The Australian barbecue guide: public BBQs, sausage sizzles and food safety

The Australian barbecue is an informal gathering built around grilling outdoors: sausages, steaks, lamb chops, chicken, burgers, seafood and vegetables, cooked on a backyard barbecue or a free public barbecue in a park, and eaten with salads and bread. The sausage sizzle, a sausage in a slice of bread with onions and sauce, is the community version. Cook meat right through, keep food cold until it goes on the grill, and always check fire restrictions before you light up.

Photo: Sausage Sizzle - Snowy Valley Resort AUD3.50.jpg by Alpha, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

This guide covers the food, etiquette and safety. It is part of our Australian food guide. Food safety advice draws on the Food Safety Information Council and FSANZ.

What goes on the barbie

There is no single menu, but common items include:

• Sausages ("snags"): the essential barbecue item
• Lamb chops and cutlets
• Steak, often rump, sirloin or scotch fillet
• Chicken: marinated thighs, wings or skewers
• Burgers and rissoles
• Seafood: prawns, fish fillets, octopus and Moreton Bay bugs. See our seafood guide.
• Vegetables and halloumi: corn, capsicum, mushrooms, zucchini, haloumi
• Kangaroo: lean, best cooked rare to medium

Sides usually include salads (potato, coleslaw, green), bread rolls and sauces. Dessert might be pavlova or fruit. See our guide to Australian foods to try.

Public barbecues

Many local councils install free electric or gas barbecues in parks, beachside reserves and picnic areas. They are a great option for visitors.

Tips:

1. Arrive early on weekends and public holidays, when barbecues are in demand.
2. Bring tongs, a scraper, paper towel, a sheet of foil or baking paper, plates, a bin bag and hand sanitiser.
3. Check the barbecue is clean and working before you start.
4. Share. If others are waiting, do not monopolise the barbecue.
5. Clean up. Scrape the plate and wipe it down when you finish, and take your rubbish with you.

Barbecue etiquette at someone's home

• "Bring a plate" means bring a dish to share, not an empty plate.
• BYO drinks is common; ask the host.
• The cook usually runs the barbecue. Offer to help, but do not take over the tongs uninvited.
• Say thanks and offer to help clean up.

The sausage sizzle and democracy sausage

Community groups, schools and sports clubs raise money with sausage sizzles outside hardware stores, at sports grounds and at events. On election day, stalls at polling places sell the "democracy sausage", now a much-loved tradition. Typical options: sausage in bread, with onions, tomato sauce or mustard; vegetarian sausages are increasingly common.

Food safety

Barbecues often happen on hot days, when bacteria multiply quickly. Food safety bodies such as the Food Safety Information Council recommend:

• Keep cold food cold (in a fridge or an esky with ice packs) until it goes on the grill.
• Keep raw and cooked food separate, with separate plates and utensils.
• Cook sausages, mince, burgers and poultry right through, with no pink in the middle and juices running clear. A meat thermometer is the most reliable check.
• Do not leave food out in the heat. Refrigerate leftovers promptly, or throw them out.
• Wash hands before handling food, especially after touching raw meat.

If you are cooking for vulnerable people, such as pregnant women, young children, older people or people with weakened immune systems, take extra care.

Fire restrictions

Bushfire risk is real in Australia, especially in summer. Each state's fire service, such as the NSW Rural Fire Service, declares fire danger ratings and total fire ban days.

• On total fire ban days, open fires are banned and barbecue use is restricted or prohibited, depending on the state, type of barbecue and location.
• Check before you cook, especially in parks, campgrounds and rural areas.
• Never leave a barbecue unattended, and keep water nearby.

Seafood on the barbecue

Australians love barbecued seafood, especially in summer and at Christmas. Prawns, fish fillets, scallops and octopus cook quickly. Use a hot plate and do not overcook. See our seafood coasts at a glance.

Vegetarian and vegan barbecues

Grilled vegetables, corn, haloumi, mushrooms, tofu and plant-based sausages work well. Use a clean section of the hotplate, or foil, to avoid contact with meat. See our vegetarian guide.

Barbecue checklist

Where to go next

• Back to the Australian food guide
• Australian foods to try
• Dining out etiquette
• Seafood and produce
• Australian food FAQ