Why You Should Always Steer Clear Of Overcrowding Your Grill

During holiday cookouts or weekend gatherings, the grill quickly becomes ground zero for feeding a hungry crowd. Everyone is excited to savor grilled patties, marinated chicken, and skewered veggies, so the one in charge of preparing the food may feel obligated to rush the process. In so doing, they might be tempted to toss everything on the grill, believing it's the fastest way to get the job done. But while this feels like saving time, overcrowding the grill can quickly ruin the fun of barbecuing.

According to renowned pitmaster Erica Blaire Roby, the founder of Blue Smoke Blaire's BBQ, cramming the grill with meat and other food items will do more harm than good. For one, you can't expect all of them to cook evenly. "When you put too much food on a charcoal grill at once, it can lead to uneven cooking and flare-ups, since overcrowding restricts airflow and heat distribution," she told The Takeout. When heat can't circulate properly, you may end up with undercooked chicken and meat, dried-out burger patties, and over-charred veggies.

Grilling may be the easiest type of cooking, but it still requires certain conditions to work. Just like overcrowding a frying pan, placing too many items on the grill will lower the temperature on the grates, extending the cooking time and risking some of the food not cooking evenly. Plus, moving and turning over the food items will be a struggle due to the limited space.

You can find many hacks for the grilling season online, but nothing says you're a pro at grilling more than following a tip from someone who has mastered the art of barbecuing. Roby has earned her stripes in the barbecue community ever since she won the "Master of 'Cue" title on Food Network's "BBQ Brawl." According to her, the best way to grill is to "give each piece of food enough space to cook evenly." Ideally, this means leaving one to two inches between the food items to allow consistent airflow and promote even cooking on all sides.

"If you're grilling for a crowd, cook in batches to ensure everything turns out just right," Roby continued. While this may sound impractical and tiring since it requires more work, it'll give you the right space to work on the grill and better control over the things you're cooking. Remember: Different meats and cuts require different cooking times, which means grilling meats and vegetables must follow the correct order. By focusing on fewer food items at a time, you can better monitor the doneness of the meat, manage flare-ups, and avoid the dreaded dry-out or raw center. By not rushing the cooking process, you not only avoid grilling disasters, you also elevate your cookout game. It's a win-win in the end.