Summer holidays are the perfect time of year to fire up the barbecue. In Australia, spending warm evenings cooking outdoors is a summer tradition. With the right kind of meals, you can please the whole family or a backyard full of party guests.
Even if you already have some favourite summer BBQ recipes that always go down a treat, it never hurts to add some new creations into the mix. These delicious BBQ meal ideas will help you take your summer barbecuing skills to the next level and win compliments at any gathering.
If you’re still looking for the right barbecue or need an upgrade on your existing one, Sydney’s Home Fires has a wide range of barbecues and smokers. From leading brands like Weber®, Masport and Beef Eater come indoor and outdoor barbecues of different shapes and sizes, plus accessories and appliances from grills to griddles. Built-in or portable? Electric, charcoal or gas? The choice is yours.
If you need to inject some life and variety into your summer cooking, there’s no shortage of inspiration to be found out there. This short list of easy BBQ recipes for summer will help you get started.
Calamari stuffed with chorizo and halloumi
Calamari may not be the first dish that springs to mind when you think of easy BBQ recipes. Yet this already succulent seafood takes on a new life when chorizo and halloumi are involved. And all you need is your barbecue and a heatproof bowl.
In the bowl, add some couscous to half a cup of boiling water. Allow it to stand for 15 minutes, then fry some chorizo in a pan until it’s nicely browned. Add the chorizo and halloumi to the couscous and stir it to combine. Then fill each calamari tube with the mixture and cook it on a preheated barbecue.
The combination of squid, sausage and cheese is delightfully tender and absolutely dripping with flavours. Slice up the calamari and serve it with capsicum dip and sour cream as sauces, plus lemon wedges.
Corn with Cajun spices
It’s pretty easy to give corn on the cob a Cajun twist, as it involves many ingredients that may be in your kitchen already. A Cajun flavour is bold and spicy (but you can temper it to make it milder) with just the right amount of earthiness. There’s some flexibility in how you prepare your Cajun corn. You can be generous with ingredients like cayenne if you like it hot, or take a milder approach with a higher dose of paprika.
Here’s one way to do it: combine spices like cumin, coriander, oregano, paprika, onion powder etc., into a large bowl. Add some oil and stir to make a paste. Heat your barbecue on medium-high, peel back the corn husks to reveal the kernels and tie with some kitchen string. Take out the silk, rub the spice mix over the corn kernels and wrap with foil. Cook corn, turning now and again until the corn cobs are lightly charred and invitingly tender.
Lamb with capsicum and chermoula
Lamb is a staple of summer BBQ recipes, and chermoula, a Moroccan mix of spices, gives it a tangy, down-to-earth flavour. Here’s one version of this easy BBQ recipe. You can make the chermoula in a blender by combining ingredients like cumin, paprika, garlic and chilli flakes. Blend until the herbs are chopped but not pureed, and season with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
Apply a tablespoon of oil to the lamb and season it with salt and pepper. Light one side of the barbecue, then cook over the barbecue for 10-15 minutes or until the meat is completely brown. Then move the lamb to the unlit side of the barbecue and cook for another hour.
Use one-third of a cup of chermoula to wrap the lamb, wrap it in foil and let it sit for another 20 minutes. While you’re doing this, coat the capsicums with any oil that remains and cook until they’re lightly charred. You can serve the lamb up with the remaining chermoula for a BBQ meal idea that’s sure to leave your guests full and pleased.
Salmon with corn and zucchini salad
Barbecued salmon is an easy and delicious way to prepare a healthy summer meal. Whether your salmon is wild-caught or farm-raised, it’s sure to go perfectly with some zucchini and corn. This is one way to make one of the quickest and easiest summer BBQ recipes you’re likely to come across. Just cook the corn cobs on the barbecue until they’re tender and lightly charred. Drizzle one tablespoon of oil over the salmon, add seasoning and cook until both sides are done. Scrape the corn kernels into a bowl, add zucchini, tomato and the remaining oil, then lightly toss so that the ingredients mix. Viola! As far as easy BBQ recipes go, this one is a breeze.
Whole butterflied chicken
Chicken is one of those easy BBQ meal ideas that’s guaranteed to please a crowd. And what better to feed an entire family than with a whole roast chicken? It’s easy to pick up an entire chook from most supermarkets and butchers’ shops, and the recipe is pretty straightforward. Place the chicken on a clean working surface and remove the backbone. In a dish, combine ingredients like lime juice, chopped coriander and ginger, then add the chicken to coat and let it sit in the fridge for an hour, so the flavour soaks in. Cook on an uncovered barbecue using indirect heat until the chicken is cooked through, and then serve with coriander and lime halves. As far as summer BBQ recipes go, this one couldn’t be much simpler.
Get Summer Ready with a New BBQ From Home Fires
It’s never too late to get summer-ready or to start preparing for next year. When you find the right barbecue, you’ll discover an endless amount of mouth-watering summer BBQ recipes to prepare in it. For help finding the best barbecue option for you, contact Home Fires.
