7 Grilling Tips Every Home Cook Should Know Before Summer

There’s something about summer that makes grilling seem inevitable. The longer days, the pull toward the backyard, the particular pleasure of cooking outside while holding something cold in your hand—it all adds up to one of my favorite seasonal rhythms. For our family, grilling has become less about who is “in charge” of dinner and more about the ritual of being together outdoors, enjoying the process rather than rushing to get food to the table.

7 Grilling Tips Every Home Cook Should Know Before Summer

For years, I let grilling seem like someone else’s territory. But once I learned some basic techniques, I realized it could be one of the easiest and most satisfying ways to cook during the summer. With the right tools, a little confidence, and a general understanding of heat, time, and preparation, you have everything you need. Below, I’m sharing the seven grilling rules that changed the way I cook outdoors.

1. Give it a break

When it comes to chicken, beef or pork, take it out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before it hits the grill. Adding chilled meat to a hot grill can cause the outside to burn before the inside has a chance to cook completely. Letting it get closer to room temperature helps it cook more evenly and gives it a better final texture.

Once the meat comes off the grill, don’t rush to cut it. Let it sit on a foil-covered plate for 5 to 10 minutes so the juices have time to redistribute instead of running out by the time you cut into it. It’s a small step that makes grilled chicken, steak, and pork noticeably juicier and more flavorful.

2. Prepare the grill

While the meat comes to room temperature, prepare the grill. Start by preheating it with the lid closed for at least 15 minutes so it has time to reach the proper temperature; A hot rack helps create that beautiful sear and prevents food from sticking. When hot, use a grill brush to remove leftovers from your last grill. Starting with clean grates is one of the easiest ways to get better flavor, cleaner grill marks, and more even cooking.

3. Choose your heat

There are two types of heat that you should know before you start grilling: direct and indirect. Direct heat means the food is placed right over the flame, making it ideal for anything that cooks quickly and benefits from a good sear, such as steaks, burgers, chicken breasts, shrimp, vegetables, or anything that can be cooked in about 15 minutes or less.

Indirect heat, sometimes called radiant heat, is best for larger cuts of meat, bone-in pieces, or anything that needs a longer cooking time without drying out. Think whole chicken, ribs, thicker pork chops, or vegetables like eggplant, which benefit from a slower approach so they become tender and deeply flavorful. If your food starts to cook too quickly on the outside before it’s done on the inside, or if flare-ups occur, simply move it to a cooler part of the grill for more control and even cooking.

For a perfect New York strip steak, I sear it over direct heat on each side and then move to indirect heat to finish the last few minutes of cooking. Since my vegetables cook quite quickly, most of them can be cooked from start to finish only over direct heat.

4. It’s all in the cut

My favorite way to eat vegetables is with a little charcoal, and almost all of them are better after a quick grilling. Some heartier vegetables benefit from being blanched or partially cooked first (think carrots, sweet potatoes, and winter squash), but for most summer vegetables, all you need is a drizzle of olive oil, a generous pinch of salt, and your favorite seasoning.

That being said, the way you cut vegetables is important. Make sure the pieces are large enough so they don’t fall through the grill grates, and cut everything into similar sizes so they cook at the same rate. Asparagus and green beans can be left whole, zucchini and eggplant are beautiful cut into long strips, and tomatoes and bell peppers can simply be cut in half and placed cut side down on the grill.

Roasted vegetables are my summer side dish because they are simple, colorful, and go with almost anything else on the table. Serve them as is, pile them on a plate, or make them feel a little more special with a sauce like chimichurri, pesto, romesco, or a bright citrus aioli.

5. Put a lid on it

I used to be confused about whether you are supposed to grill with the lid open or closed. Then, during a cooking class years ago, the teacher explained it in a way that finally clicked: Keeping the lid closed helps trap heat and that delicious smokiness that occurs when fat and juices hit the flame and vaporize.

The lesson? Keep the lid down as much as possible. It helps retain heat, encourages more even cooking, and gives grilled meats, vegetables, and seafood that smoky, fresh-off-the-grill flavor we all want.

6. Resist the temptation to spin

You know when someone stands over the grill, tongs in hand, turning everything every few seconds? Try not to do that. Letting the food sit in one place gives it time to develop that delicious caramelization, which is really the goal of grilling in the first place.

Resist the temptation to move or turn food too frequently and you’ll be rewarded with better flavor, gorgeous grill marks, and that sweet, crispy crust we all love. As a general rule, flip once when food naturally releases from the grates; if it sticks, it will probably need another minute.

7. You can grill almost anything (even dessert)

It’s fun to experiment with unexpected grilled foods and it turns out you can grill a lot more than just meat and vegetables. My current favorite summer dessert is roasted peaches with ice cream, and it’s the perfect technique for almost any stone fruit, as the heat brings out its natural sweetness and helps it hold up beautifully on the grill.

You can also grill slices of pound cake, foil-wrapped s’mores, or even citrus for cocktails and desserts. Ending the evening with something sweet over the fire feels a little unexpected in the best of ways, and is yet another reminder that grilling is as much about ritual as it is about recipe.

There’s something about a night around the grill that makes me want to put down my phone and savor the easy moments of summer with family and friends. So consider this your sign to try something new, keep it simple, and create some delicious memories in the coming season.

This post was last updated on June 14, 2026 to include new insights..