Grilling Techniques 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Grilling

Welcome to the world of grilling! Whether you’re firing up a charcoal grill like the Weber Kettle Grill or Big Green Egg, a gas grill, or a pellet grill, learning the basics will take you far. When I first got started, I’ll admit, it was intimidating—I had visions of burnt burgers and dry chicken. But grilling is something anyone can learn, and with a few fundamental grilling techniques, you'll soon be impressing family and friends. Let’s dive into the essential techniques: Direct Heat Grilling, Indirect Heat Grilling, Smoking, and tips to get you started on grilling vegetables, meats, and seafood.

1. Direct Heat Grilling: Quick and Delicious

Direct Heat Grilling means cooking food directly over the heat source. This method is perfect for foods that cook fast and don’t need low, slow heat, like burgers, steaks, and hot dogs.

• When to Use Direct Heat: Direct heat is best for foods that cook in under 20 minutes. Imagine that juicy burger, the sizzle of hot dogs, or a perfectly seared steak. Foods that cook quickly develop a crust on the outside while staying juicy inside.
• How to Set Up Direct Heat:
• Charcoal Grill: Arrange hot coals in a single layer across the bottom of the grill. On a Big Green Egg or any other ceramic grill, you’d remove the heat deflector to expose the food to the flame directly.
• Gas Grill: Turn the burners to medium or high, preheating with the lid closed to trap heat. When you thermometer reads at least 500F, you are ready to cook.
• Pellet Grill: Since pellet grills cook with indirect heat, they don’t do true “direct” heat. However, some newer models have sear zones or griddles. If your grill has a sear feature, use that; otherwise, set the temperature high and preheat thoroughly. Although the results will not be as good as using a charcoal or gas grill, you can get close enough with the pellet grill.
• Cooking Tips:
• Timing Matters: With direct heat grilling, avoid excessive flipping. Burgers, for instance, need one flip to retain juiciness.
• Don’t Press down on your burgers or steaks. This releases juices and can dry out the meat.

Personal Tip: My first time direct grilling burgers was with friends. Keeping the seasonings simple and the heat high gave me that perfect sear and juicy interior. The best thing with direct grilling is that food cooks rather quickly. So when having several people over, this is the best way to feed them all.

2. Indirect Heat Grilling: Slow and Steady Wins the Flavor Race

Indirect Heat Grilling means placing food away from the heat source, which allows it to cook slowly. This technique is perfect for larger cuts of meat like whole chicken, ribs, and even turkey.

• When to Use Indirect Heat: Indirect heat grilling works best for foods that need longer cooking times. When grilling a whole chicken or ribs, this method lets them cook all the way through without burning the exterior.
• Setting Up Indirect Heat:
• Charcoal Grill: Arrange coals on one side of the grill, leaving the other side clear. This “two-zone” setup creates a hot side (with coals) and a cooler side (without). On a Big Green Egg or any other ceramic grill, you’d add a heat deflector to create an indirect heat throughout the grate..
• Gas Grill: For indirect heat on a gas grill, turn on only one or two burners and place food over the unlit side. This creates a cooler cooking area.
• Pellet Grill: Pellet grills automatically use indirect heat, circulating hot air around the food, which makes them ideal for longer cooks. Just set your desired temperature, and the grill does the rest!
• How to Grill on Indirect Heat:
• Close the Lid to trap heat and smoke, ensuring even cooking.
• Be Patient: Foods like chicken can take up to an hour, but the result is juicy and flavorful.

Personal Tip: My first experience with indirect heat was grilling a whole chicken on a charcoal grill. I found that spatchcocking the chicken or using the frog method greatly improved my cooking time. As a Weber Kettle user, to keep temperatures low I found the Slow N Sear Deluxe to be a great accessory that helped keep those low temperatures steady in a user friendly way.

Trying the Frog method on the chicken

NOT my first chicken on the Weber, but after a few tries I consistently get the perfect result. I like using the SNS Drip Pan and the Meater Thermometer to keep those results constant.

3. Smoking: Infusing Rich, Smoky Flavors

Smoking is a technique that adds layers of flavor by cooking food over indirect heat with wood chunks, wood chips or pellets for smoke. This method is slow but incredibly rewarding, ideal for meats like brisket, pork butt, and turkey.

• Perfect Meats to Smoke: Some of the best meats to smoke include brisket, pork butt, and turkey. These cuts absorb the smoky flavors and tenderize over long cooking times.
• The Right Smoke: Aim for “blue smoke” (a thin, almost invisible smoke), rather than thick, white smoke. Blue smoke gives food a clean, delicious flavor, while the white smoke can give a bitter taste to your food.
• Setting Up Your Grill for Smoking:
• Charcoal Grill: On a Big Green Egg, set up with indirect heat by adding a heat deflector and placing wood chips on the coals. The grill temperature should stay around 225°F for low-and-slow smoking. You can achieve this with other grills, but it is harder to keep temperatures steady. There are some grills that have a great backing of third party accessories which help make the process easier. My favorite one is the Weber Kettle Grill which has a ton of accessories for it.
• Gas Grill: Place wood chips in a smoker box or foil packet with holes poked in it, and set it over a low burner. Keep the grill temperature steady at around 225°F using the indirect method stated above.
• Pellet Grill: Pellet grills are naturally suited for smoking. Simply load your wood pellets, set the temperature to around 225°F, and let the grill create a steady stream of blue smoke.
• Smoking Meat Tips:
• Don’t Rush It: Smoking requires patience. A smoked brisket might take 12-16 hours, so prepare accordingly.
• Monitor Temperature: Both grill and internal meat temperature matter, so a digital thermometer is helpful. I love the Meater Plus as it is wireless, so I can remotely check on my meat and grill.

Personal Tip: The first time I smoked a brisket, I was amazed at how long it took, but the tender meat with its smoky crust made it all worth it. Due to the length of the cook and needing to wrap the brisket at 165F, I learned to plan ahead and start at hours that would not require me to wake up at night.

My Brisket Journey

It took me a while to get good results with Brisket. I didn’t try to cook one until I had the basics down, but man, once you get the hang of controlling the heat (with the help of my new Kamado Joe), cooking a Brisket is super easy. It definitely looks more daunting than it is. This was my 10+ brisket I cooked, it is definitely worth it and beats going out to a bbq joint and paying $20+ per pound.

4. Grilling Vegetables: Quick, Flavorful, and Healthy

Grilling vegetables brings out natural sweetness and adds a delicious smoky flavor. Some of the best grilled vegetables can be ready in minutes, making them a perfect side dish.

• Top Vegetables to Grill: Popular vegetables to grill include bell peppers, zucchini, eggplant, asparagus, and corn on the cob. Each brings its own unique flavor to the grill.
• Direct vs. Indirect Heat for Veggies:
• For quicker-cooking vegetables like bell peppers and asparagus, direct heat works well, as it cooks quickly and gives lovely grill marks.
• Heartier vegetables like carrots and potatoes work best with indirect heat, as it cooks them evenly without burning.
• Setting Up for Grilled Vegetables:
• Charcoal and Pellet Grills: Use indirect heat for denser veggies, and direct heat for quicker-cooking ones. 
• Gas Grill: With a gas grill, start veggies on direct heat, then move to indirect heat as needed to finish cooking.
• Preparing Vegetables:
• Coat with Oil: Lightly oil veggies to keep them from sticking to the grill.
• Use Grill Baskets or Skewers: For smaller vegetables, baskets or skewers make flipping easier and prevent them from falling through the grates.

Personal Tip: I love grilling vegetables, they make great side dishes and if you get creative with them, you could make a pretty great main dish. One thing that I always use is a grill basket - this has saved both vegetables and time, it just makes grilling them a lot easier.

Grilled vegetables as main dish

I'm still not that experienced with vegetables, I mostly focus myself on cooking side dishes with them. But if they are done correctly, they can even make the main dish! This is a cauliflower steak topped with a mix of mushrooms and other vegetables that a friend of mine grilled for me. It was awesome. Although it is not something I do, it can be done and the results are amazing.

5. Grilling Meats: Chicken, Steak, and the Classics

Grilling meats is often the main event of any BBQ. Whether it’s grilling steak, chicken breast, or the classic burger, here’s how to get it just right.

Grilling Chicken

Grilling chicken breast can be tricky because it dries out quickly. Direct heat is best for boneless breasts, grilling for about 5-6 minutes per side. Drumsticks and thighs do well with indirect heat to cook through without drying out.

• How to Grill Chicken on Different Grills:
• Charcoal and Pellet Grills: Use direct heat for breasts, moving thicker pieces like drumsticks to indirect heat after a quick sear.
• Gas Grill: Similar to charcoal, use direct heat for a quick sear, then switch to indirect heat as needed to finish cooking.
• Marinate or Season: A marinade keeps chicken breasts moist, while simple salt, pepper, and garlic powder bring out flavor.
• Internal temperature is your guide: According to the FDA, chicken must be cooked at least to 165F Internal temperature (insert a thermometer probe to the center of the meat) to be safe to eat. Please don’t take this lightly. We love the Chefstemp thermometer for it’s fast reading speed.

Grilling Steak

For a perfect grilled steak, go with high heat and a quick cook. Cuts like ribeye or sirloin hold up well to high heat.

• How to Grill Steak on Different Grills:
• Charcoal and Gas Grill: Sear steaks on high direct heat for a few minutes per side, aiming for medium-rare 
• Pellet Grill: Sear with any sear feature or use the highest heat setting, giving steaks a nice crust.
• Tip: Use a thermometer to check doneness without slicing the steak. For medium rare, aim for 135F Internal temperature.

Grilling Burgers and Hot Dogs

For grilling burgers and hot dogs, use direct heat for a few minutes per side.

Personal Tip: I cannot emphasize this enough, always use temperature as your guide to doneness. Mostly during your early days as a BBQ amateur. There is nothing worse than serving your family what you think is a perfectly cooked chicken, just to find out its raw once you cut it open. This happened to me, and I not only felt ashamed but I had to pay for pizza for the night.

Learning grilling techniques might seem overwhelming, but with practice, each method becomes second nature. Direct heat grilling, indirect heat grilling, and smoking all have their unique benefits. Whether you’re grilling vegetables, meats, or seafood, the best way to master grilling is simply to fire it up and try. Enjoy your BBQ journey, and happy grilling!