Food Cooking Tips & Techniques Grilling How to Grill Anything to Perfection—Your Guide to Technique, Temperatures, and Seasoning Are you known as a pitmaster? You will be soon. By Betty Gold Betty Gold Betty Gold is the former senior digital food editor at Real Simple. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on April 20, 2020 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Summertime is synonymous with grill season. This primer covers everything from how to grill steak and salmon to searing potatoes, plum tomatoes, and more. Whether you're new to grilling or a seasoned pit master, you'll want to keep this helpful handbook in your back pocket all summer long, because it's far too easy to forget the safe internal temperature guidelines for cooking beef, pork, poultry, fish, and seafood. Plus, there's endless opportunity to find new foods that taste delicious with a char, like citrus fruits, eggplant, and even avocados. After reading this guide, you're going to cruise the farmer's market with a whole new outlook on what your grill can do. As for seasoning, most foods will taste great if you add just a little salt, pepper, and olive oil beforehand. That's the beauty of grilling: it's a fuss-free cooking method meant to elevate an ingredient's natural flavor without much elbow grease. That being said, if you want even more flavor, there are endless mouthwatering marinades you can add to your meat or veggies before they're barbecued. And if you need some simple summer sides, we've got tons here. Once the meal is over, always make sure you're keeping your grill clean with the right methods. You'll thank yourself when you go back for more bonding time with your barbecue. The Ultimate Guide to Grilling Vegetables, According to Professional Chefs 01 of 08 How to Grill Beef Charles Masters Heat: Direct (uncovered), high.Time: 3 to 5 minutes per side.Internal Temperature: 140° F for medium.Tip: Don't press down on the patties during cooking or you'll squeeze out the delicious juices. Heat: Direct (uncovered), medium-high.Time: 5 to 7 minutes, turning occasionally. (such as flank and New York strip)Heat: Direct (uncovered), medium-high.Time: 3 to 5 minutes per side.Internal Temperature: 130° F for medium-rare.Tip: For the best sear, turn steaks just once halfway through. (such as rib-eye and porterhouse)Heat: Direct (uncovered), medium-high, then indirect (covered), medium-high.Time: Direct for 3 to 5 minutes per side, then indirect for 4 to 6 minutes.Internal Temperature: 130° F for medium-rare.Note: For steaks 2 inches thick or more, increase indirect cooking time to 8 to 10 minutes. If you're just learning how to barbecue, this primer will help you get your grill started. Then, learn exactly what high, medium, and other grill temperatures mean. Click here for a printer-friendly PDF of this information. 02 of 08 How to Grill Poultry Con Poulos Heat: Direct (uncovered), medium.Time: 5 to 6 minutes per side.Internal Temperature: 160° F. Heat: Direct (uncovered), medium.Time: 2 to 3 minutes per side.Internal Temperature: 160° F. Heat: Indirect (covered), medium.Time: 40 to 50 minutes.Internal Temperature: 165° F.Tip: For crispy skin, grill the pieces skin-side down over direct heat (uncovered) until golden, 6 to 8 minutes, then transfer to indirect heat and cook skin-side up until cooked through. Heat: Direct (uncovered), medium.Time: 4 to 5 minutes, turning once.Internal Temperature: 165° F. Heat: Indirect (covered), medium.Time: 25 to 30 minutes, turning occasionally.Internal Temperature: 165° F. Heat: Indirect (covered), medium.Time: 45 minutes to 1 hour, 15 minutes.Internal Temperature: 165° F, measured in the thigh. Heat: Direct (uncovered), medium-high.Time: 5 to 7 minutes per side.Internal Temperature: 165° F.Tip: Don't press down on the patties during cooking or you'll squeeze out the delicious juices. Heat: Direct (uncovered), medium.Time: 2 to 3 minutes per side.Internal Temperature: 160° F. 03 of 08 How to Grill Pork Getty Images Heat: Indirect (covered), medium-high, then direct (uncovered), medium-high.Time: Indirect for 25 to 30 minutes, then direct for 4 to 5 minutes per side.Tip: For a delicious caramelized finish and to prevent burning, apply barbecue sauce only during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Heat: Direct (uncovered), medium-high.Time: 3 to 5 minutes per side for bone-in; 2 to 5 minutes per side for boneless.Internal Temperature: 145° F. Heat: Direct (uncovered), medium-high.Time: 6 to 8 minutes per side for bone-in; 5 to 7 minutes per side for boneless.Internal Temperature: 145° F. Heat: Direct (uncovered), medium-high, then indirect (covered), medium-high.Time: Direct for 10 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally, then indirect for 1 to 1½ hours.Internal Temperature: 145° F. Heat: Direct (uncovered), medium-high, then indirect (covered), medium-high.Time: Direct for 10 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally, then indirect for 30 to 40 minutes.Internal Temperature: 145° F. Heat: Direct (uncovered), medium-high.Time: 10 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally.Internal Temperature: 145° F for pork; 165° F for chicken.Tip: To grill a sausage coil, run 2 long skewers through it in a crisscross pattern, then cook as directed above, turning once. Heat: Direct (uncovered), medium-high, then indirect (covered), medium-high.Time: Direct for 6 to 8 minutes, turning occasionally, then indirect for 10 to 12 minutes.Internal Temperature: 145° F. 04 of 08 How to Grill Lamb Greg DuPree Heat: Direct (uncovered), high.Time: 3 to 5 minutes per side.Internal Temperature: 130° F for medium-rare. Heat: Direct (uncovered), high.Time: 4 to 6 minutes per side.Internal Temperature: 130° F for medium-rare. Heat: Direct (uncovered), medium-high, then indirect (covered), medium-high.Time: Direct for 4 to 5 minutes per side, then indirect for 15 to 20 minutes.Internal Temperature: 130° F for medium-rare.Tip: If you're grilling a leg of lamb tied into a roll, increase indirect grilling time to 20 to 30 minutes. Heat: Direct (uncovered), medium-high, then indirect (covered), medium-high.Time: Direct for 3 to 5 minutes per side, then indirect for 10 to 15 minutes.Internal Temperature: 130° F for medium-rare. 05 of 08 How to Grill Seafood Max Kelly The trick with seafood is to make sure it doesn't stick. So coat it lightly with oil and check that the grate is clean and very hot. For fillets and whole fish, you can also try this foolproof (albeit more time-consuming) method: Place the fish on a soaked cedar plank or a lightly oiled piece of heavy-duty foil, then grill (covered), over medium indirect heat. Heat: Direct (uncovered), high.Time: 1 to 2 minutes per side.Tip: Thread on skewers for easy turning. Heat: Direct (uncovered), high.Time: 1 to 2 minutes per side.Tip: Thread on skewers for easy turning. (such as salmon, striped bass, and mahimahi)Heat: Direct (uncovered), high.Time: 3 to 4 minutes per side.Note: If grilling with a cedar plank or foil, cook over medium indirect heat (covered), 20 to 30 minutes. Heat: Direct (uncovered), high.Time: 4 to 5 minutes per side.Note: If grilling with a cedar plank or foil, cook over medium indirect heat (covered), 20 to 30 minutes. Heat: Indirect (covered), medium-high.Time: 30 to 40 minutes.Tip: Because a large fish can tear when turned, cooking on a plank, on foil, or in a fish basket is necessary. 06 of 08 How to Grill Vegetables Victor Protasio Heat: Direct (uncovered), medium-high.Time: 2 to 4 minutes, turning occasionally. (cut into 2-inch strips)Heat: Direct (uncovered), medium.Time: 4 to 5 minutes per side. (cut into ½-inch-thick slices)Heat: Direct (uncovered), medium.Time: 4 to 5 minutes per side.Tip: Slice the vegetables on the bias to expose the maximum surface area. Heat: Direct (uncovered), medium.Time: 4 to 5 minutes per side.Tip: Mushrooms can also be cooked in a foil pouch; see Tomatoes, Cherry, for the method and times. (cut into ½-inch-thick rounds or wedges)Heat: Direct (uncovered), medium.Time: 5 to 6 minutes per side. (slice, then cook in a pouch made of heavy-duty foil)Heat: Indirect (covered), medium-high.Time: 25 to 30 minutes.Tip: New potatoes can be cooked whole, or halved if large. Heat: Direct (uncovered), medium-high.Time: 2 to 4 minutes, turning occasionally. (cut in half)Heat: Direct (uncovered), medium.Time: 2 to 3 minutes per side. (cook in a pouch made of heavy-duty foil)Heat: Indirect (covered), medium-high.Time: 5 to 10 minutes. 07 of 08 How to Grill Fruit Antonis Achilleos (such as oranges and lemons, cut in half or into wedges)Heat: Direct (uncovered), medium.Time: 4 to 6 minutes, turning occasionally. (cut into rings or wedges)Heat: Direct (uncovered), medium.Time: 2 to 4 minutes per side. (such as peaches, plums, and nectarines, cut in half and pitted)Heat: Direct (uncovered), medium.Time: 2 to 3 minutes per side. 08 of 08 How to Grill Kebabs Quentin Bacon Soak wooden skewers for at least 15 minutes before threading to prevent burning on the grill. For tastiest results (meaning nothing is burned or overcooked), make your kebabs with items that cook at the same rate—say, shrimp and cherry tomatoes (fast) or chicken, onions, and oranges (slow). Heat: Direct (uncovered), medium-high.Time: 4 to 6 minutes, turning occasionally.Tip: For best results, cut meat into 1- to 1½-inch cubes. Heat: Direct (uncovered), high.Time: 1 to 2 minutes per side. Heat: Direct (uncovered), medium-high.Time: 4 to 6 minutes, turning occasionally.Tip: For best results, cut vegetables into 1- to 1½-inch cubes. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit