How to Use Extra Virgin Olive Oil for BBQs and Grilling

Barbecue cooking has a way of making food taste more direct.

Fire, smoke, salt, herbs, vegetables, fish and meat all become more expressive. The cooking is simple, but the flavours are not. This is exactly where extra virgin olive oil can be so useful.

Not as an afterthought. Not only as a drizzle at the end. But as an ingredient that helps shape the whole meal.

Used well, a good olive oil can bring richness, freshness, aroma and structure to summer grilling.

Start with the right expectation

There is still a common idea that extra virgin olive oil is too delicate for cooking.

In reality, EVOO can be used in many everyday cooking situations. The question is less “can I cook with it?” and more “where will I get the most from its flavour?”

For very high, aggressive heat, you may choose a more neutral cooking fat. But for marinades, brushing vegetables, dressing grilled food and finishing dishes at the table, extra virgin olive oil is one of the most useful ingredients you can have nearby.

Use olive oil in marinades

Olive oil is excellent in marinades because it carries flavour.

Mix it with lemon zest, garlic, herbs, chilli, black pepper or vinegar. Use it for chicken, lamb, prawns, courgettes, peppers, aubergines or mushrooms.

The oil helps coat the ingredient evenly, while the aromatics bring fragrance. You do not need to overcomplicate it. A simple marinade of EVOO, lemon, oregano and salt can do a lot.

For delicate foods, marinate briefly. For heartier vegetables or meats, give it a little longer.

Brush vegetables before grilling

Vegetables are one of the best places to use olive oil around a barbecue.

Courgettes, aubergines, peppers, onions, asparagus and mushrooms all benefit from a light coating before they hit the grill. The oil helps with colour, texture and flavour.

Do not drown them. A thin coating is enough.

Once cooked, add a second pour of better oil while the vegetables are still warm. This is where the aroma comes alive.

Finish grilled fish with a delicate oil

Grilled fish does not need much.

A good piece of fish, cooked simply, can be finished with extra virgin olive oil, lemon and salt. For white fish, prawns or shellfish, I would usually choose a more delicate or medium oil rather than something too bitter.

You want the oil to lift the sweetness of the fish, not cover it.

Add herbs at the end: parsley, basil, mint or fennel fronds. The olive oil will carry their aroma beautifully.

Use bolder oils with meat

Grilled meat can take more structure.

Lamb, steak, sausages and richer cuts work well with an oil that has bitterness, pepper and green intensity. These qualities cut through richness and make the food feel more balanced.

Try finishing sliced steak with a bold EVOO, sea salt and rosemary. Or spoon a herb oil over grilled lamb just before serving.

This is where olive oil behaves almost like a sauce.

Make a simple table dressing

One of my favourite ways to use olive oil at a barbecue is to make a table dressing.

Chop herbs, add lemon juice or vinegar, stir in extra virgin olive oil and season with salt. You can add capers, anchovy, garlic, chilli or mustard if you like.

Put it on the table and let people use it on vegetables, fish, potatoes, bread or meat.

It makes the whole meal feel more generous.

Do not forget bread

Grilled bread and olive oil is one of the simplest pleasures of summer.

Brush slices of sourdough or ciabatta with a little oil, grill until charred, then finish with more oil and salt. Rub with garlic if you want something more intense.

Serve it with tomatoes, beans, cheese or just as it is.

This is often the thing people reach for first.

My thoughts

Barbecue cooking is not only about smoke and heat. It is about contrast.

Charred food needs freshness. Rich food needs structure. Simple food needs good ingredients. Extra virgin olive oil brings all three.

Use it before grilling, after grilling and at the table. Let it become part of the meal rather than something added at the end without thought.

That is when summer cooking starts to feel effortless.