Top 10 Great Ideas For Australia Day Dinner

If you’re looking for some ideas to spice up your Australia Day dinner, look no further! From classic dishes to more modern twists, we’ve got you covered. So get ready to celebrate everything that makes Aussie cuisine so amazing!

The Best Australia Day Dinner For Your Family

The Australia Day long weekend is a great day for a big family feast. To make your meal stress-free and fun, check out our top 10 ideas below.

1. Serve up classic Australian flavors with an Aussie BBQ

Nothing says summer like assembling friends and family around the grill to celebrate our great nation. At this time of year, you want light salads with plenty of flavour – something that can be eaten without too much mess as you wander back and forth from the grill. Think fresh salad leaves, sweet potatoes, capsicum, or eggplant brushed with oil and chargrilled along with your choice of meat on skewers – seafood such as prawns, calamari rings or marinated fish steaks are popular choices as they cook in minutes. Serve with bowls of lemon wedges and Tzatziki, Pesto or other sauces for dipping.

2. Go Asian

Savoury Asian-style dishes such as satay skewers and noodle salads are easy to prepare in advance and transport if you need to take the feast down to the beach or park – just keep seafood, meat and vegetables separate in plastic containers until it’s time to cook them up on the barbie. And don’t forget about dessert: try sticky rice pudding with fruit salad, pannacotta with fresh fruit salsa, ice cream rolls (just spread softened ice cream into a jelly roll tin then freeze) or mini pavlovas (they travel well too).

3. Themed dinner

An Australia Day dinner is the perfect time to get creative with your menu. Go check out your local deli or takeaways for inspiration, you might find some great ideas there. For instance, why not try a Chinese-style meal of crispy fried noodle salad, sweet and sour fish fillets or spicy deep-fried king prawns? Serve them up with Peking roasted duck pancakes, steamed buns or spring rolls for a delicious, easy feast packed full of flavour. Don’t forget to add fresh fruit lime wedges and chilli sauce to serve.

4. Pizza party

Don’t just think about takeaway pizza when it comes to this classic Aussie favourite – these days you can pick up everything from gourmet wood-fired oven pizzas to Lebanese flatbreads, Middle Eastern wraps and Indian naans. Why not do the same yourself? Ask your guests to bring their favourite pizza toppings – you might just discover a new family favourite! Serve with plenty of fresh salad leaves dressed with olive oil or balsamic vinegar.

5. Grill on the barbie

There are few things Australians love more than throwing some meat on the barbie so why not make your Australia Day dinner an all-out BBQ? Try chargrilling chops, sausages, seafood skewers, marinated chicken wings or vegetables such as corn cobs and eggplant which can be cooked directly in their husks over medium-hot coals. Don’t forget classic accompaniments of lemon wedges, tomato sauce and creamy pesto.

6. A multicultural feast

Combine your favourite Australian ingredients with flavours from around the world to create an exciting cultural fusion of tastes that all your family will love – whether it’s a Thai green chicken curry, Moroccan vegetable tagine or Italian spaghetti bolognese . Prepare some extra couscous, rice or chutney too so everyone can dig in! Serve up some fruit tarts or pavlovas for dessert to complete the meal.

7. Under the stars

Prepare as much food as possible ahead of time so you can spend less time slaving over a hot stove on Australia Day night. Once ready to eat, simply light some outdoor lanterns and fire up the barbie for a delicious meal under the stars. Fish dishes such as salmon fillets, catch of the day or marinated whole snapper are a natural choice for this occasion – serve with lemon wedges and a salad tossed in a no-fuss vinaigrette to round out your alfresco feast.

8. Italian roast

Why not go all out with creamy pasta, savoury meats and rich tomato sauce to recreate an authentic Italian Sunday roast? All you need is some good quality roasted meat such as lamb shanks or pork loins, along with sausages, bacon and chicken. Toss them onto the grill along with vegetables such as tomatoes, capsicum, eggplant and mushrooms. Finish off with a classic Italian dessert, such as choc-hazelnut biscotti, ice cream doused in liqueur or tiramisu.

9. Seafood delights

The ocean has an abundance of delicious local seafood that makes the ideal centrepiece for a celebration. Think prawns, oysters, scallops and whole fish. To make things easier on yourself, ask your seafood monger to prepare the fish so all you have to do is throw it on the grill. Serve with lots of crusty bread rolls to mop up all those succulent juices and fresh salads dressed simply with olive oil and lemon juice. Look out for tinned sardines in olive oil too – they are a great standby if you’re short of time.

10. Traditional roast with all the trimmings

A true Aussie barbecue wouldn’t be complete without a traditional roast. Get your butcher to prepare a large cut suitable for cooking on the grill – you might want to try a leg of lamb shoulder, rolled pork loin stuffed with herbs or chicken thighs. For vegetables, potatoes roasted in their skins make for a tasty accompaniment along with crunchy salads tossed in no-fuss dressings. Make sure everyone gets a little bit of gravy and a big dollop of creamy mashed potato!

I hope these ideas give you some inspiration that will see you through this Australia Day until next year!! Happy Australia Day!