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When you think of BBQs, your mind might go straight to sizzling sausages, juicy burgers, and meaty kebabs – but meat isn’t the be-all and end-all of the barbecue season. Vegan BBQ ideas are fresh, zingy, and can be just as filling and delicious as any meat alternative. Whether you follow a vegan diet or want some fresh plant-based sides to complement your summer cookouts, you’re certain to find a brilliant idea or two below. We’ve collected our favourite vegan BBQ recipes from across the web to make your next al-fresco vegan meal as delicious as possible – just make sure to follow fire pit safety rules to keep everyone safe while BBQing.
What can I grill that isn’t meat?
Are you stuck on deciding what to grill on your BBQ that isn’t meat? It’s easy to find yourself BBQing the same dishes over and over again, but there are plenty of plant-based options which you can stick on the grill that will impress even the fussiest of eaters. Some of our favourite vegan BBQ ideas to grill outdoors include:
- Corn on the cob
- Peppers
- Cauliflower, sliced into thick ‘steaks’
- Eggplant
- Large mushrooms
- Tofu
Each of these foods has a completely different taste and texture, which can be adapted to loads of different recipes.
Quick Tip: If there is only one vegan in a family of meat eaters and they don’t want their food cooked on a meat-covered grill, you could consider purchasing a fire pit BBQ that is solely used for plant-based foods. This can also double up as a warming large fire pit to use on colder nights.
Vegan BBQ Ideas: Sides
First off, let’s about ideas for vegan BBQ sides. Even if vegans are catered for with main dishes at a BBQ, they are usually quite left out when it comes to side dishes. They don’t have to be over-complicated or made using speciality ingredients, in fact, a lot of these recipes are as easy to put together as their non-vegan alternatives and are just as delicious.
Creamy, Zesty Hummus
Hummus is a hit with both children and adults, and it’s easy to whip up in large batches for parties.
Ingredients
- 1 can of chickpeas
- Juice of 1 Lemon juice
- Splash of olive oil
- ½ tbsp Tahini
- Salt and pepper
- Chopped, fresh parsley
Method
- Take the skins off the chickpeas if this hasn’t already been done
- Add the chickpeas, lemon juice, oil, paprika, tahini, and salt & pepper to a blender or food processor and blitz it on high.
- You can add some water to thin the hummus out if needed (or olive oil)
- Pop the finished hummus in the fridge for half an hour or so and top with parsley, alongside a drizzle of olive oil and a dash of paprika
Simply serve your hummus with carrot, celery, and cucumber sticks or toasted pita soldiers.
Recipe source here
Sweet Chili Roasted Broccoli
This easy sweet, tangy side is perfect for freshening up your BBQ offering.
Ingredients
- Broccoli – we prefer tender stem for cooking on the BBQ
- Splash of oil
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp sweet chili sauce
- Pinch of chili flakes if you like a bit of extra heat
- Pepper
Method
- Combine the broccoli with the rest of the ingredients
- Wrap in a large piece of foil
- Place on the hot BBQ grill for 20 – 30 minutes to your preferred firmness
The original recipe calls for putting the broccoli in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes, which is a good alternative if there is no space on your BBQ.
Recipe source
Vegan BBQ Ideas: Mains
Getting your mains perfected will mean you have a handful of delicious, easy-to-whip-up ‘go-to’ recipes each time you fire the BBQ up. These are some of our tried and tested favourites:
Veggie Kebabs
Skewered vegan kebabs are an easy choice that can be chopped and changed depending on what you have to hand. Here is a basic recipe, feel free to swap out veggies as you see fit.
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 2 peppers, chopped into 16 pieces
- 1 red onion in 8 chunks
- 16 halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 courgette – sliced into 8 chunks
- 1 crushed garlic clove
- Splash of olive oil
Method
- Take metal or wooden skewers and slide alternating ingredients onto each of them until all 4 skewers are filled
- Mix the oil with the crushed garlic and brush the mixture over your constructed skewers
- Pop on the barbecue for around 15 minutes, turning every so often until they are chargrilled and the vegetables are tender
Recipe source
Barbecue Blackbean Burgers
These flavourful blackbean burgers are perfect for grilling as well as being filling.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of cooked brown rice
- 1 ½ cups of cooked black beans
- 1 cup of walnuts or breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup of panko
- ½ tbsp neutral oil
- ½ diced white onion
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp sugar
- Salt and pepper
- 4 tbsp BBQ sauce (vegan)
Method
- Toast walnuts over a medium heat in a pan until they are golden brown. Remove from the pan and cool. Once cool, blend them with all the seasonings (chili, cumin, paprika and sugar). Set aside
- Add oil to the pan and sauté onions with the salt and pepper until soft. Set aside
- Mash the black beans in a large mixing bowl until almost smooth. Add the walnut/spice mix, onions, panko, and BBQ sauce, mixing thoroughly
- Divide mixture into as many burgers as you need – you can get 10 small burgers from this mix
- Place them on a sheet of greaseproof paper, cover with a tea towel and pop them in the fridge to set for a little while until you are ready to grill them
- Once ready, grill them on the BBQ for 3 – 4 minutes on each side
Serve with your favourite burger accompaniments in a toasted bun – we suggest slices of avocado, black beans and more BBQ sauce.
Recipe source
Easy Grilled Cauliflower Steaks
Cauliflower is fast becoming a favourite veggie in the vegan world, and we are in love with these simple but effective cauliflower steaks.
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 2/3 heads of cauliflower
- Splash of olive oil
- 2 tbsp sea salt, ½ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp garlic powder, or freshly crushed garlic
- 1 tsp chili pepper flakes
- ½ tsp ginger powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- Coriander for garnish
Method
- Remove all leaves from the cauliflower, and with the stem pointing upwards, cut down into half-inch thick ‘steaks’
- Mix all the spices together
- Brush the cauliflower with oil and sprinkle with spices
- Cook on medium heat on the BBQ, grilling until you can poke a fork through them with relative ease
Serve with salads and some delicious sides.
Recipe source
Enjoy our go-to vegan BBQ recipes
There are more vegan BBQ ideas than we can mention here but trying out the basics is a great place to start. Whether you like to follow recipes to the letter or you enjoy putting your own spin on them, we’d love to see your vegan creations! Let us know what your favourite recipe is below, or if you’ve tried any of our suggestions above.
Read our guide to learn everything you need to know about fire pit cooking.
