Want to learn how to grill steak to perfection? Few things beat a juicy, tender steak with a light, smoky crust.

Look no further — we have a few easy cooking tips to churn out fast, drool-worthy grilled steaks.

Step 1: Choose a Beef Cut with Marbling

According to Brittany Crump, M.P.H., R.D. at Savor Nutrition, “The best cut of beef for grilled steak should be tender with lots of marbling, which are the white fat flecks found throughout the meat. Marbled fat melts while your steak grills, infusing the meat with flavor while keeping it juicy and tender.”

If you’re watching your fat intake, Holly McKee-Clark, culinary specialist for Beachbody, says, “Top sirloin makes a tasty but still lean choice cut for grilling.”

Other beef cuts with adequate marbling for grilled steak include:

• Strip steak (e.g., New York or Kansas City strip)
• Ribeye steak
• Top sirloin steak
• Filet mignon or tenderloin
• Skirt or flank steak

Your steak piece should be approximately one to two inches thick to produce a good char without overcooking the meat inside.

The exception is flank or skirt steaks, which should be sliced thin and against the grain after cooking to break up the tougher muscle fibers.

These steaks are best served on tacos, fajitas, sandwiches, or salads.

Step 2: Prep & Season Steak

Before seasoning, blot your steaks with a paper towel to create a dry surface for the seasoning to stick.

“To help the flavors seep into the meat better, score your steaks in a crisscross pattern across both sides before adding your rub or marinade,” McKee-Clark recommends.

For flavor, you can simply season the steak with salt and pepper.

Or, pick up premade steak seasoning at the grocery store. You can also make your own by blending a mix of the following:

• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic or onion powder
• Paprika
• Cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes
• Oregano
• Parsley flakes
• Cumin
• Coriander

For the tougher flank or skirt steaks, we recommend using a wet marinade — usually made with oil and acid — to make the steak more tender than a dry rub.

Let your steaks marinate for at least 30 minutes to soak in the flavor.

Your basic steak marinade typically includes:

• Oil
• Lemon juice or vinegar
• Soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce
• Minced garlic or onions
• Your favorite herbs and spices

Step 3: Let Steaks Come to Room Temperature

Take your marinating steaks out of the fridge and let them sit covered, on the counter, for 20 to 30 minutes to come closer to room temperature.

Grilling a steak while it’s cold means that the steak’s interior will need to cook longer, potentially resulting in an overcooked exterior.

Step 4: Grill Steak Over Hot, Clean Grates

Now that you’ve prepped, it’s time to learn how to grill steak. Starting with a clean grill gives your grilled steak pretty, distinct char marks.

“Brush some oil on the grill to keep the steak from sticking to your grates. Steak is quick-cooking meat, which will require a hot, preheated grill at 450-500° F,” Crump advises.

How long should you cook steak on a grill? What about on each side?

It’s hard to give a specific cook time for steak since this depends on your steak size, thickness, and desired doneness.

• You can start by searing your steaks on the grill for 2-3 minutes and repeat on the other side.
• A thicker steak needs to cook longer, but it’s better to undercook it, check doneness, and keep cooking as needed.

Do you close the grill when cooking steak?

“If your steak is thicker than about ¾ of an inch, close the lid to create a convection oven. If it’s a thin flank or skirt steak, leave the grill open; otherwise, you won’t get that good sear on both sides before the steak is done,” says McKee-Clark.

To check doneness, you could cut into the steak but risk losing some juiciness.

“A meat thermometer is a grill master’s best friend,” says McKee-Clark, “Check your meat before you think it’s done and then every minute or two after that. Take your meat off the grill when it’s 5° F less than your desired cook temperature, then tent it with foil for 10 minutes. The meat will continue to cook as it rests.”

If you have a meat thermometer, use the chart below to gauge doneness and keep cooking your steak until it’s how you like it.

Special note for how to grill flank or skirt steak: “Beware that these cuts are thinner than regular steaks, and they’ll require less time to reach your desired doneness,” says McKee-Clark.

So keep a close eye on that grill!

Step 5: Rest Your Steak Before Cutting

If you cut the steak right after it’s done, the juices will drain out, leaving you with a less juicy piece of steak.

Instead, tent your steak with aluminum foil and let it rest for 10 minutes so that the juices can settle.

As noted above, this also enables the steak to finish cooking.

We recommend cutting against the grain since it breaks up the muscle into smaller pieces, making your steak less chewy — this step is a must for tougher cuts like flank steak!

For all other cuts, enjoy the steak however you’d like.

Looking for more expert nutrition information? Head over to BODNutrition.com and learn how to eat healthy with the help of our two nutrition programs, 2B Mindset and Portion Fix.

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When it’s too hot to turn on your stove or oven, grilling is the perfect cooking alternative.

An all-time grilling classic is the humble burger, so if you’re looking for the best way to grill burgers, we’re here to walk you through all the steps.

From choosing the best meat, seasoning, and grilling, right down to your very first bite, this is your ultimate grill guide for mouthwatering burgers.

We’ll focus on beef and turkey burgers, but if that doesn’t suit your lifestyle, try recipes for portobello burgers, bean burgers, barley burgers, and more from 7 Healthy Burgers to Try This Summer.

Here’s a five-step guide on how to grill burgers.

Step 1: Choose your ground meat

For juicy grilled burgers that are not too dry, choose ground beef with a higher fat content of around 10% – 20%.

At the grocery store, you’ll see these numbers like 80/20 or 90/10, which means the meat is 80% lean to 20% fat or 90% lean to 10% fat, respectively.

Of course, we know that might be more fat than you’re willing to eat.

Says Holly McKee-Clark, culinary specialist for Beachbody, “A 93% lean (7%) fat ground beef ratio will result in tasty burgers, but not so fatty that you can’t enjoy one every once in a while. The key to juicy but lean burgers is really in the mix-ins.”

Don’t worry. We’ll get to that in the next step!

Step 2: Season and mix burgers

For grilled burgers made with higher fat ground beef, simply add seasoning and work it in with your hands.

Be very careful not to overdo the mixing since it can result in a burger that crumbles and falls apart when eaten. Less is more here.

Common seasonings for grilled burgers include:

• Salt (required)
• Pepper
• Worcestershire
• Paprika
• Garlic or onion powder
• Dried herbs

If you chose to go the leaner route with 93/7 ground beef or turkey, McKee Clark recommends a few additional add-ins:

“Add an egg for binding and moisture. Then, add ¼ cup reduced-fat shredded mozzarella along with 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce and other spices of your choice.”

“Consider adding a few tablespoons of breadcrumbs to keep the burger from falling apart. This will make the burger of your dreams. One that you won’t feel bad while eating,” she adds.

For more tips, check out How to Make a Healthier Burger.

Step 3: Divide and shape burgers

Now it’s time to divide and shape into patties. Grilled burgers use roughly 4 to 6 ounces of meat before accounting for shrinkage during cooking.

If you started with a pound of meat, simply cut your mixture into quarters.

For precision, use a kitchen scale to weigh out your meat.

Roll the meat into a ball, then flatten it out onto a cutting board with the back of your hand.

To account for shrinkage from grilling, keep flattening until the patty is bigger than your bun.

Ideally, your burger patty is an inch thick or very close to it. Use your fingers to create a slight depression in the center of the patty so the burger doesn’t end up thicker in the middle after cooking.

Bun-buying tip: Keep in mind that the burger patty size should complement the buns you bought.

No one wants a dinky patty that disappears beneath the bread!

We recommend sticking with standard, whole-wheat burger buns, no more than 3-3.5 inches diameter.

Step 4: Grill over hot, clean grates

How long to cook burgers on the grill? It depends on if you like it rare, medium, or well-done.

Start by preheating your gas or propane grill to 450-500° F. Spray your grill grates with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking.

Place the patties on the grill over direct heat.

How long do you grill burgers on each side?

Start with 2-3 minutes on the first side, then flip. To get the desired doneness, use a meat thermometer and this handy chart:

Keep in mind that the USDA recommends cooking ground meat to 160° F. Unfortunately, that also means a very well-done burger!

Please use your best judgment when cooking.

Want sultry, smokier burgers?

McKee-Clark adds, “Gas and propane grills take all the guesswork out for you since you can precisely control temperature. Charcoal grills are much harder to maintain a specific temperature, but oh boy, is it worth it to get that sweet, sweet smokey flavor!”

For charcoal grilling, definitely use that meat thermometer.

Finally, how long to grill turkey burgers?

“Place your turkey burgers on a cooler part of the grill (the outside, or not directly over the white-hot coals) and have your trusty meat thermometer close at hand,” recommends McKee-Clark.

“165° F is the safe temperature for eating turkey, and this is no place for medium-rare. You want to pull those bad boys off at 164.99° F, as right on the money to 165° F as you can get; they’ll continue to cook and rise in temperature by about 5° F as they rest,” she adds.

Step 5: Let the burgers rest, then dress them up

Let your grilled burgers rest under an aluminum foil tent for about 10 minutes to seal the juice inside.

Use that time to prepare the fixings because no burger is complete without toasted buns and toppings galore.

Here are a few ideas:

• Tomatoes
• Pickles
• Greens (e.g., lettuce, arugula, spinach)
• Cheese (e.g., America, cheddar, provolone, blue)
• Onions (e.g., fresh sliced or grilled)
• Condiments (e.g., ketchup, mustard, mayo, guac)

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