Light coals, wait a bit, grill to your heart’s content – in theory barbecuing is the simplest way to turn raw ingredients into a cooked meal, but we’ve all been faced with a horde of hungry guests as we desperately try to work out why the coals aren’t getting hot. But once the fire is lit and the coals are glowing red, there’s no need to add extra stress with a complicated dish that might fall at the final hurdle.

This collection of easy barbecue recipes will make cooking over flame an absolute joy, and each one will result in a seriously tasty dish. Easy barbecued chicken, quick barbecue beef and simple barbecued fish can become the talking point of any party, so long as you control the heat and keep your eye on what’s happening.

Try Josh Eggleton’s Barbecued duck breast with white coleslaw, or Ollie Moore’s Grilled monkfish with red wine sauce to get started. They sound fancy, but Scott Hallsworth’s Miso-grilled hot wings are pretty foolproof, as is Martin Wishart’s Lime-marinated flank steak. Have a look at our recipes and see just how easy it is to use your barbecue to create incredible dishes.