3 Ways to Grill in Your Oven (When You Can’t Grill Outside)

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There’s nothing better than having a char-grilled barbecue with your family on a chilly night. That said, the weather might get in the way, and cooking outdoors isn’t always possible.

So, how can you recreate the smoky aroma of grilled dishes from the comfort of your kitchen? You may be surprised to learn that there’s a bit of food science involved.

In this article, I share three ways to grill in your oven when you can’t grill outside.

Read on for essential tips I’ve learned over the years, and get ready to create the best food of your life!

Grilling in Your Oven: Understanding the Basics

There are a few elements that give grilled barbecue its mouth-watering aroma.

One might assume that the familiar smoky scent comes from the charcoal you use. However, if you think about it, even electric grills can yield delicious dishes without the charcoal.

What this means is that other factors make grilled food taste so good.

Let’s take a look at some of the basics of indoor grilling. Once you understand these principles, then recreating grilled flavors in your oven is possible!

1. Fat Creates Smoke

Food scientists say that the secret to smoky grilled meat is fat. When fat from meat drips onto the coals of a grill, it burns and produces smoke.

The smoke wafts up and infuses flavor into the barbecue. This process gives meat the intoxicating aroma we love.

Now, what do you do if your ingredient doesn’t contain fat?

For grilling vegetables, adding oil is essential for boosting the smoky flavor. My tip is to toss vegetables in olive oil before grilling them in the oven.

2. Heat Transfer Is Important

Grilling involves two types of heat transfers.

Conduction heat is when a food item directly touches the metal parts of your grill. It’s what gives you beautiful grill lines and charring.

Meanwhile, radiation heat is the hot air rising from the grill. This radiating heat is what cooks the meat through.

Simply put, to grill food, you need a combination of direct contact with the griddle and a hot environment. Fortunately, it’s possible to achieve this using an oven.

3. Temperature Is Vital

When you grill something, you must cook it at 500°F to 700°F. This high heat quickly evaporates moisture from the food’s surface.

Once dry, the heat causes what we call the Maillard reaction. Here, the protein and sugar in the meat develop a beautiful brown color. It also produces the deep flavor you’d expect from grilled food.

4. Seasoning Is Key

When all else fails, seasoning will save the day.

If you’re worried that your oven can’t produce enough of a smoky aroma, you should use seasoning to boost the taste.

Liquid smoke and smoked paprika can improve your dish’s flavor profile. Adding a little sugar to the marinade also helps create charing on the meat.

3 Easy Ways to Grill in Your Oven

Now that you know the basics, here are a few excellent ways to grill dishes in your oven.

1. Use a Broiler

One of the simplest ways to grill in your oven is by using the broiler pan. This is a method of cooking that produces a sear with high heat.

Broiling is very similar to using an electric grill. The difference is that the heat source is usually from the top, like an upside-down barbecue.

How to Grill With a Broiler

First, preheat your broiling pan in your oven at the highest temperature setting for ten minutes. Safely remove the broiling pan and place the meat in it to produce a sear.

Place your broiler at the highest rack, closest to the heat source. This simulates the high temperature of a griller.

Watch the meat and broil it until it’s halfway point. Once ready, flip it over with tongs and pop it back into the oven. Doing this creates a sear on the other side and ensures your dish cooks evenly.

When the food cooks through, remove it from the oven and let it sit at room temperature for ten minutes. This lets the juices redistribute and allows the meat to maintain its moisture.

Tips for Grilling With a Broiler

Here are a few tips for grilling with a broiler.

• Don’t Walk Away: Similar to using a traditional grill, it’s best to stay close to the oven at all times. The high heat can cause food to burn and smoke quickly.
• Avoid Using Parchment: The proximity of the parchment paper to the heat source may cause it to burn. For your safety, use aluminum foil instead.
• Consider Liquid Smoke: You may want to add a dash of liquid smoke to your marinade if you use a broiler. This ingredient will elevate your dish’s depth in flavor.

2. Use a Cast Iron Grill Pan

Another great way to grill indoors while avoiding the nasty weather outside is to use a cast iron grill pan.

Cast iron grill pans are similar to cast iron skillets but have ridges that drain excess moisture and produce grill marks.

You should try cast iron grill pans since they handle the high temperatures of the oven well. They also have no holes and are perfect for cooking delicate meats and fish.

How to Grill With a Cast Iron Grill Pan

To grill with a cast iron pan, you should first rub the pan with oil to prevent meat from sticking to its surface. After this, preheat the pan on your stovetop and set your oven to temperature.

When the grill pan is hot enough, sear the meat for two to three minutes on each side. The goal here is to create grill marks without cooking the meat through.

Next, place the cast iron grill pan into the lowest rack of your oven. Bake the meat in your oven and check its internal temperature occasionally.

Once it’s ready, take it out, allow it to rest for ten minutes, and serve!

Tips for Grilling With a Cast Iron Grill Pan

Here are three useful tips for grilling with a cast iron pan.

• Leave the Oven Door Open: You may want to leave the oven door ajar when you’re at the baking stage. This lets you regulate the temperature of your dish.
• Season the Pan: Continuously seasoning your pan ensures its surface remains rust-free. Here, you bake the clean pan with a coating of oil to make it non-stick.
• Keep the Pan Uncovered: By all means, avoid covering the pan as you’re cooking. Doing this lets moisture evaporate so you can get a beautiful char on your food.

3. Use a Stovetop Grill Pan

Stovetop grill pans cook like outdoor grills, and they’re way cheaper!

These pans usually come in two parts. A griddle lets you create charring on food, while a bottom layer catches drippings without making a mess.

A great reason for cooking on a grill pan is because of the smoky flavor it produces. It’s as if you’re cooking with charcoal over an open fire.

Cleaning a stovetop grill pan is also easy. It doesn’t produce excessive smoke, and you can use it indoors without worry.

How to Grill With a Stovetop Grill Pan

To use a stovetop grill pan, all you have to do is place it on top of a gas stove. Wait for it to heat up and lightly grease the surface with olive oil.

Once that’s done, grill your dish for around ten minutes depending on the dish.

I recommend marinating meat when you’re using this grilling method. This can help prevent it from burning and sticking to the pan.

Moreover, you should always monitor the internal temperature with a thermometer to ensure the food cooks through.

Tips for Grilling With a Stovetop Grill Pan

• Pat Food Dry: Use paper towels to dry meat before cooking. Doing this lessens the amount of moisture and improves the char of your grill.
• Season With Spices: If you want a really deep, rich flavor, try massaging the spices into the food. You can even use barbeque rubs to provide a zesty flavor reminiscent of an outdoor grill!
• Trim Excess Fat: Stovetop grill pans have shallow dishes for catching drippings. You may need to trim excess fat to avoid an overflow.

How to Cook Smoky Barbecue Ribs in the Oven

People prefer outdoor grills for cooking ribs because they can be a bit more challenging to cook. Still, grilling delicious ribs is possible using the broiler method.

Here’s how you can produce smoky barbecue ribs using your oven!

1. Prepare the Ribs

The first step is to slather the ribs in your favorite sauce. This can be any kind of traditional barbeque sauce, either store-bought or homemade.

You may want to add liquid smoke at this stage to give your ribs extra flavor.

Next, wrap the ribs in aluminum foil to lock in the flavor and moisture. Cooking ribs takes hours, so you want to prevent moisture from escaping in the early stages of baking.

2. Bake the Ribs

From here, place the wrapped-up ribs on a baking sheet and leave them to cook in the oven for around two hours at 350°F. After this, unwrap the ribs using tongs.

Be careful of the scalding steam that’ll escape from the foil wrapping!

You’ll notice that there will be a bit of sauce from this step. Pour the sauce into a bowl and set it aside. You can use excess sauce for basting, or you may boil it down in a pot and turn it into a glaze.

3. Broil and Char the Ribs

Place the ribs on a broiling pan and cook them for another half hour.

Baste the ribs with the sauce from earlier to keep them flavorful, moist, and fall off the bone. The key here is to make sure that all sides get coated evenly.

When the ribs are ready and perfectly grilled, allow them to cool for ten minutes. This lets the moisture redistribute throughout the meat.

Serve your delicious sticky ribs with any side dish of your choice!

How to Clean Your Equipment After Grilling

While being able to grill indoors is ideal in frigid weather, it can also turn challenging at cleaning time. In general, you can hit traditional grills with a wire brush and a cleaning solution. However, you don’t use the same cleaning solution on indoor grills.

Unfortunately, cleaning is essential after indoor grilling. When you allow that filth to build up, it can turn crusty over time.

Below are some of my tips for cleaning after grilling in an oven.

• Steam Clean: Steaming your oven can loosen any hardened bits of sauce. To do it, pour a cup of water into a tray and bake it in your oven for 30 minutes.
• Wipe the Oven Interior: Take a few minutes to wipe the interior of the oven with a dishcloth. Doing so will make it easier to maintain your oven over time.
• Use a Natural Oven Cleaner: Harsh chemicals may seep into your food when you use them for cleaning your oven. Lemon juice, vinegar, and baking soda are natural cleaners that can remove stubborn stains.
• Take the Racks Out: Taking all the racks out and cleaning them separately is vital. This lets you get into the nooks and crannies of the oven.

Final Thoughts

Even though the weather turns frigid, it doesn’t mean you have to forego cooking on the grill. Using your oven or stovetop can allow you to enjoy the barbecues you’d normally have during summer.

So, how do you grill in an oven?

To do it, you can use a broiler, cast iron grill pan, or a stovetop grill pan. Pay attention to seasoning the meat properly, and monitor the temperature. A great tip is to allow the fat to produce smoke, and use high heat to get grill marks.

Whatever recipes people cook on a grill, you can recreate them from the comfort of your kitchen. Enjoying your favorite grilled foods is easier than ever. All it takes is a little ingenuity!

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