Buzz
It’s so frustrating to try and flip your steak, chicken, or fish on the grill, only to discover it’s stuck to the grates. But don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be this way. There’s a way to keep those tasty browned bits intact—you just need to apply the right kind of oil.
Grease your food, not the grill grates
I’ve always preferred greasing the food itself—whether it's coating steaks with a light layer of vegetable oil, wrapping fish in savory bacon, or brushing shrimp with mayonnaise. It feels like less wasteful, though I hadn’t really considered which technique worked best for keeping food from sticking.
I reached out to Meathead Goldwyn of AmazingRibs.com, and sure enough, he had a wealth of information to share. 'I agree with you. Oil the food, not the grates,' he said, before guiding me to this article on his site.
There are several reasons why oiling the food makes more sense. Unless you want to risk losing your eyebrows, spraying oil from an aerosol can onto a hot grill is a bad idea, as the tiny droplets are highly volatile. Even applying oil with a paper towel and tongs (or an onion) doesn’t guarantee a nonstick surface. According to AmazingRibs.com science advisor Prof. Greg Blonder, results depend on the temperature of the grates and the smoke point of your oil:
Metal grill grates, even when they’re spotless, aren’t perfectly smooth. Under a microscope, you can see various scratches, pits, and ridges. When food compounds, which are much colder than the grates, come into contact with the grates, a bond forms. If you oil the grates below the smoke point of the oil (around 400°F), the oil will coat the grates and assist in releasing protein and fat. However, if you heat it past the smoke point, the oil breaks down, smokes, and carbonizes almost immediately. This carbon and smoke don’t taste good, and the uneven carbon layer worsens sticking. Even at high temperatures, if you apply oil and immediately add food, the oil and food cool the grates, which may prevent the oil from burning off, but it certainly won’t create a stable non-stick surface.
By oiling the meat (or other food), you gain more control:
When you place the oiled food on the grates, the oil fills in the tiny nooks and crannies in both the food and the grates, creating a relatively smooth and slippery surface. The coolness of the food lowers the temperature of the grates and prevents burnt oil residue from sticking to the food. Make sure to use an oil with a high smoke point—most refined cooking oils will work just fine.
Keep your grill grates in tip-top shape
Charred debris and burnt carbon are guaranteed to make food stick, so make sure to clean your grates while they’re still hot—either before adding food or after each grilling session.
How to prevent fish from sticking to the grill
Fish is notoriously tricky to cook without sticking or falling apart, but there are ways to avoid disaster. For absolute beginners, I suggest wrapping whole fish in bacon. The bacon’s fat shields the fish and imparts a subtle smoky flavor. I’m also a fan of brushing seafood with mayo, which creates a nice crust without adding much flavor. Another option is using a fish basket, which feels more stable. In this case, Meathead recommends oiling the basket rather than the food, so quickly swipe it with an oiled paper towel before placing the fish inside. Having fish stick to a grill grate is bad enough, but it’s only slightly worse than it sticking to a basket.
