How to Get Outdoor Flavor From an Indoor Grill

When it comes to grilling, everyone wants that smoky flavor from an outdoor grill. Unfortunately, not everyone can have an outdoor grill. Whether you live in a condo or apartment building with no balcony or patio space for one, or you don’t want to spend money on buying a new grill when you already own one indoors (or both), there are some great ways to get that same delicious flavor indoors. In this article, I’ll share my tips and tricks for smoking protein on the stovetop instead of outside so that your kitchen will smell like summertime all year long!

1. Clean Your Grill Thoroughly

Make sure your grill is clean and ready to go before you start cooking. This may seem obvious, but it’s an easy step that can be overlooked when you’re excited about grilling!

First, remove any loose debris from the surface of the grill using a wire brush. Be careful not to scratch or damage the metal finish—just get everything off that isn’t actually part of your grill. Next, use a grill brush (or steel wool) to scrub down all the grates on your grate with soap and water. Then wipe away any residue with paper towels (or newspaper). Use a damp cloth to clean off any dust or dirt around the outside edge of your grill—this will help keep it looking good and prevent rusting during storage between uses. Your guests will appreciate this attention to detail!

2. Consider Adding Smoke To Your Grill

If you want to add some smoke flavor to your indoor grill, there are two main ways you can do it. One option is to use a smoker box. These are metal containers with holes in the bottom that allow heat and smoke through the bottom of the grill. They usually come with a cover that locks in place when closed, trapping all the vapor inside until you open it up again later.

The other option is to use a smoker pouch instead of or along with a smoker box. Pouches work just like bags: You fill them with wood chips (or any other type of dried herb or spices), then put them under your cooking grate before putting on whatever food you’re grilling. This allows both heat and vaporized flavors from those wood chips/herbs/spices into whatever food is being cooked on top of them!

3. Use A Thermometer To Track Temperature And Cook Time

Meats and vegetables can be placed directly on the grill grate or in a preheated pan. To ensure that you cook food at the correct temperature and don’t leave anything behind, use a thermometer to track meat and vegetable temperatures as well as the internal temperature of your grill. That way, you’ll know when everything is ready to come off the fire!

You should get an instant-read digital thermometer for this job—it’ll be able to give you accurate readings with one quick touch of its button or probe. If you want even more precision (or if there’s a large piece of meat), consider buying some remote probes that allow you to track multiple things at once by placing them in different parts of the cooking area.

4. Remove The Meat From The Refrigerator 30 Minutes Before

Once you’ve chosen your meat, take it out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking and let it sit at room temperature. This will bring it to just the right temperature for cooking. If you let it sit for longer than 30 minutes, however, you may end up with overdone meat.

5. Make Sure You Are Using Enough Oil — But Not Too Much

You want to make sure you are using enough oil so the meat doesn’t stick, but not too much. This can cause flare-ups, which will scorch your food and give it an off flavor. I recommend using a high smoke point oil like canola, safflower, or peanut (in that order). The first two are great for grilling while peanuts have a higher heat tolerance.

You also want to be sure to use non-stick cooking spray or a griddle pan if you’re cooking anything that could cause sticking, like fish or chicken breasts. A griddle comes in handy if you’re planning on cooking burgers as well.

6. Start Grilling Over High Heat

Start each batch by grilling over high heat for a minute or so, then turn down the burner to medium-low to continue your cooking. This will sear the exterior of your food, lock in all those juices and create that delicious browned crust that we all crave in a good grilled protein or vegetable like corn on the cob or zucchini slices.

7. Invest In Good Tongs And Turn Food

Use tongs to move food around in the pan. Tongs are great for this, but use a fork for turning over meat and other foods in the pan. If you need to turn your food over during cooking, use tongs; if you’re serving it from the grill itself (as with burgers), use a fork so as not to puncture it by piercing it with tongs or another utensil.

Use a fork when moving food around on heated surfaces such as grills and frying pans. This can cut down on sticking and help ensure even browning of each side of your meat without drying out too much—which prevents overcooking later on down the line when you may be putting additional sauces or seasonings that would otherwise get washed away if they were applied before cooking was complete!

8. Salt Early And Lightly

Salt early and lightly, before you even turn on the stove or fire up your grill. Then season again with salt and pepper as you remove it from the pan or grill grate; this is also where you add any fresh herbs or other flavorings like garlic, rosemary, chili flakes, etc., for maximum effect. Salt draws out moisture so that when it hits flame it creates steam—which then evaporates into smoke—which infuses your food with extra flavor. But remember: too much of anything can be bad for you! Don’t use too much salt in this process (we’re talking table salt here), because it will overpower everything else you’ve done with your meat by making everything taste salty instead of smoky and delicious like we want it to be!

Something you can do to make the meat taste like country herbs and smoked is to take a sprig of rosemary and place it on top of the meat, then place a tablespoon of butter and cover it for 5 minutes, let the butter melt on top of the meat and when turning, repeat the same procedure. this will make your meat have that particular outdoor flavor

Here Are Some Ways To Get Outdoor Smoked Flavor From Indoors:

If you’re craving the taste of smoked meat, but don’t have access to an outdoor grill, there are a few tricks you can use to bring that flavor indoors.

• Buy a smoker box or add wood chips to your grill. In order to create the smoky flavor associated with grilling outdoors, many people will use either a charcoal grill or gas grill—both of which have been designed specifically for this purpose. If neither of those options is available to you (or if they just don’t cut it), consider adding some wood chips directly into your indoor cooking vessel before heating things up. This will release aromatic smoke that can help mimic the flavor experience associated with outdoor grilling.
  
• Use a charcoal grill or gas smoker instead of an indoor electric element for increased temperature control and better results overall when cooking low-and-slow meats like brisket, chicken thighs and St Louis style ribs.* Grill basket (for indirect heat). A cast iron skillet works great as well! To make sure everything cooks evenly without burning anything too quickly flip them every twenty minutes until golden brown on both sides – about 20 minutes total time! Serve immediately with fresh salsa & guacamole if desired (I also used avocado slices!)* Grilled Chicken Thighs w/Herb Lemon Marinade: Preheat oven broiler on high heat while preparing rest of meal.* Coat each side lightly with olive oil then season generously with salt pepper & garlic powder.* Place sheet pan lined foil sprayed generously with nonstick spray underneath rack so chicken won’t stick during cooking process.* Lay out chicken thighs skin side down first then push down gently until flat against sheet pan surface ensuring even distribution between pieces(about 1/4 inch apart).
  

So there you have it. An indoor grill can be just as effective at grilling your food as an outdoor grill, and with a little ingenuity, you can make sure that you get the most out of your indoor cooking experience.