Essential Food for Outdoor Grilling

in General Outdoor Advice

The weather is perfect for outdoor parties and this means it’s time to bring out the grill. Whether you are planning a poolside bash or dinner with the family, the fun and excitement of eating food fresh off the grill is always a big draw. The delicious aroma of cooking food that fills up your space may even bring in a few neighbours to join the party!

Planning an outdoor party is quite easy, since there is practically no pre-party cleaning up or sprucing required for the house. Guests can dress in comfortable clothing and sit where they like, eating and drinking to their heart’s content. There’s enough room for children to run around and play, without worrying about knocking over furniture and being told to behave.

Dishes that are Best Suited for Barbeques and Grilling

When you are cooking food on a grill for an outdoor party, the idea is to create dishes that are light and full of flavour. While burgers are an all-time favourite, you are not restricted to these alone. There are a number of stunning and delicious dishes that can be cooked outdoors, with options that suit all kinds of preferences.

Let’s take a look at some of the main dishes as well as extras that you can serve during your grilling or barbeque party.

Non-Vegetarian Dishes

Of course, meat is one of the most popular foods for any occasion and is perfectly suited for cooking in different ways! Whether you choose to cook poultry, seafood or red meat, there are many ways that you can prepare them for grilling. Some of the popular choices in meat dishes include:

  1. Pork Chops These beautiful cuts of meat are perfect for grilled dishes, since they cook on the bone and you get an intense flavour when they are done.
  2. Chicken Legs and Breasts A traditional favourite, these cuts of chicken cook very quickly and absorb the flavours of the sauce or marinade that you have cooked them with.
  3. Boneless Fish If you purchase fish that has been de-boned and cleaned, all you have to do is slather it with a flavourful sauce and grill it for a few minutes.
  4. Shrimp and Prawns Among seafood choices for grilling and barbeques, these delicately flavoured items are among the best you could choose.
  5. Hot Dogs Where would a barbeque be without these? Hot dogs are the easiest item to grill, since they are already well-flavoured and ready to cook.
  6. Beef Burgers Meat patties and mince burgers are one of the standard dishes for grilling since they are easy to prepare. Just mix the mince with the seasonings, shape them into patties and simply lay them on the grill to sizzle away!

The secret to a great-tasting meat dish is the marinade that you have kept it in. You can choose to make it spicy or mild as per your taste. Make sure to whip up a few different varieties of marinade sauces a few hours before you are ready to cook. This ensures that the meat absorbs the flavours and becomes tender and juicy when you grill it.

Also, ensure that you have loaves of bread or burger buns for people who would like to eat burgers. Bread can also be used to mop up any gravy on the plates rather than wasting all that flavour!

Vegetarian Dishes

Meat is not the only food that you can grill successfully and veggies make a nice addition to the standard fare. For vegetarian guests or family members, they are a nice way to show that you thought of their needs. Potatoes and corn are some of the basic choices that people prefer to cook over a grill, but there are many others that you could pick as well.

Try skewering chunks of potato, bell peppers, onions and cherry tomatoes covered with a layer of sweet and spicy sauce. You can use any barbeque sauce for this, or create your own. Cottage cheese or tofu is another great choice for grilling. A few side dishes like salads and desserts will round out the menu and guests can each bring one.

The best part about outdoor grilling is that it takes very little preparation before the party and food can be grilled and served on the spot. You can even order pizza online to add to the options and everyone can pitch in to help the cook. They can take turns at the grill while the others eat their food while it’s fresh and piping hot!

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