Halal BBQ: Summer Grilling Guide
A halal BBQ brings family and friends together around the grill with premium beef, chicken, and sausages. Planning the right cuts, quantities, and sides turns a casual cookout into a feast everyone remembers. This guide covers everything you need to host a halal BBQ from start to finish.
Halal BBQ: Building the Perfect Grill Menu
The best halal BBQ menus mix premium cuts with easy crowd-pleasers. Start with a centrepiece steak like tomahawk or ribeye for the steak lovers. Then add BBQ beef sausages and shish taouk for variety. Furthermore, ground beef covers burgers and kafta skewers. Notably, this combination means every guest finds something they love.
Steaks for the Grill
Not every steak performs the same on a grill. Specifically, thick cuts with good fat content handle high heat best. Tomahawk makes the biggest visual impact — the long bone and thick ribeye impress every guest. For individual portions, bavette delivers bold flavour at a lower price point. Moreover, its thin profile means it cooks fast and feeds a crowd efficiently.
Season steaks with coarse salt and pepper 45 minutes before grilling. Sear over direct heat for three minutes per side. Then move to indirect heat and close the lid until the centre reaches your target temperature. As a result, you get a deep crust on the outside and a perfectly pink centre. Then rest every steak for five minutes before serving.
Halal BBQ Sausages: The Easy Win
Sausages are the backbone of any halal BBQ. After all, they need no prep, cook in 12 to 15 minutes, and satisfy kids and adults alike. Our sausage collection includes BBQ beef, merguez, cheddar jalapeño, and Italian spicy. Specifically, having three to four varieties on the grill gives guests choices without creating extra work for you.
Grill sausages on medium heat. Turn every few minutes for even browning. Plus, keep a cooler zone on the grill so you can move finished links away from direct heat. They stay warm without overcooking. Consequently, all the sausages come off the grill at the same time, juicy and ready to serve.
Chicken and Kafta: Crowd Favourites
Shish taouk cubes come pre-marinated and cook in 10 to 12 minutes on skewers. In fact, they are the fastest protein on the grill. Similarly, kafta skewers made from seasoned ground beef take just six minutes. Simply thread them on flat metal skewers and grill over medium-high heat. Both are halal BBQ staples that work perfectly as wraps, on platters, or straight off the skewer.
Whole chicken spatchcocked and grilled flat is another halal BBQ option. It feeds four to six people from a single bird. However, it takes 45 to 60 minutes, so start it first and let it cook while you prep everything else. Above all, the smoky flavour from the grill makes spatchcocked chicken taste better than any oven roast.
How Much Meat for a Halal BBQ
For a halal BBQ, plan 400 to 500 grams of total protein per adult across all options. For a group of 15 to 20 guests, that means roughly seven to ten kilograms total. Hence, spread the weight across steaks, sausages, chicken, and kafta so no single item runs out.
A sample order for 20 guests: four ribeye steaks, three packs of assorted sausages, two packs of shish taouk, one kilogram of ground beef for kafta, and one spatchcocked whole chicken. Order 10 to 15 percent extra for larger appetites. Besides, leftover grilled meat makes incredible sandwiches and wraps the next day.
Sides and Starters for the Spread
Every halal BBQ needs a starter spread before the grill gets going. Hummus, baba ghanoush, labneh, olives, and warm pita keep guests busy while the meat cooks. In addition, a halal charcuterie board with beef bacon adds variety to the table.
For sides, keep it simple. Fattoush salad, grilled corn, coleslaw, and vermicelli rice cover every taste. Therefore, three to four sides are enough. Anything more creates prep stress that takes you away from the grill and your guests.
Grilling Tips for a Smooth Halal BBQ
For a smooth halal BBQ, preheat the grill for 15 minutes before cooking. Set up two zones: direct heat for searing and indirect heat for finishing. Then take all meat out of the fridge 30 minutes before grilling. As a result, cold meat cooks unevenly and sticks to the grates.
Cook to safe temperatures: steaks to your preferred doneness, sausages and ground beef to 71°C (160°F), and chicken to 74°C (165°F). Use a meat thermometer. Check the full chart at the Government of Canada food safety page. As a result, every item comes off the grill safe and perfectly cooked.
Shop Your Halal BBQ at Boucherie Beirut
At Boucherie Beirut in Laval, one order covers your entire halal BBQ. Browse our beef collection, sausage selection, and online shop. We deliver across Greater Montreal. All products come halal-certified and hand-prepared fresh at our Laval shop. Your best summer halal BBQ starts right here.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much meat do I need for a halal BBQ?
About 400 to 500 grams per adult across all proteins. For 20 guests, that works out to roughly seven to ten kilograms split between steaks, sausages, chicken, and kafta.
What is the best halal BBQ meat for a crowd?
For a halal BBQ crowd, sausages and shish taouk are the easiest for large groups. They cook fast, need no prep, and appeal to every age. Add a centrepiece steak like tomahawk for the steak lovers.
Can I order everything for a halal BBQ from one place?
Yes. For your halal BBQ, Boucherie Beirut carries steaks, sausages, shish taouk, ground beef, whole chicken, and deli products. Order online for delivery or pick up at our Laval shop.
