If you’re new to grilling with gas, you might be a little nervous about getting the most out of your recipes. Don’t worry; grilling is fun and easy, especially when using a gas grill. To get you started, we asked veteran Patrick Montgomery, founder of KC Cattle Company, to provide this definitive guide on how to grill with gas.

Fire up your grills—it’s time to cook!

Basic Rules Of Grilling

Start With A Clean Grill

It might seem obvious, but you’re not going to create delicious food on a dirty grill. You better believe that if your grill grates have stuck-on bits of charred food, they’re going to cause your food to stick like a magnet. There are many techniques for cleaning the grates (even using an onion!), but one of the most tried-and-true methods is to preheat the grill with the lid closed and then give the grates a good scrub with a wire grill brush before you begin cooking.

Check The Propane Tank

It’s no fun when your gas runs out while in the middle of grilling, so be sure you’ve got plenty of propane before you get started. A 20-pound propane tank will last about 18–20 hours on a mid-sized grill, but you should keep a full backup tank on hand. This way, if your tank gives out halfway through, you can switch it out quickly and refill it later—when you’re not trying to feed a dozen hungry guests. (Note: Always store your propane tanks outside.)

Always Cover The Grill When Not In Use

In the South, as long as the weather is decent, you can grill no matter what the season—but that doesn’t mean you should leave your grill to the mercy of the elements. When you’re not using your grill, turn it and the propane tank off, and shield it year-round with a waterproof, weather-resistant grill cover. A grill cover will extend the life of your grill and protect it from rain, snow, pollen, and debris. 

How To Grill Step-By-Step

Step 1: Prepare Your Grill

As mentioned above, make sure your grill is clean and seasoned before you start cooking. Seasoning your grates with oil is a good practice before and after grilling. It helps create those signature grill marks, keeps food from sticking, and prevents rust from developing. While the grill is still cold, apply an oil with a high smoke point (400 degrees or higher) to your grates with paper towels or a spray bottle, coat the grates, and wipe off any excess.

Step 1: Turn On The Propane

To turn on your grill, twist the propane tank’s valve counterclockwise until it’s completely open. Make sure your grill’s lid is open (to avoid trapping fumes), and then turn on one of the burners on high. Then, if your grill is newer, hit the ignition button and hold it until the flame appears. If you have an older gas grill, you may have to use a long lighter to manually light the burner through a hole in the side of the grill. Once your burner is lit, twist on the rest of the burners to preheat the grill.

Step 2: Preheat The Grill

According to Montgomery, preheating your grill is important, and neglecting to do so is a common grilling mistake. “Allowing your grill to preheat is how you get awesome grill marks and prevent your meat from sticking to the grill grates,” he says. As for how long you should preheat the grill before cooking, that “depends on the size and type of grill. A good rule of thumb is 30 minutes.”

Step 3: Place Food On Direct Or Indirect Heat

“Direct heat is placing the meat directly on the flame of your grill,” Montgomery says. “Indirect heat is placing the protein items away from direct heat, but still in a place the protein is cooking.”

In general, direct heat is great for grilling veggies quickly, searing meat, and grilling shellfish. Since indirect heat means that you’re placing your food away from the burner, it’s best for foods you want to cook slowly.

Step 4: Close The Grill Lid—Sometimes

For fast-cooking foods like burgers, hotdogs, shrimp, or thinly pounded chicken or pork, leave the lid up. For thicker cuts of meat and poultry, like ribs, a whole chicken, turkey breast, or brisket, a closed lid traps in heat and allows everything to cook evenly. Sometimes, it takes a little bit of both. For example, it’s nice to sear a thick steak on high heat with the lid open, then let it cook to your desired internal temperature with the lid closed.

Step 5: Use A Meat Thermometer

The easiest way to tell if your meat is done is to invest in a good meat thermometer and follow the instructions. If you don’t happen to have one on hand, Montgomery suggests touching your hand to your face and using the feel of your skin to confirm your meat’s doneness. He says, “Essentially, the skin on your cheek will have a similar feel to the meat you are cooking when it is medium rare.” So, you should match the feel of your medium-rare meat to the soft and somewhat squishy resistance of your cheek when you put pressure on it. The slightly harder resistance of your chin’s skin, with the bone behind it, has a similar feel to a medium cook-through of your meat. And, “the skin on your forehead will feel similar when it is medium-well,” Montgomery says. “This is about the best method you can use if you do not have a thermometer.”

Step 6: Cool And Clean

After you’ve finished cooking, turn off the burners and close the valve on your tank. Allow the grill to cool completely before cleaning it. Use a grill brush to remove any gunk from the grates, then wipe clean with paper towels if they are still dirty. Use more towels moistened with vegetable oil to finish wiping and seasoning the grates.

If the inside of the cover gets dirty, you can dip a brush in soapy water and use it to scrub the cover clean. Dry it with a rag afterwards.

More Tips For Good Grilling

Now that you know the basics, you may be wondering how to get the best results on the grill. Follow these cooking tips for a meal that will impress your family:

• Be careful not to place your food on an overheated grill, or you may end up scorching the skin without cooking the food all the way through. Use indirect heat when you need to slow down cooking.
• For beautiful cross-hatch marks, cook your meat on one side for half the time, then flip. After you have your first set of marks, flip again, turning the meat 90 degrees.
• Allow meat to rest on a clean platter for a few minutes after cooking for the juiciest results. If you slice into it too soon, the juices will run out.
• Before getting started, look up the internal temperature that your meat should be cooked to. Meats like chicken must be cooked all the way through to be safe, while steaks can be pulled off the grill 5 degrees below the desired temperature as they’ll continue cooking while they rest.

Grill Recipes To Try

There are no limits to what you can make once you’ve mastered your gas grill. Here are a few of our favorites: