Technique
Direct Heat
Cooking food directly over the fire for searing, char, and quick weeknight grilling.
Direct heat puts food directly above flames or hot coals, hitting the surface with intense radiant heat (500-700°F+). It's the right choice for thin, fast-cooking foods like burgers, hot dogs, shrimp, vegetables, and steaks under 1.5 inches thick. Anything thicker risks burning before the inside cooks through.
Related Terms
Indirect Heat
Cooking food next to (not directly over) the fire, using the grill lid as an oven.
Two-Zone Cooking
Setting up your grill with one hot direct-heat side and one cooler indirect side for maximum control.
Maillard Reaction
The browning chemistry that creates seared crust, deep flavor, and complex aromas on grilled meat.
Used In These Articles
See Direct Heat in real-world context across our reviews, guides, and recipes.
- Guide
Best Cast Iron Grill Accessories: Sear Stations and Smash Burger Tools
Cast iron unlocks restaurant-quality sears on any grill. Here's the gear that actually delivers.
- How-To
How to Build a Perfect Two-Zone Fire
The single most important grilling technique — master this and everything gets easier.
- How-To
How to Reverse Sear a Steak
Start low, finish hot — the foolproof method for edge-to-edge pink perfection.
- How-To
How to Grill Perfect Chicken Thighs
Juicy, crispy, and foolproof — the forgiving cut that makes every cook look like a pro.
- Review
Weber Searwood 600
Weber's redesigned pellet grill — fixed the SmokeFire's problems, added genuine searing, and finally produced a Weber pellet that doesn't apologize for itself.
- Recipe
Crispy Grilled Chicken Wings
Better than fried — charcoal-grilled wings with crackling skin and no deep fryer needed.
- Recipe
Mexican Street Corn (Elote)
Charred, creamy, tangy, spicy — the best thing that's ever happened to corn on the cob.
- Recipe
Grilled Lamb Chops with Herb Crust
Restaurant-quality lamb in 20 minutes — charred outside, rosy pink inside.