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45 quick recipes for the barbecue

The question of what to cook this party season has been answered.
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Spend less time cooking and more time relaxing at your next barbecue. When it comes to speedy recipes for the barbecues, it pays to keep it simple – prawns, scallops and calamari are your quick-cook saviours, as are grilled capsicums, eggplant and haloumi. And don’t forget – things on sticks and skewers just taste better. These are the fast recipes you need for summer barbecue season.

Image of halved Balmain bugs and a bunch of red grapes on a white platter
Photo: Alicia Taylor

Grilled Balmain bugs with charred grapes and ouzo

steak-topped-with-mushrooms-and-a-side-salad
Photo: James Moffatt

Barbecued hanger steak with cacio e pepe mushrooms

bird's eye view of pork fillet and sliced pork and two charred pineapple quarters on a white tray
Photo: John Paul Urizar

Jerk pork with salsa and pineapple

Charred prawns on skewers with lime
Photo: Chris Chen

Charred prawns on skewers with lime

Barbecued oysters with finger-lime mignonette
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Barbecued oysters with finger-lime mignonette

Spiced chicken skewers
Photo: Chris Chen

Spiced chicken skewers

Five scallops in a half-shell topped with herbs and a soy dressing, on an off-white plate, on a white marble background.
Photo: Kara Rosenlund

Louis Tikaram’s grilled Hervey Bay scallops with soy and ginger

Photo: Will Horner

Grilled octopus with heirloom tomatoes and dill

Photo: Chris Chen

Barbecued corn with herb butter and chipotle salt

Photo: Will Horner

Grilled peppers and flatbread salad

Photo: Chris Court

Char-grilled pineapple wedges with chilli salt

Kingfish skewers with borloui bean and celery heart salad
Photo: Ben Dearnley –

Kingfish skewers with borlotti bean and celery heart salad

Photo: Will Horner

Mike McEnearney’s grilled red mullet with Moroccan spices

A white chopping board with grilled lamb cutlets, a bowl of herb sauce in olive oil, and a white ladle.
Photo: Alicia Taylor

Grilled lamb cutlets with salsa verde

Photo: Anson Smart

Swordfish with agrodolce sauce

Photo: William Meppem

Fillet steak with charred green beans and tahini

Photo: Will Horner

Grilled prawns with coconut rice and peach sambal

Photo: Will Horner

Calamari with spiced eggplant

Zucchini and haloumi skewers with mint dressing
Photo: Will Horner

Zucchini and haloumi skewers with mint dressing

Two round grilled flatbread, topped with asparagus, prosciutto, and ricotta, on a rectangular wooden board wiht a bread knife and lemon segments, sitting on a pink, white and blue tiles.
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Prosciutto, asparagus and ricotta on grilled flatbreads

Photo: Ben Dearnley

Bistecca with asparagus and salsa dragoncello

Photo: James Moffatt

Barbecued eggplant salad with goat’s curd, mint and pomegranate

Grilled peach, tomato and labne with crisp flatbread
Photo: William Meppem

Grilled peach, tomato and labne with crisp flatbread

Photo: William Meppem

Barbecued quail with grapes, beans and macadamia nuts

Photo: William Meppem

Grilled pork with pineapple and curry vinaigrette

Photo: William Meppem

Corn and potato quesadillas with green salsa

Grilled shiitake mushrooms with umami butter
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Peter Gilmore’s grilled shiitake mushrooms with umami butter

Barbecued prawns with honey, sesame and lemon
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Barbecued prawns with honey, sesame and lemon

Quick steak recipe of Grilled steak with gochujang butter
Photo: Chris Chen

Grilled steak with gochujang butter

Char-grilled capsicum with sherry vinaigrette
Photo: Chris Chen

Char-grilled capsicum salad with sherry vinaigrette

Spicy prawn skewers
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Spicy prawn and lemongrass sticks

Spinach and burghul with grilled tomatoes and labne

Yakitori Pork Skewers
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Pork and spring onion yakiton with tare

Photo: Will Horner

Rice noodle salad with grilled steak, lime and Vietnamese mint

Lamb Skewers with mint yoghurt
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Indian-spiced lamb skewers with mint yoghurt

Grilled cos with lemon-anchovy butter dressing
Photo: William Meppem

Grilled cos with lemon-anchovy butter dressing

Photo: Ben Dearnley

Soy-glazed pork cutlets with Japanese slaw

Photo: Will Horner

Mike McEnearney’s flank steak with rosemary, capers and Sichuan pepper

Chicken Satay Skewers
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Fast chicken satay

Yakiton with shichimi togarashi
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Yakiton with shichimi togarashi

Photo: Ben Dearnley

Barbecued chicken with blackened okra

Photo: William Meppem

Whole barbecued fish with lemon

Grilled scallops in the shell
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Grilled scallops in the shell

Barbecue prawns
Photo: Prue Ruscoe

Barbecue prawns

Photo: Chris Court

Hellenika’s char-grilled peppers

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