You have purchased your first charcoal grill. And, now you are excited to start grilling. But suddenly you wonder what is the best food to cook on a charcoal grill. Can you just grill the normal grilling meats, or are there other things that you can grill on your new grill?
There is a lot of food that you can grill on a charcoal grill. You just need to experiment with different food. But, if you want a starting point, we are giving you some of the most popular food that you can grill. It might also be necessary to know how to grill food to perfection on a charcoal grill. This is why we are including the tips on how to cook on a grill as well.
How to grill different food to perfection on a charcoal grill
Before you can just start grilling different foods, you need to know how to use a charcoal grill correctly. Many people don’t know how to use a charcoal grill correctly, and then they don’t get their food prepared. It is undercooked or it is overcooked. This is why we need to give you this information before you can start experimenting with food.
Prepping the grill
To have the best-tasting food and to make sure that you don’t have food that is stuck on the grates, you need to prep the grates correctly.
Firstly, you always need to clean the grates after you have grilled. To make sure that there isn’t any food left after grilling. This will make it easier to prep the grill. Preheating the grate is also essential. After the grates have been preheated, you need to brush the grates. Some people are using olive oil, brushing the grates before you start cooking. This ensures that the food doesn’t get stuck, and gives a great taste to the food. Normal cooking oil can also be used.
Getting the right temperature
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to start grilling before the grill reaches the right temperature. Normal charcoal grills can take between 20 and 30 minutes to properly warm up. For some foods, you need to have a warmer grill. Then, you need to add more charcoal. The more charcoal, the hotter your grill will become.
Indirect and direct heat grilling
Another important thing that you need to understand before you can experiment with different foods, is direct and indirect heat grilling. Direct, is if you are placing the food above the heat. Directly above the charcoal. Indirect is if you are placing the charcoal to one side of the grill, and you are grilling on the other side.
This is for food that can get burned very easily or needs low and slow grilling. With time, you will learn when you need direct grilling and indirect grilling.
Making use of the vents
If you have a grill with a lid, then you will see that there are small vents on top of the lid and at the bottom of the grill. This is actually important to have. These vents control how much oxygen gets to your coals. And, it will control how hot or cold you want your grill.
You need to open the vents for oxygen, but not too much and you will have a flare-up of flames. Keeping it closed, you will not get any oxygen to the grill, and we all know that fire needs oxygen. You can adjust the vents according to your needs.
Best food to cook on a charcoal grill
If you are looking for some of the best foods, and most popular food to grill on a charcoal grill, you are at the right place. These are the best food that you can cook on your charcoal grill. It doesn’t matter what type of charcoal grill you have; these are foods that will always be delicious.
Hamburgers
Grilling your hamburger putties before making your hamburgers are delicious. This is one of the most common reasons why people are purchasing a grill. For their hamburgers. Not only is it getting cooked while you are enjoying a visit from friends and family, but the smokey flavor of the hamburgers just tastes a lot better than oven-cooked burgers.
Hot dogs
This is the same with hot dogs as with hamburger patties. This is still a cheap dinner, but you are enjoying the time with friends and family. If you want toasted hot dog buns, you can put these on the grill as well. Making it taste even better. The thicker the hot dogs, the longer you need to grill them.
Ribs
There is just no better meat to grill than ribs. Yes, it takes a lot longer than other food and meat, but the results are worth the wait. This is food that tastes better with a marinade and with slow and indirect heat. You can grill any type of ribs here, but if you are looking for a great rib, then a smoked rib will be the answer.
Steak
If you have some experience with grilling on a charcoal grill, then you will enjoy a steak as well. The secret is to not keep it on the grill for too long. You want a juicy steak, not a dry steak. With the right spices and marinade, you can turn a grilled steak into a feast.
Fish
Fish needs indirect heat to have the best dish. A short grilling period and low, indirect heat are necessary to get great-tasting grilled fish, that isn’t dried. Most people might think about adding wood chips for a smokey flavor when it comes to fish.
Chicken
For chicken, you need to have patience and the right temperature grill. But there is nothing better than a grilled chicken. You just need to remember that chicken needs to be grilled at the right temperature to prevent getting sick. And, your chicken should never be raw. Most people preheat their chicken a bit before they add it to the grill. But this isn’t necessary if you are indirect heat and enough charcoal for a longer grilling time.
Seafood
Just like fish, you need to grill seafood with indirect heat, or low heat. With grilling or cooking seafood, it tastes at its best when it isn’t grilled too long. If you are in the mood for some luxurious grilling, then a seafood platter is just the thing that you can consider.
Food that you never have thought about grilling that taste perfect, grilled
Maybe you have grilled the mentioned food, but you are looking to impress your family with something that not many people grill. The truth is that there is a lot of food that you might not know tastes better grilled than cooked or raw. We are giving you some advice about grilling unique food.
Fruit that can be grilled
If you never have grilled food yet, then you are missing out on a lot. Many people can’t imagine that grilled fruit can be so great. And, you can almost grill any fruit you can lay your hands on. However, if you want to get a great fruit grilling experience, you need to grill this fruit as soon as possible.
- Watermelon,
- Pineapple,
- Banana,
- Peaches,
- Apricots, and more
If you want to impress people, make a fruit salad of grilled fruit. You will never look at grilling the same way after you have tasted grilled fruit.
Other unique foods you can grill without any problems
Besides the fruit, there are some other unique foods you can grill, that you didn’t think of. Or, people can’t see that it will work to grill these. However, if you have some grilling experience, and you know how to control your charcoal heat, these foods are worth the try.
- Calamari steaks
- Avocado halves
- Artichokes
- Pizza
The best part is if you start experimenting yourself. Try different food, and let your friends and family taste. You might find some food that you shouldn’t grill. However, you might find some of the best foods you can grill, that no one else has thought of. Most meats can be grilled, so you can grill ham and bacon. Try chicken filets with cheese on top, or even grilled mushrooms.
Conclusion
It doesn’t matter what type of grill you have, or if you are experienced in charcoal grilling or not. There is a huge selection of food that you can grill perfectly on a grill. From fruits, vegetables, and different types of meats and seafood.
You need to remember that when it comes to grilling food, there aren’t any rules about which foods you can grill and which you shouldn’t grill. If you know how to control the heat of the grill, you can try anything. But, these foods that we have mentioned need to be tried at least once. You will look at your grill completely differently and you might just want to start experimenting to find your own, unique food that you can grill on your charcoal grill.
Leave a Reply