BBQ Tips for Beginners: Everything You Need to Know

BBQ is easier than it looks — if you understand a few basic principles. You don't need to be a pitmaster to achieve impressive results. On this page, we explain everything: from lighting a fire to the perfect core temperature, and how a dry rub makes everything a lot easier.

1. Lighting a fire: charcoal vs. briquettes

The foundation of any BBQ is the fire. There are two types of fuel:

  • Charcoal — burns hot and quickly. Ideal for direct heat and short cooking times (chicken, steak, wings). Burns for a shorter time than briquettes.
  • Briquettes — burn longer and more evenly. Ideal for low & slow (spare ribs, pulled pork, brisket). Less hot than charcoal.

How to light a fire?

  1. Use a chimney starter — the easiest and fastest method. Fill it with charcoal or briquettes, light a fire starter cube underneath, and wait 15–20 minutes.
  2. The coals are ready when they are greyish-white in colour and glowing. No black coals should be visible.
  3. Never use lighter fluid — this gives your meat a chemical aftertaste.
  4. Always wait until the coals have completely burned through before you start grilling.

2. Direct vs. indirect heat — the most important principle

This is the most fundamental concept of BBQ. If you understand this, you understand BBQ.

Direct heat

  • What: Meat directly over the coals
  • Temperature: 220–280°C
  • Use for: Thin pieces that cook quickly — chicken wings, steak, chicken breast, hamburgers, vegetables
  • Cooking time: 5–20 minutes
  • Lid: Open or closed — both work

Indirect heat

  • What: Coals on one side, meat on the other side. Lid closed.
  • Temperature: 110–160°C
  • Use for: Thick pieces that need long cooking times — spare ribs, pulled pork, whole chicken, brisket
  • Cooking time: 2–12 hours (low & slow)
  • Lid: Always closed — the BBQ acts like an oven

Combination — the best method for most dishes

Start indirect (cook the meat through), finish direct (give it a crispy bark). This works perfectly for chicken thighs, pork chops, and thick steaks.

3. When to flip?

One of the most common mistakes: flipping too early. The rule of thumb:

  • Only flip when the meat releases from the grate — if you feel resistance, it's not ready yet. Be patient.
  • Flipping once is enough for most dishes. Constant flipping does not give a better bark.
  • Exception: hamburgers and thin chicken breasts can be flipped more often for even cooking.
  • Use tongs, not a fork — a fork punctures holes and lets juices escape.

4. Lid open or closed?

  • Lid closed = higher temperature, faster cooking, more smoke flavour. Use for indirect heat and low & slow.
  • Lid open = more control, less smoke, lower temperature. Use for direct heat and thin pieces.
  • Rule of thumb: thick meat = lid closed. Thin meat = lid open or closed, both work.
  • Open the lid as little as possible for low & slow — every time you open it, you lose 15–20 minutes of cooking time.

5. Core temperature — the only reliable method

Looking, poking, and guessing doesn't work. A core thermometer is the best tool you can buy for BBQ. Cheap and indispensable.

  • Chicken (fillet & thigh): 74–85°C
  • Pork (spare ribs, pulled pork): 93–97°C
  • Beef (steak medium rare): 54–57°C
  • Beef (brisket): 90–95°C
  • Lamb (chop medium rare): 57–60°C

→ How to measure core temperature? Practical guide
→ Complete guide: BBQ temperatures & cooking times per meat type

6. Resting — the step everyone skips

After grilling, meat needs to rest. This is not optional — it makes the difference between dry and juicy meat.

  • Why: During cooking, juices move to the centre. Resting allows them to redistribute throughout the entire piece.
  • How long: Thin pieces (chicken breast, steak) — 5 minutes. Thick pieces (whole chicken, pork shoulder) — 15–30 minutes.
  • How: Place the meat on a cutting board and loosely tent with aluminum foil. Do not wrap tightly — this will soften the bark.

7. Using a dry rub — the easiest way to get more flavour

A dry rub is a mixture of dried spices that you rub onto the meat before grilling. It's the easiest way to achieve professional BBQ flavours without complicated marinades or sauces.

  • Pat the meat dry — this helps the rub adhere better
  • Rub generously — all sides, press firmly
  • Let it sit — at least 15 minutes, overnight in the fridge gives the deepest flavour
  • Works on the BBQ and in the oven — no outdoor space needed

→ What is a BBQ rub? Meaning, usage and types
→ Dry vs. wet rub: what's better for BBQ?
→ New to BBQ rubs? Start here — our beginner's guide

8. Smoking wood — for extra flavour depth

Smoking wood gives your BBQ that extra dimension you can't get from an oven. You don't have to be an expert.

  • How: Place a few pieces of smoking wood directly on the glowing coals. Not too much — a little smoke is enough.
  • Hickory: Strong and smoky — good with pork and beef
  • Applewood: Mild and fruity — perfect with chicken and pork
  • Cherry wood: Sweet and mild — good with chicken and duck

→ Smoking wood for BBQ: which wood for which meat?

9. The BBQ Stall — don't panic

For low & slow dishes (pulled pork, brisket), you'll encounter the stall: a phase where the core temperature remains stagnant for hours around 65–70°C. Completely normal. Don't increase the temperature, just be patient.

→ What is the BBQ Stall? Cause, duration, and solution

10. The perfect bark

The bark is the crispy, dark exterior of BBQ meat — the calling card of a good pitmaster. Dry rub + low temperature + patience = perfect bark.

→ The Bark and the Smoke Ring: what is it and how does it form?

11. Food safety for BBQ

BBQ is outdoors, at high temperatures, and with raw meat — three reasons to take food safety seriously.

Prevent cross-contamination

  • Separate cutting boards and tongs for raw and cooked meat — never use the same tongs you used for raw meat on cooked meat
  • Never rely on colour — meat may look cooked but may not have reached the core temperature. Always use a thermometer.
  • Wash hands after touching raw meat, before touching anything else

The 2-hour rule

  • Do not leave cooked meat at room temperature for longer than 2 hours — bacteria grow rapidly at temperatures between 4°C and 60°C
  • In warm weather (above 32°C), the 1-hour rule applies
  • When in doubt: throw it away. Food poisoning is worse than waste.

Frozen meat

  • Never place frozen meat directly on the BBQ — the outside cooks while the inside is still frozen, leading to uneven cooking and food safety risks
  • Always defrost completely in the refrigerator — allow 24 hours per kg of meat
  • Emergency: defrosting in cold running water (not warm) is faster than in the refrigerator

Where to start?

Choose your first meat and get started:

Ready to start?

A good dry rub is the easiest way to immediately get more flavour. Choose your first package:

  • 3-Evenings Pack — 3 pouches of 50g of your choice. Perfect for your first three BBQ sessions.
  • Starter Pack — 3 pouches of 100g of your choice. For those who are serious about getting started right away.

→ Don't know which rub to choose? Use the selection helper or see which rub goes with which meat.