12 Grilling Tips to Improve Your Backyard BBQ

Build Two Heat Zones, Not One

A single, evenly hot grill surface sounds convenient, but it makes it hard to cook anything thicker than a hot dog properly.

On a charcoal grill, pile the coals on one side and leave the other side empty. On a gas grill, light only half the burners. That gives you a hot direct zone for searing and a cooler indirect zone for finishing food without scorching the outside.

Start steaks, chicken thighs and burgers over direct heat for a good sear, then move them to the indirect side to finish. For a whole chicken or a thick pork chop, most of the cooking should happen on the indirect side.

How do you keep food from sticking to the grill?

Preheat the grill, scrape the hot grates clean, then oil them right before the food goes on. Sticking is almost always a grate problem, not a food problem.

Preheat for 10-15 minutes so old residue burns off and loosens, then scrape the grates with a grill brush while they're hot. Fold a paper towel, dip it in a neutral oil like canola or vegetable oil, and wipe it across the grates using tongs. That thin layer keeps proteins from bonding to the metal.

Oiling cold, dirty grates does very little, so do it right before cooking. Then give food time: most proteins release on their own once a crust forms. For keeping grates in good shape between cookouts, see our guide on how to clean a grill.

What temperature should grilled meat reach?

Cook to the USDA safe minimum internal temperatures: 145°F for whole cuts of beef, pork and lamb (plus a 3-minute rest), 160°F for burgers and other ground meat, and 165°F for all poultry. Recipe times are estimates; grill heat, thickness and even outdoor temperature change how long food actually needs.

Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the food, away from bone. Many people prefer steak below 145°F; for rare-to-well-done ranges and pull temperatures, see our guide to how to grill the perfect steak.

Thick cuts keep cooking from residual heat, called carryover cooking, so you can pull a thick steak a few degrees before your target doneness. For poultry and burgers, make sure the final reading reaches the safe minimum.

How long should meat rest after grilling?

Rest steaks, chops and chicken breasts about 5 minutes, and larger cuts like a whole chicken or roast 10-15 minutes, loosely tented with foil. Cutting in the second meat comes off the grill lets the juices run out onto the board.

Resting gives the juices time to settle back through the meat, and it lets carryover heat finish the job evenly. For whole cuts of beef, pork and lamb, USDA guidance calls for at least a 3-minute rest.

Take the Chill Off Before You Grill

A cold steak straight from the fridge can overcook on the outside before the inside catches up.

Pull steaks and chops out of the refrigerator about 20-30 minutes before grilling. This isn't about bringing meat fully to room temperature; it's about taking the deep chill off so the center cooks more evenly. Keep it well under the 2-hour limit for perishable food sitting out, or 1 hour on days above 90°F.

Leave the Food Alone While It Cooks

Constant flipping and pressing feels productive, but it usually works against you.

Pressing a burger with a spatula squeezes flavorful juices straight into the fire. Flipping too often prevents a proper sear, since the surface never gets enough uninterrupted contact with the heat.

For most cuts, flip once, maybe twice. Let a crust develop on one side, usually 3-5 minutes over direct heat depending on thickness, before turning it over.

Manage Flare-Ups Instead of Panicking

Small flames from dripping fat are normal. A sustained flare-up that's charring your food is a different problem.

If flames spike, move the food to the indirect zone for a minute rather than spraying water, which kicks up steam and ash. Trimming excess fat and keeping the grease tray empty both reduce flare-ups in the first place. If a grease fire won't die down, close the lid and turn off the gas or shut the vents to starve it of air.

Season With Enough Salt, Early Enough

Under-seasoning is one of the most common reasons grilled food tastes flat.

For steaks and chops, salt at least 40 minutes before grilling so the salt draws out moisture that's then reabsorbed, seasoning the meat below the surface. Short on time? Salt immediately before cooking instead. Avoid the in-between window of roughly 10-30 minutes, when the moisture is still sitting on the surface and keeps the meat from searing well.

Match Your Fuel and Setup to What You're Cooking

Quick-cooking foods like burgers, thin steaks and vegetables do well over direct high heat. Larger cuts like whole chickens, pork shoulders or thick roasts need lower, longer, indirect cooking.

Charcoal typically runs hotter and adds more smoky flavor; gas offers faster, easier temperature control. Neither is objectively better, and our gas vs charcoal grill comparison breaks down which fits your cooking style.

Light Charcoal With a Chimney Starter

A chimney starter gets charcoal ready without lighter fluid and the off flavors that come with it. Fill the chimney, set a couple of sheets of crumpled newspaper or a fire starter underneath, and light it.

The coals are ready when the top layer is covered in gray ash, usually 15-20 minutes. Pour them out wearing heat-resistant gloves. If you do use lighter fluid, let it burn off completely before cooking, and never add it to coals that are already lit.

Prep Everything Before the Grill Is Hot

Grilling moves fast, and the moment you walk inside for tongs is the moment something burns.

Before you light the grill, have the food seasoned, the oil and paper towels ready, a thermometer in your pocket, sauces portioned out, and two sets of tongs and plates: one for raw food and a clean set for cooked food. Keep raw meat in the refrigerator until you're ready to cook it.

Slice Against the Grain

How you cut meat changes how tender it feels. Look for the lines of muscle fiber running through a steak or a cut like flank or skirt, then slice across them rather than parallel.

Cutting against the grain shortens the fibers in every bite, which makes even chewier cuts noticeably easier to eat.