10 Grilling Safety Tips

Related To:

grilled food

With summer right around the corner, there's never a better time to brush up on grilling safety. Yes, you may be the master of your grill; however, you can never be too careful.

1. Gas grilling should be done outside the home at least 10 feet away from the house.

2. Check all connections for leaks by turning on the cylinder valve and spraying the connections with a solution made by mixing equal amounts of liquid dish soap and water. If bubbles appear, those connections need to be tightened or replaced.

3. Keep the grill away from heavy foot traffic. It's also highly recommended to keep children, pets and outdoor games like football away from the grill.

4. Always place lighters and matches away from the grill and children.

5. Wear fitted clothing. While you may be warm, you're safest when wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants and closed shoes.

6. Never leave a lit grill unattended.

7. Before you put anything on the grill, get the grill hot and scrub it of any residue with a clean wire-bristled brush.

8. Use long-handed tools to avoid leaning over the grill when flipping over burgers and other meats.

9. Create separate areas on the grill for raw meat and cooked foods to prevent cross-contamination.

10. Invest in an instant-read thermometer: Making sure meat and poultry are cooked to the proper temperatures is vital. Check out our Meat and Poultry Temperature Guide.

Next Up

Grill Cheese Without Making a Mess With This Simple Trick

It’s time to rethink how you "grill" your cheese.

A Wine-Soaked Kitchen Towel Is the Secret to Perfect Grilled Meat

The Colombian classic, Lomo al Trapo, is going to up your grilling game this summer.

This Is the Easiest Way to Grill Vegetables This Summer

Sometimes doing less work yields the best results!

How to Make Grilling Safer For Your Health

A few simple changes can reduce the formation of HCAs and PAHs.

Behind the Booklet: 50 Things to Grill in Foil

Coming up with 50 of anything for Food Network Magazine’s monthly 50-recipe booklet can be daunting but this month, chefs in Food Network Kitchens tackled the ultimate way to cook out: in foil packs.

5 Ways to Do Turkey Burgers Right

Check out Food Network’s top five turkey burger recipes, each with a different tasty twist and all go-to main dishes for your weekend cookout spread.

How to Perfectly Grill Your Favorite Cut of Steak

Get it just right, every single time.

All the Foods You Haven't Thought to Grill This Summer

Forget the burgers and hot dogs! Toss pizza, seafood, pasta and more on the barbecue.

Alton's Top 5 Tactics to Make Steak

Learn the best ways to make steak with Alton Brown.

7 Fun Things Your Family Can Grill Together This Weekend

Hanging in the yard all day? Cook snacks, dinner and dessert together outside too. These ideas are much more fun than burgers.