Enjoying a barbecue outside is one of the most fun and relaxing at home dining options, whether you are having a summer pool party with friends or a fall family dinner just as the weather starts to turn. However, with more and more people taking the art of barbecuing more seriously, a few sausages or hamburgers grilled on a disposable barbecue are not enough anymore. Here are some tips for upping your barbecue game and impressing your friends and relatives. 

Invest in a high-quality barbecue grill

Perhaps the most obvious tip is to invest in a high-quality barbecue grill that suits your garden and dining needs. There are several factors for you to consider when looking for a grill. Portable grills, for instance, are a good option if you have a small backyard or are planning on bringing your barbecue on camping trips; larger, non-portable grills, on the other hand, are best for the barbecue enthusiast who is looking to get a lot of use from the grill.

You should also choose between gas or charcoal grilling, or opt instead for a hybrid barbecue. Gas-powered grills are best for convenience – simply switch on the burners, and you are good to go; charcoal allows you greater heat control; and a hybrid falls somewhere in between. There are also less common wood pellets, which give your cooking a slightly smoky flavor.

Invest in a gas smoker 

A gas smoker is a great addition to a barbecue grill, especially if your mouth waters at the thought of smoked ribs and brisket, and a great example can be found at Grilling Wizard. With the growing popularity of competitive barbecuing, popularized by TV shows such as Netflix’s The American Barbecue Showdown, more and more people are investing in a gas smoker to increase their barbecue skillset. Many gas smokers are large enough to enable you to smoke several different foods, from ribs to corn, allowing you to cook both your main dish and side dishes. One of the major advantages of gas smokers is their portability: as they run on propane gas rather than requiring an electrical outlet, you can easily bring your smoker on camping and hunting trips, enabling you to infuse your cooking with a rich smoky flavor even when out in the wilderness.

Experiment with different recipes

Everyone is familiar with the traditional grilled hamburgers and smoked ribs, and to cook these to perfection is a skill in itself. Once you have mastered these crowd-pleasing barbecue classics, why not experiment with more unusual barbecue products? For instance, although barbecue has long been associated with meat, the increasing popularity of veganism and vegetarianism has led to an explosion of barbecued vegetable recipes, so that the smoky barbecue taste is no longer limited to meat lovers. Grilled cabbage steaks are a tasty alternative to meat steaks, and grilled guacamole provides a delicious topping for nachos. Do not forget, too, to use your barbecue grill for dessert: grilled pineapple and banana with a rum marinade are the perfect ending to a delicious barbecue meal.