Barbecue season is getting a serious upgrade for 2026. While burgers and bangers will always have their place, this summer’s outdoor cooking is all about thinking beyond the basics. With a spate of sunny, barbecue-friendly weekends having already been and gone but plenty more ahead in July and August, it’s time to switch up your menu and truly celebrate the art of the grill. As Andi Tuck, head chef at Surfside Polzeath and Great British Menu chef puts it, “Cooking over open flames brings something far deeper than just flavour – it creates an experience. The crackle of the fire, the smell of smoke in the air, instantly taps into something nostalgic and primal for guests. There’s a theatre to it you just don’t get in a conventional kitchen.”
Whether you dial up the spice levels, try a new cut of meat or look further afield for flavour inspiration, here’s how barbecue habits are changing this summer…
Chicken is stealing the spotlight
For decades, pork sausages have been synonymous with British barbecues (along with debates about how to cook them properly, to avoid charcoal outsides…), but new data suggests our tastes are changing. Analysis by MyFitnessPal of more than nine million UK food logs from summer 2025 found that chicken sausages have overtaken pork, with chicken burgers are rapidly closing the gap on traditional beef burgers.
The shift reflects a growing demand for lighter options that still deliver plenty of flavour. Rather than relying solely on heavy beef and pork, it’s time for marinaded chicken thighs, spatchcock chickens and smoky grilled wings to take centre stage.
We’ve got plenty of chicken burger recipes to keep you busy all summer – coat or marinade chicken thighs and breast to create the perfect filling, then load up with sauces and slaws. Add some gentle spice to your feast with these sticky mango chutney chicken burgers, layered with a curried mayo and crunchy shredded carrot and cabbage. For a twist on an endlessly popular summer dish, try our caesar salad burgers and practice getting your grill lines perfect.
But the hot dog isn’t going away entirely!
This year’s summer of sport is having an impact on our barbecue patterns too. When M&S surveyed over 1,000 shoppers, 25% said they would be likely to serve hot dogs to guests coming round to watch the football this summer. A hot dog is no longer just a staple of football stadiums or summer fetes – they’re going gourmet at home. We’ve got plenty of hot dog recipes to get you inspired beyond a drizzle of ketchup and mustard.
Get creative with flavours inspired by the World Cup teams you’re planning to watch: think NYC-style hot dogs for the USA or chorizo hot dogs with chimichurri for Argentina. You’ll be wanting to make them on repeat long after the football has finished.
Fire cooking is becoming a hobby, not just a meal
For many keen grillers, barbecue season is no longer confined to sunny weekends. M&S found 46% of people fired up the barbecue at least once a month, with 13% grilling 1-3 times a week during the summer. Lots of our easy barbecue recipes are simple enough for a midweek grill session.
All this practice means we’re upping our skills and standards, too. As cooking over charcoal and wood evolves into a year-round hobby, more of us are learning techniques that were once the preserve of professional pitmasters.
Ben Forte, barbecue author and Kamado Joe chef, believes cooks today are increasingly focused on mastering temperature control for the perfect results (no more charred on the outside, raw in the middle!). “Barbecue has moved into a completely different space in recent years,” he says. “We’re seeing a real shift towards precision and consistency.”
Meanwhile, barbecue educator Elky, founder of The Smokin Elk BBQ School, has noticed growing enthusiasm for live-fire cooking itself. “Outdoor cooking has moved far beyond a single barbecue in the garden,” he explains. “People are building full outdoor kitchens, layering different ways to cook.
“There’s a real shift towards cooking over fire too, not just for the food but for the theatre of it. It’s about creating an experience – cooking, socialising and keeping everything outside.” He also points to the popularity of barbecue schools, with demand for courses continuing to rise.
For home cooks, that means experimenting with indirect cooking, smoking and slower cooks that reward patience, rather than simply grilling everything as quickly as possible. If you feel like you need to upgrade your kit this summer, our experts have tested all the best barbecues on the market: check out our reviews of the best gas BBQs, best charcoal barbecues and all the best barbecue gadgets, tools and accessories.
Big flavours are replacing classic marinades
In 2026, you can’t pop a burger or sausage on the grill without giving it an extra flavour boost first. American smokehouse influences remain popular, but they’re now sitting alongside a diverse wealth of Korean, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavours. Sweet heat, fermented ingredients, smoky spices and vibrant herb sauces are replacing the standard bottle of barbecue sauce.
Waitrose have doubled the size of their barbecue range this year, with customers increasingly looking for globally inspired dishes that bring restaurant-quality flavours home. This influences the decisions made on which products to launch, says Tina Edwards, Waitrose’s Barbecue Product Developer. “We have taken inspiration from global food fusion this year, and brought to life as many of our favourite flavours from across the world favourite flavours from across the world”. As a result, new products include sticky Texan-style burnt ends, Korean-style short ribs and Nashville hot maple wings.
If you’re cooking from scratch, the opportunities are endless for adding some new flavours to your next barbecue. For a Korean feast, our Korean chilli, sesame and and honey chicken or gochujang chicken wings. Recreate a takeaway classic with a homemade doner kebab or try Creole-spices with Jerk-seasoned pork and pineapple skewers.
Look beyond meat for inspiration
Perhaps the biggest change this summer is that the barbecue itself is becoming more versatile.
Rather than serving a single grilled main, hosts are building menus around seafood, vegetables, sharing plates and dishes traditionally cooked indoors. Searches for barbecue fish are up 190%, according to Waitrose, with grilled scallops, prawns and whole fish becoming increasingly popular options for entertaining. Skewers are an easy way to try fish on the barbecue for the first time – go for seafood, pineapple and coconut kebabs for a tropical feel, or pile cubes of skewered white fish into fish tacos with jalapeño salsa for a Mexican spin.
Vegetable dishes are also stepping into the spotlight, with charred asparagus, grilled aubergines, smoky peppers and halloumi skewers all earning their place on the menu alongside meat. Instead of treating vegetables as an afterthought, embrace them as the star attraction, using the barbecue to add smoky depth and caramelisation that simply can’t be achieved in the oven. Check out our top 20 vegetarian barbecue recipes to get started.
Restaurant-inspired cuts are coming home
There’s also a growing appetite for dishes that once felt reserved for restaurants or specialist barbecue joints. You don’t have to be a pro butcher to get creative on the grill!
Large sharing steaks, Korean-style short ribs, burnt ends and slow-cooked cuts are becoming increasingly popular as home barbecuers gain confidence with longer cooking methods. This summer, it’s time to experiment with lower-and-slower techniques that deliver rich flavour and tender meat.
Take your barbecue to the next level with a Texan-style beef brisket. Marinated in a sticky BBQ sauce, the meat is slow-cooked until tender and falling apart and will easily feed a hungry crowd. Juicy, super tender pulled pork is another recipe that takes a little time but is more than worth the end result – load into buns with coleslaw and salad. Or for an indulgent take on ribs, try chef Tom Kerridge’s beer braised short ribs, gently infused with oak-smoked flavour.
Save room for dessert
The grill is no longer reserved for savoury food this summer, so get creative with your BBQ puds. If you’ve invested in a decent barbecue set-up you’ll want to make the most of it and there’s no better way than letting it handle every course, from starter to dessert.
Fruit caramelises beautifully over live fire, making grilled peaches, nectarines, plums and pineapple an easy way to finish a meal. These grilled dates from barbecue expert Helen Graves take just five minutes to make and are sure to be a talking point – they go irresistibly sticky and fudgy on the barbecue, perfectly matched with scoops of vanilla ice cream, a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt to make every element pop. This charred smoky peach sundae is another clever combo of hot and cold and is essentially an easy assembly job. Pop dessert on indirect heat as your barbecue cools down and the opportunities are endless, with pastries, crumbles and even smoked desserts are making an appearance this summer.
More summer recipe inspiration:
Top 15 family barbecue recipes
Best ever barbecue recipes
The best family picnic recipes
Easy family camping recipes
Summer family meal ideas
The best vegan barbecue recipes
How to clean a BBQ