Grill Like a Pro: 6 Tips to Elevate Your Outdoor Meals

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While the summer may kick off the grilling season, for many, including myself, fall is when the most time is spent around the grill. Labor Day marks the end of summer, but the weather is still warm, and it is the perfect time to grill up some delicious foods. Whether you're using a gas grill, a traditional charcoal grill, a heat-loving kamado grill or a portable grill, it's a good idea to keep your grilling skills sharp, even as summer draws to a close.

Here's what you need to know to impress your guests. You can also check out the best meat delivery services and the best coolers. 

Pro tip: The tips below will get you started, but there are a lot of grill designs out there. Consult your grill's manual for specifics about heating, cleaning and maintenance for your model. 

Read more: Best Grill for 2024

Here's what you need to become a grill expert

Every grill master needs a few tools of the trade. The tools you'll need will depend on the type of meat you're using, but in general it's a good idea to have at least one of the following:

• Metal tongs
• Metal spatula
• Meat thermometer
• Grill brush
• Cooking spray
• Heat-resistant cooking glove
• Aluminum foil for making steam/smoker packets
• Fire extinguisher

Read more: Best BBQ Tools and Grilling Gadgets for 2024

1. Season your grill

It's important to prepare your grill by seasoning it before cooking. No, we aren't talking about adding delicious flavors to your food just yet. In this instance, we're talking about theprepping of your grill's grates. This is really only applicable if you've gotten a brand-new grill and you haven't used it yet. If your grill isn't brand-new, preheat it and give it a good brush to remove any old debris. 

Some grills have specific processes the manufacturer recommends for properly seasoning your grill for the first time, so be sure to refer to your owner's manual. If your grill doesn't specify a seasoning process, a good way to get started is to spray the grates evenly with a high-heat cooking spray like canola oil while the grates are cold. Then, turn the grill on to medium heat for about 15 minutes until the oil burns off or starts to smoke. That's it.

Some grates have a porcelain enamel on them that doesn't require seasoning, so check your grill's manual and avoid any unnecessary effort. Seasoning will keep grill rust at bay, and you should do this before every grilling session if you can.

2. Keep fire safety in mind

According to the National Fire Protection Association, between 2011 and 2016 US fire departments responded to an average of 9,600 home fires started by grills per year. Don't let your cookout turn into one of those fires.

Whether you're cooking indoors or out, keeping a fire extinguisher nearby is always important. If you don't have a good place to store one outdoors, keep it inside the nearest entrance to your home. 

Fire safety when grilling also means making sure the area around the grill is clear of any flammable objects and checking the grill's grease collection tray. A full tray should be emptied to avoid a grease fire. One important item that can be forgotten about is propane tanks, especially when using a gas grill. When you're done with your tank, be sure you properly store and dispose of it.

3. Prep food before grilling

With your grill prepped and fire safety covered, it's food time! It's helpful to have all of your meats and veggies prepped before you get to the grill, rather than doing it as you cook. Slice vegetables, make burger patties, and marinate chicken inside, then bring them outside. Casserole dishes are great for transport, since their high sides stop food from sliding off.

If you're bringing food out from your kitchen, remember a clean plate to put the finished product on and clean tongs. It's important not to use a utensil to remove or serve cooked meat if you've used it with raw meat. 

Don't forget any other grill accessories you might want nearby, like corn cob holders or a meat thermometer. Be sure to keep paper towels within reach (but away from the flame) for any unexpected messes. If your grill has a side burner, a trivet for holding hot saucepans will come in handy.  Oh, and while you're cooking food and when it's done, it's a good idea to have some dish towels or other covers for food to keep pesky flies away.

4. Start your grill the right way

Refer to your grill's manual for specific preheat instructions and times. In general, a charcoal grill will need more time to preheat than a gas model. 

Charcoal grills

Charcoal grills need about 20 minutes to preheat, so keep that in mind when you're prepping your meal. If you've cooked with your charcoal before, be sure to discard any ashes from previous uses.

Next, open all the vents on the bottom of your grill to allow maximum airflow to fan the flame. Start your charcoal grill with a small amount of lighter fluid and some old newspaper or with a chimney starter. Check your grill's manual to find the right charcoal size and shape for your model.

Gas grill

Gas grills heat pretty quickly, so you'll only need to build in about 10 minutes of preheat time when planning your meal. Always keep the grill's lid raised while lighting. Turn the valve of your propane tank to open. Next, turn one burner on and press the ignition button on your grill. Once the first burner is lit, continue turning on as many other burners as you'd like to use. 

5. Don't forget grill maintenance 

Remember to check your grease trap often and give your grill a good cleaning when debris starts to pile up. The steps for cleaning your grill are slightly different than cleaning a griddle. Griddles need a bit more care and different care, such as seasoning, to ensure proper cooking.

Be sure to keep your grilling area clean to avoid unnecessary bugs and other unwanted guests exploring your cooking space. Throughout grill season, check your propane tank for leaks and invest in a good grill cover to keep your grill protected when not in use!

6. Utilize grilling accessories

While you don't need any fancy accessories or tools to grill a great meal, many different devices can make cooking outdoors more enjoyable and even elevate your meals to a whole other level. I've covered some of the tools I've used for my BBQ competitions, but here are some ideas that you may really like.

Firstly, one of the most important factors when grilling, or cooking anything is temperature. Many of the top grills offer built-in meat probes to help monitor your food's temp. But if your cooker doesn't offer this or you'd like to have more points to monitor your food's temp, then you might want to consider a meat thermometer. Many offer wireless monitoring, cooking tips, recommended temps, and more.

Pizza ovens are becoming a hot accessory, and like fire pit pizza ovens, some grills are starting to get in on the craze too. These offer some really great features, like being able to accurately control the heat and can operate like a compact oven for baking deserts, that can not only elevate your cooking skills expand what meals are possible on your grill. Check out our list of 22 more BBQ tools that get even more outdoor culinary ideas.

Now you're ready to get grilling! Plus, check out our tips for how to tech out your patio.