We love throwing a prawn on the barbie, but we love grilling whole fish, squid and scallops too. If it’s seafood you’re grilling up this summer, then you’ve come to the right place. When it comes to shellfish, it’s best to leave the shell on as a protective layer against the heat; with fish, pat the skin and flesh dry with paper towels before cooking.
In this collection, you’ll find seafood barbecue recipes for every occasion, whether you’ve rounded up some friends on the weekend or settling in for a weeknight feast. From the grill master Lennox Hastie’s exclusive menu of charred favourites, including his grilled whole flounder with pil-pil and capers, to simple barbecued prawns dressed with honey, sesame and lemon, we guarantee there’s a seafood barbecue recipe for you. It’s time to turn up the heat.
Selecting sustainable seafood is important when it comes to fish. While nine in 10 Australians say that they’re concerned about fish sustainability, only a fraction of us put our money where our mouth is. So, Gourmet Traveller created a sustainable seafood guide to shine a light on the ways you can be a better fish eater, from buying local and lesser-known fish species to handy online tool Good Fish Bad Fish. Or check out Australia’s independent sustainable seafood guide, Good Fish.
A note on buying sustainable seafood
Barbecued prawns with honey, sesame and lemon
An additive coating that does wonders for the good old barbecued prawn.
Salmon rillettes with pickled baby vegetables
A summer seafood starter to wow a crowd.
Photo: Ben Dearnley
(Credits: Ben Dearnley)Lemongrass prawns with gỏi xoài
A lesson in spicing up the humble prawn skewer.
La Casita’s whole barbecued fish with sour-orange glaze
A tangy, fleshy masterpiece worthy of a summer gathering.
Swordfish with agrodolce sauce
(Credits: Anson Smart)Swordfish with agrodolce sauce
Give swordfish a chance with this sweet-sour sauce.
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Spicy prawn and lemongrass sticks
Spicy, charred and deeply fragrant.
Amy Hamilton’s grilled scallops with spring onion and peanuts
(Credits: Chris Chen)Amy Hamilton’s grilled scallops with spring onion and peanuts
A decidedly Asian twist on simple seared scallops.
Scampi with green mango and fried shallots
Refreshing and punchy, this is a veggie-packed seafood dish we can get behind.
La Casita’s tostada with achiote-grilled albacore
Albacore makes for a satisfying substitute for the traditional pork thanks to its meaty texture.
Una Más’ grilled octopus with fermented chilli
Charred octopus, brought to life with a touch of red chilli sauce.
Grilled tuna salad with egg, asparagus and anchovy vinaigrette
Where classic flavours, top-shelf produce and minimal intervention combine.
Liberté’s garlic prawns with chilli and Thai basil
A tried-and-true combination.
Whole barbecued fish with lemon
(Credits: William Meppem)Whole barbecued fish with lemon
The recipe that proves simple really is best.
Louis Tikaram’s grilled Hervey Bay scallops with soy and ginger
(Credits: Kara Rosenlund)Louis Tikaram’s grilled Hervey Bay scallops with soy and ginger
The perfect dish to whip up after a day at the beach, according to the Stanley chef.
Captain Moonlite’s soffritto, southern calamari, saffron orzo and mint
A nostalgic dish that reminds chef Matt Germanchis of his time in Greece.
Barbecue prawns
(Credits: Prue Ruscoe)Barbecue prawns with tomato-barbecue sauce
Prawns with a tangy tomato-based barbecue sauce are an undeniably good combo.
Calamari with spiced eggplant
For a fast and easy midweek dinner, barbecued calamari does the trick.
Barbecued ocean trout with cucumber and labne
(Credits: William Meppem)Barbecued ocean trout with cucumber and labne
This sourdough-stuffed ocean trout is the whole package: hearty, tasty and fresh.
Barbecued oysters with finger-lime mignonette
Throw a…oyster on the barbie?
Grilled whiting
(Credits: John Laurie)Aaron Turner’s grilled whiting
Simply cooked, Turner’s whiting lets the grill do the talking.
Jason Saxby’s grilled cobia with puttanesca salsa
Barbecued cobia. Tomatoes, fresh as can be. This is your go-to fish dish for summer.
Liberté’s whole barbecued snapper with green papaya salad
Throw this whole fish, done Vietnamese-style, on the barbie.
Grilled squid with rouille and chilli
Is there anything more satisfying after a day in the sun than grilled squid?
Barbecued lobster tails with lemon drawn butter
Keep things simple with a lemon and garlic butter that allows the sweet lobster to shine through.
Barbecued barramundi with macadamia romesco
A nutty romesco is the perfect accompaniment to the smoky flavours of barbecued barramundi.
Analiese Gregory’s lobster and abalone with wakame butter and XO sauce
An impressive centrepiece to any feast.
Whole barbecued fish with chilli and peach salsa
There’s no better way to celebrate summer than firing up the barbecue and roasting a whole fish. Sweetness and spice add to the sunny feeling.
Grilled prawns with coconut rice and peach sambal
Add a little luxury to your weeknight dinner.
Monique Fiso’s grilled octopus
Confit octopus is given the slow-braised treatment and then barbecued for maximum flavour.
Grilled octopus with heirloom tomatoes and dill
Taste the Mediterranean in minutes.
Three Blue Ducks’ barbecued whole fish with lemongrass and lime leaves
A flavour-packed and aromatic way to cook a whole fish.
Grilled scallops in the shell
Leave the scallops in the shell to cook for added flavour and turbo-charge with a garlic butter.
An Australian seafood favourite brightened with salsa verde.
A luxe spin on the prawn cocktail involving lobster tails and pickled shallots for acidity.
Some things just taste better whole.
Smoky, lightly spiced and brilliantly vibrant.
Wood-fired mussels, tomatoes and toasted sourdough bread
(Credits: Chris Court)All that’s missing is a campfire to savour this by.
The zingy, no-cook dressing adds an additional layer of flavour to creamy summer scallops.
A vibrant take on a classic seafood Christmas dish.
A seafood platter of barbecued prawns and seared scallops that’s primed for summer entertaining.
A seafood dish that sings with spring.
A whole roasted fish is a fuss-free way to cook seafood for a crowd. We like to marinate the fish overnight so the flavour gets right into the flesh, plus it means one less thing to do on the day.
Barbecued calamari with chickpeas and preserved lemon (Calamares asado)
(Credits: Ben Dearnley)A light, fresh seafood number perfect for warmer days.
Barbecued snapper with dill and lemon
(Credits: Ben Dearnley)Dill and lemon are bright complements to the meatiness of snapper.
Barbecued prawns with pico di gallo
(Credits: Ben Dearnley)Butterflied prawns at their finest.
Warm moghrabieh salad with barbecued prawn brochettes and almond tarator
(Credits: Chris Court)A fast Middle Eastern seafood recipe.
Craft a Christmas entree from Australia’s favourite summer ingredients.
A seafood take on Italian arrostinici skewers, with added kick from ‘nduja.
Charred octopus, brought to life with a touch of red chilli sauce.
Grilled calamari with zhoug
(Credits: John Laurie)The spicy zhoug is the perfect complement to the grilled calamari.
Grilled fish with sambal matah, watermelon and cucumber
(Credits: Jason Loucas)Dan Hong’s flavour-driven grilled fish dish.
Grilled prawns with honey and preserved lemon
(Credits: Sharyn Cairns) Andrew and Matt McConnell’s simple sweet-tangy prawns.
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