You know the smell before you see anything. Charcoal catching, someone's marinade hitting a hot grill and wafting in through your open windows. There’s nothing quite like a BBQ in the garden with family and friends.
Not to jinx it, but we’ve been lucky so far this summer with BBQ-friendly weather. Given that this could change at any moment, we’ve put together the essential ingredients so your BBQ will always be a hit.
Here's what you need for the perfect Irish BBQ.
Everything starts here. A good butcher is where a BBQ is won or lost. Irish beef and lamb have a real reputation for a reason, and a good butcher will cut things to the thickness you want, point you towards the cheaper cuts that reward slow cooking, and tell you honestly what's good that week.
Think beyond burgers and sausages. Dry-aged steaks, lamb chops, a marbled piece of brisket for the low-and-slow crowd, spiced beef for something a bit different. Buy a little better and a little less, and the whole table notices.
If you want to get comfortable with the fundamentals, in our BBQ & Beer Cooking Workshop, you’ll get hands-on experience with food prep and grilling in the garden. You’ll learn all about marinades, dips and sauces; pulled pork belly, chicken thighs, salmon in banana leaves and roast summer veggies, plenty to build a proper spread around to enjoy when you’re finished.
We're spoiled on this coast, yet most home cooks still forget that the grill loves seafood. A whole mackerel takes minutes and costs very little. Dublin Bay prawns need almost nothing done to them. A side of salmon feeds a crowd and looks far more impressive than the effort it takes. Down at Howth harbour you can buy the day's catch a few steps from where it landed, which is about as fresh as it gets.
The trick with fish is confidence rather than complexity. Hot grill, a bit of oil, don't fuss with it, and know when to take it off.
Our Feast From the Sea class and our Fish from Around the World classes are built for exactly this. Signature workshops that give you the skills to serve seafood your guests will remember. Alternatively, you can cut out the middle man and reel in your own fish with our Catch & Cook experience.
This is the ingredient people skip and then wonder why their chicken tasted of nothing. A good marinade or dry rub is where the flavour actually comes from, and the best part is that it's all done in advance. Buttermilk and a little chilli for chicken. Honey, mustard and rosemary for lamb. A smoky paprika rub for pork that sits overnight and does its work while you sleep.
For ribs, let them marinade in your favourite beer overnight. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by just how good this effortless marinade tastes.
Marinade the day before and that ten minutes of effort on a Friday will give you mouthwatering meat on Saturday.
A BBQ that's all meat gets heavy fast. The sides are what make it feel like a proper meal, and the good news is they can nearly all be made ahead. A sharp slaw that cuts through the richness. A potato salad with actual seasoning. Chargrilled courgettes and peppers. A bowl of tomatoes with good oil and flaky salt when they're in season.
Get your dressings and salads made in the morning, and you've taken the pressure off the moment guests arrive. Our Grilled Meats & Summer Salad and Vegan Essentials cooking classes are great opportunities to learn more about how sides and plant-based dishes are the secret ingredient to BBQs and entertaining.
Warm bread pulls a BBQ together. Flatbreads for wrapping smoky lamb, soft rolls that don't dissolve under a good burger, or a loaf of brown soda bread torn straight onto the table. You can even throw flatbreads on the grill for the last minute of cooking and let them char a little.
Homemade sounds ambitious until you try it. Our Intro to Bread Workshop covers the basics, including our Guinness and Treacle Brown Soda Bread, no yeast and no proving required.
Dessert is the bit everyone forgets to plan and then improvises badly. Keep it simple and let the grill do the work. Peaches or pineapple turn soft and caramelised in minutes. Bananas split and stuffed with chocolate are a guaranteed hit with children and adults. Or make something the day before and take all the pressure off.
For a dessert that looks like real effort went in, our Cakes & Pastry workshop sends you home with your own creations to show off and share.
A cooler of cold cans does more for the mood than any expensive equipment. Ireland's craft breweries, such as Hope Beer, are turning out lagers and pale ales that suit a summer's afternoon perfectly, and a few well-chosen bottles feel more thoughtful than a slab of the usual. Just remember the people who aren't drinking; a jug of homemade lemonade or elderflower keeps everyone looked after.
You can source the best meat in the county and still end up with a mediocre BBQ. The thing that ties it all together isn't on any shopping list; it's technique. Knowing how to set up heat zones, how long a thick chop really needs, when to leave something alone and when to move it. That's the difference, and it's the fastest thing to improve.
A few hours in a proper kitchen learning hands-on saves you years of guesswork over a smoky grill. At Howth Castle Cookery School, every class is fun, practical, and set within one of the most beautiful estates in Ireland. Come and join us for a class or workshop and you’ll be a master chef in no time. Browse the full schedule here.
Posted on 22 Jul 2026.
