10 Healthy BBQ Recipes For Summer

Start by spatchcocking the chicken. Place it on your board, breast side down and the legs at the bottom facing towards you. Using a pair of sharp scissors, start with the tail end of the chicken and cut either side of the backbone all the way up so you remove it completely.

Flip the chicken over. Use your hands to press down on the breastbones and legs to snap the small bones and flatten the chicken out.

Now prepare the marinade by mixing together the olive oil, garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, chipotle paste, runny honey and lemon juice. Season this well with Maldon salt and cracked black pepper.

Place the spatchcock chicken on a large tray. Coat it well with the marinade, making sure it gets into all the cavities and is evenly coated.

Leave this to marinate for at least 30 minutes, though it can be left overnight in the fridge too

When you are ready to cook your chicken, heat up the BBQ. The best way to ensure even cooking is to cook the chicken skin side up on the indirect coals for about 20-30 minutes. Then turn the chicken, and place it on the hot coals skin side down for about 10 minutes, until the skin is nice and crispy. This really does depend on the heat of your BBQ, so make sure to keep an eye on it.

If you aren’t using a BBQ, you can simply cook the chicken in the oven at 180ºC for 15 minutes, then place under the grill for a further 10 to crisp up the skin. Remember a spatchcock chicken cooks much quicker than a whole chicken.

Serve the chicken alongside your favourite side dishes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the baby potatoes (skin on) and cook for 20-25 minutes until ‘fork tender’. Drain and let cool slightly.

To make the dressing, whisk together the yoghurt, mustard, olive oil and vinegar until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, halve or quarter them depending on their size. Add them to the bowl with the dressing. Toss to coat.

Stir in the red onion and chives. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Serve immediately, or chill in the fridge for up to 2 days. Garnish with extra herbs before serving for a fresh finish.

For the pork: make the marinade by mixing the Camp Coffee, brown sugar, cayenne, salt, pepper, smoked paprika and garlic in a bowl. Take the pork out of the fridge and place it in a shallow roasting tin. Pat the marinade all over the meat, massaging it in, and leave it for 30 minutes to come to room temperature.

Turn the oven to 210℃ fan/gas mark 5 and cook the pork, uncovered, for 20 minutes, until the top starts to brown a bit. Turn the heat down by half and continue to cook, uncovered, for about 4 hours. If you are using a BBQ, follow the above step and finish over the grill for the last 30 minutes of cooking.

Meanwhile, start the slaw: lightly salt the cabbage and let it sit for 1 hour in a colander to allow the excess moisture to drain off.

To make the dressing, grill the chilli in a dry frying pan on a high heat until charred and blistered. Discard the chilli stalk and blitz the flesh with the ginger, garlic, sugar, coriander stalks, lime zest and juice in a blender, drizzling in the soy sauce gradually until emulsified and smooth.

After 4 hours, the meat should be very tender throughout and shred easily with a fork. Carefully transfer the meat to a serving platter, cover with foil and leave to rest. When ready to serve, shred it using ‘bear claws’ or two large forks.

Finish the slaw: transfer the drained cabbage to a serving bowl and mix in the fennel. Add the mayonnaise, coriander leaves and most of the green chilli dressing. Toss, then season with salt to taste. Add more dressing if you like, then serve.

If serving in brioche buns, slice the buns in half and butter the insides, filling each with a generous portion of pulled pork and topped with the slaw.

Start by chopping your 4 cobs into 4 smaller cobs, giving you 16 bitesize corn pieces.

Add the corn straight onto the hot barbecue, no need to boil first. Pull down the lid and allow them to char on one side.

While they are cooking, make the glaze. Add the gochujang paste, tamari, maple syrup, tomato purée and olive oil into a small dish. Whisk with a fork or small whisk. Add water to thin, to allow you to glaze your corn.

Open the barbecue lid and brush on the glaze to the side of the corn that is facing you. Then flip your corn to allow the other side of the corn char.

Pull down the lid and cook for a further 5 minutes or until at your desired level of charred.

Once cooked, transfer to a large bowl, sprinkle with sea salt and garnish with coriander, spring onions, sesame seeds and enjoy.

In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Add the halloumi cubes and chopped vegetables to the bowl. Toss well to coat, then cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Thread the marinated halloumi and vegetables onto skewers, alternating as you go for a colourful mix.

Preheat a grill or barbecue to medium-high heat. Grill the skewers for 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and slightly charred and the halloumi is golden.

Serve hot with a drizzle of lemon juice and a sprinkle of fresh herbs, or pair with a simple Greek salad and warm flatbreads.

Preheat the BBQ to a medium heat.

To make a quick onion pickle, mix half the oil and all the vinegar together in a bowl. Stir in the red onion, add salt and pepper to taste, then set aside to macerate.

In another bowl, gently toss the peaches in the remaining oil and add a pinch of salt and pepper. Place the peaches on the grill, cut-side down, and cook for 2-4 minutes on each side until lightly browned.

Spread the tomatoes out over a wide serving platter. Season lightly with salt and pepper, then top with the grilled peaches. Stir half the basil through the dressing and spoon over the salad. Top with the cheese, scatter with the remaining basil leaves and serve immediately.

Preheat your barbecue. Alternatively, you can create this dish in a griddle pan, although you may want to boil the cabbage first, as using a pan will not allow the cabbage to steam cook like a hooded barbecue would.

Chop the cabbage in half (length ways) and then each half into 3 wedges, making sure to go through the core so the wedges hold their shape and do not fall apart.

Plunge your wedges into boiling water to blanch while you prepare the tahini sauce.

Add the tahini, water and yoghurt to a bowl and whisk until smooth, then fold in the lemon zest, salt and herbs. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Place the cabbage onto a very hot barbecue. Do not shake too much water off the cabbage as this water will allow the cabbage to steam cook whilst charring. After about 8-10 minutes, turn your cabbage until both sides are equally charred.

Meanwhile, add a drizzle of oil to a pan. Once hot, add the drained chickpeas and fry for 5 mins, tossing occasionally. Add paprika, cumin, garlic and salt; stir until all the chickpeas are thoroughly coated. Cook for a few minutes more.

Prep the plate. Add a generous layer of tahini yoghurt to the base of the serving plate, next add on the charred cabbage. Sprinkle across the crispy chickpeas, and garnish with the remaining lemon zest and fresh herbs. Serve immediately and enjoy.

Put the tomatoes, red onion, parsley and sumac into a large mixing bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses and 1¼ teaspoons of salt.

Pour the dressing over the salad, add the za’atar or oregano leaves and give it a good mix. Pile the salad onto a serving platter, and sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds and more sumac.

Set your oven to 200°C fan/gas mark 6. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground meat, olive oil, garlic, onion, herbs and spices. Mix well using your hands or a fork until fully combined.

Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions. Shape each into a long sausage-like form and thread onto skewers, or shape into ovals if baking without skewers.

Arrange the koftas on the prepared tray and bake for 20-25 minutes, turning halfway, until browned and cooked through.

While the koftas are baking, squeeze any excess water from the grated cucumber using a clean tea towel. In a bowl, mix the cucumber with the yoghurt, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and herbs. Stir to combine and chill until ready to serve.

Plate up the koftas with a generous dollop of tzatziki, fresh herbs and your choice of sides.

In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, maple syrup and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the green and red cabbage, carrots and spring onions.

Pour the dressing over the slaw and toss well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavours to develop.

Give it a final toss before serving. Delicious as a side or stuffed into sandwiches and tacos.