If you want to get better at grilling, inspiration is here… Today I’m sharing tips for getting started with grilling for beginners to all things BBQ. Learn how to improve your backyard BBQ game with help from my journey as I learned to master grilling, smoking foods, and griddle cooking at home.
1. Get to know your heat zones
I ruined enough high-quality steaks in my beginning-to-grill journey, that I noticed a pattern. Come to find out, you can’t just haphazardly slap meat onto the grill or griddle.
See how to make grilled butterflied chicken drumsticks…
Each grill kind of has its own personality, with certain areas heating up faster than others. Recognizing these heat zones is key to perfectly cooked food. Additionally, if your grill has both a top and bottom rack, remember that the closer to the flame means faster and hotter cooking.
For instance, when using a gas grill, placing food directly over the flame accelerates the cooking process. Meanwhile, items positioned on the top rack enjoy gentler heat, ideal for finishing touches or delicate ingredients prone to burning.
2. Temperature Control is Key
Learning to stay away from high-heat (most of the time) revolutionized my backyard grilling experience. I used to grill food and it would seem done on the outside, but the inside wouldn’t be cooked through – especially grilled chicken breast for example.
Now I keep the grill heat lower, at medium typically, and I’m regularly achieving that perfect char without sacrificing juiciness.
3. Believe in the power of marinades and rubs
Experimenting with marinades and rubs will bring a lot of flavor and tenderize your foods. Some foods take longer to marinade than others, like grilled shrimp for example, which is done in about 20-30 minutes.
Other recipes like griddled flank steak can be marinated for many hours or overnight.
Marinating chicken and steak is my favorite, especially tougher cuts of beef that get help from the tenderizing powers of marinating.
I often marinade in a combination BBQ sauce and olive oil, or some Japanese BBQ sauce, or a homemade marinade.
See this flank steak marinade recipe…
4. Invest in a good meat thermometer
One of my favorite pieces of technology outside my phone is my thermometer. I have a collection of them, and I use them all for different reasons. No more guesswork and perfectly cooked meat each time is why I can confidently buy choice-cuts of meat because I know I won’t overcook it.
Investing in a quality meat thermometer has ensured consistently perfect results every time.
If you’re looking for recommendations, see this one from a brand I partner with, Meater Plus Thermometer (it connects to your phone so you always know the temperature of your food!). For a basic probe for everyday use, see this ThermoPro Thermometer.
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5. Grill maintenance matters
Regular cleaning and maintenance not only extend the life of your grill but also ensure consistent cooking results.
See how to clean Traeger Flatrock griddle…
6. The importance of wood selection for smoked BBQ cooking
The type of wood pellets you use for smoking can make or break the flavor of your meat. Experimenting with different wood pellet flavors will add a whole new dimension to your BBQ recipes. My favorite smoke flavor is usually these Traeger mesquite pellets.
As a Traeger partner, they’ve sent me pellets to test, so I get to experiment with them pretty often. I also love Traeger Turkey Pellets for Thanksgiving smoked turkey.
7. Master when to use indirect grilling
I’ve touched on this early, but indirect grilling is a pretty important strategy when it comes to perfectly cooking foods on the grill. You get indirect heat when you move the food away from the flame.
So the question is, how do you move food away from the flame? To do this, only fire up one of the multiple heat sections of your grill. This will make one area very hot, and you can move food away from the flame.
Another way to do this is to use the top rack of your grill to cook the food.
You can experiment with grilling with indirect heat with one of my beginner friendly grill recipes. See this one for grilled ribeye, or choose another larger cut of meat.
See this recipe for a marinated skirt steak dinner on the griddle…
8. Be patient with grilling
It might take a few tries to nail a perfect smoked brisket flat. Or griddle a sunny side up egg perfectly. Look at grilling as a fun hobby and keep trying until you nail your meals just right.
9. Keep a BBQ Log
Keeping a log of my BBQ sessions has been instrumental in my growth as a pitmaster. It helps me track what works and what doesn’t, making me a more informed and skilled cook.
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10. Entertain with BBQ
Putting together a BBQ menu for a smoked taco night, hibachi night, or another festive dinner is one of my favorite things to do!
Most people don’t know how to put together a really solid BBQ feast for a party. Hosting BBQ gatherings has become a source of pride and joy for me.
One trick I have on repeat is to cook one thing on each grill, so maybe that looks like a smoked queso app, grilled chicken wings, and griddled onions and peppers.
And then I fill in with some easy recipes I can prepare the day-before the event, like my big corn dip.
There’s something special about seeing friends and family enjoy time together over good food that makes it worth the effort.
Sending grilling confidence your way!
Over many years, my journey from BBQ novice to backyard grill master has been enjoyable and rewarding. As you become a seasoned griller, I hope these insights help you on your BBQ journey. Happy grilling!
I’m here to help you put together delicious meals, right at home. If you have any questions, drop them in the comments. Get my free recipe newsletter.
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Chat soon!
– Jenna
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