Brunch is lit: fire up the barbecue for relaxed morning eats

From French toast kebabs with maple icing to steak and egg tacos, these recipes put the grill to work for outstanding breakfasts and brunches.

Brioche French toast kebabs with bourbon maple icing. Credit: Fun'Q

— Watch Spencer Watts cooking up some of these recipes in the 'Brunch is Lit' episode of Fun'Q, 8.30pm Tuesday 17 October and then at SBS on Demand. —

Never thought of firing up the barbecue to start the day? Try these ideas for your next breakfast or brunch gathering.

Coffee-rubbed steak tacos with cheesy scrambled eggs

It's steak and eggs, with a twist: coffee-rubbed beef tenderloin and spicy, cheesy eggs, cooked on the barbecue, all wrapped up in a grilled tortilla. This is one of the stars of the brunch episode of Spencer Watts' new barbecue series Fun'Q. "I'm giving steak a little coffee, a little fire, and a whole lot of love," says the Canadian chef.

Coffee-rubbed steak tacos with grilled poblano and cheese scrambled eggs. Credit: Fun'Q

Breakfast blaa with Nico’s brown sauce

"That's the perfect way to start a Sunday morning. It's got it all. It's got that smokiness from the barbecue sauce, it's got that saltiness from pork belly, the crispiness from the sausage. I'm excited," says Irish-Caribbean chef Nico Reynolds of this hearty breakfast. A blaa is soft, fluffy Irish bread roll, and here Nico is stuffing it with pork belly sausage, black pudding and his homemade brown sauce, and serving it up alongside an egg - all cooked on the barbecue.

Breakfast blaa with Nico’s brown sauce. Credit: Nico Reynolds: All Fired Up

Brunch pizzette

All the elements of a classic brunch but all in one, and hand-held, too.

Brunch pizzette, from Fire and Smoke: Get Grilling with 120 Delicious Barbecue Recipes by Rich Harris, published by Kyle Books Credit: Photography: Martin Poole

Pork and rice (bai sach chrouk)

This well-loved Cambodian breakfast dish is found at roadside vendors in the early hours of the morning. Pork is marinated with garlic, and sometimes coconut milk, and then slowly grilled on a wire rack set over burning charcoal.

Credit: Brett Stevens

Potato rösti with bacon barbecue sauce

Love you some bacon for breakfast? Put a different spin on it with the bacon barbecue sauce that's a key element in this golden potato pancake, another idea from Spencer Watts.

Potato rösti with bacon barbecue sauce. Credit: Fun'Q

Goat cheese chive cornbread

Cooked in a cast iron pan on the barbecue grill, this cornbread makes a great side for your brunch offerings.

Credit: Spencer's Holiday BBQ

Peach, lavender and frisee salad

A light and pretty summer salad, featuring peaches brushed with oil and honey and then grilled until just starting to soften.

Grilled PB and J pizza with banana

Moving over to the sweet side of breakfast, how about a sweet pizza? This fluffy pizza is topped with banana, peanut butter and jam.

Grilled PB&J pizza with banana. Credit: Fun'Q

Brioche French toast kebabs with bourbon vanilla-maple glaze

French toast on the barbecue: big cubes of brioche go super crispy, but still fluffy and soft in the middle, and are finished with a delicious drizzle of vanilla-maple syrup glaze, in another recipe from Spencer Watts.

Brioche French toast kebabs with bourbon maple icing. Credit: Fun'Q

Grilled rockmelon with feta

Grilling fruit is an underrated technique. In this recipe from Stefano de Pieri, a quick lick of heat helps bring out its sweet flavours, balanced by the salty feta and floral pepper to make a fresh appetiser or a fruity addition to a brunch table.

Credit: Ben Fogarty

Charred nectarine and panettone with crème fraîche

A great breakfast to cook on a barbecue or over an open fire. Eat it outside while drinking lots of strong black coffee or sipping summer holiday breakfast Champagne.

Charred nectarine and panettone Credit: Benito Martin

Find more ideas in the barbecue recipe collection.