BBQ Season: Top Tips and Recipes for the Perfect Summer Barbie

There’s nothing quite like a barbie on a balmy summer’s evening. With heat levels cranking up, It’s time for a refresh of your BBQ skills!

From marinating your meat to setting up the grill, there are some key steps to hosting the perfect BBQ – and we’re here to ensure you’re ready for success all summer long.

Not only that, but we also share some of our best BBQ recipes to ensure you always have a few tricks up your sleeve. Let’s dive in!

Five tips for a stunning summer BBQ

While everyone brings their own twist on a summer BBQ, there are a few golden rules that will always stand you in good stead.

Find the right equipment

A reliable grill goes a long way towards a great barbie, allowing you to cook with confidence and get the right amount of heat on your food.

While most of us opt for the more convenient gas grill, a charcoal grill offers that distinctively smoky flavour and can often be cheaper to run.

Whichever type of grill you have at home, make sure to keep it clean and get stocked up on fuel ahead of a long summer.

Marinate those mains

Whether you’re preparing lamb chops, chicken skewers or barramundi, it’s vital that you season your meat, fish or veggies with ingredients that complement and enhance their natural flavours

Some of the most popular marinades for grilled protein include smoky barbecue sauce, salt and pepper rubs, spicy jerk seasoning and tangy lime blends, all of which can be easily made at home.

Not only will these marinades add depth of flavour to your grilled dishes, but they will also help tenderise the meat or fish.

Some dishes will only take a few hours to marinate, though in most cases it’s best to leave them overnight.

Get the proteins ready for grilling

Before you start grilling, it’s important to give your meat or fish some time outside of the fridge so that they can reach room temperature.

If the protein is still cold when placed on the grill, there’s a risk that it could burn on the outside before it has cooked through.

For this reason, you may also want to flatten any of your steaks or any other especially thick cuts of meat to ensure they cook evenly.

One final thing to be aware of is to shake off any excess juices from the protein before placing it on the grill, as these can cause the flames to flare up.

Set up your heat zones

The hardest part of a BBQ is getting everything to finish cooking around the same time. Setting up heat zones on your grill can help with this task by giving you more control over your cooking.

If you’re using a charcoal grill, you should spread out the coals unevenly so that some areas are exposed to more direct heat.

With gas grills, you can simply turn off some of the burners to create separate zones with different temperatures.

A well-regulated approach to temperature control will have you serving perfectly grilled food time and time again.

Let the meat rest

While it’s hard to resist the urge of getting stuck in straight from the grill, it’s always best to wait a few minutes for everything to rest.

This will allow the juices to be reabsorbed into the fibres of the meat, fish or veggies, improving the taste and texture of the cut.

The general rule of thumb is to rest small cuts like burgers, pork chops or skewers for five minutes, while bigger joints or whole fish may need up to 30 minutes.

Recipe inspiration for your summer BBQs

Now that you know how to oversee the perfect BBQ, all that remains is to pick your recipes and ingredients. 

You can’t go wrong with these smoky BBQ sausages, perfect for serving in sliced bread alongside slaw, ketchup and mustard. 

Seasoned with garlic and herbs, our BBQ burgers are another essential and feature their own sweet and spicy maple sauce. 

If you’re looking for something extra special, why not try our maple pork belly, complete with the crispiest skin. 

For fans of grilled seafood, check out these fiery BBQ prawns, flavoured with garlic, paprika, chilli, lemon and maple syrup. 

And for some simple but delicious sides, check out our pesto potato salad or corn cob recipe. Each recipe is enriched with pure maple syrup, adding a touch of sweetness to your summer BBQs. 

Happy grilling!

With these tips and recipes, you have everything you need for the perfect summer BBQ. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and fire up the grill!

Want more recipe inspiration? Check out our huge range of maple syrup recipes, covering everything from drinks and desserts to sides, starters and mains.