The Best Cuts of Meats to Grill
Grilling is a fast cooking method involving direct heat, with meat being the most commonly grilled food. This technique differs from smoking or barbecuing, where meat is slow-cooked over several hours in indirect heat. Once you understand how to pick the right meat for grilling and recognize the best cuts, the grilling process becomes straightforward.
What Makes Meats Good for Grilling
Burgers and sausages are not your only options for grilling — but you probably already know that. When it comes to beef, steaks work best on the grill, with expensive cuts like ribeye and filet mignon being preferable. Still, more affordable cuts like T-bone and strip loin can work just as well. Most steak cuts have enough fats to keep the cooked meat tender and flavorful. For pork, look for cuts with a dark pink to red color and enough marbling; these are ideal for grilling.
Chicken legs and thighs, being darker meat than the rest of the chicken, make excellent grilling options. Indeed, chicken is often considered the easiest meat to grill.
While lean, low-fat cuts, such as the ones mentioned above, perform well on the grill, be mindful to avoid ‘extra lean’ cuts. These extremely low-fat options may dry out and become rubbery when grilled.
List of the Best Types and Cuts of Meats to Grill
| Name | Grilling Temp. | Grilling Time | Min. Target Internal Temp. | Calorie/oz. | Recipe to Try |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-bone Steak | 400°-450°F | 14-16 mins | 145°F | 72 kcal | Rock’s T-Bone Steaks |
| Porterhouse Steak | 400°-450°F | 12-15 mins | 145°F | 72 kcal | Grilled Porterhouse Steak |
| Top Sirloin | 400°-450°F | 12-15 mins | 145°F | 69 kcal | Sirloin Steak with Garlic Butter |
| Strip Steak (New York Strip Steak) | 400°-450°F | 12-15 mins | 145°F | 72 kcal | Grilled New York Strip Steak |
| Tenderloin | 400°-450°F | 10-12 mins | 145°F | 75 kcal | Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Herb-Garlic-Pepper Coating |
| Tri-tip | 350°-400°F | 20-30 mins | 145°F | 76 kcal | Grilled Tri-tip |
| Ribeye Steak | 400°-450°F | 14-18 mins | 145°F | 79 kcal | Grilled Ribeye Steak |
| Filet Mignon | 400°-450°F | 10-12 mins | 145°F | 69 kcal | Grilled Filet Mignon |
| Ground Beef (Burger) | 350°-400°F | 10-15 mins | 160°F | 71 kcal | Delicious Grilled Hamburgers |
| Pork Belly | 225°-275°F | 25-35 mins | 165°F | 152 kcal | Grilled Pork Belly with Sticky Sweet Glaze |
| Pork Chops | 375°-425°F | 15-20 mins | 145°F | 69 kcal | Grilled Pork Chops |
| Pork Tenderloin | 375°-425°F | 15-30 mins | 145°F | 60 kcal | Grilled Pork Tenderloin |
| Lamb Chops | 375°-425°F | 12-20 mins | 145°F | 78 kcal | Grilled Lamb Chops |
| Chicken Legs or Thighs | 375°-425°F | 30-40 mins | 165°F | 49 kcal | Grilled Chicken Drumsticks |
| Sausages (Kielbasa, Bratwurst etc.) | 350°-400°F | 15-20 mins | 160°F | Varies | Grilled Italian Sausage With Sweet-and-Sour Peppers and Onions |
How Does the Type of Grill Matter
Plenty of different grills are available in the market, but they all have the same function of cooking the food in direct radiant heat. They can be divided into two main categories based on their heat source:
- Charcoal Grills: As the name shows, these burn charcoal to produce heat. Meats cooked over a charcoal grill has a rich, smoky flavor, particularly desirable in thick steaks.
- Gas Grills: These run on propane gas and tend to preserve the original flavor of the meat, making it ideal for grilling burgers and sausages.
Pellet grills can be considered a third type, but they are similar to charcoal grills, except they use wood pellets instead of charcoal.
FAQ
You can grill frozen meats, but be prepared for it to take about 50% longer to cook through and reach the target internal temperature. Thawing the meat before cooking helps it to cook more evenly.
When you grill meat, the direct heat causes a lot of the fat to melt and drip off the grilling rack. It not only adds flavor but also reduces the calorie content of the meat, making grilling a healthier cooking method than others that allow all of the fat to stay in the dish.