Barbecue vs. Picnic — What's the Difference?

A method of cooking meat with the direct heat and smoke of a fire.

A meal eaten outdoors, usually as part of a leisurely outing.

A grill used to cook foods outdoors.

Relating to a meal eaten outdoors, typically in a scenic or park setting.

To cook food using this method.

A basket used to carry food for such an occasion.

The flavor achieved by this style of cooking.

The act of having a meal outdoors.

A social gathering featuring food cooked this way.

To have an informal meal in an outdoor setting.

Barbecue or barbeque (informally BBQ in the UK and US, barbie in Australia and braai in South Africa) is a term used with significant regional and national variations to describe various cooking methods which use live fire and smoke to cook the food. The term is also generally applied to the devices associated with those methods, the broader cuisines that these methods produce, and the meals or gatherings at which this style of food is cooked and served.

A picnic is a meal taken outdoors (al fresco) as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event such as preceding an open-air theater performance, and usually in summer. Picnics are usually meant for the late mornings or midday, but could also be held later in the day.

A meal or gathering at which meat, fish, or other food is cooked out of doors on a rack over an open fire or on a special appliance

A meal eaten outdoors, as on an excursion.

Cook (food) on a barbecue

(Slang) An easy task or pleasant experience

A grill, pit, or outdoor fireplace for roasting meat.

A smoked section of pork foreleg and shoulder.

A whole animal carcass or section thereof roasted or broiled over an open fire or on a spit.

To go on or participate in a picnic.

A social gathering, usually held outdoors, at which food is cooked over an open flame.

An informal social gathering, usually in a natural outdoor setting, to which the participants bring their own food and drink.

Meat or seafood cooked in or served with barbecue sauce.

The meal eaten at such a gathering.

To roast, broil, or grill (meat or seafood) over live coals or an open fire, often basting with a seasoned sauce.

(figurative) An easy or pleasant task.

A fireplace or pit for grilling food, typically used outdoors and traditionally employing hot charcoal as the heating medium.

(obsolete) An entertainment at which each person contributed some dish to a common table.

A meal or event highlighted by food cooked in such an apparatus.

A cut of pork from the shoulder area (above the front leg) of a pig.

Meat, especially pork or beef, which has been cooked in such an apparatus (i.e. smoked over indirect heat from high-smoke fuels) and then chopped up or shredded.

To take part in a picnic.

(dated) A hog, ox, or other large animal roasted or broiled whole for a feast.

Formerly, an entertainment at which each person contributed some dish to a common table; now, an excursion or pleasure party in which the members partake of a collation or repast (usually in the open air, and from food carried by themselves).

A floor on which coffee beans are sun-dried.

To go on a picnic, or pleasure excursion; to eat in public fashion.

(obsolete) A framework of sticks.

A day devoted to an outdoor social gathering

To cook food on a barbecue; to smoke it over indirect heat from high-smoke fuels.

Any undertaking that is easy to do;

To grill.

Any informal meal eaten outside or on an excursion

A framework of metal or brick, usually with a grill on top, in which a fire is lighted and on which food is cooked, usually outdoors; - also called a barbecue grill.

Eat alfresco, in the open air;

A social entertainment, where people assemble, usually in the open air, at which a meal is prepared on a barbecue grill.

A floor, on which coffee beans are sun-dried.

A hog, ox, or other large animal roasted or broiled whole for a feast.

To dry or cure by exposure on a frame or gridiron.

To roast or broil whole, as an ox or hog.

Meat that has been barbecued or grilled in a highly seasoned sauce

A cookout in which food is cooked over an open fire; especially a whole animal carcass roasted on a spit

A rack to hold meat for cooking over hot charcoal usually out of doors

Cook outdoors on a barbecue grill;

Common picnic foods include sandwiches, pastries, fruits, salads, and cold drinks.

Yes, barbecues can be considered a type of picnic if they involve eating outdoors, though they specifically require cooking over fire or grill.

Typical barbecue foods include grilled meats like steaks, burgers, and sausages, as well as side dishes like baked beans and coleslaw.

Yes, barbecuing typically requires a grill, charcoal or wood, and various cooking utensils, unlike a picnic which might only need a blanket and a basket.

Both are suitable, but barbecues often cater better to large groups because of the communal cooking aspect.

A barbecue involves cooking food with direct heat and smoke, primarily meats, while a picnic typically includes a variety of pre-prepared and ready-to-eat foods.

Both events are best enjoyed in warm, sunny weather, though a barbecue can proceed in slightly cooler conditions due to the heat from the grill.

Dress codes for both tend to be casual, though barbecues might require more practical attire due to the cooking involved.

Barbecues are generally more labor-intensive due to the need for cooking and managing the grill.

Yes, both can be held in public parks, though barbecues might require specific areas designated for grilling.