Inklingo

How to Say "bbq" in Spanish

English → Spanish

asado

ah-SAH-doh/aˈsaðo/

nounA2informal
Use 'asado' when referring to the social gathering itself, a party or cookout centered around grilling food, especially in Argentina and Uruguay.
A backyard scene with a grill cooking various meats and a small group of friends laughing together.

Examples

Este domingo vamos a hacer un asado en casa.

This Sunday we are going to have a barbecue at home.

El asado es la comida más popular de Argentina.

Barbecue is the most popular food in Argentina.

A Person, Place, and Thing

As a noun, 'un asado' refers to the whole experience: the fire, the meat, the friends, and the meal itself.

barbacoa

/bar-bah-KOH-ah//baɾβaˈkoa/

nounA1
Use 'barbacoa' when referring specifically to the grill or barbecue pit used for cooking, or the food cooked on it.
A black metal charcoal grill with smoke rising from the grates.

Examples

Limpiamos la barbacoa antes de cocinar las hamburguesas.

We cleaned the barbecue before cooking the burgers.

Compramos una barbacoa de carbón muy grande.

We bought a very large charcoal grill.

Gender check

This word is feminine, so you should always use it with 'la' or 'una'.

Event vs. Equipment

The most common mistake is using 'barbacoa' to refer to the social event. Remember, 'asado' is primarily for the party, while 'barbacoa' is for the grill itself.

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