AIP grilling is not much different from regular grilling. It requires only a little more creativity to achieve the same delicious flavors that the non-AIP grilling crowd enjoys. This article started out as a short little page of tips. It quickly evolved into a novella, so we are breaking it up into a series.

We’ll start off with some basic information.

I hope these tips are helpful to you during the summer grilling season.

I’ll break it down into categories:

Meat and Fish Grilling Temperatures

Chicken breast: Grill over med-high heat, 3-5 minutes per side until an internal temperature of 165°F is reached.

Beef/Pork/Lamb/Game: Grill over high heat, 8 minutes per side for medium on a 1” thick steak. (130°F internal temperature is medium rare). Always let the meat rest for a few minutes before cutting into it so that the juices can redistribute through the meat, keeping it juicier.

Fish: Grill over medium-high heat, 3 minutes per side depending upon thickness. Check with a skewer. When fish flakes easily, it is done.

Vegetables: Grill over medium-high heat, 2 minutes per side to lightly grill, but not burn the vegetables.

Most food tastes better if it is marinated before placing on the grill. If you don’t want to marinate, at least give the food a light coating of olive oil and sprinkle of sea salt before grilling. This will prevent sticking and help to get a better grill mark on the food’s surface.

Please note that dry rubs are not used for grilling, but more for smoking, as they can have a tendency to burn.

Meats suitable for Grilling:

Very thin or very thick cuts of meat are not suitable for the grill. Thin ones will dry out and thick or large cuts of meat are more suited for smoking and/or braising.

Care should be taken when grilling very fatty cuts of meat, as the fat can melt and cause a small grease fire in the bottom of your grill.

Good for the grill:

Beef Steak
Lamb Chops
Pork Chops
Pork Tenderloin (use lower heat and turn often – use a thermometer to test for 155°F internal temperature)
Hamburger made of ground beef, lamb, chicken or turkey
Chicken Breast
Bone in Chicken parts (use lower heat and turn often – use a thermometer to test for 165°F internal temperature)

Fish suitable for grilling:

Thinner or more delicate types of fish do better wrapped in a foil packet with a little liquid and placed on the upper shelf of the grill for indirect heat.

Good for the grill:

Shrimp
Lobster
Oysters in shell
Salmon
Tuna
Swordfish
Shark
Mahi Mahi
Grouper

Here are a few of my favorite marinades:

More Grilling Ideas:

A couple of other fun things you can do on the grill are skewers and foil packs. Just wrap the foods you want to cook in heavy duty foil, with some marinade, spices or lemon juice and cook on the upper shelf of the grill.

Beef Steak
Lamb Chops
Pork Chops
Pork Tenderloin (use lower heat and turn often – use a thermometer to test for 155°F internal temperature)
Hamburger made of ground beef, lamb, chicken or turkey
Chicken Breast
Bone in Chicken parts (use lower heat and turn often – use a thermometer to test for 165°F internal temperature)

Fruits Suitable for Grilling

When grilling fruits be very cautious. The high sugar content can cause them to burn very quickly. They need a very short turn on the grill to get great caramelized flavor.

Best for the grill:
Pineapple
Banana
Peaches
Watermelon