Even if you love grilling more than any other cooking style, you don’t want to be anchored to the grill day and night. With our clever and efficient grilling hacks, you can effortlessly sear chicken, smoke ribs, roast veggies and earn the title of neighborhood pitmaster. Check out five of the simplest ways to go from grilling to eating without breaking a sweat. Oh, and enjoy all the compliments from happy eaters.

Clean Your Grill Grates With Aluminum Foil

Has your grill brush seen better days? Are its bristles starting to fall out? Ditch it pronto for a quick foil fix.

Just pull out a square-size sheet of aluminum foil and crunch it into a ball. After your next grill and before the smoker cools completely, use a pair of metal tongs to rub the foil across the grates. Like magic, any stuck-on gunk will fall away.

Give Dogs and Links the Spiral Treatment

You’ve seen spiral-cut hams. Now meet spiral-cut franks.

Transforming your hot dogs, sausages and bratwurst into a work of art doesn’t take Rembrandt’s touch. All you need is a strong skewer and a sharp paring knife.

Run the skewer through your hot dog, lengthwise. Starting about a quarter inch from the end of the dog, begin to spiral cut the meat until you get to the other end. Use the skewer as a guide to avoid cutting the frank in half. Remove the skewer and grill your magnificent creation.

Slip Some Ice Into Your Patties

Want the juiciest hamburgers on the block? Turning them once and using high-quality beef is a good start. But here’s the real secret: put an ice cube in the middle of the patty.

The ice slowly melts as the patty cooks, turning your burger into a bite of heaven. You can also use almost-frozen butter pieces for the same effect with a noticeably richer flavor.

Grill Fish on a Citrus Bed

Don’t you hate it when your salmon sticks to the grates? Here’s a pro BBQ hack that you’ll definitely use during your next grilled fish fiesta: lay down a bed of olive oil-brushed lemon, lime and orange slices on the grate.

Now, you have a tangy foundation to cook up some tasty seafood. Your fish will take on the flavor of the fruits, and you won’t have to worry about it falling apart.

Lean on the Texas Crutch

We started our list with a nod to the powers of foil. Now, we’re ending it with another hat tip to one of the most useful, practical tools in your outdoor kitchen.

If you’ve never heard of the Texas Crutch, it’s a way to encourage meat to cook faster by sealing it with some liquid in a foil pouch. Not only will pork, brisket and other goodies get over the stall more quickly, but they’ll get ultra-tender, too.

Of course, the Texas Crutch is a tried-and-true way to grill and smoke smaller meats, seafood and veggies. Just pop them in a foil boat and cook them alongside your other main courses.

Now get out there and fire up the smoker grill. It’s time to make delicious memories at some summer BBQs.

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