bar set up with loads of fillers (variety of cheese, onions, salad, crispy bacon) and a selection of sauces. Add coleslaw and corn on the cob and you’re done!

Grilled, buttery corn on the cob. Yum!
And burgers. Straight up burgers with mayo and fried red onions.
Coleslaw. BBQ jacket potato with lashings of creme fraiche and chives.

fruit on skewers! flambe!

What do you do with halloumi? I’ve never thought of putting it on the bbq so would like to try it.

Agree with pp’s about chicken, we usually do a Chinese style chicken and also some kebabs - chicken/mushroom/tomato/pepper/onion type of thing.

All the things you have said, plus coleslaw, potato salad and some corn on the cob to grill. Maybe bananas you can grill for afterwards?

A friend XHs used to make a lovely cold rice salad (you have to make, chill and eat it on the day of course).

Diced onion softened in oil, add chopped bacon, rice and chicken stock, to in a tin of drained sweetcorn about halfway through cooking. Sometimes I add some chopped peppers as well. Its gorgeous with BBQ chicken.

Defo fish

Fish kebabs

Cod loin in foil wtc

We use cubes of halloumi on vegetable kebabs (mushroom, red pepper, red onion, cherry tomato).

I love chicken and pepper skewer kebabs, pork steaks, salmon, potato salad, coleslaw, pasta salad. Not a huge fan of burgers, but partial to a decent sausage.

A lovely salsa I do is a couple of diced fresh mangoes, a bag of baby spinach, 3-4 tbsp of sweet chilli sauce and the same of Parmesan, the juice and zest of a lime, salt and black pepper, and scatter on some fresh mint or coriander.
It's so refreshing and light and especially lovely with chicken, but assemble it last thing as it tends to go soggy if left.

I was at a bbq last week and my friend made the fake Nando's chicken from Delicious magazine and omg, it was soooooo good.

Souvlaki chicken and pepper kebabs - loads of recipes on line

Tuna and Parma ham kebabs - love this one it was from Tesco magazine years ago
Basically make a gremolata with basil, parsley, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil. Cut some thick tuna steaks (I use the frozen Aldi ones, defrosted) into cubes and marinate in half the gremolata.
Then skewer the tuna, then a cherry tomato, repeat etc, winding a strip of Parma ham between them as you go. Serve with the rest of the gremolata.

But imo you can’t beat a really good burger with all the trimmings.

Much prefer potato salad to cold pesto pasta.

Skin-on chicken thighs.

Whole red peppers (cored, barbecued till slightly charred).

Rice salad: cooled boiled rice, diced red pepper, sweetcorn, either peanuts or cashews.

Really fucking good bread with really fucking good butter.

@turnedouttoes I always make pink sangria.

Bottle of rose wine, 75ml brandy (to taste) tbsp caster sugar (to taste) lemonade to top up, frozen berries ( good handful) ice (good handful)

Makes about 10 glasses I am always slack of hand with the brandy. And do a taste test first. I make it up and chill in fridge adding the fruit and ice at the end

As for food -my dh is a grill fiend and will spend all weekend bbqing complex dishes but the simple things I do like the Angus and oink range of rubs on plain skinless chicken stuffed in a pitta and bratwurst near the hot dogs in the chiller. Roasted pepper is good too. Aldi brioche buns are nice and get some fake Big Mac sauce.

Have a fun bbq!

Burgers are a must. My mil tries to be posh and it do burgers and it really annoys me. Pork belly, prawn skewers, a nice pasta, vegetable skewers and cider

Tomato and mozzarella salad is nice. Vegetable skewers, I’m not veggie but I always eat those. Lots of halloumi.

Burgers in a brioche bun are the best, but I do like baked potatoes and chicken thighs on the BBQ too (started off in the oven). For salad I find simple lettuce, tomato, red onion, cucumber and peppers is nice as people then just add their own sauces. Halloumi sounds like a good choice, yum!