Breakfast On The Barbecue: A Beginner's Guide To Grilling

Cooking breakfast on the barbecue is a fun and tasty way to shake up your morning routine. While it can be tricky to cook breakfast foods like eggs and pancakes directly on the grill, it's still possible to make them using a cast-iron skillet or aluminium foil. You can also cook foods like sausages, fruit and vegetables directly on the grill, but metal skewers are recommended to prevent them from falling through the grill grates. If you're looking for a sweet breakfast, try French toast kebabs, or grilled sweet melon with a sprinkling of sugar, salt and cayenne pepper. For something more savoury, you could make a breakfast skillet hash with red potatoes, bacon and cheese, topped with eggs. Or, for a classic, how about a full English breakfast with bacon, sausages, eggs, tomatoes, beans and sourdough?

How to cook eggs on a BBQ

Preparation

Before you start cooking your eggs, you'll want to prepare your grill. Preheat your outdoor grill to a medium-high heat. If you're using a Weber BBQ, prepare the barbecue for direct cooking over medium heat (180°C to 230°C) with a hotplate or Weber Ware Frying Pan.

Cooking Eggs in Their Shell

Once your grill is preheated, you can cook eggs still in their shell. Place the eggs directly on the grill grates and close the lid. Leave the eggs alone for about 10 minutes. The eggs will be perfectly cooked with slightly soft, smoky-flavoured yolks. They'll even have grill marks! After removing the eggs from the grill, place them in an ice bath for a few minutes to stop them from continuing to cook and to make them easier to peel.

Cooking Fried Eggs

If you want to cook fried eggs, you can do so in a small cast-iron pan on your BBQ. Add some butter to the pan and then crack your eggs into it. Fry the eggs until the yolks reach your desired gooeyness.

Cooking Scrambled Eggs

You can also scramble your eggs on the BBQ by using a muffin pan. Spray the pan and then crack an egg into each hole. Place the pan on the grill and cook over medium-high heat for two minutes, or until the eggs reach your desired level of doneness.

How to cook bacon on a BBQ

Preparation

Firstly, light your BBQ, ensuring the coals are a grey, ashy colour and emitting a warm orange glow. If you are using a gas grill, set the burners to low. Place a small amount of vegetable oil on the grill grate to prevent sticking. You can do this by dipping a paper towel in oil and rubbing it on the grate with a pair of tongs, or by using a grill brush.

Cooking the Bacon

Place the bacon on the cool side of the grill, ensuring the strips are laid across the bars of the grate, rather than parallel, to prevent them from slipping through. Turn the bacon every 5 minutes or so, aiming for a total cooking time of 7-20 minutes, depending on how crispy you like your bacon.

Serving

When the bacon is done, it should be red to dark brown in colour. Remove the bacon from the grill and place it on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess fat.

Tips

• If you have a roasting pan with a metal grate and a "grease catcher", you can cook the bacon in this to prevent grease from dripping onto the burners.
• You can also use a sheet of aluminium foil as a makeshift pan. Fold the foil in half to create a sturdy surface, then fold up the edges to prevent grease from dripping out.
• If you are cooking other food on the BBQ, cook the bacon last to avoid the bacon smell lingering.
• If you are cooking for a crowd, consider using a three-zone split fire, with lit coals arranged in two even piles on either side of the grill grate, and a foil pan in the middle to catch the grease. This will allow you to cook more bacon at once.

How to cook sausages on a BBQ

Cooking breakfast on the barbecue is a fun way to add a twist to your morning meal, and sausages are a great place to start. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you master the art of cooking sausages on a BBQ.

First, prepare your barbecue by preheating it to a medium-high heat, around 375-400°F (190-200°C). You want the grill to be hot enough to sear the sausages and create those distinctive grill marks, but not so hot that it burns the outside before the inside is cooked. Clean the grill grates and ensure they are well-oiled to prevent sticking.

Place the sausages on the preheated grill, leaving some space between each sausage to allow for even cooking. Close the lid of the barbecue to help maintain a consistent temperature and create an oven-like environment. This will ensure the sausages cook evenly on all sides.

Cook the sausages for around 4-5 minutes on each side. Keep an eye on them to ensure they don't burn, and turn them frequently for even cooking and to create those attractive grill marks. The sausages should be firm to the touch and have an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) when fully cooked.

You can use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the sausages. Insert it into the thickest part of the sausage, and if it reads 160°F, they are ready. If you don't have a meat thermometer, you can cut into the sausage to check that the meat is no longer pink and the juices run clear.

Once the sausages are cooked to your liking, transfer them to a clean plate and allow them to rest for a few minutes before serving. This will help the juices redistribute, ensuring juicy and tender sausages.

And that's it! You now know how to cook delicious sausages on your BBQ, perfect for a weekend breakfast treat. Serve them with grilled vegetables, eggs, and toast for a hearty and flavorful meal.

How to cook tomatoes on a BBQ

Preparation

Before you start grilling your tomatoes, you'll want to prepare them. Cut your tomatoes in half, either lengthwise or crosswise, and remove the seeds and watery pulp. This can be done by gently dislodging them with your fingers over a sink. Although this part of the tomato contains a lot of flavour, it will be lost when grilling, so it's best to remove it.

Next, brush the cut side of the tomatoes with olive oil and season them with salt and pepper. You can also add other seasonings of your choice, such as sliced basil or fresh thyme.

Grilling

Preheat your grill to a high heat for direct grilling. It's recommended to use a grill basket or fine grill grate to make it easier to work with the tomatoes. Place the tomatoes, cut side down, on the grill surface and cover the grill. Leave them to cook for about 4 minutes, checking after 2 minutes to ensure they don't burn.

Serving

Once the tomatoes are grilled to your liking, use a metal spatula to lift them off the grill and place them on a serving dish, cut side up. You can then drizzle a little more olive oil over the tomatoes and sprinkle with additional salt and pepper, and any other desired seasonings.

Tips

• It's best to use firm, ripe tomatoes for grilling. Overly ripe tomatoes may fall apart.
• Roma and beefsteak tomatoes are recommended for grilling.
• If you don't have a lid for your BBQ, make sure to turn your food more often to ensure even cooking.
• Grilled tomatoes taste great alongside other BBQ breakfast items like sausages, bacon, and eggs.
• For an extra flavour boost, try adding a garlic, herb, and cheese mixture on top of your grilled tomatoes.
• Grilled tomatoes are best enjoyed at room temperature when the flavours have settled in.

How to cook fruit on a BBQ

Choosing and Preparing Fruit for the BBQ

Fruit is a great breakfast option, and grilling it can add a unique twist to your morning meal. Most fruits can be placed on the grill as long as they are fairly firm and not overripe. Good options include peaches, melons, pineapple, pears, avocado, tomatoes, bananas, and figs.

Before grilling, cut the fruit into large chunks, slices, or wheels. This helps the fruit maintain its structure as it cooks and prevents it from falling between the grill grates. Small fruits like strawberries can be placed on skewers.

Heating the Grill and Adding Fruit

Heat your grill to medium-high for about 10 minutes. Then, scrape and oil the grates before placing the fruit on them. Use a neutral-tasting, high-heat oil like safflower oil.

For stone fruits like peaches, plums, and nectarines, remove any pits and cut them in half before placing them flesh-side down on the grill. Grill these for about 3 minutes on each side, or until grill marks appear.

For larger fruits like pineapple and watermelon, remove the tough outer skin and cut them into 1/2-inch planks or wedges. Place them directly on the grill and follow a similar process, grilling for about 3 minutes per side.

Additional Tips

• If you're making a savoury dish like fruit salsa, you can oil the fruit before grilling. However, if you're grilling fruit for cocktails or desserts, you might want to skip the oil to avoid an unwanted oil slick.
• Denser fruits like pineapple will take longer to grill than softer fruits. If you want to cook them all the way through, you can put the lid on the grill for a few minutes at a time, checking for doneness every 5 minutes.
• Grilled fruit can release a lot of juice, so consider placing a rimmed baking sheet underneath to catch those delicious juices!

Frequently asked questions