Best BBQ foods to grill this Labor Day: Great grill recipes for your friends and family

There are few things more satisfying than a well-pulled-off BBQ, bringing your friends and family together on a sunny afternoon. If you're looking to do some grilling this Labor Day, here are a few of the best BBQ foods to whip up!

There are tons of great food to cook on the grill!
There are tons of great food to cook on the grill!  © Emerson Vieira / Unsplash

As summer comes to a close, nothing's better than getting your friends and family together for a truly great BBQ. What should you grill, though, and how do you cater to those vegetarian and health-conscious relatives?

When looking to cook up a good grill, health is not usually the focus.

From beef patties to sausages, from grilled corn to that cheesy goodness, there's a lot to choose from. With these quick and easy suggestions, you will easily impress your guests.

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Here are some great grill recipes that are sure to get the party going, courtesy of TAG24's guide!

The ultimate BBQ with friends - Great grill ideas

It's not all about sausages, you know? It's not all about beef, beer, and burgers either. The ultimate BBQ is an occasion for all of your friends and family, from the health-conscious ones to the vegetarians, from cheesy burger fans to those of us who like a good thick steak.

When putting together a big event, you need to cater to everyone. Here is the ultimate menu for a fantastic family BBQ.

  • Grilled burgers: Through some chicken on the grill, or beautiful beef patties (check out our recipe below) topped with tangy cheddar cheese. Put them together with breading, pickles, lettuce, tomato, and your choice of sauce.
  • Marinated pork steaks and chicken: The most important thing when it comes to grilling meats is your marinade or rub. Try going down a more Asian route with some soy sauce or teriyaki, or jump in there with a fantastic dry rub (good options include paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper and, of course, salt and cracked black pepper).
  • Get in there with the veggies: Vegetables should be a permanent fixture on the grill. All you need is a little olive oil and salt, and you're sweet to go. Try some eggplant, zucchini, squash, bell peppers, or corn-on-the-cob.
  • Don't forget the cheese: Using the recipe we describe below, don't forget that fantastic feta cheese. Just delicious!

There are so many options for a great grill, and something for everyone. A great BBQ has all of those elements, but even more. Let's go into more detail and suggest a few fantastic elements to the ultimate feast.

Please keep in mind: As these recipes are general and not designed for a specific number of people, we will leave proportions up to your discretion. Grilling is about feel, good ingredients, and taste. Not about the specifics of a recipe. Have fun with it!

Best grill recipes

There are so many delicious foods to chuck on the grill, and BBQs are the perfect opportunity to try out new recipes.

Chicken and pesto burgers

This bad-boy is quick-and-easy to make, and will keep the whole family happy.

Ingredients

  • Chicken
  • Cheese (preferably cheddar)
  • Pesto (preferably Pesto a la Genovese)
  • Greek yogurt
  • Lettuce
  • Tomato
  • Burger buns
  • Black pepper
  • Salt

How to make: Season that chicken with some salt and pepper, and grill it until it's nice and smokey. For a delicious sauce, simply mix together two spoonfuls of pesto with three or four spoonfuls of Greek yogurt and a little bit of salt and pepper. Melt some cheese onto your grilled chicken and build your burger. You know what to do!

For you vegetarian folk: If you want to try out this delicious burger, but aren't keen on eating meat, buy some lovely big mushrooms, season them, and chuck them on the grill. Keep everything else the same.


Perfect honey garlic chicken skewers

Don't go buying pre-made skewers from the supermarket, it's a waste of money, and it's never as good. Try this out instead!

Ingredients

  • Chicken
  • Bell peppers
  • Onion
  • Sesame oil
  • Minced garlic
  • Minced ginger
  • Light soy sauce
  • Honey
  • Bamboo skewers

How to make: Chop your chicken up into bigger chunks and thread them onto bamboo skewers, interspersed between chunks of bell pepper and onion. Mix together the sesame oil, minced garlic, ginger, soy sauce and honey, and marinade the skewers overnight. The next step? Well, grill, of course!

Keep in mind: If you've got some vegetarians in the crowd, chuck some tofu on those skewers instead of the chicken. Alternatively, use some delicious broccoli or carrot.

Delicious miso salmon

People have a habit of only using the hard-meats, but grilled fish is actually where it's at. Try out this fantastic quick-and-easy grilled salmon recipe.

Ingredients:

  • Salmon
  • Miso paste
  • Soy sauce
  • Brown sugar
  • Minced Ginger
  • Minced Garlic
  • Olive oil

How to make: Put together a marinade with the miso, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, garlic, and olive oil. Marinade the salmon overnight and then grill. Be careful not to overcook the fish and make it dry, basting it whilst it is on the grill with the remainder of that marinade.

These three recipes are absolutely delicious and will keep all of your friends and family as happy as can be. Let's get into a few more specific suggestions now.

Grill dinner ideas

A delicious roast chicken is the ultimate BBQ meal.
A delicious roast chicken is the ultimate BBQ meal.  © Claudio Schwarz / Unsplash

Is there anything better than a BBQ'd dinner? Fix your Monday with a delicious evening grill for your whole family to enjoy. These two options are perfect for an easy and satisfying meal.

Roast chicken, beef, or pork dinner

Roasting a chicken, a nice big chunk of beef, or a pork belly might take some time, but it's darn-well easy. We won't set out a recipe here, because there are so many options in this department.

Remember, though, that roasting something in the grill is a lot different to using an electric or gas oven. Pay careful attention to the heat, make sure you get a nice sear on any roast beef before you bake it, and season everything to perfection. You won't regret it!

Pair those burgers with the ultimate potato salad

Chuck together one of those burgers we described earlier (feel free to use pork steaks, beef patties or tofu if you're not feelin' chicken) and pair it with a delicious potato salad.

Ingredients

  • Burgers (as described above)
  • Potatoes
  • Sweet mustard or honey mustard
  • Chives / Spring onions
  • Onions
  • Olive oil
  • Salt
  • Black pepper

How to make: Chop some potatoes, unpeeled, into chunks. Boil them until soft but firm, whilst frying off some onions in olive oil until translucent. Mix onion with the drained potatoes as well as a healthy dollop of mustard, some chopped chives / spring onions, salt, pepper, and a little bit of olive oil. Yum!

Healthy grill recipes

For any of your family members who may be dieting, there may need to be a few delicious-but-healthy options on the menu. Here are three ideas to help you provide for your health-conscious friends and family.

Simple meat and salad

Okay, so this might seem a little obvious. Basic grilled meats are pretty darn healthy. Chuck some salt and pepper on there and let the grill do the rest. When you barbecue meat, it adds a delicious smokey flavor that's more than enough to keep those health-conscious party-goers happy.

Pair it with a lovely green salad, with some lettuce, tomato, chick peas, feta cheese, scallion and cucumber. Mix together with a dash of olive oil, a pinch of salt, and a nice crack of pepper, and you're ripe-and-ready to go!

Perfectly grilled fish

Why not whack some fish on the grill? They can be an incredible treat and are also healthy, easy, and quick to prepare.

Ingredients

  • Fish (Sea bass, tilapia, cod, grouper, snapper)
  • Orange
  • Salt
  • Pepper

How to make: If using a whole fish, make sure to scour its skin and then proceed to season with a bit of salt and pepper. Place sliced circles of orange on the grill and then plop the fish on top of them. Close the grill and bake until delicious, smokey, and sweet.

Here's a tip: Use a fish with the skin still kept on. This will get crunchy, especially when rubbed beforehand with salt, and extra-delicious.

A light, healthy Greek salad is the perfect thing to serve with a tasty grill.
A light, healthy Greek salad is the perfect thing to serve with a tasty grill.  © Loes Klinker / Unsplash

Pork souvlaki with Greek salad

Go fresh, tasty, and easy with a delicious pork souvlaki and Greek salad. Easily pair it with rice, or keep it lean with just some meat and salad. You certainly won't hear anyone complaining!

Ingredients:

  • Chunks of pork
  • Olive oil
  • Lemon zest and juice
  • Oregano
  • Tomatoes
  • Cucumber
  • Red onion
  • Olives
  • Feta cheese
  • Salt
  • Black pepper

How to make: Marinade the pork in a mixture of olive oil, lemon zest and juice, salt, pepper, and oregano. After soaking overnight, chuck it on the grill and cook up a storm. Meanwhile, mix together the tomatoes, cucumber, chopped red onion, olives, smashed Feta cheese, olive oil, a bit of salt and a couple of cracks of black pepper, in a bowl. Serve together and enjoy!

Vegetarian grill recipes

You don't need to be a meat eater to enjoy a good BBQ!
You don't need to be a meat eater to enjoy a good BBQ!  © Egor Myznik / Unsplash

Most people think of meat when they think of a barbecue with their friends. They think chicken, steak, pork. The thing is, though, that you can actually make some incredibly delicious vegetarian foods on the grill. Let's give you a few suggestions.

Grilled feta cheese

Some basic grilled feta is a real treat, and the kids will be particularly excited. Combine the cheese with some other ingredients and even the adults will be happy!

Ingredients

  • Feta cheese
  • Rosemary
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Red onion

How to make: Slap some feta cheese on some foil and wrap in a little pouch with a sprig of rosemary, some halved cherry tomatoes, and a few slivers of red onion. Bake on the grill until melty and delicious!

Tofu-Vegetable satay skewers

This recipe will keep you coming back for more and, even better, it's totally vegetarian! It's easy, but does require a little preparation before grilling.

Ingredients

  • Tofu
  • Eggplant
  • Bell pepper
  • Canola or vegetable oil
  • Shallots
  • Red chilies
  • Crushed garlic
  • Crunchy peanut butter
  • Salt
  • Black pepper

How to make: Cut your tofu into cubes and thread onto skewers with slices of your eggplant and bell peppers. Before grilling, jump into your kitchen and chuck a pot on the stove. Fry off the shallots, chilies and garlic in the vegetable oil until aromatic and then chuck in the peanut butter and about a cup of water. Boil until reduced and thick, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill your skewers and serve with the peanut sauce. Delicious!

Mixed veggie grill

It can be very easy to put together some delicious grilled veggies for your friends and family. The best choice is corn-on-the-cob, eggplant, bell peppers, zucchini, carrots, red onions, tomatoes, and mushrooms. Lean into those Italian herbs and season them deliciously, then give them a nice grill with some olive oil.

As you can see, you don't need to be a meat-eater to still enjoy a delicious BBQ with your friends and family. It's a versatile, fun, and tasty activity that certainly doesn't discriminate!

Best BBQ foods for a crowd

Have you overbooked for your birthday party? Do you have a few too many people to cook for, or have you perhaps found yourself hosting some school BBQ for your kids? It's pretty darn difficult to put together a feast for a crowd, but with these ideas it will be easy-peasy lemon-squeezy.

Sizzling sausages

Come on, guys, this one's a no-brainer. It's quick, easy, and can cater for literally hundreds of people if needed. There are very few ingredients, and it can be done on the cheap as well. Let's get our sizzle on...

Ingredients

  • Sausages (whatever you want, however many you need)
  • Onions
  • Sliced bread
  • Ketchup / Mustard / Mayonnaise

How to make: It's pretty obvious, to be honest. Cook up those sausages, fry off some onions, and place them on a piece of sliced bread with a condiment of your choice. Consume.

Roasts

As we've already discussed, whether it's a whole chicken or some choice cuts, a nice variety of meats, all roasted in the grill to perfection, is a great way to go.

Ribs

Choose your marinade, choose your meat, and let's get grilling. You can buy ribs en masse, and you treat them all the same. This means that you can easily put together a huge plate of ribs for a large group of people, if you allow enough time to bake them for a nice long time on the grill. Here's a suggested recipe:

Ingredients

  • Pork ribs
  • Paprika
  • Cumin
  • BBQ Sauce
  • Minced garlic
  • Olive oil
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • Cayenne pepper
  • Salt
  • Black pepper

How to make: Season and rub your rack of pork ribs with olive oil, garlic, paprika, salt, pepper, cumin and cayenne pepper. Allow to marinade overnight. Grill for about 2 hours at about 350° Fahrenheit whilst wrapped in baking paper. Mix together the BBQ sauce, some more garlic, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper and salt.

After two hours, take the rack of ribs from the grill and cover it with the sauce. Turn up the temperature to about 460° Fahrenheit and bake for a further 10-15 minutes, or until caramelized around the edges.

It's relatively easy to pull off a fantastic BBQ for family, friends, and even large crowds. Have patience and, most importantly, have fun with it!

Charcoal or gas grill?

The war between charcoal and gas grills is an ongoing fight that seems to see no end. In reality, there are fantastic advantages and disappointing disadvantages for both options, and it's really all up to your personal preferences.

Here is our pitch for charcoal and gas grills.

  • Get a gas grill: A gas grill is incredibly convenient and incredibly easy to clean. Buy yourself a gas bottle, hook that bad-boy up, switch it on, and off you go. You might not get as smokey a taste, but you have a much better control over the temperature on a gas grill, and it will be much easier to precisely roast some meat. It's also perfect for a quick-and-easy grill.
  • Get a charcoal grill: Charcoal gives you that taste you're looking for. It might be slow to set up and get going, but it will lend such a delicious and smokey taste to your food that you'll never look back. There is less control, it takes much longer, and requires a great deal more skill, but charcoal is the way to go for purists.

Whether you choose a charcoal or a gas grill, you're in for a treat. Go with gas for quick, easy, and controlled cooks. Go with charcoal for taste. It's up to you.

Having a family event? Whip out the grill!

From some delicious grilled feta to that perfectly seasoned pork steak, there are so many options for a great family grill. Are there some vegetarians coming to your BBQ, are you a little stumped as to what you should cook for them? Well, you've certainly come to the right place!

Barbecuing is one of the most fun and engaging things to do with your family and friends. Grab the cards, crack open some cold ones, and throw some fantastic food on the grill. You won't regret it!

Cover photo: Emerson Vieira / Unsplash

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