Summer BBQ Recipes & Sides to Fire Up the Grill

The sun is finally out, the coals are glowing, and there is no better way to cook. A great barbecue is more than just the grill, though — it is the smoky mains, the fresh sides that cut through them, and something cold and sweet to finish. Here is a full summer spread, with a recipe for each.

Fire up the grill: the mains

Chicken is the backbone of any barbecue. Start with smoky chicken skewers or a whole spiced, smoky barbecued chicken, and for something with a kick, red curry chicken kebabs are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Lamb lovers should try classic Adana kebab or imam bayildi with BBQ lamb and tzatziki.

For pork, Portuguese barbecued pork (febras assadas) and Vietnamese grilled pork bring big, marinade-led flavour, while grilled Portuguese sardines are the taste of a seaside summer. See them all in our BBQ & grilling collection.

Tip: set up two heat zones — coals piled high on one side, sparse on the other. Sear over the hot side, then move food to the cooler side to cook through without burning.

Brilliant on the grill, no meat required

The grill is just as good for vegetables. Grilled aubergines with spicy chickpeas and walnut sauce and aubergine and hummus grills are hearty enough to be the main event, and grilled eggplant with coconut milk adds a fragrant, creamy note.

The sides that make it a feast

A barbecue lives or dies on its salads. A good Mediterranean pasta salad is the ultimate make-ahead crowd-feeder, while a chicken quinoa Greek salad is substantial enough to stand alone. For something lighter and sharper to cut through the smoke, try a cucumber and fennel salad or a jewel-bright pomegranate salad. Browse the full salad collection for more.

Something sweet to finish

End on a high with two classic summer puddings: a wobbly Eton mess — broken meringue, cream and berries, ready in minutes — or a jewel-bright summer pudding made the day before. Both are gloriously easy and made for warm evenings.

Get grilling

Pick a main, a couple of salads and a pudding and you have a feast. Start with the BBQ & grilling collection, round it out from the salad collection, and enjoy the sunshine.