Outdoor & Yard

How to grill

Most bad backyard food is the result of one of three things: a cold grill, a dirty grate, or trying to cook everything on the same heat. Fix those and even cheap cuts come out well.

Job time 20 min – 4 hrs (low & slow)

Skill level Beginner to advanced

Job cost Fuel and food

The Honest Read

What this job actually involves

Gas vs. charcoal is a religious argument, but the technique is mostly the same. Both want a hot zone for sear and a cool zone for finish. Both want a clean grate. Both want a preheated grill — meat hitting a cold grate sticks and steams instead of searing.

Two-zone setup is the single most useful grilling concept. On a gas grill: half the burners on high, half off. On charcoal: pile the coals on one side, leave the other side empty. You sear over the hot side, then slide to the cool side to finish without burning.

Internal temperature matters more than time. Get a good instant-read thermometer ($25) and the guessing stops.

What you need

Tools & materials

Shop the supply side here. The big-ticket stuff and the brand-restricted items, we'll point you local further down.

Tools

Grill (gas, charcoal, or pellet)
Long-handled tongs (the most-used grilling tool)
Grill brush or scraper
Instant-read thermometer
Chimney starter (charcoal only — way easier than lighter fluid)
Heat-resistant gloves

Materials

Fuel (propane, charcoal, wood pellets — depending on grill)
Charcoal lighter cubes or paraffin starters (skip the lighter fluid)
Wood chunks or chips for smoke flavor
Oil (high smoke point — avocado, canola, peanut)
Your meat, fish, vegetables — pat dry before they hit the grate

The Steps

Setup and technique

Preheat hot and clean the grate

Light the grill on high and close the lid for 10–15 minutes. The grate needs to be hot enough to burn off residue from last time. Then scrub with a stiff grill brush. A clean, hot grate is the single biggest factor in food not sticking.

Set up two zones

Gas: half the burners on high, half off (or on low). Charcoal: dump lit coals to one side only. The hot side is for sear and color, the cool side is for indirect cooking and finishing without burning.

Oil the food, not the grate

Pat meat dry with paper towels — wet meat steams, dry meat sears. Brush or wipe a thin coat of high-smoke-point oil on the food. Don't oil the grate (oil burns and smokes before food touches it).

Sear hot, finish cool

Lay meat across the hot zone at a 45° angle to the grate bars (better grill marks). Don't move it for 3–4 minutes — let the crust form. Flip once, sear the other side, then slide to the cool zone and close the lid to finish. The cool zone is where you cook to temp without burning the surface.

Use the thermometer

Pull at: chicken breast 160°F (rests up to 165°F), steak medium-rare 130°F (rests to 135°F), pork tenderloin 140°F (rests to 145°F), burger 155°F (rests to 160°F). Insert in the thickest part, away from bone. Pull 5° early — the meat keeps cooking while it rests.

Rest the meat

Loose foil tent over the meat for at least 5 minutes (more for big cuts). Resting redistributes juices — cut early and they all run out on the cutting board. This is the second-most-skipped step in grilling, right after “preheat the grate.”

Try local first · We'll wait

Why grills are an in-store-only category

Premium grill brands — Weber, Big Green Egg, Traeger, Yeti for accessories — are authorized-dealer-only and ship through the dealer. Buying online almost always means you're dealing with an unauthorized reseller, which means no warranty, no support, no parts.

Weber, Big Green Egg, Traeger — see them assembled, in person, before you commit
Authorized dealer parts and warranty service close to home
Yeti, Pit Boss, Camp Chef, and serious grilling accessories — the brands ship through dealers
Charcoal varieties (lump, briquette, hardwood) you can see and smell before buying
Real expert advice on grill size, BTUs, and the right setup for your space

Find a local hardware store →

When to call a pro

Hire help if: you're hosting more than 20 people and the grill is the entire dinner (catering exists for a reason); you're building a built-in outdoor kitchen (gas line, electrical, masonry — that's a contractor job); or you've never broken down a whole pig or brisket and you're committing to one for a party (you can read about it all you want, the first one is hard).

Keep going

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Outdoor

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