The best Christmas BBQ ideas build the day around one hero cut, a platter of skewers for grazing, a beef salad, a punchy sauce and sides you can make the day before.
This menu does exactly that with premium Australian beef and a cook order that suits a hot Christmas Day. Plan on 400g to 500g of raw meat per adult across the spread when working out how much meat per person for a BBQ, then scale up for big eaters.
The Hero Cut
Roast Picanha (Rump Cap) with Chimichurri
A whole rump cap with the fat scored, roasted until the cap renders and crisps, then sliced thick under bright chimichurri. Start with a grass-fed rump cap and cook it in a hooded BBQ or the oven. One cut feeds a crowd and frees up the grill.
Argentinian Chilli Garlic Steak
This Argentinian chilli garlic steak rubs thick bone-in ribeye with a pounded paste of garlic, chilli, salt and oil, then cooks it over a hot BBQ. Steaks from the rib eye range bring the marbling and bone that keep it juicy while the garlic chars.
Grazing and Skewers
Beef Skewers for the BBQ (with a Satay Option)
Cubes of marinated beef threaded onto skewers and grilled fast, with a peanut satay version for anyone who wants it. Cut them from the Grass-Fed Rostbiff (Rump Centre), which is lean and even. Thread them the night before and grill them while the rump cap rests.
Salads That Carry the Beef
Thai Beef Salad with Seared Rump
Seared rump sliced thinly and tossed with fresh herbs, cucumber and a lime, chilli and fish sauce dressing. A Whole Grass-Fed Rump Primal supplies steaks for this salad and the skewers. Sharp and refreshing, it balances the richer cuts on a hot day.
Porterhouse Steak and Roast Vegetable Salad
This porterhouse steak and roast vegetable salad pairs seared porterhouse with roast pumpkin, red onion, capsicum, greens, feta and toasted hazelnuts. Pick steaks from the porterhouse range, and roast the vegetables on Christmas Eve for a quick assembly on the day.
Steak Sandwich Salad
All the flavour of a steak sandwich in a bowl: sliced steak, rocket, roasted cherry tomatoes, caramelised onion and croutons with a mustard mayo. Built on rump or porterhouse, a steak sandwich salad is hearty yet light enough for a hot afternoon.
Sauces and Sides
Chimichurri Sauce for Steak
Parsley, oregano, garlic, red wine vinegar, chilli and olive oil chopped into a sharp, fresh sauce. It belongs with the rump cap but suits every steak on the table. Make it on Christmas morning so the herbs stay green.
What to Serve with Steak
Our What to Serve with Steak roundup matches 20 sides to porterhouse, scotch fillet and eye fillet. For Christmas, pick two cold sides you can make ahead, such as coleslaw and a tomato and herb salad, plus grilled corn straight off the BBQ.
Boxing Day
The Ultimate Aussie Steak Sandwich
Leftover rump, scotch fillet or picanha sliced thinly across the grain and piled into toasted bread with caramelised onion, beetroot and salad. Thin slices warm through in a hot pan in seconds and stay tender and juicy.
Christmas BBQ Menu at a Glance
Dish |
Best cut |
BBQ method |
Make ahead |
Serves |
Roast picanha with chimichurri |
Rump cap |
Hooded BBQ or oven |
Score and season on Christmas Eve |
To confirm |
Argentinian chilli garlic steak |
Bone-in ribeye |
Grill or flat plate |
Paste takes minutes on the day |
2 (scale up) |
Beef skewers with satay |
Rostbiff or rump |
Grill or flat plate |
Thread and marinate the night before |
To confirm |
Thai beef salad |
Rump |
Grill, then slice |
Dressing and herbs prepped ahead |
To confirm |
Porterhouse and roast vegetable salad |
Porterhouse |
Grill or flat plate |
Roast vegetables the day before |
4 |
Steak sandwich salad |
Rump or porterhouse |
Flat plate |
Onions and croutons the day before |
4 |
Chimichurri |
Rump cap and all steaks |
No cooking |
Christmas morning |
To confirm |
Ultimate Aussie steak sandwich |
Leftover rump, scotch fillet or picanha |
Flat plate |
Boxing Day |
To confirm |
How Much to Buy and a Christmas Day Timeline
Allow 400g to 500g of raw beef per adult across the menu, or 500g to 600g for a meat-focused crowd. Count young children as about half an adult serve, and weigh up the best steak for a BBQ before choosing cuts.
- Christmas Eve: make the dressings, roast the vegetables, marinate the skewers and score the rump cap, then refrigerate everything covered.
- Christmas morning: make the chimichurri and assemble the salads, keeping them chilled.
- First on the BBQ: the rump cap, since it needs the longest cook and a proper rest.
- While it rests: grill the skewers and steaks over high heat, cooking to a probe temperature.
- After lunch: refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers once the steam stops rising.
Keep raw meat in the fridge at 5C or below, or in a well-iced esky, until it goes on the grill, because cold is the key to storing meat safely on a hot day. Pull steaks 3 to 5C below your target for carryover, since medium rare is 60 to 63C after resting. The Food Safety Information Council recommends cooking whole cuts of beef to at least 63C and resting them for 3 minutes, and rarer is a personal choice that pregnant women, older people, young children and anyone with a weakened immune system are safest avoiding.
Conclusion
A memorable Christmas BBQ needs one hero cut, skewers for grazing, a fresh beef salad, a sharp sauce and make-ahead sides.
Build yours around rump cap, ribeye and rump, allow 400g to 500g of raw beef per adult, and order from our grass-fed beef range well ahead of the Christmas delivery cut-off.
