Forget The Meat: How To Host An All-Seafood Summer Barbecue

Summer barbecues are typically incredibly meat-heavy. On these hot summer days, dinner regularly consists of steaks, ribs, sausages, burgers, and chicken, simply cooked on the grill, which have an incredible taste, having absorbed all those wonderful smoky flavors. There's no doubt that all this meat makes for the most mouth-watering of meals, however, this year, try expanding your barbecue repertoire by allowing the grill to impart its charred flavor on to your favorite seafood. Shrimps, salmon, squid, and sea bass all make delicious, refreshing, and easy to prepare warm-weather dishes.

Forget the Meat: How to Host an All-Seafood Summer Barbecue (Slideshow)

If you love shellfish, the barbecue is the best place to cook it this summer. From miso-coated shrimp, to clams tossed in spicy jalapeño butter, to wonderfully decadent lobster tails in lobster jus, these shellfish recipes range in difficulty level, and in flavor profile. If you're not so much of a shellfish fan, there are still so many quick and tasty dishes you can make. The easiest is to simply marinade your favorite fish and throw it on the grill. Swap beef steaks for swordfish steaks, and fill your tacos with grilled tilapia instead of pulled pork.

Cooking seafood is often considered to be challenging, but we promise that grilling fish is no harder than cooking any of your favorite barbecued meat dishes. Serve with your most loved side dishes, whether that's slaw, corn, potatoes, or crunchy bread, and dig into a fish-focused feast. Summer dining has never been more refreshing, or more delicious.

Read on to see our favorite barbecued seafood dishes, which are perfect for every warm, sunny, al fresco dinner party you're hosting this summer.