New BBQ Trends of 2025- What Can BBQ Fans Expect on Their Plate?
2025 IS OFFICIALLY SARDINE SUMMER
Well www.ribbqnews.com Readers, it’s truly hard to believe that we are already in the 7th month of the 2025 calendar! It’s time to take a look at what 2025 BBQ Trends have been accurately predicted and the assessment of as yet to arrive upcoming BBQ trends!! “SARDINE SUMMER” refers to a current trend, particularly prominent on Social Media Platforms like TikTok, where sardines and their “tinned forms” have become a popular motif—in FOOD, fashion, and lifestyle. This trend is a “Partly Playful Homage” to the recent surge in popularity of said TINNED FISH; but also reflects a broader cultural interest in simpler, more affordable, and nostalgic aesthetics. Sardines, as a humble and inexpensive food, symbolize a shift toward “APPRECIATING THE SMALL JOYS IN LIFE.” The sardines’ colorful, vibrant packaging, the vintage appeal of tinned sardine cans and their quirky take on summer décor have dubbed this a “Sardine Summer,” from food to clothing, to accessories, to jewelry, THE SARDINE has made a SPLASH in the Summer of 2025! www.tastewise.io For 5 consecutive years, Tastewise’s trend predictions have been “SPOT ON” –powered by the industry’s most advanced food insights. Join www.ribbqnews.com and continue to stay ahead of the BBQ curve by diving into this year’s reports to uncover the next big shift in BBQ consumer trends and customer behaviors! Tastewise is The GenAI platform built specifically for the food and beverage industry and is used by leading brands to go beyond the “static insights” and actually drive growth in the food and beverage industry. As stated, if you’ve ever wondered, “What does Tastewise do? –The answer is simple; we turn consumer intelligence into revenue opportunities for the food and beverage industry!” Working with such famed companies as: Kroger, Waitrose and Partners, FlavorSum, and Tetra Pak, Tastewise empowers leading food and beverage companies to thrive “amidst ever-changing consumer preferences and an evolving market.”
Tastewise asks the following pertinent question:
- Powerhouse Ingredients: What will BBQ Consumers expect on their plate?
Food Trends tend to reveal what drives consumers, enabling authentic connections to your BBQ Audience that set BBQ industry benchmarks. By leveraging BBQ trends, you can drive BBQ demand and be PREPARED for which BBQ requirements shall need to be fulfilled! A few current examples are: The BBQ Dish of Smoked “Sinigang” is currently “UP” in 19.53 % of Social Media discussion platforms, however Sinigang is only present at 0.06 of BBQ Restaurants. This Smoked BBQ Asian Dish shows untapped potential driven by its TASTY VARIETY TO BE MADE WITH
EITHER SMOKED MEAT, TOFU OR SEAFOOD AS PROTEIN OPTIONS! ITS VERSATILITY IS ITS GREATEST APPEAL! Sinigang is: A classic sour and savory Asian tamarind soup that is often served as the main dish at family gatherings. It’s made with a sour base (typically tamarind) and includes a smoked protein like fish, seafood, tofu or pork along with an assortment of vegetables. The dish is customizable and can be made with a variety of souring agents such as guava, calamansi, or unripe mango, and vegetables like eggplant, tomatoes, and radishes. www.altonbrown.com offers a yummy recipe for Sinigang. You may also find a Vegan Sinigang Recipe made with garlic and onion at: www.sweetsimplevegan.com You can smoke the protein of your choice on your BBQ or Grill, then place your soup ingredients in a cast iron pot and continue cooking on the grill!
Low-sugar Seafood: The Next Big BBQ Catch: The phrase “Low-sugar plus seafood” has grown nearly 10 percent in 2025 in “Mentions” across BBQ FOODIE Social Platforms yet remains rare in the BBQ Market. Its strong Low-sugar appeal aligns perfectly with rising BBQ consumer demands! Think of BBQ Shrimp Skewers, with pineapple, peppers, and broccoli. Or, perhaps Grilled Swordfish is more to your liking with a fancy salsa verde topping with grilled asparagus served alongside! The best seafood species to BBQ according to www.sydneyfishmarket.com.au are: Firm fish like Kingfish, Swordfish, Mackerel, Mullet, Marlin, and Atlantic Salmon. Additionally, start with any crustacean UNCOOKED prior to BBQ-ing, as pre-cooked crustaceans will toughen up if reheated too forcefully. Pro-Tips for grilling seafood include:
- –Ensure that the seafood is well-oiled before placing it on the BBQ, to avoid sticking. Oiling the food rather than the BBQ also helps minimize excess smoke.
- –Fish can be BBQ-ed whole, in fillet, steak or cutlet form. Large whole fish should be slashed through the thickest part of the flesh to the bone 3-4 times on both sides to allow for even heat penetration.
- –Turn seafood as little as possible on the BBQ to minimize the risk of damaging the delicate flesh. Cook on 1 side, then turn and cook on the other- or with kebobs, or fish steaks, place each of the 4 sides in contact with the grill once only- cooking each side before moving to the next.
- –If you are cooking fish fillets with their skin on, cook skin-side-down first.
- –Consider wrapping the fish to protect it from drying out- banana leaves or aluminum foil lined with baking paper are good options.
- –Marinating seafood before cooking adds flavor and helps keep the seafood moist- because of the delicate nature of its flesh, most seafood requires only a short time in the marinade (maximum time = 30 minutes!) otherwise, the seafood may start to break down.
- –Squid and Octopus are BEST COOKED VERY QUICKLY, over a very high heat. www.sydneyfishmarket.com.au also has a plethora of recipe suggestions for your perusal!
Another BBQ food trend formally overlooked in importance, at the moment is BACON! BACON has risen in popularity with The BBQ Audience throughout the first 7 months of 2025, with the quickest rising consumer need for Smoked BACON as a SNACK!!! NO ONE CAN RESIST SMOKED, GRILLED, CHARRED, OR BBQ-ED BACON!! www.delish.com has “90 Delicious Bacon Recipes That Everyone Will Love,” www.foodnetwork.com has “50 Things to Make With Bacon,” and www.tasteofhome.com has “Our 69 Best Bacon Recipes,” for you to utilize! You can absolutely cook bacon on the BBQ or grill and the benefits of doing so are CRISPIER EDGES AND A DEEPENED FLAVOR! Grilling gives bacon a unique smoky flavor and texture, not to mention that cooking bacon outdoors greatly reduces the grease “splatter-out” in your kitchen!
Pro-Tips for cooking bacon on your grill include:
- –Use indirect heat- build your coals on 1 side of a charcoal grill and place the bacon on the opposite side to avoid direct flame contact. For gas grills, turn off the burner directly under the bacon.
- –Utilize a drip-pan or foil- A drip pan on the opposite side of the heat source will catch grease. You can also use foil with the edges folded up to prevent grease spills.
- –Consider using a Skillet or Grill Pan- these offer a barrier between the bacon and the flames while still allowing for smoky flavor.
- –Oil the Grease Grates- Use a high smoke point oil like canola or grapeseed oil.
- –Avoid overcrowding- leave space between the bacon strips for proper air circulation.
- –Monitor closely and FLIP!- Bacon can cook quickly on the grill so watch it closely and flip occasionally for even cooking.
- *NEVER leave cooking bacon unattended to prevent flare-ups and grease fires!
- –The cooking time for bacon on a grill is usually between 10-20 minutes; dependent upon your desired crispiness level and the thickness of your bacon strips.
- –You may enhance the flavor profile of your grilled bacon strips by adding flavored wood chips to your coals.
- –Add a glaze of maple syrup brushed upon your bacon strips or sprinkle brown sugar on your bacon for extra deliciousness! www.allrecipes.com has a specific “Bacon on the Grill Recipe!”
BBQ Powerhouse Ingredients: Conscious Consumption; There is a growing awareness of the environmental impact of meat production, especially beef. The BBQ Audience is increasingly open to incorporating plant-based options such as veggie burgers, grilled vegetables, tofu hot dogs, and other meat alternatives into their BBQ Menu. The category of “Powerhouse Ingredients” also includes the desire to locally source BBQ ingredients. Supporting local farmers by purchasing BBQ fare from Farmer’s Markets and choosing organic and pasture raised meats helps reduce transportation emissions and consequently supports your local BBQ Community! BBQ Fans EXPECT DELICIOUS FOODS- and that means that experimenting with differentialingredients is a THRILLING challenge—such as the aforementioned Low-sugar Seafoods BBQ foodstuffs suggestions, as well as the more prominent VEGGIE and VEGAN Meat Alternative readily available choices!! Some upgraded, updated, and common BBQ Meat Alternative Brands include: Smart Dog Tofu Pups (Hot dogs), Impossible Chicken Nuggets, Beyond Meat Hamburger Patties, Beyond Chicken Tenders, Gardein Ultimate Plant Based Meatballs, Chicken Patties, and Ultimate Sausage Links= “BRATWURST,” Jack and Annie’s Made from Real Whole Plants Chicken Wings, and Daring Plant Chicken Wings—all in a variety of flavorful combos!!! These BBQ Meat Alternatives are much more easy to find than ever before and can be located locally at: Whole Foods Markets, Stop and Shop, Shaw’s Markets, and Dave’s Marketplace.
Quoting Tastewise, “2025 has been a HOTBED for viral food trends with 3 clear winners across Social Media, Restaurant Menus, and Consumer Products: the nutrient packed SARDINE SUMMER, the indulgent Dubai Chocolate Trend, and the fizzy throwback Dirty Soda Revival.” Tastewise Data “shows just how powerful these trends are. For example, interest in The Dubai Chocolate on Social Media has skyrocketed, with a 2,147% year-over-year growth in ‘Mentions!’ Dirty Soda has followed a similar trajectory, growing 148.84% year-over-year, while SARDINE related content continues to rise, supported by a 5.65% year-over-year.” Tastewise continues, “These aren’t just fun fads- they’re shaping what ends up on shelves, menus, and screens!”
SARDINE SUMMER 2025 IS A DIVE INTO NUTRITIONAL NOSTALGIA! Tastewise states, “It’s official- Sardine Summer has arrived. Fueled by TikTokers showing off their sardine toast, sardine avocado combos, and Sardine Boards, AKA “SEA-CUTERIE Boards,” this trend is the unexpected hero of 2025. Consumers, especially Gen Z and Millennials, are drawn to sardines for their high Omega-3s, vitamin D and their affordability.” From Mediterranean salads, to Toasties, to Tapas flights, sardines are SHOWING UP. Additional sardine flavor offerings are now on display, such as chili oil, lemon herb, and even smoked truffle. Tastewise provides a recipe for “Sardine Almond Herb Crust,” which can be made in your oven OR just as easily prepared on your BBQ Grille.
There are LITERALLY hundreds of recipes for “GRILLING SARDINES,” WHO KNEW? Grilled Sardines with Lemon and Herbs, Grilled Sardines with Mint and Almonds, Grilled Sardines Greek Style, Grilled Sardines with Remolata, Grilled Sardines with Roasted Tomatoes, Kyokuyo Grilled Sardines in Sweet Soy Sauce, Grilled Sardines with Onions and Capers…. etc. etc. –The list seems ENDLESS! One of the Most Famous Grilled Sardines Recipe comes from Fall River, MA native and Johnson & Wales University Graduate Chef Emeril Lagasse, www.emerils.com “Grilled Sardines- Portuguese-Style.”
Pro-Tips for Grilling Sardines:
- –Use fresh, high quality sardines: This is crucial for the best flavor and texture.
- –Dry the sardines THOROUGHLY: This helps them crisp-up on the grill.
- –Oil the grill grates: This prevents the sardines from sticking, also a grill basket is extremely helpful.
- –Don’t Overcook!: Sardines cook quickly, so watch them closely!
- –SERVE IMMEDIATELY!: Grilled sardines are best enjoyed fresh off the grill!
Celebrity Chef Emeril is known for his vibrant and flavorful cooking style…VERY much in tune with Sardine Summer’s blend of Coastal Charm, Mediterranean Vibes, and a touch of Kitchy-Ness…He is a Restauranteur, Cookbook Author, a TV Personality, and Regional James Beard Award Winner. Some of his most recognizable quotes are “BAM!” as he throws on the final handfuls of spices onto his finished dishes, and “KICK IT UP A NOTCH!” reflecting his energetic and passionate approach to food and to LIFE. He emphasizes the importance of bold flavors, fresh ingredients, and the JOY of cooking. As Chef Emeril says, “IF YOU DON’T FOLLOW YOUR DREAM, WHO WILL?”
Wishing all of our www.ribbqnews.com Readers A SIMPLY SUPERBLY SENSATIONAL SARDINE SUMMER—FULL OF “SARDINECORE AESTHETIC” = evoking a sense of frivolity, effortless charm, relaxed vibes, simple pleasures, connections to nature, and embracing the invitation to finding happiness in every-single-place-that-we-possibly-can!
