After you have set up and preheated (with smoke) your grill, follow these tips for how to cook on your outdoor electric grill, including how to select your grill temperature and tell when your food is done.
Basic Grilling Tips
A method to help meat sear on the grill is to remove it from the refrigerator 20-30 minutes before grilling and expose it to the air to let the surface dry. It is a good practice to take any food you are going to grill out of the refrigerator ahead of time to let it begin to warm.
Use the following table to help determine your desired internal meat temperature with a grill thermometer.
Meat Internal Temperature Chart
| Beef/Lamb/Pork/Veal – Medium Rare | 130-135F |
| Beef/Lamb/Pork/Veal – Medium | 135-145F |
| Beef/Lamb/Pork/Veal – Medium Well | 145-155F (USDA Minimum) |
| Beef/Lamb/Pork/Veal – Well Done | 155F+ |
| Ground Beef/Pork/Lamb/Veal | 160F (USDA Minimum) |
| Poultry (including ground) | 165F (USDA Minimum) |
| Fish & Shellfish | 145F (USDA Minimum) |
Medium Rare is typically defined as a warm red center. Medium is a warm pink center. Medium Well is a slightly pink center. Well Done has no pink.
After the meat is removed from the grill, let it rest so that juices close to the surface will cool and be reabsorbed. If you immediately cut into the meat, the juices will tend to run out and the meat will not be as moist.
While meat is resting, the temperature of the middle will tend to increase as the heat continues to conduct in from the hotter outer layers. So, if your desired temperature for red meat is less than well done, you may want to take it off the grill at the lower end of your desired temperature range.
The descriptions below help you select the grill temperature based on the type of food and your desired result. Outside temperature and wind can affect the setting. The guidelines below assume an outdoor temperature of about 60F or higher and little wind. If your outdoor conditions are colder or windy, you may need to slightly increase the control setting.
High Heat Grilling
For foods that you want to sear on the outside and cook quickly, use a High Heat grill temperature setting. High Heat is like Direct Cooking on a charcoal or gas grill where the food is grilled directly over the heat. Use High Heat for thinner foods such as steaks, chops, burgers, fish, sliced vegetables, and shish kabobs.
For High Heat grilling, leave the grill on High after preheating.
Medium Heat Grilling
For foods that you want to cook thoroughly without burning or drying out, use a Medium Heat temperature setting. Medium Heat is like the Indirect Cooking method on a charcoal or gas grill where the food is not grilled directly over high heat. Use Medium Heat for thicker foods and ones with bones such as chicken, ribs, and meatloaf.
For Medium Heat grilling, preheat the grill on High and then turn the control down into the middle of its range. The internal grill temperature should average around 325F. It may take a few grilling sessions to determine the appropriate setting on your grill. A good way to determine your Medium Heat setting is to grill chicken thighs or quarters. To reach an internal temperature of 165F, chicken thighs should take 45-50 minutes and chicken quarters 50-60 minutes. On my Weber Q1400, I set the control to the line between sections 3 and 4 as shown below.
Low Heat Grilling
Low Heat is for Low and Slow grilling and smoking foods that you want to infuse with a more intense smoke flavor, such as smoked chicken or ribs. Low Heat is also used for larger cuts of meat that you don’t want to overcook, such as a standing rib roast (aka prime rib), or tougher cuts that you want to make tender, such as a Boston pork butt for pulled pork.
For Low Heat grilling, preheat the grill on High and then turn the control down toward the lower end of its range. You will want to monitor the meat’s internal temperature and grill temperature with leave-in type thermometers. The internal grill temperature should average around 230F. On my Weber Q1400, I nominally set the control to the line between sections 2 and 3 as shown in the figure above. If you monitor the grill temperature, be aware that there can be large temperature swings (up to 60F) between when the heating element turns on and off.
Next, see How To Clean an Outdoor Electric Grill.