8 Genius Grilling Tips For a Delicious Summer

We are fast approaching the start of summer, and that means we can finally start to break out our trusty grills and cook in the great outdoors! Well, our great backyard at least!

One of the reasons why we love grilling so much as a method of cooking is that it is one of those things that is relatively easy to learn and start, but mastery of this craft takes years of experience and dedication. It really is an art form, wouldn't you agree?

And since there's such a wide range of people who cook on their grills, we wanted to share some of our favorite, and seriously GENIUS grilling tips that we've learned over the years! Even for a seasoned pro, you can always learn something new!

So let's dig into this 8 genius grilling tips that will take your grill skills to a whole new level this summer! Get ready to start hosting all of the backyard BBQs from now on!

1. Only Flip Your Burgers ONCE

We know how tempting it is to push your burgers around on the grill, press them down in hopes of getting them to cook quicker, or constantly flip them to check those grill marks. However, while doing these things, you are inadvertently ruining your burger!

Once you place your burger on the grill, leave it alone until you are ready to flip it for the one and only time! This will ensure that it cooks well, stays juicy, and gets that beautiful, delicious crust that we all know and love.

Something we often see on TV or movies is when a chef will throw a burger down on the cooktop, and then press it down to make it cook faster. While this makes sense, since a thinner burger will in theory cook faster, you are actually pushing all those delicious juices right out of the meat! This will cause your burgers to come out much drier, and honestly they don't even cook much faster.

When cooking burgers, patience is definitely a virtue!

2. Clean Your Grill With An Onion Instead of a Brush

This summer, you can put your grill brush away, and instead just break out an onion! This is a tip that we were really excited to learn!

Grill brushes don't always work super well, and the metal bristles can sometimes break off and get in our food! Yuck.

Luckily, nature seems to have been ready for us to invent grills, and has presented us with the lowly onion to help clean!

First, allow your grill to heat up to a high temperature, then cut your own in half. Pierce one half with a fork (preferably a long handled one for the grill) and rub the cut side along the grill grates. The onion's juices will release and produce steam, that then cleans off the charred on bits of food and debris! It's a great natural way of cleaning your grill, and probably smells pretty great too.

3. Take Your Meat Out 30 Minutes Prior to Cooking

Unless you are going to do a rare sear on a steak or burger, then your grilled meats will benefit greatly from being taken out of the fridge about 20 to 30 minutes prior to you throwing them on the grill.

We know it can be tempting to just take them right out of the fridge after you get home from work and toss them on the hot grill; but letting them sit and come closer to room temperature can ensure that they will cook more evenly.

4. Undercook Your Meat on The Grill And Then Let it Rest

In order to get your meat to that perfect temperature and a perfect cook, you should take advantage of this wonderful phenomenon called carryover cooking.

Essentially, as your food cooks, it is building up heat within it. Even after you take the food off the grill, it still has heat inside it that will slowly dissipate as it cools. You can use this to your advantage in order to help get the perfect cook on your meat!

Generally, meats will continue to cook up to an additional 5 degrees after being taken off the grill, so try and undercook your meat by a few degrees and then take it off the grill, cover, and let it rest on a plate or cutting board. Not only will this help you achieve that perfect temperature, but it will also allow the juices to distribute evenly throughout the meat, making every bite even better!

Make sure to allow a rest time of at least 5 minutes for most meat, and you can even go up to 10 minutes if you'd like!

5. Make Sure to Preheat Your Grill

Just like you would preheat your oven before baking something, you want to give your grill proper time to come up to a high enough temperature to start cooking!

If you try and throw your burgers or steaks on a cold grill as soon as you turn it on, it won't really cook for the first few minutes, and it will probably stick a lot more to the grill grates, and just create a weird, un-even cook.

If you are using a charcoal grill, experts recommend to let it preheat for at least 5 minutes, and 15 minutes is best if you are using a gas grill.

6. Use Hot Water to Determine Propane Tank Levels

This may sound like a old wive's tale or some sort of magic, but it really works!

All you have to do is take some hot water (it doesn't need to quite be boiling, but make sure to be careful all the same), and pour it down the side of your propane tank while the tank is off and completely cool.

Then, slide your hand down the side of the tank. If the side feels warm, it is empty at that level. But once the side of the tank gets cool to the touch, then you've found the propane!

7. Sprinkle Herbs Over Your Charcoal

If you want to add even more flavor to your cooking, try and sprinkle some herbs right on top of your charcoal! Put woody herbs like rosemary and lighter herbs like sage or basil over your charcoal to add extra flavors and aromas to your food, and it will make the grilling area smell amazing too! Just make sure not to add too many herbs!

8. Add Smoky Flavors Without a Dedicated Smoker

If you want to add some delicious smoky flavors to your meat and veggies, but you don't have a whole smoker, then don't worry! There's a trick that will save the day!

Just take some wood chips and place them in a tightly sealed aluminum foil packet, and pierce a few holes in the top. Then just place this on your grill with the rest of your food! As it heats up, the wood chips will release their fragrant oils, and these delicious notes will circulate through the grill and make your food taste better than you could imagine! All without spending hundreds or thousands on a smoker!

That's it for our 8 genius grilling tips! We hope you found at least a few of these helpful, and we hope that you have an amazing grilling season!