Quick Party Food Ideas for your BBQ

Planning your next soiree? Check out our top five quick party food ideas for your summer bbq.

The sun’s shining, your music is on and summer vibes are definitely in the air. And as we approach the warmer months, there’s no better way to mark the occasion than with a good old-fashioned barbecue.

Whether you invite family, friends, or a mixture of the two – one thing is for certain, you’ll want to wow your guests with minimal effort. This leads to the question…

Can you really have quick bbq food that looks and tastes great?

The answer? A resounding yes! Finding quick bbq food that tastes divine doesn’t have to be a chore. You’d be surprised what you can achieve with a bit of imagination and prep. If you’re looking for quick and scrumptious party food ideas, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and dig in.

 

1. Greek kebabs with salad

Greek kebabs always make a delicious quick party food option, especially in summer. Juicy peppers, sweet onion and gorgeously Greek herbs, they’re most definitely droolworthy.

Here’s a recipe that you’ll love, and best of all, you can prepare it the night before your BBQ.

Handy hack: Worried about your salad wilting in the sun? Keep it on a bed of Party Ice, your ‘go to’ ice for summer BBQ’s!

 Drink pairing: Strawberry Sangria or Clean V Spiced Apple Tonic

Ingredients (serves 6-8)

For the Greek Kebabs:

4 chicken breasts, cubed

3 red peppers

2 red onions

2 courgettes

Oregano

Basil

Thyme

Olive oil

Dash of red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper

For the Greek Salad:

6 large vine tomatoes, cut into irregular shapes

2 cucumbers, finely chopped

1 red onion, thinly sliced

200g Kalamata olives

200g Feta cheese

4 tbsp olive oil

A dash of red wine vinegar

A sprinkle of oregano

Method

For the kebabs:

Cut the chicken, peppers, courgette and onion into even sized cubes.

Put the ingredients into a big bowl with the herbs, oil and seasoning.

Mix well and leave to marinade, ideally overnight.

When you’re ready to cook the kebabs, place the chicken and vegetable mix onto a skewer, one by one until the skewer is full.

Cook on the barbecue for around 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

For the salad:

Pop the vegetables and feta into a bowl.

Add the red wine vinegar, olive oil and herbs and mix well.

Crumble over the feta.

Leave in the fridge or on a bed of ice until you’re ready to eat.

 

2. Halloumi burgers with brioche buns

Halloumi is a definite crowd-pleaser, and best of all, it’s certainly a quick bbq food option. Replace your beef burger with a couple of slices of chargrilled halloumi, and nestle them between a brioche bun. Delish!

Handy hack: Soak the halloumi in fresh lemon juice for an hour before you cook it. The end result? A salty, soft, taste sensation!

Drink pairing: Summer Sangria or a Watermelon Breeze

Ingredients (serves 4)

4 brioche buns

250g Halloumi

Olive oil

Seasoning

Rocket leaves

Method

Coat the halloumi in olive oil, salt and pepper.

Cook on the bbq for around 5 minutes, or until both sides are chargrilled.

Add to the brioche buns with the rocket and serve with your favourite dressing.

 

3. Harissa turkey burgers

If you’re looking for quick BBQ food that’s also healthier than the usual suspects, this one’s for you. For ultimate ease, you can make the mixture the night before and turn into patties when you’re ready to eat.

Handy hack: Because turkey has less fat than other meats, it can get dry. To keep your burgers moist, think about adding mushrooms or courgettes to the mixture which will increase the water content.

Drink pairing: Mango Moon Passion Martini or Apple and Elderflower Alcohol Free.

Ingredients

500g turkey breast mince

50g wholewheat cous cous

1 chicken stock cube

2-3 tbsp harissa paste

1 red onion

4 cloves of garlic, crushed

20g fresh mint

1 red chilli

The juice of 1 lime

Method

Add a chicken stock cube to 100ml of water and add the cous cous. Leave until all the water has been absorbed.

In a pan, shallow fry the onions for a couple of minutes before adding the crushed garlic. Keep on a low heat until the onions have softened before taking off the heat and leaving to one side.

Put the mince, onions, garlic, cous cous and harissa paste into a large mixing bowl and mix.

Make five to six patties and wrap in cling film until you are ready to BBQ.

Enjoy!

 

4. Easy seafood platter

While BBQ food is delicious, sometimes it’s nice to have something a little different on the menu, too. This cold seafood platter is a deliciously quick party food that takes minutes to rustle up.

Handy hack: Arrange your fish on a bed of Party Ice to keep it cooler for longer.

Drink pairing:  Watermelon Cooler or Vodka Raspberry Lemonade.

Ingredients

1 bag of Party Ice

300g smoked salmon

155g of Parson’s Cockles

200g of anchovies in olive oil and herbs

200g of radishes, thinly sliced

200g of ready cooked mussels

1 cucumber

Salt and pepper

1 loaf of soda bread

Method

Using a flat tray, arrange a bed of ice using a bag of Party Ice.

Arrange rolled smoked salmon pieces on the tray, working from the inside out, before filling the tray with your other ingredients.

Serve with warm soda bread and butter.

 

5. Grilled veggie skewers with tzatziki

If you’re one to get things ready for a party the night before, you’ll love this. It’s as simple as chopping some deliciously flavoured veggies, adding some olive oil and herbs, before leaving to marinade overnight.

Handy hack: When your tzatziki is ready to serve, pop the ramekin or bowl on a bed of Party Ice to stay fresher for longer.

Drink pairing: Strawberry & Lime Party Punch or a Rhubarb Refresher.

Ingredients

Veggie skewers

3 large red peppers

2 courgettes

2 red onions

200g cherry tomatoes

1 aubergine

10g fresh rosemary

1 tspn dried thyme

Olive oil

Red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper

Tzatziki

500g Greek yoghurt

1 cucumber, grated

4 garlic cloves

10g fresh mint

Method

Tzatziki

Grate the cucumber on a large chopping board and pat dry with kitchen roll. Put to one side.

Grate the garlic, before adding to the yoghurt. Add the chopped mint and cucumber, mixing thoroughly.

Refrigerate until ready to serve. When you take the tzatziki out the fridge, pop the bowl on top of a bed of Party Ice to keep cool.

Veggie Skewers

After the washing the veggies, chop the peppers, aubergine, courgette and onion into 2cm cubes.

Put the above into a bowl with olive oil, the rosemary leaves, a tablespoon of red wine vinegar, some salt and pepper. Leave to marinade, ideally overnight.

Just before you’re ready to eat the veggie skewers, pop the vegetables onto the skewers, alternating between vegetables.

Cook for around 15 minutes on the bbq, turning regularly.

When the skewers are ready, take the tzatziki out the fridge and leave on a bed of ice to keep cool.

Voila! You can now enjoy your veggie skewers and tzatziki.

Quick bbq food – it’s not all about the sausages!

Quick party food doesn’t mean you have to stick with sausages or put on a beige buffet. There’s plenty of quick bbq food recipes that make fuss free dining alfresco a breeze. The only question is, what will you cook first?