Celebrate the sunshine by firing up the barbecue and enjoying our sizzling selection of top BBQ recipes, from sticky chicken wings and juicy prawns to grilled vegetables and vegetarian halloumi and tomato skewers.
How to cook on a charcoal barbecue
Prepare the Firelighters
Place three firelighters at the bottom of the barbecue, spaced out evenly. Cover them with charcoal. Scrunch up balls of newspaper and place them directly onto the firelighters to help the coals ignite. Use a long barbecue match to light the firelighters. After the initial flames calm down, the topmost coals will start turning white. Use metal tongs to move the coals around until they are all white. This process takes about 20 minutes.
Charcoal Usage and Heat Zones
Place the grill on the barbecue and let it warm up for 10 minutes. The barbecue is now ready for cooking.
The amount of charcoal used determines how long the barbecue will burn. For instance, 1 kg of charcoal will burn at a high temperature for approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes. For large barbecues, create two heat zones by piling more coals on one side and fewer on the other. This allows you to sear food on the hot side and then move it to the cooler side to cook through.
Use metal tongs with protective handles to turn the food. Be cautious around naked flames as they can be hard to see.
Extinguishing the Barbecue
Fill a metal container with water and set it on the ground. Use long tongs to drop the hot coals into the water one at a time to safely extinguish them.
Our top barbecue recipes to try this summer
Fire up the barbecue with these tried and tested recipes for the perfect BBQ spread.
These juicy tiger prawns are tossed in lime zest, chilli and coriander before being barbecued for a fresh burst of citrus. This recipe perfectly marries the slightly sweet, earthy taste of the tiger prawns with the punchy flavours of lime and chilli for a delicious BBQ starter, or as part of a barbecue spread.
Grilled vegetables are charred on the barbecue, then drizzled in an sweet mushroom dressing to make a delicious side dish to complement the meat. It also makes a tasty vegetarian alternative.
These BBQ chicken wings are the perfect addition to a barbecue spread, marinated in a deliciously sticky honey glaze, striking the perfect balance between sweet and smoky.
An easy grilled recipe for the barbecue, halloumi and tomato combine perfectly when charred and threaded into skewers. THis recipe makes a great veggie side dish or as part of a larger barbecue spread.
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