Barbecue food has become something of a staple at backyard parties, especially during the warm summer months. With great music and good company, all that’s needed is some delicious food and some iced drinks to make a party perfect. Only, one small problem tends to crop up when it comes to serving food; your guests’ dietary preferences and restrictions.
While veganism is often more of a choice, making sure that everyone is included at your barbecue party is incredibly important. Having some soy burgers and hotdogs is fine, but when the meat options are salmon steaks and angus burgers, some people are bound to feel left out. There are quite a few delicious and vegan-friendly barbecue recipes that you can prepare, many of which might even be so good that your non-vegan friends and family will want to try them too.
We’ve collected some of the best vegan barbecue recipes that are perfect for any outdoor party. While many of these don’t need a barbecue to be delicious, tossing them on the grill can make them even better. And if you want some sauces and rubs for your next party, just click here.
Spicy BBQ Lentil and Quinoa burgers
There used to be a time in a vegan food lover’s life where the only options for non-animal product alternatives to burgers were just finely ground soybeans or some form of a portobello mushroom. After experiencing barbecue after barbecue with only those options, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise if many people just stopped going to barbecues if they had a vegan diet. Thankfully, there are many more options available now, like lentil and quinoa burgers.
With a cup of green lentils and one and a half cups of quinoa, these burgers can also be given an extra bit of spice to really make the burgers delicious. For six burgers, all you need is a single jalapeno, so it isn’t so spicy that it’ll make your eyes water. And to top off a delicious burger, you can use your favourite barbecue sauce before baking. But don’t let that stop you from tossing these burgers on the grill for a few minutes to get a perfect light char.
Grilled baby potatoes
These are one of the few dishes that absolutely everyone at your table will love, regardless of whether they prefer meat or non-animal foods. The great thing about barbecuing potatoes is that you can add whatever seasoning you want. Many prefer to just use salt and pepper, while others might make theirs spicier and toss potato chunks in a blend of onion, garlic, and chilli powder. No matter what you want to season them with, baby potatoes have a slightly sweeter taste when compared to their larger sizes, so take that into consideration.
Vegan pulled pork sandwiches
In some vegan barbecue recipes, jackfruit has become a key ingredient as a substitute for some kinds of shredded meats. Ever since it became popular a few years back, jackfruit has kept its popularity, especially among vegan foodies. In this case, jackfruit is primarily used due to its stringier texture, which is quite similar to what you get in a pulled pork sandwich. With the right seasonings and a quick grill on the barbecue, you can have a delicious sandwich.
Some cooks and barbecue enthusiasts also take this a step further by adding in some seitan. Though seitan is made from gluten, many people that have cooked and tried it have said it tastes almost meaty. Combined with some onions, salt, and barbecue sauce, you get a pulled “pork” sandwich that’s even closer to the original. You can even add any extra seasonings to make it closer to your preferences.
BBQ Tofu
One of the more classic alternative options for vegan recipes is tofu. Thanks to the fact that it can absorb the flavours and seasonings of many different foods, making a quick side or even main dish out of barbecued tofu is quite easy. Ideally using firm tofu makes cooking or grilling it far easier than a softer variety. After packing it down a little to make sure that it stays firm throughout, you can toss it onto the grill for a few seconds to a minute.
If you want to add some seasonings to it, many recipes prefer to use a powdered mix. As mentioned earlier, these kinds of mixes are more than likely going to sink in and season the tofu far better than a sauce. However, you can add some barbecue sauce or something else after a quick grill to add that kick.
Seitan Satay Skewers
Much like tofu, seitan has a far more neutral flavour than some of the other vegan alternatives. This means that it can take the flavour of the satay sauce you can season it with. Thanks to being made from wheat gluten, when the seitan is grilled, it tends to dry out more. This leaves you with a chewier dish that isn’t all that far from normal skewers.
The satay itself can also be mixed or substituted with thai curry paste and some coconut milk. This naturally would act as a marinade and soak into the seitan. And to add a kick to the dish, you can serve these skewers with a peanut sauce or another one of your choosing.+
BBQ cauliflower wings
Cauliflower, when prepared right, can be one of the best alternatives you can find for meat options. When cut into florets, they already have a classic chicken wing look to them and are easily bite-sized if you wanted. Add in some seasoning, and a little bit of batter and you already have a crispy snack. Mix in a bit of barbecue sauce and you have mock chicken wings that everyone can love.
Takeaway
One of the best things about these vegan recipes is that they all include unique seasonings and flavours that make the vegetables taste as close to their meat alternatives as they can. Because of this, more people are bound to enjoy the food, regardless of their diets. And with the addition of good food, more people are likely to have a good time at your barbecue party.