Barbecue season sems to get earlier and longer each year. What was once a bit of a joke in the UK – a few days of sunshine each year with the constant threat of torrential rain always around the corner –you’ll often smell the scintillating aromas of barbecued meat as early as April right through to October.

That’s not just because of warmer weather; as a nation we’re just better at barbecuing. Long gone are the days of blackened sausages and dry burgers – we now know about indirect versus direct grilling, understand the importance of a lidded barbecue, and realise the power of marinades, glazes and wood chips to really elevate our back garden gatherings.

If you’re after some inspiration for what to throw on the grill the next time you light those coals, look no further. These are the eight dishes we love more than any other, all cooked in the garden of GBC HQ on our all-time favourite barbecue, the Kamado Joe.

Kick things off with an actual award-winning dish. Jodie Tonks came up with this Turkish-Jamaican mashup of flavours as part of Kamado Joe’s BBQ Chef of The Year competition – and it’s clear to see why. Caribbean green seasoning and a jerk marinade impart their fruity, aromatic flavours to a variety of meats, served like a classic Turkish mixed grill. An absolute knockout.

Any oily fish tastes incredible when cooked over coals; the rich flavours contrast with the smoke and char wonderfully. That’s certainly the case with this simple dish, which sees sardines flash-grilled for just a few minutes on the barbecue before being liberally dressed with a zingy, fiery and fresh chermoula from North Africa. Dead simple to knock together and one of those dishes that’ll quickly steal the show.

Not quite a sausage, not quite a meatball – mici are Romania’s answer to kofte. They’re super light thanks to the bicarbonate of soda and beef stock added to the mixture, which makes them light and bouncy. There’s plenty of garlic in the mixture alongside thyme, cumin and coriander, and the mix of beef and lamb mince adds plenty of flavour. They’re incredible with mustard and a nice zingy slaw to cut through the richness.

This dish is a classic example of how a marinade can absolutely transform a basic ingredient. A richly spiced yoghurt covers lamb chops, imparting flavour, tenderising the meat and helping to create a wonderfully charred crust around each piece of meat. Brushed with a sweet glaze to promote caramelisation, it’s also served with grilled peaches which help cut through the richness of lamb perfectly.

If the above dish is all about the marinade, this dish is all about the glaze. Adobo is a Filipino dish involving a vinegar-based braise or marinade, imparting sweetness, tang and heaps of umami. These chicken skewers are marinated and then brushed regularly with a glaze made from brown sugar, soy and vinegar, which adds layers of caramelisation as they cook. The banana ketchup might sound strange if you haven’t come across it before, but it’s an incredible dip – fruity, spiced and fragrant.

Whole artichokes are beautiful, but if you prepare them the traditional way you end up binning about 75% of them. This clever recipe makes the most of the entire thing, cooking it slowly and imparting plenty of smoke. The leaves can then be snapped off, dipped into the smoked garlic mayo and stripped away from the fibrous centres. It’s one of those dishes which you can easily cook in the dying embers of a barbecue, too.

Grilled chicken with a sauce to dip it in is always going to be a crowd-pleaser, and this Peruvian offering might include a flavour profile your guests haven’t had before. Fragrant with herbs, tangy with lime and spiced with cumin, paprika and ancho chili, the chicken thighs are cooked over indirect heat which means you have plenty of time to create the aji verde sauce – a creamy, herby, sweet concoction which will soon become your go-to.

Of all the fish you can cook on the barbecue, monkfish might be the best – its firm, meaty texture means there’s little risk of it sticking or flaking apart. It’s also one of those fish which can stand up to bold spicing, so a paprika and chilli-spiked dry rub helps create a bright red crust that’s full of flavour. Served simply with a raita on a bed of spiced green beans, it’s a beautiful and speedy dish to whip out when friends are over.