If you want your food to have a distinct smoky flavor, cook it on a charcoal grill. A charcoal grill produces higher temperatures, so you can cook juicy and moist meat with a perfect crispy exterior.

But to impress your friends and family with delicious meals, you must first learn how to use your charcoal grill properly. These nine tips for charcoal grills are for you.

Use a chimney starter instead of lighter fluid

Are you using a lighter fluid to ignite charcoal grill coals? If so, you might have noticed that the meat you grill has a bad chemical taste or smell.

Forget about lighter fluid and use a chimney starter instead. Fill your chimney starter with unlit coals, place a newspaper ball at the bottom, and light it up. It should take about 15 minutes for the coals to be hot enough. Pour them on your charcoal grills and start cooking.

Don’t use too much charcoal

Whether you use a chimney starter or prefer lighting up your coals directly inside your grill, use the right number of coals.

Remember that tender meat requires less charcoal than thick steaks. Determining how many coals you need might be tricky initially, but you’ll get the hang of it with time.

Know when to oil your grill

To get the best results and easily produce those gorgeous grill marks on your meat, you have to place it on your grill while it’s hot. But first, you have to oil the grill’s grates to prevent the meat from sticking.

But don’t oil the grates while hot, as oil could drip on the coals and cause flare-ups. Instead, oil your grates right before putting them above the hot charcoal. And then, start cooking your food.

Build two zones for direct and indirect heat

A charcoal grill allows you to create two different cooking zones: one for foods that require direct heat and one for foods that need to be slowly cooked or smoked over indirect heat.

Creating these two zones is simple. You can stack coals on one side of your grill and leave the other empty. Then, you can use both direct and indirect heat to your liking.

Control the heat of your grill with the vents

One easy tip for controlling grill temperature is to use the grill’s vents. If you want a hotter grill, open the vents. This will allow more air to get inside, and the coals’ temperature will rise.

On the other hand, if you wish to cool down your grill, close the vents. If your grill is not getting hotter despite its open vents, check them carefully. They might be blocked with ash or other debris.

Use brine for deliciously tender chicken or pork

If you find moist chicken or pork difficult, brine your meat before grilling it. To prepare a simple brine, mix water with salt, sugar, and seasonings of your choice. Let your meat soak in the brine for an hour, pat it dry, and grill it. The result will be deliciously tender chicken or pork cooked to perfection.

Dry your meat before grilling it

Even if you didn’t brine your meat, pat it dry before grilling it. This is especially helpful for steak, since a dry surface allows it to develop a flavorful, browned crust. Dry meat is more likely to get a crispy exterior while staying moist inside.

Measure the temperature with an external thermometer

It would help if you relied on something other than your charcoal grill’s built-in thermometer. It’s best to get an external thermometer, which should give you more accurate readings.

Knowing the exact temperature of your grill will help you avoid overcooked or undercooked meat. Research the temperature required for different foods, and you’ll instantly become a better grill master.

Never spray water on a flare-up

Charcoal grills are less likely to have flare-ups than gas grills. And if you create two different cooking zones on your grill, you’re even less likely to be surprised by high flames rising suddenly.

However, flare-ups could still happen; if they do, never spray water on them, as this could cause small explosions. Instead, please wait for the flare-up to go out on its own or carefully close the lid of your grill until the flames are out.