Australians eat more seafood per person than almost any other protein category, and the barbecue is one of the best ways to cook it — provided you respect the golden rule of seafood: it cooks fast and keeps cooking after it leaves the heat. A prawn that looks perfect on the grill is overcooked by the time it reaches the plate. Prices in 2026: raw prawns run roughly $25–$35/kg (more in the week before Christmas), barramundi fillets $25–$35/kg, Atlantic salmon $30–$40/kg, and Moreton Bay bugs $40–$60/kg — seafood is a treat, so cook it properly.
Garlic Prawns (Wild Caught)
Prawns are the fastest thing on any barbecue. Peeled or unpeeled, toss them in olive oil, garlic, chilli and lemon zest, then cook over high heat for 90–120 seconds per side — the moment they turn pink and curl, they are done. The mechanism: prawn muscle is short and cooks through almost instantly; the curl happens as proteins denature, and a tight "C" curl means they are close to overcooked. Pull them at the first sign of pink and carryover does the rest. Serve in a hot pan with garlic butter and crusty bread — the garlic butter should be made and warmed separately, not cooked on the grill where the dairy burns.
BBQ Salmon with Lemon Dill Sauce
Salmon's high fat content makes it forgiving on the grill: cook skin-side down over medium heat (180–200°C) for 4–6 minutes until the skin releases easily, flip for 2–3 minutes, and pull at 50–55°C internal for a moist, medium finish. The skin acts as a natural non-stick layer — oil the fish, not the grill, and do not try to flip until the skin has released. The lemon dill sauce (sour cream, lemon juice, dill, salt) balances the richness, and a whole side of salmon at $30–$40/kg feeds 6–8 people for around $25–$35 — one of the best value seafood centrepieces available.
Barramundi with Herb Butter
Australia's favourite native fish is best cooked whole or as thick fillets. Season the skin, oil it, and cook skin-side down over medium heat for 4–5 minutes, then flip for 2–3 minutes until the flesh flakes at 55–60°C internal. Barramundi's firm flesh handles the grill better than flaky white fish like flathead — that firmness is why it is the default BBQ fish from Cairns to Perth. Top with herbed butter (butter, parsley, garlic, lemon) in the last minute so it melts into the flesh.
Moreton Bay Bugs (or Balmain Bugs)
Bugs are the luxury of the Australian BBQ — slipper lobsters with sweet, dense meat that tastes like a cross between lobster and prawn. Split them in half lengthways, brush the flesh with garlic butter, and cook flesh-side down over high heat for 2–3 minutes, then flip shell-side down for 3–4 minutes until the meat is opaque. The shell protects the meat from direct heat, which is why bugs are so forgiving. At $40–$60/kg they are a special-occasion buy — Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve are the traditional occasions in New South Wales and Queensland. Serve with lemon and more garlic butter.
Aussie Seafood Platter on the BBQ
For a crowd, the platter is the play: cook in order of speed — bugs and salmon first over medium heat, then barramundi fillets, then prawns and scallops last over high heat, since they need only 60–120 seconds. Work in batches and hold cooked seafood on the cool zone, covered, rather than stacking it on a plate where it steams. Serve with lemon cheeks, aioli, chilli sauce and a big green salad. The mechanism to remember: seafood carries over more aggressively than meat, so pull everything slightly underdone.
Regional Seafood Notes
Queensland is prawn and bug country — the Gulf and east coast fisheries supply the Christmas prawn market, and prices spike in the fortnight before Christmas. Western Australia is famous for its rock lobster (crayfish) and barramundi from the Kimberley. South Australia and Tasmania produce the country's best oysters and Atlantic salmon — Tasmanian salmon is the backbone of the national market. New South Wales has world-class snapper and flathead. Wherever you are, ask your fishmonger what was caught locally that morning — fresher seafood needs less cooking, not more.
Actionable Steps for BBQ Seafood
- Buy seafood the day you cook it and keep it chilled until the grill is hot.
- Cook over medium-to-high heat, never low — slow cooking turns seafood rubbery.
- Pull prawns, bugs and scallops at the first sign of doneness; carryover finishes them.
- Use the skin or shell as a natural non-stick layer — oil the seafood, not the grill.
- Match the season: prawns peak (and price) at Christmas; winter is the time for salmon and oysters.