Irish weather can be fickle, and it’s not always possible to light up the barbecue when you want to. Luckily there are a few ways you can still enjoy delicious BBQ food even without an actual barbecue! Here are some tips on how to barbecue without a barbecue:

Quality cast-iron skillet_bbq without a bbq_easyfood

Invest in a quality cast-iron skillet

Although you won’t be getting the same smokey flavour like you’d get when cooking on a barbecue, a quality cast-iron skillet is a great second option. And if it has griddles, even better! Not only will it give your food great BBQ marks, it’ll also caramelise it deliciously so that you can almost get that full on flavour of a real BBQ.

Broil, oven grill_bbq without a bbq_easyfood

Get grillin’

Think of your grill as an indoor, flipped-over barbecue: instead of heat coming from below, your food will be getting it from the top. Again, you won’t be getting the same BBQ marks or smokey flavour, but you’ll likely be getting a decent char.

Be careful not to put your food too close to the grill as it might burn (in a way you don’t like). Keep a distance of about 10-20cm between your food and the grill, depending on how quickly you want your food to cook.

Smokey flavours_bbq without a bbq_easyfood

Smokey flavours

Although you won’t be getting the actual smokey flavour from the barbecue, you can use different kinds of BBQ spices and flavours to mix it up. You can either sprinkle the seasonings directly onto your meat, fish or poultry or make a marinade to really let the flavours soak in.

Spices to be on the look out for include cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika and chili powder. Mix 1-2 of these with some olive oil, freshly ground pepper and some honey or brown sugar. Spread over your meat, cover and place in the fridge for up to six hours before cooking.

Slow cooker_bbq without a bbq_easyfood

Make your slow cooker your new BFF

Use foods that do well in a slow cooker like pulled pork, pork shoulders, briskets and chicken thighs. Put them in the slow cooker, add some deliciously smokey spices and BBQ sauce and cook on a low heat for several hours. You’ll lick your fingers afterwards, trust us!