There’s something about summer that makes grilling inevitable. The longer days, the pull toward the yard, the special pleasure of cooking outside while something cold is in hand, all add up to one of my favorite seasonal rhythms. For our family, grilling is less about who is “in charge” of dinner and more about the ritual of being outside together, enjoying the process instead of rushing to put food on the table.
7 Grilling Tips Every Home Cook Should Know Before Summer
For years, I left the grill as someone else’s territory. But once I learned a few basic techniques, I realized it might 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, timing and preparation, you have everything you need. Ahead, I share the seven grilling rules that have changed the way I cook outdoors.
1. Give him a rest
When it comes to chicken, beef or pork, remove it from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before grilling. Adding glazed meat to a hot grill can cause the exterior to char before the interior has a chance to cook. Letting it get closer to room temperature allows for more even cooking and gives you a better final texture.
Once the meat is removed from the grill, don’t rush to slice it. Let it sit on a foil-lined plate for 5 to 10 minutes so the juices have time to redistribute instead of running out the second you cut it. It’s a small step that grilled chickensteak and pork noticeably juicier and more flavorful.
2. Prepare the grill
While your 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 right temperature: a hot grill helps create that nice sear and prevents food from sticking. When it’s hot, use a grill brush to remove any bits left over from your last barbecue. Starting with clean grills is one of the easiest ways to achieve better flavor, cleaner grill marks, and more even cooking.
3. Choose your heat
There are two types of heat to be aware of before you start grilling: direct and indirect. Direct heat means your food is placed right above the flame, making them ideal for anything that cooks quickly and benefits from a good sear, such as steaks, burgers, chicken breasts, shrimpvegetables or anything that can cook in 15 minutes or less.
Indirect heat, sometimes called radiant heat, is ideal for large cuts of meat, bone-in cuts, or anything that requires a longer cooking time without drying out. Think whole chicken, spare ribs, thicker pork chops, or vegetables like eggplant that benefit from a slower approach so they become tender and deeply flavorful. If your food starts cooking too quickly on the outside before the inside is cooked, 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 steakI sear it over direct heat on each side, then switch to indirect heat to finish the last minutes of cooking. Since my vegetables cook quite quickly, most of them can be cooked from start to finish over direct heat alone.
4. It’s all in the cut
My favorite way to eat vegetables is with a little charcoal, and almost all of them taste better after a quick stint on the grill. Some heartier vegetables would benefit from being blanched or pre-cooked first – think carrots, sweet potatoesand 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 said, how you cut your vegetables matters. 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 eggplants look nice cut into long spears, and tomatoes and peppers can simply be cut in half and placed cut side down on the grill.
Grilled vegetables are my favorite summer side dish because they’re simple, colorful, and go with just about anything on the table. Serve them as is, pile them on a platter, or make them feel a little more special with a dipping sauce like chimichurri, pesto, romesco, or a bright citrus aioli.
5. Put a lid on it
I used to not know if you were supposed to grill with the lid open or closed. Then, in a cooking class years ago, the professor explained it in a way that finally hit home: Keeping the lid closed helps trap in the heat and that delicious smoke that occurs when fat and juices come into contact with the flame and vaporize.
The lesson? Keep the lid down as much as possible. It helps retain heat, promotes more even cooking, and gives grilled meats, vegetables, and seafood that smoky, just-off-the-grill flavor we all want.
6. Resist the urge to turn around
You know when someone stands over the grill, tongs in hand, turning everything every few seconds? Try not to do that. Letting your food sit in one place gives it time to develop that delicious caramelization, which is really the whole point of grilling in the first place.
Resist the urge to move or flip your food too often, and you’ll be rewarded with better flavor, great grill marks, and that sweet, crispy crust we all love. As a general rule, flip it once when the food naturally releases from the grates. If they stick, it will probably take another minute.
7. You can grill almost anything (even desserts)
It’s fun to experiment with unexpected foods on the grill, and it turns out you can grill a lot more than just meat and vegetables. My current favorite summer dessert is grilled peaches with ice creamand it’s the perfect technique for just about any stone fruit since the heat brings out its natural sweetness and helps it hold up well 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 on the flame seems a little unexpected at the best of times, and it’s another reminder that grilling is as much about ritual as it is about recipe.
There’s something about an evening around the grill that makes me want to put down my phone and savor the easy times of summer with family and friends. So consider this your sign to try something new, keep it simple, and create a few delicious memories in the upcoming season.
This article was last updated on June 14, 2026 to include new information.
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