BBQ party menu ideas
Throw together a simple barbecue menu with our easy salads, sides, sharing platters, hearty main courses and desserts to celebrate the sunshine with friends and family.
As soon as the sun comes out, so do the barbecues of Britain. We can't resist the sound of that sizzle, the smell of the coals or the taste of freshly grilled burgers. Don’t spend hours stressing over a creative barbecue spread – just choose your favourites from our sizzling selection. Get grilling, roasting, searing and seasoning, then sit back, relax and indulge in everything the season has to offer.
Our easy barbecue recipes are ideal for fuss-free al fresco dining. Plus, see our family barbecue recipes for sizzling specials that both kids and adults will love. Fancy making dessert on the barbecue too? Take a look at these family BBQ desserts.
Or if you're looking for healthier BBQ options, see our healthy BBQ recipes.
Need to know your barbecue basics? Learn how to light a BBQ, how to use barbecue coals and how to barbecue safely to ensure everything goes to plan.
If you're looking to upgrade your BBQ kit, here are some of our tried, tested and top-rated favourites that would come in handy for alfresco cooking.
Super simple salads
Make some impressive plates stacked high with fresh veggies and bold flavours. If you're catering for a crowd, our epic summer salad presents a bright and colourful assemblage of seasonal ingredients, with absolutely no cooking required. Or serve up a stunning charred courgette, runner bean & ricotta salad complete with edible flowers and a bite of chilli. Want something full of fresh summer flavours? Our watermelon & feta salad is the perfect antidote to heavy mains.
Take your tastebuds on a trip to Mexico with our 15-minute no-cook easy corn salad, transforming a simple can of sweetcorn with a zingy dressing. Kick up the spice levels with a chipotle corn salad, combining creamy avocado, crunchy macadamia nuts and sweet cherry tomatoes.
Furnish your dining table with plenty more barbecue-friendly salads.
Mega mains
We're all about stress-free summer days, so all these recipes look spectacular with minimum effort. Make the most of your mains and learn how to cook meat safely on the barbecue.
Want guaranteed tender, juicy meat? Make our beer can chicken and feed the family with just 10 minutes of prep. If you're catering for a crowd, this big barbecue chicken kebab is a perfect party pleaser and all the cooking can be done in one go. Simply marinade the chicken in a herby yogurt dressing, then cook on the barbecue and serve with a selection of fluffy pittas, chips, tzatziki and veg. Find even more barbecue chicken recipes such as drumsticks, wings and spiced skewers in our collection.
Wrap up some Middle Eastern-style flavours with our barbecued meatball kebabs with all the trimmings. Or if the one thing that makes your mouth water is barbecued pork, whip up these juicy pork and pineapple skewers, or graze on our stickiest ever BBQ ribs, cooked American-style so they're super tender.
If you're partial to some sizzling seafood, then these fiery prawn and pepper skewers are a quick and easy way to pack in lots of flavour. You can also achieve beautifully soft and flaky salmon by cooking it in foil over the barbecue, as with our soy salmon parcels. There's plenty more ideas in our collection of barbecue fish recipes.
Load up your buns with perfect patties, salsas, toppings and salads, and learn how to make our easiest ever burgers and the best ever veggie burgers. These seriously indulgent recipes are bound to be an instant win and are perfect for customising with whatever cheeses, sauces and salad leaves you like.
Want to take your flavours up a notch without much effort? Our buffalo chicken burgers are marinaded in a hot sauce, paprika and maple syrup dressing before barbecuing, yielding a sensational combination of sweet, smoky and spicy.
Plant-based barbecue options
Check out our seriously satisfying veggie and vegan recipes, bursting with seasonal flavours. Pile chunks of mushrooms, peaches, courgettes and red onions onto skewers to make some simple vegan kebabs and char them over the barbecue, before serving with an avocado dressing. Stuff smoky blackened red peppers to the brim with spiced buckwheat for a chunky veggie option, or for a cheesy masterpiece, try our tamarind squash & halloumi skewers and check out our 9 new ways to serve halloumi.
Looking for a juicy burger to sink your teeth into? Our brilliant beetroot patty is packed full of flavour and holds its shape well on the grills. Serve with a colourful griddled salad with melty aubergines and some barbecue sesame sweet potatoes for the ultimate meat-free feast.
Straightforward sides
From simple green salads to crispy chips and creamy potato salad, we're dreaming of a sea of sides and a table groaning under the weight of corn on the cob and crunchy slaws.
Wrap up these buttery baked corn on the cobs in foil and barbecue until tender. Try using flavoured butters or spices for a more interesting mix – our chilli-butter and garlic mayo versions are so spectacular they're practically a main in their own right. Go the whole hog and pop these sweet potatoes on the coals until they're meltingly soft, then top them with cool yogurt and crispy spring onions.
Not a fan of traditional salads? Try griddling your greens with our baby gem, balsamic & goat's cheese recipe. Pack in even more veggies with our griddled glazed vegetable kebabs.
Make the most of baby new potatoes and opt for our foil-wrapped simple side. If your heart lies with fries, try our stylish chunky barbecue potato slices or bake up our harissa-spiced sweet potato wedges. Don't forget about potato's finest form, a classic potato salad, that trumps shop-bought every time.
Bring your barbie to the next level with our ultimate collection of barbecue sides.
Easy desserts
Make these little foil parcels of sweetness and you'll never look back. Our BBQ rum & caramel bananas can be cooked on the dying coals after your main – the perfect end to a sunny day. They take just 10 minutes to prep and taste phenomenal with ice cream. Need a child-friendly version? Try our chocolate baked bananas for a fun, fruity treat.
Go old-school and try toasting marshmallows on the barbie. Take a tip from the American barbecue and try making our salted caramel & peanut butter s’mores – our deluxe version made with toffee, chocolate and waffle biscuits is the ultimate indulgence and uses just four ingredients. Want something lighter? This watermelon ‘pizza’ with pineapple and coconut will brighten up any picnic table.
Satisfy your sweet tooth with more of our best ever family barbecue desserts and check out our extensive collection of barbecue desserts.
Of course, summer wouldn't be summer without a cool ice lolly. Take our guide on how to make homemade ice lollies for a test drive. Kids will love these milky cereal pops, citrusy orange ice lollies and frozen banana lollies, while adults can indulge in fruity Pimm's ice lollies and zingy mojito ice lollies. Discover more frozen treats with our collection of ice lolly recipes,
Whip up even more delicious sweet treats with our guide to the best family barbecue desserts.
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