Does the smoky scent of barbecue wafting through your neighborhood make you jealous every summer? Are you sad that you don’t know how to barbecue? Do you want that delicious scent to be floating from your backyard, making your neighbors envious? 

If so, you’ve come to the right place. While grilling may seem intimidating at first, it doesn’t have to be. You only need a little know-how, some patience, and a yearning for learning to master the craft. 

Keep reading to find everything you need to know about grilling for beginners. 

Pick the Right Meats

One of the most essential grilling basics to learn right off the bat is knowing what can and can’t be cooked on a grill. Uplevel your skills by choosing the right cuts of meats to grill. 

Consider the End Goal

Do you want to experiment with a new rub or BBQ seasoning? A skirt or flank steak might be your best choice as they cook fast and taste amazing when seared on the outside. 

Do you have a delicious marinade you’ve been dying to try? Beef tri-tip has a fibrous texture making it the perfect choice for marinades. 

If you’re looking for lean cuts of meat to help you stick to your diet, skinless, boneless chicken breasts are your best bet. They’re healthy, tasty, and versatile enough that you won’t get bored of them too fast. 

Are you working with a tight budget? Chicken wings or beef sirloin are inexpensive options but just as delicious as others. 

Grilling Pork

Pork chops are a great meat to grill but aren’t your only pork option. Ham steaks are a tasty beef alternative that’s fast and simple to grill.

Pork ribs are another great option. Try cooking them at a lower temperature for a longer time for the best results. 

Grilling Chicken

Chicken breasts are a tasty option for grilling but must be approached with great care. They can turn dry if you leave them on the grill for even a minute too long. 

Drumsticks and thighs also work well on the grill. Drumsticks take a little bit more patience to ensure they’re cooked all the way through. Thighs grill fast and evenly. 

Grilling Beef

Beef is one of the most versatile meats for grilling. Use ground beef for hamburger patties. Beef steaks are delicious when done right. Ribeyes and t-bones are classic cuts for grilling.

Boneless meats will cook faster than bone-in varieties. Bone-in cuts tend to be juicier, but they’re more difficult to cook. The meat closest to the bone cooks slower, so a meat thermometer is a worthwhile investment to ensure even doneness. 

Skip beef cuts that come from the chuck or brisket. They don’t turn out well when exposed to high-temperature grilling. 

Don’t Forget the Other Food Groups

You shouldn’t only reserve your grill for meat-centric dishes. Many delicious vegetarian meals can be created using a grill.

Corn, asparagus, green beans, and cauliflower are all delicious vegetables for grilling. Be sure to brush your veggies with olive oil before placing them on the grill. You should also ensure the grill is clean so your vegetables won’t stick to it.

Hearty vegetables like peppers or onions can handle higher temperatures. You can cook them near the back of the grill, which tends to be the hottest area. Move the veggies around to different grill areas if you’re finding they’re not cooking fast or are getting too brown too fast.

After grilling, sprinkle salt and squeeze a little lemon juice on top. Italian or Greek seasonings go great with many different types of grilled veggies. 

Fruit is another great food group to try grilling. Grilled fruit kabobs with watermelon, banana, pineapple, and peaches are a tasty summer dessert. Spray coconut oil on before grilling and drizzle with maple syrup for an extra sweet treat.

Grilled sandwiches are a lunchtime game changer. Up your grilled cheese game by grilling it on the barbecue instead of a griddle. 

What meal would be complete without dessert? Don’t spend your day baking up a storm when you can create delicious desserts on your BBQ. 

Use the Right Grill

No two grills are the same. That’s why you need to do your research before you even consider investing in a grill.

We recommend talking to the professionals, like those at Palm Beach Grill Center, before buying. They can help you choose the best grill for your tastes and needs. 

Let’s take a closer look at some of the most common options on the market today.

Charcoal Grills

A charcoal grill tops our list of best grills for BBQ cooking. They’re easy to use and leave a rich and smoky flavor on everything cooked upon it. Charcoal grills make it simple to customize the flavors you’re imparting on your food. 

For example, pushing the hot coals to one side creates an indirect zone to grill food slow. This is great for cooking tougher cuts of meat as it provides a more tender taste with very pronounced flavors. 

You can also smoke your food thanks to the tall lid on covered charcoal grills. 

Kamado Grills

Kamado grills are sometimes also known as ceramic smokers or egg grills. They’re the more versatile and sophisticated cousin of charcoal grills. The Kamado features a long body that provides heat circulation to cook the meat evenly.

They’re made of a thick ceramic material that can withstand very high temperatures, no matter the weather. Kamado grills are great for maintaining low heat for the days you want to slow cook your meals. 

Gas Grills

Gas grills are the most popular option because they’re convenient and easy to use. If you’re looking for a grill that will get the job done fast, you’ll want to invest in a gas option. 

There are two types of gas grills available — propane or natural gas. 

Propane grills use propane tanks that last around 25 hours of use. Once the propane is empty, you will need to take it to have it refilled. Propane grills are very portable, making them an attractive choice for people who may take their grills camping with them. 

The downside of this grill is that you have to pay attention to your propane levels. Nothing kills an outdoor BBQ faster than running out of propane as you’re in the middle of cooking.

Natural gas grills, on the other hand, never run out of gas. You will need to have a natural gas hook-up installed in your home. Once you have it hooked up, you’ll have gas whenever you need it. 

The downside is that your grill will not be portable as it has to be fixed to your natural gas line.

Get the Right Gear

You already have your grill; what other accessories could you need? As it turns out, there are several very essential pieces of equipment to help make grilling an enjoyable and delicious pastime. 

Thermometer 

A temperature gauge is a non-negotiable accessory that you’ll get a lot of use out of. A thermometer provides a way to check the temperature of your meat to prevent food-borne illnesses. A Bluetooth thermometer is a great investment for the lazy chef to check on their food without leaving the couch. 

Cleaning Supplies

You will also need to invest in the right grill cleaning tools for your grill. You can’t leave meat burnt on the grill and expect your next meal to be tasty.

A brush is great for cleaning the grills. Look for ones made of stainless steel with an ergonomic handle for easier cleaning. 

Some grill companies manufacture their own wooden grate scrapers to work with their products. Wood grate cleaners are very durable and safer than wire brushes. 

A charcoal rake is a non-negotiable for people with charcoal grills. The rake allows you to move the charcoal, whether they’re hot or not. 

A heavy-duty cleaner or grill degreaser may be necessary for big messes. These come in several different varieties, like foams or creams. 

Rotisserie Supplies

If you plan on using your grill as a rotisserie cooker, you’ll need a kit to help you achieve that. 

Not all rotisserie kits are created equal, though. Some are made to hold 15 pounds of food, while others can spin up to 50 pounds. 

A high-quality kit can run anywhere between $100 and $300. Be sure to take the right measurements to ensure your kit will fit in your grill. 

Grilling Cookware

There are several key pieces of cookware you may want to invest in. You won’t need all of them if you’re just beginning to get into grilling. They do provide a lot of versatility for your grill, though, so you may want to buy some sooner than later. 

A grill basket is a great investment for beginner grillers. Put your foot between the basket plates, and you’ll be able to flip everything all at once.

A stainless steel griddle is great for backyard entertaining. It sits on your grill and provides additional cooking space for things like pancakes and other delicate food. 

A grill press is great for pressing out unwanted fats from your meat. It can also sear steaks and prevent bacon from curling. 

A vegetable grill basket is perfect for grilling veggies or small pieces of meat. It can be used as a wok pan to provide further versatility for your grill. 

If you’ll be roasting a lot of chicken, a poultry roaster is a priceless investment. Some roasters are also able to cook vegetables simultaneously. 

Add Flavor

Once you’ve nailed down the basics of grilling, you can begin to play around with flavors. There are many different ways you can add flavor to whatever you’re cooking. Here are some of our best grilling tips for creating the most flavorful meals hot on your grill. 

Trying adding different wood flavors to your charcoal grill for an interesting and complex taste.

Applewood adds a sweet and ashy smoke flavor, perfect for smoking bacon. Cherry wood provides a more bold and earthy taste that works well with most meats. Hickory wood is savory and hearty, great for pork shoulders or ribs.

Try cooking your meats on wood planks instead of directly on the grill. Some of the wood flavors transfer to the food, leaving you with a tasty and flavorful dish. You can even use planks for cooking vegetables, fruits, or even cheese. 

Meat rubs are another great way to add flavor to what you’re barbecuing. Rubs are wet or dry mixtures of seasoning and flavorings that are rubbed into the meat before cooking.

Rubs do not penetrate the meat or alter the cellular structure at all. They season the meat and caramelize it during cooking.

Wet rubs do a better job of seeping into the meat’s juices than dry options. You can leave a dry rub on for as little as 30 minutes before cooking. Wet rubs should sit on for several hours before grilling.

You can make your own rubs with a few ingredients you already have in your home.  

Marinades are another popular way to infuse more flavor into your meat. Think of a marinade as an immersion bath for your meat. They work very well for tough cuts of meat. 

Try marinading overnight for a more intense flavor. Use caution when marinading delicate meats like shrimp. If you soak delicate cuts for too long, you’ll wind up with a gummy texture. 

Grilling For Beginners Made Easy

While grilling can be intimidating at first, know that you don’t need to be a chef to use a grill. Put our handy grilling for beginners tips into action, and you’ll be serving up delicious meals in no time at all. 

Keep reading our blogs for more useful tips to help you improve your home life.