Easy ways to jazz up shop-bought BBQ food

From Coca-Cola marinade to sweet chilli sauce, we’ve rounded up some quick and easy ways to transform your shop-bought BBQ food into a mouth-watering meal for the whole family...

Beetroot relish for your burgers
(Image credit: TI Media Limited)

From Coca-Cola marinade to sweet chilli sauce, we’ve rounded up some quick and easy ways to transform your shop-bought BBQ food into a mouth-watering meal for the whole family...

From Coca-Cola marinade to sweet chilli sauce, we've rounded up some quick and easy ways to transform that packet burger or readymade salad into a mouth-watering treat for your BBQ spread.

If you've cut corners and shop-bought a lot of your BBQ food you might be thinking of a way to make them that just that little bit more special.

Whether its adding chillies to your coleslaw or a spoonful of salsa to your barbecued pork chop, we've got some tasty ways to make the most out of that readymade BBQ classic.

Click through to see our easy ways to jazz up shop-bought BBQ food...

First up, Cola marinade for your chicken wings - sounds good right?!

Chicken wings are cheap to buy and quick to cook on the BBQ too. Take them that one step further by marinating them in a sticky sweet sauce with cola and dry sherry - you'll never want them plain again!

Get the recipe: Coca-Cola chicken wings

Beetroot relish for your burgers

(Image credit: TI Media Limited)

If you want to give those readymade burgers a new lease of life you've

come to the right place. A generous spoonful of our favourite beetroot

relish will turn your burger into a restaurant worthy meal perfect for

enjoying in the summer sunshine.

Get the recipe: Lamb burgers with beetroot relish

Pesto for your readymade salad

Pesto for your readymade salad

Pesto is not just for pasta you know. A spoonful of this delicious sauce in your potato salad or a drizzle of warmed pesto over your mixed salad leaves will give your dish a new depth of flavour. It's a great way of making a boring salad shine above the mains.

Get the recipe: Pesto, asparagus and potato salad

Honey for your salmon fillet

Honey for your salmon fillet

(Image credit: TI Media Limited)

If you've bought a fillet of salmon to pop onto the BBQ and you're not sure what to do with it, we're here to help. A drizzle of honey and a sprinkling of sesame seeds will give your fillets an oriental twist. Wrap your fillets in toil foil and cook on the BBQ - simple!

Get the recipe: Honey glazed sesame salmon

Red chillies for your coleslaw

Red chillies for your coleslaw

(Image credit: TI Media Limited)

If you've bought some coleslaw to go alongside your BBQ spread turn up the heat a bit by adding some freshly chopped red chillies. It will make this creamy slaw' hot and fiery which is perfect if you love a bit of spice.

Get the recipe: Spicy coleslaw

Curry paste for your kebabs

Curry paste for your kebabs

Spice up your kebabs with some curry paste. One of our favourite curry pastes for this occasion is korma curry paste. It's creamy, full of spice and works wonders with that smoky BBQ flavour. We'd recommend cooking your kebabs on tin trays on the BBQ.

Get the recipe: Chicken korma kebabs

Sweet chilli sauce for your corn on the cob

Sweet chilli sauce for your corn on the cob

(Image credit: TI Media Limited)

If a knob of butter just doesn't cut it when it comes to cooking a corn on the cob we'd recommend a dash of sweet chilli sauce - it will transform this vibrant vegetable into a delicious side dish. Cook in a little tin foil parcel on the BBQ so the corn can absorb the spicy flavours.

Get the recipe: Sweet chilli corn

Bacon for your sausages

Bacon for your sausages

(Image credit: TI Media Limited)

Don't worry, we know it's not Christmas yet! Make your sausages even naughtier by wrapping them in a rasher of streaky bacon and popping on the barbie to cook. The smokiness of the bacon will make your sausages taste even meatier. You could cook them on skewers on the BBQ for a fancy finish.

Get the recipe: Sausages in bacon

Satay sauce for your ribs

Satay sauce for your ribs

(Image credit: TI Media Limited)

If you're bored of the same old BBQ sauce for your spare ribs, swap it for something extra special - satay sauce. Satay sauce is really easy to whip and will transform any shop-bought rack of ribs into a mouth-watering peanut buttery treat especially when chargrilled on the BBQ.

Get the recipe: Satay glazed ribs

Mango salsa for your pork chop

Mango salsa for your pork chop

Jazz up those pork chops with some fruity mango salsa. The salsa will make each bite of your barbecued pork chop feel as though it's dancing on your taste buds. You could take it to the next step and serve your chops sandwiched between two burger buns and a generous spoonful of this salsa.

Get the recipe: Pork chops with mango salsa

Jessica Dady
Food Editor

Jessica Dady is Food Editor at GoodtoKnow and has over 11 years of experience as a digital editor, specialising in all things food, recipes, and SEO. From the must-buy seasonal food hampers and advent calendars for Christmas to the family-friendly air fryers that’ll make dinner time a breeze, Jessica loves trying and testing various food products to find the best of the best for the busy parents among us. Over the years of working with GoodtoKnow, Jessica has had the privilege of working alongside Future’s Test Kitchen to create exclusive videos - as well as writing, testing, and shooting her own recipes. When she’s not embracing the great outdoors with her family at the weekends, Jessica enjoys baking up a storm in the kitchen with her favourite bakes being chocolate chip cookies, cupcakes, and a tray of gooey chocolate brownies