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Home » Should I Grill with the Lid Open or Closed?

Should I Grill with the Lid Open or Closed?

By Marybeth Feutz 5 Comments

What do you think? Should you grill with the lid open or closed? Do you watch the food while it cooks to make sure nothing goes wrong? Or do you close the lid so you can’t see and trust that everything is going to be just fine?

bratwursts, burgers, and buns on a propane grill

Should I Grill with the Lid Open or Closed?

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Some people say never ever-ever-ever cook with your grill lid open. Some people say never ever-ever-ever cook with your grill lid closed. So which is right? What should you do? Are you going to ruin that expensive steak or those “easy” burgers? Ahhhh! Now what?!?

Take a step back. Take a deep breath. It’s going to be ok. You’re going to be ok. And so are your steak and your burgers.

Cooking with the Grill Open

Think of your grill like an oven. Every time you open the oven door, you let some of the heat out. Imagine cooking a casserole in your oven, but leaving the door open the entire time. It would take forever for that casserole to cook!

The same thing happens on your grill. Every time you open the grill lid, some of the heat gets out and the temperature goes down. If you leave the lid open while you’re cooking, the food will take longer to cook.

Not so great when we think of grilling as “hot and fast”!

But. Here’s the thing… Cooking anything on the grill with the lid open is similar to searing something quickly in a skillet on the stove.

When you cook a roast in your Crock-Pot, do you ever brown the outside in a skillet before you put it in the slow cooker? (If not, you should try it! It will change your life!) Searing a piece of meat quickly over high heat – and out “in the open” – creates a delicious crust on the outside. This crust not only tastes good, it also locks a lot of the moisture inside the meat, so your steak will stay nice and juicy. It works for vegetables, too. Start your veggies on a hot grill with the lid open to get the outside browned quickly.

Once the outside of your meat or vegetables is seared and has a beautiful brown crust, close that lid!

bratwursts and hamburgers smoking on a propane grill

Cooking with the Grill Closed

Once you’ve got the outside of your food seared, you’ll want to close the grill lid. This keeps all that hot, delicious heat inside the grill and cooking your food. (Instead of coming off the grill in waves and cooking you!) This is the kind of heat you want to quickly finish cooking your steaks to perfection, or your chicken thighs until they are fully cooked, or your pork chops to the perfect 145 degrees F.

If you leave the grill lid open, your food will still cook. But it will take longer. And it will lose moisture, even if the outside has been seared perfectly. So you’ll end up feeding your super-hungry family dry chewy meat and soggy, overcooked vegetables. Sounds like the recipe for a grouchy evening, if you ask me!

Make it Simple – What Do I Do?

Are you confused? Don’t be. If you aren’t sure what to do, then just close the lid on your grill.

Stay close to your grill so you can check your food every once in a while. But remember, every time you open the grill some of the heat escapes, and everything will take longer to cook.

Now, stop worrying, and let’s go grill!

Enjoy!

3 Ways to Take the Fear Out of Your Kitchen

  • Easy Tips for Food Safety on Your Grill
  • What’s the Difference Between Barbecuing & Grilling?
  • How Can I Tell if My Propane Tank is Full?

3 Recipes to Try

  • Easy Marinated Strip Steak
  • Fajita Cheeseburgers
  • Sweet & Spicy Pork Chops

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Filed Under: Kitchen Tips, Tricks, & More Tagged With: cooking, cooking tips, grill, grilling, kitchen tips, tips

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Hi! I'm Marybeth, the blogger behind My Fearless Kitchen! Jump in, and let me share what I'm learning about food, farming, quick kitchen tips, and easy recipes to chase the fear out of YOUR kitchen! Read more.
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