Grill
Grilling cooks food on a grate over direct, high heat from charcoal, gas or wood. It gives a browned, smoky crust and those dark stripes in minutes.
Also called Grilling, Grilled, Barbecue (UK), Chargrill.
In American usage, to grill is to cook food on a metal grate over direct heat from charcoal, gas or wood. The heat is high and comes from below, so the outside browns fast and picks up smoke from dripping fat. In the UK this is often called barbecuing, while "grill" means the top element of an oven, which Americans call the broiler. Grilling is not the same as American barbecue, which is slow and smoky.
How to do it
- Clean the grate with a brush, then heat the grill with the lid closed for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Set up two zones: one side very hot, the other cooler. This gives you somewhere to move food that flares up or browns too fast.
- Oil the food lightly, not the grate, and season it.
- Lay the food on the hot side and leave it until it releases on its own, usually 2 to 4 minutes.
- Flip once for most foods. For crosshatch marks, rotate each piece 90 degrees halfway through each side.
- Move thick cuts to the cooler side and close the lid to finish cooking.
How to tell it is done
Use a thermometer for the internal temperature: 74°C (165°F) for chicken, 71°C (160°F) for burgers and sausages, 63°C (145°F) for pork chops and fish. Steaks follow your preferred doneness. Vegetables should be tender with charred spots.
Why it works
Radiant heat from the coals and hot metal bars browns the surface through the Maillard reaction. Fat and juices that drip onto the coals burn and send flavorful smoke back up to the food.
Common mistakes
- A dirty or cold grate. Food sticks and tears.
- Flipping too early. Food stuck to the grate is not ready to turn.
- Pressing burgers with a spatula. It squeezes out juice and causes flare-ups.
- Cooking everything over the hottest fire. Thick chicken pieces burn outside and stay raw inside.
- Cutting straight away. Rest the meat for 5 to 10 minutes first.
In recipes
"Grill over medium-high heat" means you can hold your hand about 12 cm (5 inches) above the grate for only 3 to 4 seconds. In a British recipe, "grill" may mean the oven broiler, so check what the recipe expects.
Recipes that use this technique
192 recipes from the sites we collect.
Grilled Romaine, Corn and Chicken Salad with Salsa Dressing
www.skinnytaste.com · 30 min
Grilled BBQ Chicken
www.onceuponachef.com · 25 min
Zucchini Rollatini
www.skinnytaste.com · 30 min
Grilled Garlic and Herb Chicken and Veggies
www.skinnytaste.com · 20 min
Steak & Caramelized Onions with Arugula and Penne
www.skinnytaste.com · 45 min
Summer Breakfast Quinoa Bowls
www.skinnytaste.com · 25 min
Grilled Mediterranean Chicken and Quinoa Salad
www.skinnytaste.com · 35 min
Grilled Veggie Towers with Mozzarella
www.skinnytaste.com · 30 min
Cheesy Baked Spaghetti Squash Boats with Grilled Chicken
www.skinnytaste.com · 90 min
Grilled Shrimp Avocado Fennel and Orange Salad
www.skinnytaste.com · 45 min
Middle Eastern Kofta
www.onceuponachef.com · 40 min
Grilled Harissa Lamb Chops
www.skinnytaste.com · 20 min
Related terms
- BarbecueBarbecue is cooking meat low and slow over indirect heat and wood smoke for hours, until tough cuts turn tender. In the UK the word also means grilling.
- BroilBroiling cooks food with strong, direct heat from the top element of the oven. It browns cheese, chars peppers and cooks thin cuts in a few minutes.
- CharCharring cooks food over intense heat until parts of the surface turn black and blistered, adding smoky flavor to peppers, corn, onions and meat.
- Internal temperatureInternal temperature is the heat at the center of food, read with a probe thermometer. It is the surest way to know meat, fish and bread are done and safe.
- Resting meatResting meat means leaving it to stand after cooking before you slice it. Juices settle, the center finishes cooking and less liquid ends up on the board.
- Reverse searThe reverse sear cooks a thick steak slowly in a low oven first, then sears it hot at the end, for even pink meat from edge to edge and a dark crust.