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There’s nothing like having a perfectly grilled steak in front of you at the dinner table, but you don’t have to go outside to cook it! There are lots of fantastic electric grill cooking tips that can turn your kitchen into the perfect indoor grill. The best part is that you don’t have to buy expensive gadgets to do it!
Here are thirteen electric home grilling tips you can put to use right now. These easy tips simplify your meal preparation, and they will improve your cooking skills!
Top 13 Indoor Grilling Tips for Newbies
1. Pan-Sear Your Meats Before Grilling In The Oven
One of the first things you should realize when cooking meats is how to bring out the natural flavors. The easiest way to imitate the robust flavor of outdoor grilling is by searing your meats in a pan before you place them in an oven grill.
Put a little of your favorite oil in a cast iron pan along with some seasonings. Let the pan heat, and fry the outer-layer until it’s lightly charred. You’ll have much more flavor than from traditional oven grilling.
2. Don’t Add Salt Until Serving
Salting foods before cooking can seriously affect the texture of your dish. It can remove too much moisture from vegetables, and it can toughen the texture of red meats. You should avoid adding any salts to your meal until it’s completely done.
This electric grill tip applies to seasonings as well. You’re going to lose a lot of liquid content from grilling. The last thing you want is a dry chicken breast with strong flavors.
3. Add Butter And Olive Oil For Flavor
It might seem a little pointless to add oils on a steak you’re cooking on an electric tabletop grill. The main point of using one is to remove all of those unhealthy fats, but certain oils really improve a dish. It’s not going to seriously impact the healthy aspects of indoor grilling to add a splash of oil.
Most of the oils you add are going to be cooked away. It’s really about adding complexity to your pallet. Your guests will definitely pick up on the subtle hints of olive oil, but they won’t have to worry much about counting calories.
4. Cast Iron Grilling
If you’re looking for a more visual appeal, then you should try using a cast iron grill pan. You can pick one up at virtually any kitchen supply store. These cast iron skillets are typically flat with lots of raised lines to create that iconic look.
Presentation is half of the process. You’ll want your foods to taste great, and you’ll want them to look pretty on the plate. This is one of those indoor grill tips that could get your next t-bone its own photo-shoot from the family.
5. Fat Draining Electric Tabletop Grills
This is probably the most underrated type of appliance in your kitchen. It’s a lot better than most people realize. Your meats get cooked super-fast because it’s pretty much pressing two hot plates together on both sides. The downside is that it can be frustrating to clean afterward.
One of the more helpful electric grill tips is to use heatproof parchment paper to cover your meat in before you cook it. This keeps your electric tabletop grill perfectly clean without having to scrub away burnt on grease.
6. Smoked Seasonings
All of the indoor grill tips in the world can’t put that smokey flavor you get from charcoal, but smoked seasonings certainly can! Keep it simple. Just add a little smoked paprika to your regular seasonings for a nice kick.
A good quality chipotle marinade can really take your dish to the next level. Try to avoid adding liquid smoke to meats because it can overpower the flavor of beef.
7. Preheat The Grill
You should always preheat the electric grill you’re using to a fairly hot temperature. Never put cold meat on a cold cooking surface. This is one of the professional electric grill cooking tips that a lot of people don’t know about.
A faster cook time means that your foods will retain their moisture levels better than slowly heating up the cooking surface with the meat. Improper heating of the pan can also cause the meat to cook unevenly. Make sure your electric grill really sizzles when you place uncooked food on it.
8. Grilled And Steamed Veggies
Don’t forget that your indoor grill is great for cooking a variety of veggies. Try wrapping your broccoli in a parchment paper the next time you grill. You can get the same tenderness that you would from steaming, but with the added bonus of a little charred flavor.
9. Try A Food Torch
You’ll definitely leave an impression on your dinner guests if you pull out a food torch to top off their succulent meal. It’s a really showy way to imitate the flame-broiled tastes of a propane grill. Just be sure to stay safe while you set the food on fire.
Always make sure you fully cook any meats you put on the grill. The ThermoPro Food Thermometer company makes a whole bunch of different gadgets that’ll have you feeling like a culinary master. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
10. The Gas Stove Method
Are you unsure about investing in a food torch? If you have a gas stove, then you can get similar results with vegetables. Just grab a set of fireproof tongs. You can lightly roast cooked veggies over the open flame on your burner. Be sure not to drip any fats onto your stove.
11. Use A Dry Rub On Meats
If you try to add barbecue to an indoor grill, then you’re going to have a bad time. It can easily smoke-up the house. That’s because most sauces contain sugars. Try substituting your normal flavorings with a dry rub that’s similar. You can always add you’re favorite sauce when it’s off of the grill.
12. Trim The Fat
This one of the important electric grill tips for those who are worried about setting off a smoke detector inside their apartment. Fat can create excess smoke when using an oven. If you trim most of the fat off ahead of time, then you’ll experience a significant drop in the amount of smoke from cooking.
13. Grill Your Dessert!
You can find recipes for all types of awesome grilled desserts that can be prepared on an electric grill. Cookies are very popular among do-it-yourself chefs. Give it a try. You won’t be disappointed!
Is Indoor Grilling Healthy?
Indoor grilling has some great health advantages when compared to outdoor grilling. That doesn’t mean everything you grill inside is going to be good for your body, but it’s usually better than traditional methods of cooking. If you’re getting rid of those animal fats, then you’re probably going to benefit from electric grilling.
1. Avoiding Carcinogens
It is well-known across the scientific community that cooking foods over a charcoal flame can introduce cancer-causing carcinogens into the foods that you consume. Using electricity to heat your cooking surfaces removes the need to have your meats exposed to open flames for long periods of time.
2. Grilled Foods Retain More Nutrients Than Deep-Frying Or Boiling
Preparing foods in a pot can strip your meal of most of the nutrients it contains. That’s because cooking foods in liquids can leach out the vital nutrients into the broth. Deep frying can also destroy the health benefits of most vegetables because of the extreme temperatures.
3. Grilled Meats Contain Less Fat
Everyone that uses a tabletop electric grill can see first-hand how much fat is being drained from their meat. You have to empty out a small catch-pan on most electric grilling appliances. That’s a ton of potentially harmful fats that could significantly affect your health over time.
4. It Makes Cooking Easier
You’re probably wondering how being able to cook easier will improve your health. It makes you less likely to go out for fast-food. Why bother driving to the burger place down the street when you can make a better burger in less time? Convenience is what makes eating healthy on an electric grill so much simpler.
Are You Thinking About Getting An Indoor Grill?
It sure does beat having to go outside to cook when the weather is bad. All you need is an inexpensive tabletop grill to test it out. There are so many great recipes you can cook on an indoor grill that a traditional charcoal grill can’t handle.
You can achieve the same tasty results by applying a few of these tips. Grab yourself some steaks this weekend. Pick up a nice cast iron grill. You might enjoy it more than you think!
