This year, take on a new challenge. Learn to master a charcoal grill instead of using your old gas model.
While there’s a lot to love about learning how to use the charcoal grill properly, there are some things you need to know to get started safely.
Read on and learn the ins and outs of using a charcoal grill, how to cook everything from steak and burgers to vegetables, and some common mistakes to avoid.
Be sure to combine this guide with our helpful grilling tips for a summer barbecue that will have your guests thinking you’ve been doing it for years.
1. Use the fireplace method to light it
This is the grill lighting method that Michael Haas, RD, and co-founder of Angry BBQpreferred because of its ease.
You’ll need to get a chimney starter, and you’ll only have to take a few steps to get the grill lit:
- Load your chimney starter with your favorite charcoal.
- Place paper under the chimney at the bottom of your grill.
- Light the paper.
And that’s all. The heat from the paper rises, igniting the charcoal all the way.
Haas recommends giving the charcoal 10-15 minutes to fully ignite.
Then, once they turn white, you’re ready to throw your charcoal into the grill.
2. Heat up your grill quickly
You should allow a little more time when working with a charcoal grill. This is where learning how your vents work comes in.
“The more air there is, the hotter the fire,” says Jeanette Kimszal, RDN, of The Radiant Root. “Be sure to open the grill vents to keep air flowing through the fire.”
“Most charcoal grills contain a bottom vent and an upper vent,” adds Haas.
He explains that the bottom one is the vent that controls most of the airflow, so he keeps his “bottom vent fully open and the top vent half open when I want my grill to heat up quickly.”
3. Maintain a constant temperature
You want consistent heat for the best cooking results, and that also depends on your vents.
“Once I’ve reached my desired temperature, I begin to close my bottom vent slightly, so my cooking temperature stays consistent,” says Haas.
4. Take note of the elements
“Wind and outside ambient temperature will also reduce the heat output of your coals, which can make cooking even longer,” says Haas.
“I always build an extra 30 minutes into my grilling schedule if I use the charcoal grill,” he adds.
5. Use dual zone cooking
It sounds complicated, but you’ll quickly master it: Place your lit charcoal on one side of the grill so that “one side of the grill is hot while the other side is at a lower temperature,” says Haas.
According to Kimszal, “foods that cook quickly should be placed just above the embers.” This would include pork chops or our Soy Ginger Flank Steak.
While “foods that cook longer can be placed next to embers, so they get indirect heat,” she adds. Try this method with our Grilled Romaine and Walnut Salad.
Charcoal cooking mistakes to avoid
These mistakes are common but easy to avoid. Be sure to avoid them for the best cooking experience.
6. Do not open the lid too much
“Only open the lid to add your food or to check on how the cook is doing,” warns Haas. If you keep lifting it, “you’ll lose a lot of heat when opening the grill lid and it will take time for your grill to come back up to temperature.”
7. Speed up the process
Remember that you will need more time for a charcoal barbecue, but the result will be worth it!
If you have already lifted the lid several times, continue and add more minutes to your cooking time.
8. Skimp on the charcoal
Haas says you can easily use the vents to raise or lower the temperature of your charcoal grill, as long as you have enough charcoal.
Just because you’re aiming for a slow, slow method doesn’t mean you can use less charcoal.
9. Leaving old ashes in your grill
You will want to dispose of old ashes before attempting to light new briquettes or pieces of charcoal. There may be “too much ash in the grill for the charcoal to ignite,” says Kimszal.
