Brilliant barbecues

Meat, FISH and poultry

Plain meat, fish and poultry are gluten-freeWhen a food has less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten so it is safe for people with coeliac disease to eat. so you can safely choose any meat, fish, chicken or ribs to cook on the barbecue. Some marinades have glutenA protein that is found in the cereals wheat, barley and rye. in the ingredients so you should either check marinated meats or you could try making your own marinade using the suggestions below. Leave meat to marinade in the fridge for at least an hour but for best results leave overnight.

Fish

You can cook fish on the barbecue but be careful as it can sometimes break into pieces. Tuna steaks can be marinated in a similar way to meat and grilled for a few minutes each side. Alternatively you can bake other fish like salmon or cod on the barbecue by wrapping loosely in foil and adding chopped chilli, coriander and lime juice.

Marinade and rub ideas

Chinese style marinade – Mix a tablespoon of gluten-free soya sauce* with two crushed garlic cloves, a teaspoon of minced ginger and a tablespoon of honey to create a sticky sweet marinade which you can use on chicken drumsticks, pork or beef before cooking.

Cajun style rub – Mix a teaspoon each of paprika, chilli powder, ground coriander and garlic powder and a pinch of salt and black pepper. Mix with a little oil to make a paste and use to spread on beef, pork, chicken or even fish and seafood.

BBQ sauce – Mix together the following; 2 tablespoons gluten-free soya sauce*, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon tomato puree, 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard*. This adds a great flavour to ribs or chicken drumsticks.

*Please check your Food and Drink DirectoryOur annual Directory of gluten-free food and drink which manufacturers voluntarily submit to. for suitable products

Burgers and Sausages

Sausages quite often contain rusk or breadcrumbs made from wheat, but there are many sausages available in the shops which are made without gluten. Download our BBQ food list for suitable products. Burgers often contain more meat than sausages so a lot of these are suitable, but some do contain breadcrumbs, so do check.

Vegetarian foods

Vegetarian burgers and sausages are listed in the Food and Drink Directory or have a look on our BBQ list. Halloumi is a cheese which does not melt easily so is great for barbecues. You can simply grill it on both sides and serve it with salad for a great vegetarian dish or a light starter.

Vegetable kebabs are quick and easy and add a bit of colour to a barbecue feast. Thread metal skewers with pieces of peppers, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and courgette and brush with oil. Barbecue on both sides for a few minutes until the vegetables are cooked.

For a quick and easy vegetable dish, wrap corn on the cob in foil with a knob of butter and chopped red chilli. Leave on the side of the barbecue to bake until tender.

Rolls and bread

You can buy a range of gluten-free rolls from supermarkets now, or alternatively you could try something different. Rather than bread rolls why not try warming pitta breads instead or gluten-free tortilla wraps on the barbecue. Fill with your favourite barbequed meat and salad.

Relishes and sauces

Tomato ketchup and mayonnaise usually do not contain gluten but it’s best to check these. Salsas and salad dressings should be checked or you can easily make your own.

Salad dressing – a really simple dressing can be made by mixing equal parts of olive oil with cider vinegar and adding a little wholegrain mustard to it.

Quick tomato salsa – cut fresh tomatoes into quarters and remove seeds, then finely chop, and mix with finely chopped red onion and fresh coriander. For a hot salsa you can add some chopped fresh chillies for an extra zing.

Salad

All salad vegetables are gluten-free so you can make a colourful summer salad with lettuce and other leaves like spinach and watercress and add vegetable like radishes, grated carrot, cucumber and tomatoes. For a more substantial salad mix together mixed beans, sweetcorn, celery and a little vinaigrette for a quick bean salad.

Potato salad – You can make potato salad quickly and easily by boiling new potatoes, allowing them to cool, and then stirring in mayonnaise* or creme fraiche with some chopped chives, salt and pepper to season.

*Please check your Food and Drink Directory for suitable products

Ice creams and lollies

As it is the season for barbecues it is also a time for ice creams! Unfortunately we don’t have information from the large ice cream brands but we do have a list of ice creams and lollies that do not contain gluten on our ice cream list.

Cross contamination

Cross contamination can occur if you are cooking foods without gluten and foods with, on the same BBQ. The main problem when cooking on a BBQ is that a gluten-free sausage or burger can look very similar to one which contains wheat flour. To try and minimise the risk, follow our BBQing tips;

• Make sure the person cooking knows which foods are gluten-free and that they will need to keep them separate to the other foods
• Use a clean BBQ grill
• If you are using more than one disposable BBQ, keep one gluten-free
• If you are using a large BBQ cook gluten-free sausages and burgers in one area of the grill and make sure the meat is not mixed up. Alternatively cook the gluten-free foods first or cook gluten-free sausages and burgers for everyone
• Breadcrumbs can be a problem so make sure burger buns are kept separate from the gluten-free ones and that they don't get mixed up
• Also, make sure that if people have gluten-containing burger buns they don't toast them on the BBQ next to the gluten-free foods you are cooking
• Use separate tongs for meat, and separate serving spoons for any salads or accompaniments