A Christmas BBQ starts well before the main course. I like an unhurried aperitif with a few small bites: something ready when the first guests arrive, then one warm dish finished over the fire. In this roundup, I have chosen recipes that can play different roles in that plan, from Belgian beer bread to seafood and whisky-glazed pork cheeks.
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How to plan Christmas BBQ appetizers
The trick is choosing recipes that do not all need the same grill at the same moment. Put out one prepared item, finish one hot appetizer, and leave enough time and space for dinner. If you have two grills, you can let a slow cook run on one while the other handles a quick skillet or high-heat finish. With one grill, decide which dish gets the fire last and plan backward.
I usually prefer several small bites to a formal first course. A larger bowl of mussels or a platter of pork cheeks can still work as a starter if you would rather sit down between the aperitif and the main dish. For help with the bigger cook, my low and slow BBQ guide explains how to keep an indirect fire steady.
| Recipe | When to use the grill | Serve it as |
|---|---|---|
| Beer bread | Bake before guests arrive | Bread to share |
| Turkey focaccia | Smoke before the guests arrive when you want to serve cold or on the evening when serving hot; portion before serving | Small squares or slices |
| Mussels or octopus | Finish shortly before serving | A small starter |
| Cajun shrimp | Prepare the butter earlier; cook the shrimp last | A hot bite with bread |
| Pork cheeks | Allow a separate slow cook | A few glazed slices |
These are choices for a menu, not six dishes to make on the same night (yet you can if you want). If the main course already needs a long, gentle cook, pair it with bread and one quick seafood appetizer. If dinner is easy to finish, you have more room for a slow-smoked bite beforehand.
Start with bread and small bites
Belgian beer bread from the grill
A slice of beer bread baked on the grill gives everyone something to nibble while the hot food is still on the fire. My version uses Belgian brown ale for a malty note and bakes over indirect heat. Bake it ahead, then cut it into smaller pieces for the table. It also earns its place beside a pan of mussels or shrimp when there is sauce to catch.
Smoked turkey focaccia with pesto rosso
The smoked turkey focaccia with pesto rosso is written as a substantial lunch. Cut it into small squares or narrow slices and it becomes a richer holiday bite. The pesto, smoked turkey and bread give you a different direction from the seafood below. Follow the linked recipe for preparing and handling the turkey, and keep any perishable components chilled until assembly.
Seafood appetizers with a little theater
Mussels with Belgian beer, fennel and bacon
A pot of grilled mussels with Belgian beer, fennel and bacon is a good way to bring a Belgian note to the holiday table. The recipe makes a full meal, but you can divide the cooked mussels and broth into smaller bowls for a starter. Have the bread and serving bowls ready before the mussels go on the fire; this is one to bring out hot.
Cajun-inspired shrimp in smoked butter
For a hot bite with a more assertive kick, make the Cajun-inspired tiger shrimp in smoked butter. The butter takes time to build its smoky flavor, but the shrimp cook quickly at the end. Serve a few shrimp per person with crusty bread instead of making the full gnocchi, corn and spinach meal from the original recipe. The butter can be prepared ahead and refrigerated as described there.
Grilled octopus with puttanesca sauce
If you want one appetizer with a dramatic finish at the grill, try my grilled octopus with puttanesca sauce. The recipe uses precooked tentacles, a quick high-heat grill, cherry tomatoes, olives and capers. Cut the octopus into bite-size pieces and serve it on small slices of garlic bread. Choose this instead of the mussels or shrimp when you want one seafood dish to lead the aperitif.
A smoky meat option: whisky-glazed pork cheeks
I still have a soft spot for smoked pork cheeks with whisky glaze. They need their own low and slow session, so they make sense if the fire is already set up for a slow cook. Serve a few thin slices with crisp fennel or cabbage slaw rather than a full wrap. The contrast of sticky glaze and fresh crunch is what keeps this rich bite in balance.
Choose bread or another prepared bite first. Then finish either mussels, shrimp or octopus while guests are eating. If you choose pork cheeks, give that long cook its own slot and follow the recipe’s cooling and reheating advice when making them ahead.
Christmas BBQ appetizer questions
What can I make before guests arrive?
Bake the beer bread ahead. The smoked butter for the shrimp can be prepared and refrigerated ahead as explained in that recipe. Pork cheeks are a separate slow cook; follow the linked recipe for cooling and reheating if you make them in advance.
Which appetizer works best with one grill?
Combine a prepared item such as beer bread with one seafood dish that you finish just before serving. Check the temperature and grill setup in the individual recipe before you choose the main course.
How many dishes should I serve before Christmas dinner?
For a full dinner afterward, I would choose one bite ready on arrival and one warm appetizer. Make the servings smaller when the main course is substantial. The six recipes above are options to choose from, not a single menu.
A bowl of Belgian beer mussels, a few smoky pork cheek slices, or something hot from the skillet? Tell me how you would build your Christmas BBQ menu in the comments.