Have you ever watched those BBQ shows on TV where their meats turn out perfect every time? And then when you try to replicate that at your own grill they end up looking like hockey pucks? Maybe that’s just me, but I’ve rounded up 10 of my favorite grilling tips to help YOU get perfect results every time!

1. To make cooking easier, clean your grill thoroughly before and after each use with a sturdy wire brush.

2. Spray or brush the grill with cooking oil to prevent food from sticking. This can be done with cooking oil spray or with a clean rag dipped in oil. Do this only when the grill is cold and be careful when you light it!

3. Preheat your grill for at least 30 minutes with the lid closed. This allows it to reach prime cooking temperature. It also prevents flare-ups because it burns off fats and foods that stuck to the grate the last time you cooked.

4. If you’re using charcoal, arrange all the coals on one side of the barbecue to create an area of direct heat (right over the coals), and indirect heat (away from the coals). Food can be moved to different temperature zones as needed. If you have a gas grill, keep the flame higher on one side.

5. Don’t pile everything on the grill at once. Consider cooking times and temperatures for each item and schedule your firing times accordingly.

6. Leave at least 30% of the grill’s surface area unused. This gives you an emergency evacuation area to transfer foods if they start to burn.

7. Don’t crowd the grill. Leaving space between foods prevents steaming, helps items to cook evenly, and is crucial to achieving the mark of a pro — a delicious caramelized surface.

8. Keep the lid closed. Lifting the lid releases the heat and the smoke that gives food its barbecue flavor. If you’re looking, you’re not cooking!

9. Use extra-long tongs — not a fork — when moving meats. Piercing the meat causes all of the precious juices to escape, drying out your dinner.

10. Not sure if it’s done? Don’t pull the amateur move of cutting into the meat to check (see above)! Get it right every time with an instant read thermometer, or a fancy wireless BBQ thermometer and use a meat temperature chart to help you cook it just the way you like it.

Cooking Meat

Every different cut and type of meat requires a different cooking time on the grill. Here are go-to times for each type of meat.

You should also be aware however, that levels of heat vary as well. You should always double check before you start to grill, so your meat cooks to its full potential.

• Boneless steaks: 12-18 minutes for medium rare
• Bone-in steaks: 11-18 for medium rare
• Beef patties: 10-16 minutes, flip once
• Chicken breasts: 8-12 minutes or until juices run clear
• Chicken legs: 20-30 minutes, flipping every 5-7 minutes
• Chicken wings: 16-18 minutes, or until juices run clear
• Pork chops: 12-16 minutes, until only slightly pink center
• Hot dogs: 4-6 minutes, if precooked
• Sausage: if uncooked, cook in a skillet until they are almost done then put the on the grill for 8-12 minutes
• Fish fillet: 4-6 minutes per 1/2-inch of thickness. Turn once.
• Fish steaks: 4-6 minutes per 1/2- inch of thickness. Turn once.
• Shrimp: 5-7 minutes, until pink and springy.

Steak night always feels like a special occasion, and you can treat your family to one even when you’re eating healthy. Use this simple recipe that combines ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and honey to create an umami sauce that gives lean flank steak a richer flavor and makes the meat more tender. Serve it in four ounce portions and pair it with broccoli or grilled veggies.

Ginger Soy Flank Steak

Total Time: 1 hr. 21 min.
Prep Time: 5 min.
Cooking Time: 16 min.
Yield: 6 servings

Red – 1 Yellow – 1/2

Ingredients:
2-inch slice fresh ginger, peeled, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. crushed red pepper
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp. raw honey
¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp. sesame seed oil
1½ lbs. flank steak (or tenderized round steak)

Preparation:
1. Combine ginger, garlic, red pepper, lime juice, honey, soy sauce, and oil in a small bowl; whisk to blend.
2. Place steak in a shallow dish. Pour ginger mixture over steak; marinate, covered, turning once, for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
3. Preheat grill or broiler on high.
4. Grill or broil steak for 5 to 8 minutes on each side, or until the internal temperature reaches desired temperature on your meat thermometer (rare is 120° F., medium rare is 125° F., medium is 130° F.). Remove from heat; let steak rest, covered with aluminum foil, for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.
5. Slice steak thinly against the grain.

Below are some of our favorite tips to getting a perfect steak every time!

*For the most flavorful steak, give the marinade at least an hour to absorb into the meat. Place the steak into a shallow dish and pour the sauce over the top. Put it in the fridge and let it marinate for 30 minutes. Then, flip the steak over and marinate 30 minutes more to make sure both sides are exposed to the sauce. If you don’t have a shallow dish handy, put the steak and marinade mixture into a sealable plastic bag, close, and refrigerate. Let the the steak marinate for up to four hours.

*Before cooking, let the steak sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour. This step is crucial! Placing a cold steak on a flaming-hot grill can cause it to cook unevenly, giving you a charred exterior and a blue center.

*When it’s time to cook, lay the steak on the grill where you can see the coals glowing red but not where the steak would be in the flames. Now, close the lid! If you’re looking, you’re not cooking.

*After 5-8 minutes, flip the steak over and close the lid again for another 5 minutes. Open the lid to test the doneness of the meat, now, finish the steak with the lid open until it’s done to your preference. Rare is 120° F, medium rare is 125° F, and medium is 130° F.

*The final crucial step after the steak is cooked is to let it rest before slicing. This allows the juices to settle back into the meat instead of escaping onto your cutting board. Cut thin slices, against the grain, for tender, mouthwatering steak.

*recipe adapted from Beachbody