How to do a mixed grill: the complete platter guide

A mixed grill platter is the most ambitious thing you can cook on a BBQ and the most impressive thing you can put on a table. Different cuts, different cooking times, one grill, everything arriving hot at the same moment. Here is exactly how to pull it off.

Most people get a mixed grill wrong, not because they cannot cook, but because they treat it like a regular BBQ session, where you throw things on as you go. A mixed grill platter requires a plan. Follow this one, and the results will speak for themselves.

What is traditionally on a mixed grill platter?

A classic mixed grill platter includes a minimum of five proteins: a lamb chop, a pork chop, a beef steak (usually sirloin or rump), a chicken piece (thigh or breast), and a pork or chicken skewer. This is the format that appears across British and Portuguese BBQ traditions, and it is the version that works best for a crowd.

The full list of what typically appears on a well-built platter:

• Lamb chops: one or two per person, bone-in, cut from the rack
• Pork chop: bone-in, around 200 g; holds moisture well at high heat and gives the platter a second red meat
• Sirloin or rump steak: 150 to 180 g per person, not too thick, or timings become complicated
• Chicken thigh: boneless, skin-on; more forgiving than breast and more flavourful
• Pork or chicken skewer: cubed meat on a metal skewer, marinated and easy to share
• Pork sausage: a classic addition that adds fat and smoky sweetness to the platter

Side dishes that belong on the table alongside: flatbreads, tzatziki, a simple tomato and onion salad, grilled padron peppers, and hummus. These are not optional decorations. They are the framework that makes the platter a meal.

How long does it take to cook a mixed grill?

A complete mixed grill platter takes 25 to 35 minutes of active cooking time on a properly preheated grill. The preparation, including marinating and bringing meat to room temperature, adds another 30 to 60 minutes. Plan for a total of 90 minutes from start to table if you are doing this properly.

The individual cooking times by cut, assuming medium doneness and a grill temperature of 220 to 250C:

• Chicken thigh (boneless, skin-on): 12 to 14 minutes, turning once
• Pork or chicken skewer: 10 to 12 minutes, rotating every 2 to 3 minutes
• Pork sausage: 10 to 12 minutes, turning regularly
• Pork chop (bone-in, 200 g): 4 to 5 minutes per side
• Lamb chop (cutlet): 4 to 5 minutes per side
• Sirloin steak (150 to 180 g, 2 cm thick): 3 minutes per side for medium

The critical point: not everything goes on the grill at the same time. Chicken goes first. Skewers and sausages go next. Pork chops, lamb chops, and steak go on last, 10 to 12 minutes before you want to serve. Everything rests together and arrives at the table simultaneously.

Managing multiple cuts across different zones is easier with a gas grill that gives you independent burner control. Browse the BBQ’s Algarve gas grill range to find the setup that fits your terrace.

How to do a mixed grill: directions

Step 1: marinate and prepare (30 to 60 minutes before cooking)

Chicken thighs need a marinade; everything else needs seasoning. For the chicken, combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, and smoked paprika. Forty-five minutes minimum. For the steak and lamb chops, coat with olive oil, coarse salt, and black pepper immediately before grilling. Do not marinate red meat for more than two hours in acid-based marinades, as the texture begins to break down.

Step 2: set up your grill with zones

A mixed grill requires two heat zones: high direct heat for searing (220 to 260 °C) and medium indirect heat (160 to 180 °C) for finishing without burning. On a gas grill, this means running two or three burners on high and one on medium-low. On a charcoal grill, bank the coals to one side. This dual-zone setup is what separates a properly cooked mixed grill from a platter of overcooked protein.

Step 3: cook in sequence, not all at once

This is the single most important instruction in this guide. Stagger your cooking so everything finishes at the same time. Start with chicken on medium-indirect heat. Add skewers and sausages after five minutes. Add pork chops, lamb chops, and steak ten minutes in. Pull everything off the grill within two minutes of each other, rest for three to four minutes under loosely tented foil, and serve immediately.

Step 4: plate like you mean it

A mixed grill platter presented well doubles the impact. Use a large wooden board or a wide ceramic platter. Arrange by protein type rather than mixing randomly. Place flatbreads underneath or to the side. Add sauces in small bowls, not squeezed from bottles. Finish with fresh flat-leaf parsley and a drizzle of olive oil. This takes two extra minutes and changes how the meal is received entirely.

Why a gas grill makes a mixed grill significantly easier

Gas grills give you independent zone control, which is the technical requirement for executing a mixed grill platter well. You cannot run a high-heat searing zone and a low-heat finishing zone simultaneously on a single-zone charcoal grill without constant management. On a four-burner gas grill, you set the zones once and cook.

The Napoleon Prestige 500 (from 1,299 EUR) is the model we recommend most frequently for mixed grill cooking. Four independently controlled burners, a rear infrared rotisserie burner for larger cuts, and a cast-iron cooking surface that reaches and holds 250 °C reliably. For a terrace grill that handles a platter of six different proteins without breaking a sweat, it is the right tool.

The Weber Genesis E-325s (from 999 EUR) is the more compact alternative if space is limited. Three burners, 7,600 cm2 of cooking area, and the same zone-control principle. Both are in stock at the BBQ’s Algarve showroom in Almancil.

The mixed grill is not a relaxed cook. It is a performance. Get the sequence right, and everything else follows.

Coming to the Algarve and want to cook this at your villa or rental? We deliver and set up gas grills across the region. Contact us before your trip.

Frequently asked questions:

What is the best order to cook a mixed grill?

Chicken goes on first, followed by skewers and sausages, then pork chops, lamb chops, and steak. The exact timings depend on the size of each cut, but the principle is always the same: longest cooking time goes on first, so everything finishes together. Pulling items off the grill within a two-minute window of each other is the target.

How do I stop the mixed grill platter from going cold before serving?

Rest everything together under loosely tented foil for three to four minutes after the last item comes off the grill. This resting period actually improves the texture of the meat as juices redistribute, and it gives you a window to plate everything without rushing. Warm your serving board or platter in a low oven beforehand, which adds an extra five minutes of heat retention.

Can I do a mixed grill on a two-burner gas grill?

Yes, with more careful zone management. Run one burner on high and one on medium-low to create your two zones. The limitation is cooking surface area, which constrains how many people you can serve simultaneously. A two-burner grill is workable for two to three people. For four or more, a three or four-burner model removes the constraint entirely and reduces the stress of the cook.

What sauces work best with a mixed grill platter?

Tzatziki is the most versatile sauce on a mixed grill table: it works with lamb, chicken, and pork skewers equally well. Beyond that, a good chilli sauce or mustard for the sausages, a simple chimichurri for the steak, and hummus as a base for the flatbreads. Avoid ketchup and bottled barbecue sauce, which flatten the flavour profile of a carefully seasoned platter.

Ready to build the grill setup that makes this effortless every time? Visit the BBQ’s Algarve showroom in Almancil or shop online.