A foodie's guide: How to host a more sustainable summer barbecue

By Nick Wyke

Flaming brilliant: The joy of cooking fish outdoors

Open-air cooking is a natural partner to fresh fish, so we’ve gathered delicious but easy-to-make seafood recipes that can stand the heat of the outdoor grill and deliver something special. Each recipe comes with stunning photographs to inspire you to choose wild-caught sustainable seafood and take it outdoors! 

In fact, there’s nothing quite like cooking outside. The first barbecue of the year is a foodie’s Independence Day – the herby smoke, party buzz and sunshine (if you’re lucky!) are winning ingredients for a good time. After cooking indoors for over half the year, there’s a basic romance to flinging open the patio doors and cooking over charcoal or wood – creating something utterly memorable from serious heat in the garden. 

From seared tuna steaks to meaty sardines, fish has always been a popular choice for al fresco eating. Who can resist the drama of a slightly blackened, crispy skinned whole fish or plump pink king prawns drenched in lemon and garlic butter?  

It’s a great choice, too, for those eating less meat – not only is grilled fish a nutritious fleshy treat but sustainably caught seafood has a lower carbon footprint than red meats. Firm-fleshed species like tuna, salmon, sardines, squid and large prawns hold up beautifully, delivering a smoky char and juicy texture that’s hard to beat. 

And they needn’t be reserved for eating out and warm nights on holiday – with a little know-how you can make seafood soar on the backyard barbecue. What’s more, it needn’t be difficult! Many people hesitate to grill seafood, worried it might stick, fall apart, or overcook too quickly. Pick the right seafood and follow a few basic instructions and you’ll be smooth sailing in no time. 

Top tips for a perfect ocean-friendly barbecue

Shopping

Buy sustainable seafood. By choosing MSC-certified fish and seafood, you not only have quality, wild-caught raw ingredients to build a delicious meal, but you're also supporting the livelihoods of hard-working fishers and helping to ensure a thriving ocean future.

If you can, buy skin-on fish fillets or whole fish – the skin is your friend, protecting the fish from the raw flames and helping to prevent it from becoming dry.

BBQ prep

• Clean and brush the grill grate with oil.
• Lightly coat the fish with oil.
• Let the flames die back before cooking – coals should be ash-grey.
• Adjust your grill level to a height where the fish won’t burn.
• Consider a two-zone fire so you can move the fish between hot and cooler areas to prevent burning.

Food prep

Keep it simple: Non-oily fish tends to have a delicate flavour, so just a little salt and lemon works for some palates.

Go bold: Load up on sweet and spicy marinades, smokey rubs and herby citrus butters – inside and out! Make cuts in the skin of your fish to allow more flavour to infuse the flesh.

Grilling

Cook fish skin-side down leaving it long enough to form a crust before carefully easing a palette knife between the skin and bars to turn over. Alternatively, grill fish on top of citrus slices to avoid sticking – they’ll infuse flavour into your fish as they cook.

Most chefs will tell you to cook fish quickly at a high temperature, but you need to keep an eye on it. A cover will help to steam the top of the fish and impart the charcoal aroma.

Use an oiled grilling basket to protect flaky fish such as hake and haddock   and reduce the risk of fish falling apart; try skewers for easy turning of shellfish like prawns.

Don’t overcook – you’re aiming for moist and tender in the middle. Insert a fork into the thickest part of the fish. If it’s cooked the fish will flake easily and the fork be hot to touch.

Brush with butter towards the last minute or two of cooking and allow it to rest for a minute before serving.

Because seafood grills relatively quickly – even jumbo prawns require only a couple of minutes – it’s perfect for fuss-free entertaining. Forget hours spent over hot coals – most of these recipes come together in well under 20 minutes, which means more time to enjoy with your guests.

Seasonal sides

Being summer, abundant salads and vegetables are in season to support the main act. Many “perform” well with a short spell on the grill and are a healthy, eco-friendly choice. Try serving seafood with charred golden sweetcorn cobs, flash seared asparagus spears and spring onions, aubergine, courgette, fennel and pepper skewers – a Mediterranean ensemble amplified by hardy herbs such as rosemary, bay and thyme. The ‘woody’ herbs are ideal for brushing your seafood with oil to stop it sticking to the bars of the grill.

More ideas for eco-friendly grilling

Fish generally have a lower impact on the planet than traditional red meat BBQ fare, and there are several simple ways to further minimise your barbecue’s environmental footprint. Here are our 5 top tips:  

1. Opt for natural lump charcoal or sustainable wood chips over chemical-laden briquettes. Gas or electric grills are handy and generally omit fewer emissions than charcoal grills but you won’t get the same smoky flavour.
2. Reduce waste – avoid aluminum foil or single-use baking trays when cooking and use reusable plates, cutlery and cloth napkins to serve.
3. Put the ocean first – when shopping for your fish and shellfish, look for the MSC and ASC ecolabels so you know it has been fished responsibly.
4. Give salad and pulses equal top billing – serve hearty potato or bean salads to add variety and complement your fish.
5. Mind your marinades – avoid heavy oil-based marinades that drip into flames and create excess smoke. Keeping the lid closed on your barbecue not only reduces smoke, it keeps the heat in, cooks food faster and more evenly and saves energy.

Fire up support for the ocean with our summer recipe collection

At its heart, our collection of Summer Seafood Recipes 2025 is about more than just the food. It’s about making mindful choices that support the health of our oceans. Each featured dish uses MSC-certified sustainable seafood, which means it’s sourced from fisheries that have been independently certified to meet robust environmental standards and are managed to protect marine biodiversity and fish stocks for generations to come.