Who doesn’t like barbecues? A British summer lifestyle couldn’t be complete without a BBQ at some point. You can either fire up a portable gas BBQ or a disposable one, both see that summer feeling that can’t be beaten.
Another great thing about BBQs is just how much you can cook on them. While the go-to choices like burgers and hotdogs are classics that are hard to beat, there’s plenty to explore on the grill grates for fantastic flavours.
In this article, we’ll highlight some street food style recipes you can try on your home BBQ. We’ll look at meat and animal-free ideas, so no matter what your diet is, you can enjoy the summer flavours and maybe even discover a new favourite dish.
Spicy spatchcock chicken
Chicken is one of the most popular food items consumed in the UK. In 2014 it was reported that around 60.9 million people, 95% of the population, eat chicken at least twice a week. Despite this, chicken might not be what many Brits think of when they hear the word barbeque.
This could be due to the worry of how evenly the chicken will cook over a grill. But with spatchcocking, which is the removal of the chicken’s backbone and flattening out the carcass, you can cook it flat on the grill, which cooks both the dark and white meat evenly for a juicier finish.
Spatchcocking opens up many opportunities for creativity. This recipe from Michelin-star chef Tom Kerridge blends a cooking style similar to Jamaican Jerk Chicken with the tongue-tingling spice of Korean BBQ flavours. Marinating the chicken from an hour to overnight before a big summer blowout party leaves you more time to sort everything out!
Grill-baked chilli-garlic prawns
The beauty of a BBQ is that it doesn’t have to be relegated to slapping things directly onto the grill grates. You can find creative methods to cook on the surface, like a kitchen hob, using smaller cooking utensils like cast iron pans or saucepans for a more varied arsenal of food.
Plenty of BBQ hacks can make you look and feel like a pro grill master. One of our personal favourites is baking in a bag, a way to cook fish and seafood over a BBQ grill without it sticking, tearing, or falling through.
Much like you’d bake them in a bag in the oven, these spicy, earthy chilli-garlic prawns are perfect pull-apart finger food that’d make any street food vendor blush. Once your parcel is prepped, simply place it on the grill for 15 minutes. Flipping every so often, and once it’s puffed up, take it off, open it up, and dig in.
BBQ Pulled Jackfruit
More and more people are moving away from eating meat. In the UK alone, a study by Finder showed that 14% of adults currently follow meat-free diets. This is about 7.2 million people, with 3% of that 14 being vegan.
Whatever their reasons for cutting meat from their diet, they should still be able to enjoy the summer BBQ experience. And while vegetable kebabs are always a delicious meat-free option, why not take the opportunity to get a bit more creative and make something out there.
Jackfruit is a great vegan alternative protein source, as after it’s been slow cooked, it shreds just like pork. This makes it perfect for a BBQ pulled jackfruit, and you can spice it up with your choice of BBQ sauce. Whether that’s your favourite brand or one you make from scratch!
BBQ classics are classics for a reason. You really can’t go wrong with just a few burgers and hotdogs on the grill. But there’s always more to experiment with and switch up your summer BBQ spreads. Whether that’s using meats like chicken that you may not associate with British BBQ experiences or new methods of cooking on the grill top, there are plenty of ways to innovate what you do. There’re also lots of new, exciting alternatives to meat to serve your friends with dietary requirements. The amount you can get creative with can reinvent the way you see and use your grill.
