An outdoor kitchen is a great addition to any garden or roof terrace, especially during those cosy, warm, long summer evenings. Trying out new dishes, lingering at the table and enjoying the evening sun is, as far as we're concerned, the ultimate way to relax.
An outdoor kitchen gives you the chance to make recipes you might not be so quick to try in your normal kitchen. These dishes often deliver surprising flavours that you'll find yourself longing for again in winter.
The ideas for new dishes are endless, so we've picked 5 ideal dishes for the barbecue or grill. An outdoor kitchen is the perfect place to make and taste these dishes, as outdoor kitchens often include a BBQ, grill or special griddle plate.
Read our favourite dishes to make in an outdoor kitchen below!
1. Home-made pizzas in your outdoor kitchen with a Green Egg
If you have an outdoor kitchen with a Green Egg, home-made pizzas are a real must for the garden table. Everyone tops their own pizza base with tomato sauce and the toppings they like, and the pizzas can take turns going into the Green Egg.
Of course, you can also make mini pizzas from smaller balls of dough, so you can make several pizzas at once in your outdoor kitchen.
Note: a Green Egg isn't the only barbecue you can make tasty pizzas in. You can also do it perfectly well in a normal barbecue or, for example, a kamado. It is important, though, that the temperature stays constant so the pizzas cook through completely.
2. Potatoes, veg and meat from the spit
This is a simple dish and a healthy one too. All you need is a spit and a grill basket for the barbecue. For the dish you'll need pre-cooked baby potatoes, a vegetable such as broccoli, and chicken breast, wings or drumsticks. Marinate these with some oil and herbs to taste.
Then put the marinated mixture in the grill basket and hang it on the spit in the barbecue. Make sure the grill basket turns by switching on the motor. Your barbecue needs to reach a temperature of 150 degrees and hold it. Check with a thermometer whether your vegetables are cooked. Your chicken should have a core temperature of about 75 degrees.
3. Barbecue nibbles from your outdoor kitchen
Drinks in the open air at around 5 o'clock never hurt anyone. That's why nibbles made in your outdoor kitchen are the perfect addition. Think grilled prawns on a skewer, stuffed tear-and-share bread, grilled vegetables with hummus, or roasted chicken wings.
Do you have an outdoor kitchen with a fridge? Then a cocktail evening with nibbles is a lovely idea too. Chill the drinks in advance and make the nibbles on the barbecue or griddle plate.
4. Roasted fruit
Roasted fruit is delicious as a starter, side dish or with your dessert. If you have an outdoor kitchen with a fridge in your garden, it's especially easy, as you can easily store everything you need. You could even use roasted fruit throughout your entire dinner.
For example, you could roast peaches for a salad or to go with burrata. Or think of roasted watermelon with feta as a starter.
Still, fruit desserts are the most popular in the Netherlands. Think of a sorbet with different kinds of fruit, or a banana with chocolate on the barbecue.
5. Making s'mores in your outdoor kitchen
S'mores may well be the one dessert that's a must at barbecue evenings. It's a sandwich of biscuits with a warm marshmallow and a half-melted piece of chocolate. You'll need a gas outdoor kitchen or one with a barbecue to toast the marshmallow. The chocolate then melts from the heat of the marshmallow.
If you fancy a different version: try other kinds of chocolate, such as salted caramel. If you have an outdoor kitchen with a kamado, Green Egg or BBQ, you can also use an ovenproof dish and fill it with marshmallows and chocolate. Then it's lovely to dip your biscuits in.
Cooking in your outdoor kitchen
Whichever way you look at it, an outdoor kitchen is a real asset to your garden. Whether you have a gas outdoor kitchen, one with refrigeration or an outdoor kitchen with a barbecue, there are loads of delicious dishes to make. Who knows, this summer you might surprise your friends, family or neighbours with an elaborate dinner from your outdoor kitchen in the evening sun. In any case, there are plenty of recipes to choose from, so there's always something for everyone.