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Grill Timer
Tap what is on the grill and press Start as it goes on. The timer beeps when it is time to flip and again when it is done.
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¾-inch patty: 4 minutes per side, 3 minutes rest. Ground beef is done at 160°F (71°C).
Boneless breast: 7 minutes per side, 5 minutes rest. Done at 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part.
Fresh sausages: 8 + 8 minutes over medium heat, turned often. 160°F (71°C); poultry sausages 165°F (74°C).
6 minutes skin side down, then 2 minutes on the flesh side. Done at 145°F (63°C) or when it flakes.
7 + 7 minutes, turned every few minutes, about 15 in all. Kernels tender and charred in spots.
5 minutes per side. Done when the edges have charred and a knife goes in easily.
Grilling times chart
| Food | Per side | Total | Done when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burgers, ¾-inch patty | 4 min + 4 min | 8 min, then rest 3 | 160°F (71°C) for ground beef |
| Boneless chicken breast | 7 min + 7 min | 14 min, then rest 5 | 165°F (74°C) |
| Fresh sausages | 8 min + 8 min, turned often | 16 min (15–20) | 160°F (71°C); poultry 165°F (74°C) |
| Salmon fillet | 6 min skin side + 2 min | 8 min | 145°F (63°C) or flakes with a fork |
| Corn on the cob | 7 min + 7 min, turned often | 14 min (about 15) | Kernels tender, charred in spots |
| Vegetable skewers | 5 min + 5 min | 10 min | Tender, with charred edges |
For direct medium-high heat on a preheated grill (medium for sausages). Thickness, wind, lid position and the grill itself all change the time, so these are guides. Temperatures are USDA safe minimums, measured with a thermometer in the thickest part.
How to use it
- Preheat the grill for 10 to 15 minutes, brush the grates clean and oil them. Set up two zones: one side hot, one side with little or no heat.
- Tap the food. The stages are set for you: first side, second side and, for burgers and chicken, a rest.
- Put the food over the hot side and press Start. Three short beeps count down to the flip, and the screen changes color for the second side.
- When the second side ends, check the thickest piece with a thermometer. If it is not there yet, move it to the cooler side and close the lid for a few minutes.
Why grilling times differ so much by food
A burger and a chicken breast can weigh the same and need very different times, because thickness and the target temperature both differ. A ¾-inch patty needs about 4 minutes per side to reach 160°F (71°C) in the middle. A chicken breast is thicker at one end and must reach 165°F (74°C), so it takes about 7 minutes per side. Pounding it to an even thickness first stops the thin end drying out while the thick end catches up.
Salmon is cooked mostly on its skin, 6 minutes of the 8, because the skin shields the flesh and releases cleanly from the grate once it has crisped. Fresh sausages go over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes with frequent turning: high heat splits the casing and burns the outside while the middle is still raw. Corn and vegetable skewers have no safe temperature to hit, so they are done when they are tender and marked.
Two zones, the lid and the rest
A two-zone fire is what makes grill timing forgiving. Bank the coals to one side, or turn one burner down, and you have a place to move food that is browning faster than it is cooking, or that is sitting over a flare-up from dripping fat. Keep the lid down for thicker items such as chicken and sausages so heat reaches them from above as well as below. Thin, quick foods can cook with it open.
Burgers get 3 minutes of rest and chicken 5. The heat in the outside carries on moving inward during that time and the juices settle, so the meat is hotter in the center and wetter on the plate than it was when it came off.
Common mistakes
- Pressing burgers flat with the spatula. It squeezes the juices onto the coals and causes flare-ups.
- Flipping before the food releases. If it sticks to the grate it has not seared yet; wait for the beep, then lift gently.
- Putting food on a grill that has only been lit for a few minutes. The grates need 10 to 15 minutes to get hot enough to sear.
- Grilling sausages over the hottest part of the fire. The casings burst and the outside chars before the center is cooked.
- Judging chicken and burgers by color. Use a thermometer: 165°F (74°C) for chicken and 160°F (71°C) for ground beef.
Questions people ask
How long do you grill burgers?
About 4 minutes per side over direct medium-high heat for a ¾-inch patty, then 3 minutes of rest. Ground beef burgers should reach 160°F (71°C) in the center. Thicker patties need a minute or two more per side.
How long do you grill chicken breast?
About 7 minutes per side for a boneless breast over medium-high heat, lid down, then 5 minutes of rest. It is done at 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part.
How long do you grill salmon?
About 8 minutes for a fillet: 6 minutes skin side down and 2 minutes on the other side. It is done at 145°F (63°C) or when the flesh flakes easily with a fork.
How long does corn take on the grill?
About 15 minutes for husked corn over direct heat, turned every few minutes so it colors on all sides. The timer splits this into two 7-minute halves as a reminder to keep turning.
How long do sausages take on a BBQ?
Fresh sausages take about 15 to 20 minutes over medium heat, turned often. Pork and beef sausages should reach 160°F (71°C) inside and poultry sausages 165°F (74°C).
Do these times work on both gas and charcoal?
Yes, for direct medium-high heat on either. Charcoal fires vary more from one cook to the next, so lean on the thermometer and use the cooler zone when the outside is ahead of the inside.