Winter Grilling

Can you really grill outside in winter? Of course! Winter grilling is fun and perfectly safe as long as you follow some simple precautions. Let’s bundle up and head outside to get our cook on!

Listen:

Everyone likes to grill in the summer when the weather is warm and sunny. But it takes a special kind of crazy to grill in the winter when there’s snow on the ground and air temperatures are in single digits.

I guess that means I’m crazy…hahaha

That said, winter grilling does come with some challenges. Let’s talk about each of them and I’ll explain how I get around them.

Ice and Snow

Here in New Jersey, we get plenty of snow and cold in the winter. But I’m not about to let that stop me from enjoying some smoked chicken breast or Blackstone tortellini.

Of course, clearing a path through the snow to get to my grill is the first step. Luckily I keep my gas grill, pellet smoker, and Blackstone right on the backyard patio. The charcoal grill/smoker is on the side of the house as I don’t use it as often and very rarely in winter.

If your grill isn’t typically close to your house and you can move it, you might want to relocate it during winter months. Just don’t bring it too close. Make sure you keep a safe distance of three to five feet between your grill and house to prevent a fire.

Cold

I’m not a fan of the cold, and I’d love to retire to a warmer area someday. But in the meantime I’ll be damned if I’ll let cold temperatures keep me from enjoying some good barbecue.

There are two things for you to consider when trying to grill in extreme cold. First is cooking time. The colder the ambient air temperature is the longer it will take your grill to get up to cooking temperature. It will also require more energy to maintain that temp, so make sure you have plenty of whatever fuel you’re using on hand. So stock up on charcoal or pellets and get your propane tank refilled.

Secondly, you need to keep yourself warm. I stay inside as much as possible and only pop outside when needed. It really helps to have a reliable wireless thermometer like this one so you can monitor the temperature from inside your house.

Wind

Obviously, wind makes cold weather worse for us humans doing the actual cooking. But it also ups the grilling difficulty level up a few notches.

Cold winds make your grill less effective and it can be difficult to maintain a steady temperature. I remember one Thanksgiving a couple years back where it was very cold with strong gusts of wind. I was trying to smoke a turkey on my Weber Smokey Mountain and it took way longer than it should have because the temperature inside the smoker kept jumping up and down like it was on a roller coaster.

Another problem with wind (and not just in winter) is that it can blow the flame out. That can be dangerous if gas starts building up inside the grill and then it suddenly ignites when you lift the lid and try to restart it. I’m talking fireball level dangerous.

Ideally, you can position your grill somewhere that is protected from the wind. If not and its really windy, you can build a makeshift wind barrier by positioning some scrap plywood where it will block the wind (just don’t put it too close to the grill itself). I haven’t tried them myself, but a reader in Indiana suggested these fireproof heat shields and it looks like they would do the job nicely.

Darkness

In the summer, I can be outside grilling at 8pm and still have plenty of light to see what I’m doing. But in the winter it’s already dark outside before I even get home from work.

We do have a light in our backyard as well as some string lights we keep up year round, but it’s still tough to see without a light pointed directly at the grill. I’ve tried different types of lights that screw onto the grill handle or magnetically attach to the side of the grill, but they were less than perfect. In the end I picked up an LED head lamp for a few bucks. The neighbor’s might think I look a little silly, but it leaves both my hands free and always shines exactly where I need it.

Is It Safe To Grill In The Garage With The Door Open?

I know some people will tell you there’s nothing to fear, but grilling in your garage is a dangerously bad idea because it creates a serious risk of fire or carbon monoxide poisoning. And no meal is worth dying for.

Fire

Both charcoal and gas grills are meant to be used outside only. If you read the instruction manual it will tell you that in big, bold letters.

Anytime you’re cooking with an open fire there’s a risk that things will get out of hand. The danger only increases if you light a grill inside your garage. Just think about it. Your garage is probably full of cardboard boxes, newspapers, random paint cans, engine oil, or other flammable fluids.

A grease fire could erupt out of nowhere. A charcoal grill could be knocked over sending fiery briquettes tumbling. Even strong winds could blow burning embers onto flammable materials and your garage will be in flames before you can even react.

Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas produced by burning gasoline, wood, propane, charcoal, or other fuel.

When there’s too much carbon monoxide in the air you’re breathing, your body replaces the oxygen in your red blood cells with carbon monoxide. Your tissues and organs don’t get enough oxygen. Early symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning may include a headache, dizziness, nausea, weakness, or confusion. Prolonged exposure to carbon monoxide can result in permanent brain damage, heart damage, miscarriage if you’re pregnant, or death.

The scary thing about carbon monoxide is that you can’t see, smell, or taste it. You could be standing at your grill flipping burgers and not even realize you’re breathing it in.

And even if you use your grill in the garage with the door open, carbon monoxide can still accumulate since you’re in an enclosed area. Or it could vent into other parts of the house endangering the rest of your family.