We all want easier, more efficient, more creative ways to make fantastic barbecue while saving money doing it. This list started with an article from friend of the show Meathead — “12 Genius Barbecue and Grilling Hacks to Save You Time and Money” — and I’ve added my own flavor, plus some gems from our live community. None of these should break the bank; most use things you already have around the house.
Clean Your Grill Grates with Aluminum Foil — or an OnionSkip the wire-bristle brush (those broken bristles can end up in your food, and that’s genuinely dangerous). Instead, crumple up some aluminum foil, grab it with tongs, and scrape your still-hot grates clean. Even better, my favorite: cut an onion in half and run it across the hot grates. It cleans them, and the onion’s natural juices help keep the grates seasoned. When you’re done, toss that onion into the fire — it’ll make everything smell great.
Stoke the Fire with a Hair Dryer (or Better: a Leaf Blower)Fire is oxidation, and a hair dryer is like a bellows on steroids — a constant blast of oxygen that transforms a lame, smoldering pile of coals into a perfect fire in minutes. Now, I’m a guy without a hair dryer, so here’s my substitute: a leaf blower. Mine runs on rechargeable batteries, so no outlet needed, and it pushes even more air than a hair dryer. In a pinch, it revives a struggling fire fast.
Use a Charcoal Chimney for Crazy-High-Heat SearingNothing beats a steak seared over a raging hot fire, but heating a whole grill is a waste of time and fuel for one or two steaks. Instead: flip your chimney upside down, fill it one-half to three-quarters with charcoal, and fully preheat the briquettes. Lightly oil your steaks (no more than an inch thick), and — here’s the tidbit I didn’t know — season with salt only, because pepper will burn at these extreme temperatures. Set a small grate on top of the chimney and grill the steaks, moving and flipping about once a minute, until seared and cooked to 130°F for a perfect medium rare.
Check Your Propane Level with a Cup of Hot WaterBefore your next gas grill session, make sure you have enough fuel to finish the job. Pour a cup or two of really hot water down the side of the tank, then run your palm from top to bottom. The metal feels hot where the tank is empty and cooler toward the bottom where there’s propane — you’ll even see a condensation line marking the fill level. Pretty ingenious.
Turn a Disposable Aluminum Pan into… Almost AnythingThose cheap foil pans are secretly one of the most versatile tools in barbecue:
Smoke generator: Add wood chips or pellets to a pan and set it over the burners of a gas grill to add real smoke flavor — addressing the biggest weakness of gas grills.
Grill topper: Use the perforated pan for small foods like sliced onions, mushrooms, or shrimp that would otherwise fall through the grates.
Turn Stems and Stalks into Flavorful SkewersNo skewers on hand? Rosemary stems, lemongrass stalks, or sugar cane will hold your kabobs together and add flavor to the meat and vegetables from the inside out.
Grill Fish on a Bed of Citrus (or Coat It in Mayo)Fish is tricky on the grill — sticking is the enemy. Two fixes: lay a single layer of sliced oranges, lemons, or limes on the grate and cook your fish directly on top of the citrus. Or coat the fish with mayonnaise — mayo is mostly oil, has almost no impact on flavor, and does a great job preventing sticking. One of our community members has been using the citrus trick for salmon and confirms it works. A soaked cedar plank works great too.
Create a “Secret Sauce” by Doctoring Store-BoughtMaking sauce from scratch takes trial and error. The shortcut: take a bottle of store-bought sauce and add your own touches — fruit juice, jellies or jams, dried spices like smoked paprika or chipotle, coffee, or melted butter for richness. Heat it, let it reduce to the consistency you want, and chill until serving. I’ll share one of my own secrets: I use smoked paprika instead of regular paprika in my rubs for that extra hint of depth. And whatever you concoct — write down the ingredients and quantities so you can recreate it next time.
Separate the Raw and the CookedThis one has a food-safety payoff — nobody wants to rush grandma to the emergency room after a cookout. Line a cutting board or sheet pan with foil or plastic wrap, carry your raw, rubbed, or brined food out to the grill on it, then crumple up and trash the dirty liner once the food is on. Now the same clean board is ready to carry the cooked food back inside. One trip, no cross-contamination.
No Basting Brush? Use Fresh HerbsTie a few fresh herb sprigs to the handle of a wooden spoon with butcher’s twine and you’ve got an aromatic mop. Rosemary branches work best, but thyme, oregano, and sage are great too. Perfect for your holiday turkey — treat those aromatics like one more ingredient.
Double Up Your SkewersWe’ve all been there: you go to flip a kabob and the food just spins on the skewer. The fix is simple — thread a second skewer parallel to the first, and everything holds firmly in place. Skewers also keep small foods from falling through the grates and create built-in individual servings.
Turn a Cooler into a WarmerYou cooked that brisket or pork butt to perfection overnight, but guests won’t arrive for hours. Convert a cooler into a warmer: layer towels on the bottom, wrap your meat in a double layer of foil, set it on the towels, and add a top layer of towels before closing the lid. Undisturbed, the meat will stay warm for up to five hours. Don’t chance it, though — insert a probe from a remote or wireless thermometer before closing the lid and make sure the internal temp never dips below the food-safe threshold of 140°F. One of our community members used an Igloo cooler for exactly this and it worked perfectly.
Bonus Hacks from the CommunityOur live chat delivered some extras worth passing along: a fresh storage tote lined with foil and a towel works as a meat warmer; a big Home Depot bucket is perfect for brining a Thanksgiving turkey; save the butcher paper from a brisket wrap — all that absorbed fat makes it an excellent fire starter; and, believe it or not, Doritos are legit flame starters in a pinch.
Got a hack of your own? Come share it in the Backyard Smokemaster Society — my free barbecue community where the conversation keeps going all week long, no distractions, strictly barbecue. And for masterclasses, course videos, and live group calls, check out the Backyard Smokemaster Inner Circle.
This post is based on an episode of the Backyard Smokemaster Barbecue Podcast, live every Wednesday at 6 p.m. Pacific / 8 Central / 9 Eastern. Catch the replay on YouTube or listen on your favorite podcast player.