There’s nothing like a freshly grilled burger when barbecuing with your family and friends. Whether you’re watching the sunset from your campsite or dining in your backyard, your grilling experience doesn’t have to clash with your sustainable values. Learn everything you need to know about green grilling to make your meals without environmental worries. Every bite will taste better knowing you’ve done your part for the planet.
Table Of Contents
Outdoor Green Grilling Tips
1. Use an Eco-Friendly Fire Starter
Petroleum-based lighter fluid is what you’ll find in most fire starters. You’ve likely used one to kick-start your gas or charcoal grill. Every time it brings your grill to life, it also means you’re using a limited natural resource to make your next meal.
Search for eco-friendly fire starters instead of petroleum-based kits. You’ll reduce your impact on the planet by getting your grill going with vegetable oil instead. Pour it over whatever you use inside your grill to easily start a fire and roast anything your heart desires.
Keeping fire starters nearby is also handy if you’re grilling at a campsite. If you need to build a fire in a fire pit, look for green wood and easily make your meal without a functioning grill.
2. Find a Charcoal Replacement
Charcoal harms the environment in multiple ways. Deforestation is required to obtain the wood that undergoes an intense heating process to become charcoal.
Burning releases the toxins trapped in its exterior, doubling the environmental impact of your grilling.
Eco-friendly suppliers have been searching for a charcoal replacement for a long time. You’ll find green charcoal products made with reclaimed wood and recycled furniture scraps when looking for alternative fuels. It provides the same grilling experience without the chemical emissions or additional felled trees.
3. Inspect Your Grill for Leaks
Propane grills are popular among people who love cooking outdoors but can cause environmental harm. However, you can improve yours if you own one and don’t want to swap models. Eco-friendly grilling with a propane tank is possible if you inspect your grill for leaks frequently.
First, check your grill hose. It attaches the grill to the nozzle on your propane tank. Weathering can cause it to break down and develop leaks over time. Brush soapy water over the hose, turn your grill on and look for bubbles to spot leaks visually. You can also listen for hissing sounds or see if you detect a rotten egg smell around your grill.
Inspect around and under your propane tank.
Turn the main fuel line off before getting close to it. If you spot any wet spots under the tank or where the grill hose hangs, you may have a more substantial leak that requires professional repair.
4. Dine on Reusable Dinnerware
Modifying your grilling habits isn’t the only way to reduce your impact while cooking outdoors. Do you reach for paper plates when serving those freshly charred corn cobs or sizzling hot dogs?
Opting for single-use paper or styrofoam expands your carbon footprint by adding to local landfills.
Use reusable dinnerware instead. If you’re camping, you can always wash your dishes at the site’s communal sink or in clean water boiled in a pot.
5. Try a Meatless Meat
People often grill meat-focused meals when they’re cooking outside. It’s a tasty, satisfying form of protein, but it also harms the environment by the time it reaches your home. Producing and processing beef creates greenhouse gas emissions due to the electricity needed to make these products.
Buying raw burgers for an upcoming cookout funds that industry, but your green grilling aspirations could inspire you to try something new.
Consider exploring the world of meatless meat. It’s a huge industry that produces plant-based substitutes for burgers, sausage, ground chicken and more.
Getting your protein from plants will drastically reduce your environmental impact.
You might not even notice the change if you season your meatless meats and use your favorite toppings. Pair your burger with a yogurt-based sauce to benefit from the probiotics and you’ll make your meal twice as healthy.
6. Preheat for Less Time
Grills almost always need a few minutes to warm up. You can’t flip a switch and have your propane or charcoal grill automatically become 300 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
Letting the grill warm while preparing your other ingredients is tempting, but set a timer for 10 minutes instead. You won’t waste fuel by accidentally heating it longer than necessary.
7. Grill Only What You’ll Eat
Wasted food isn’t just a missed opportunity for delicious leftovers — it’s also a significant form of pollution. Fossil fuels, water, land and chemical fertilizers make food production possible, and it takes a lot of work to get food from the farm to your table.
Throwing out uneaten groceries means those resources harmed the environment for no reason.
Make every grilling experience more sustainable by considering how much you’ll eat during your meal. Ask anyone who’s joining you to reflect on how hungry they feel. If you make more realistic portions for a savory breakfast or delicious dinner, you’ll avoid wasting the natural resources that went into your food.
8. Test Everything With a Thermometer
It’s so easy to lose track of time when standing by your grill and chatting with someone you love. Although prolonging your grilling with extended cook times is tempting, keep an eye on the clock and use a meat thermometer.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends cooking your meats to specific temperatures to ensure you don’t contract food borne illnesses.
A thermometer is a good guide to stopping grilling when your meat is exactly how you like it. You won’t overcook anything and waste the fuel keeping your grill going.
Try Green Grilling This Month,
Eco-friendly grilling is possible with a new perspective. Implementing simple yet effective strategies can make your outdoor cooking methods much better for the planet. Try creative ideas to make your meals more sustainable, like green fuel sources and perfecting your timing. You’ll reduce your impact on the environment without eliminating your favorite grilled recipes from your diet and enjoy your food without guilt.
