The ideal weather conditions found in the summertime often bring along a tendency to attend or host social outings involving the great culinary staple that is the summer barbecue. Whether you find yourself hosting your own backyard BBQ buffet or simply bringing a dish to your local block party, these recipes from Olive Magazine for easy-to-make BBQ dishes are sure to put you at ease this summer.

Preparing the Grill

Before getting into specific recipes for main, side, and dessert dishes, Olive’s article begins with a refresher course on how to best cook your BBQ meats atop the versatile cooking instrument that is a gas or charcoal-based barbecue grill.

1. Begin preparing your grill early by lighting the coals early (use the contents of a charcoal bag 1/3rd at a time) or getting your gas grill’s temperature up before rushing to get the seasoned meats atop a premature grill. Preparing the barbecue is a game of patience and restraint, as it’s integral to the grilling process to always have your meats heated by an even, unwavering temperature setting.
2. While you’ll diversify the preparation of your BBQ meat products across your individual recipes, it’s always a good idea to take an account of the cuts of your meats (particularly brisket), as you’ll want to keep any fat attached to your cuts. The fat portions contribute to the moisture of your meat throughout the grilling  process, and they can always be removed later.
3. Lastly, you should “prepare your battle stations” by ensuring you have your supply of spatulas, grill scrapers, and meat thermometers handy near the grill. The internal temperature of cooked meat is something that should never be left up to guessing, so play it safe and check the temperature of your meats be they brisket, beef, pork, or chicken.

The following are several easy-to-prepare recipes that are sure to please the appetites of any BBQ you’re attending or hosting.

Entrees:

Spicy BBQ Chicken Kebabs w/ Grilled Pineapple

One recipe that’s “out-of-the-ordinary” when it comes to a BBQ menu is this spicy kebab that combines the flavor profiles of spicy, grilled chicken with grilled pineapple. Depending on your situation, these can be played on a serving platter and used as a knockout appetizer, or they can be placed alongside some noodles or rice to be a celebrated main dish. Seriously, the red chilies and hot smoked paprika make this grilled chicken incredibly flavorful and spicy, and once it’s skewered alongside the caramelized, grilled pineapple and topped with mint, you’ll be the talk of the grill.

Whole Chilli and Lemongrass Sea Bream

Try something new and forgo the chicken, beef, and pork that get all the attention and try out this tenderedbarbecue sea bream that packs a powerful punch. This recipe’s marinade has a lemongrass base that is accompanied by ginger, lime, fish sauce, brown sugar, soy sauce, shallots, and red chilies; the combination of sweet and sour flavors in the marinade make for an excellently delicious flavor profile. Take a chance by grilling this fish from the Vietnam cooking tradition and truly impress the audience at your next barbecue.

Sides:

BBQ Corn on the Cob

This recipe slightly tweaks a barbecue classic in the best way with a specific combination of seasonings and a Korean gochujang sauce. Using only twenty total minutes of preparation and grilling time, you’ll prepare your sauce with a combination of mayonnaise, sour cream, feta cheese, lime, chili paste, smoked paprika, and coriander. Though the sauce is often the star of the show, feel free to separate it from your grilled corn or only dress half of the stalks with the sauce in order to give your guests choice in the matter.

Herb, Watermelon, and Rice Noodle Salad

This refreshing summer salad is the perfect “light” alternative to the heftiness of the summer BBQ, as it is centered around a delicious herbal medley. The salad itself combines the flavors of watermelon, mint, Thai basil, coriander, spring onions, and sesame seeds with the specific textures of both bean sprouts and rice vermicelli noodles for a truly pleasing summer side dish. The dressing, though simple, is also sure to please and not weigh down those who eat it like a BBQ brisket would, as it’s only made of rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, caster sugar, and bird’s-eye chili.

For more delicious recipes, click here.