Grilling on a weeknight can be smooth sailing with a few tips and tricks.
Weeknight grilling can be fairly effortless and requires minimal clean up in your kitchen. Here are our best tips and tricks to make the most of a quick and satisfying dinner on the grill. The key is to master a few techniques with your favorite protein so you can just go on autopilot with maybe a few tweaks here and there depending on what you have on hand.
Keep it casual
Tuesday night is not the time to try that new basting technique you saw on instagram for a thick cut steak. Choose something that will cook fast like chicken thighs, pork chops, or fresh sausage links. Pair it with something green plus your favorite carb and you’ve got a meal.
Plan ahead
Before you start your day, get your meat marinating in the fridge. Marinades are easy to whip up and are basically the same thing as a salad dressing. Oil, acid (like some type of vinegar or citrus juice), garlic, and fresh herbs is a great base to use. You can also just toss those chicken thighs in whatever salad dressing has been lingering in your fridge door for too long. *Note: If you’re planning on grilling seafood, it’s best to marinate for a shorter period of time - up to an hour, or things get mushy.
Got propane?
Weeknight grilling is where your propane grill shines! They are much faster to get up to heat than a charcoal grill. However, if all you have is charcoal don’t get down. Using a chimney to start your coals will speed things up. Just don’t forget to check that you have propane in your tank or briquettes on hand.
Al Fresco
When the weather is nice, soak it up. Prepare your whole meal outdoors, and enjoy it there as well. When you head out the door to preheat your grill, stack your bundle of cooking tools on a small cutting board to take with you for your outdoor cooking station. Eating more meals outside can break up the monotony of spending so much time in your house.
Clean up
Cleaning your grill is a thousand times easier to tackle right after you eat while things are still warm. If there are any savory bits left behind on the grates, turn the heat up to high to burn everything off and give it a quick scrape. Now you’re ready to go for next time!