Can You Put A Pan On The Grill?

Cooking allows for creative freedom, but it also follows many dos and don’ts. It can all be confusing at times, and we understand.

Well, let us shed some light on some things today. Let’s answer this cooking concern. Without further ado, let’s go!

Can You Put a Pan on a Grill?

As you might have already anticipated, a simple yes or no will not do the trick for this question. It is both a yes and a no.

There are many pans out there, and there are different types of grills too. Some of them could work together, but some of them won’t. As if that’s not enough to complicate things, there are pans you can use with certain grills but with some caution.

The answer you are looking for would depend on what pan and grill are in question. As we have said already, the answer could be a yes. Let’s talk about grills and pans in more detail to see how the two could fit together.

Types of Grills

Some advice against charcoal grills if you want to use a grill with your pan. Unless you’ve mastered the charcoal grill, you’ll likely have some difficulty controlling the temperature with this one. Now, controlling the temperature is important in following a recipe.

Grills can get hot – extremely hot. As you might already know, not all pans can operate under extreme temperatures. So, if you can’t control the temperature well, you will not only have a burnt meal but a broken pan too!

So, when it comes to grills, it is advisable to avoid charcoal grills. Instead, you might want to go for those you have greater control over the temperature, like a gas grill.

Pans

Next, let’s talk about pans.

With pans, a rule you want to follow is: if it can’t go in the oven, it can’t go in the grill too. You may have an assortment of oven-safe pans, but it is advisable to stay away from those that are not mostly made of metal. That is because using these pans could be risky. You might have an oven-safe glass pan, for example. This pan could break and shatter on the grill.

As we said earlier, grills could get extremely hot. With that, you might decide to opt for a pan with plastic handles and such as a safety measure against being burned. It might be a good idea to note that such handles usually melt or get ruined under high temperatures.

Now, you might have found yourself an oven-safe non-stick pan. Generally, many avoid putting this pan in the oven even when labeled as oven-safe. Non-stick pans have a non-stick coating that can usually be ruined under extreme temperatures. Not only will that render your non-stick pan ineffective after, but it could also be dangerous! You don’t want the non-stick coating to go on your food, after all.

On the other hand, one of the best pans for this job is the cast-iron pan. If heat is the game, the cast-iron pan is usually one of the best choices.

Why Would You Want to Put a Pan on a Grill?

Now, you have an idea of how to fit your pans and grill together. However, there might be another question we have to answer. Why would you want to put your pan on a grill? Using a pan on the grill is not common, after all.

Moving the cooking on the grill is not that easy. However, there are a few good reasons you might want to use your pans and grill together.

Impromptu Oven

You might only want to put your pan on the grill if a dish calls for an oven and you don’t have one or yours broke down. In that case, a grill could be an impromptu oven.

A grill could mimic an oven, and it would be great if you want to make some baked goods. You can even make some pizza if you’re up for the challenge! Of course, your grill would need to have a working lid to do that.

For brownies and such, you might want to use a baking pan that would fit your grill to produce as many baked goods as you could in one go.

Practicality

Another reason you might want to put your pan on the grill is for practicality. When cooking out, using a pan may seem out of the ordinary. You might even get some weird looks once everyone sees the pan.

However, using a pan at a BBQ is a good idea! So, take out your trusty ole cast-iron pan. You might be surprised, but it could become the next superstar at your BBQs. (Well, it might not beat your patties, but you get what we mean.)

Are you having some difficulty with the meat? Does it always come out too dry or too stringy? Well, a cast-iron pan on the grill might be able to help you with that. When you’re using the grill without a pan, one of the problems you might have not noticed before is that the juices come out and are lost forever. A pan could help you preserve those juices and bring them back to your patty.

Another problem when grilling is that pieces of meat can stick to the racks. Not only does that take away precious bits and pieces, but sometimes it also makes the whole patty crumble. As you might imagine, you won’t have to face that with a well-seasoned cast-iron pan.

Speaking of taking away precious bits and pieces, have you ever wondered how many greens you’ve lost to the fire? We like seeing the imprint of the grill racks on our meat, but that very same rack is the reason why we lose so many greens to the fire! As you might expect, of course, you won’t lose your vegetables if you cook them on your grill with a cast-iron pan.

Dips

Since we’re already on the topic of BBQs, another good reason you’d want to use your pan on the grill is for the dips! Make some delicious dips to go with the mouth-watering meats on the grill.

However, as we’ve said, moving things to the grill is not that easy. Unless you’re ready for that, you might want to explore your other options.

Other Things You Might Want to Keep in Mind

You now know how pans and grills work together. In this part, let’s talk about some things you might want to keep in mind in the kitchen.

Not Everything Would Work Together

As we have said earlier, not every pan will work for every grill. Make sure you get an appropriate one before you start.

Also, it’s the best time to note that you could probably get away with using an inappropriate pan once or twice. However, that doesn’t mean you should continue. You might not notice any damage at the start or even after the first use, but it will add up. Depending on the pan you’ve chosen, it could be dangerous.

Try and Try

Again, as we’ve said earlier, moving things to the grill is not easy. However, don’t let that get you down! It might take some time to get used to, but with some practice, we believe you’ll get the hang of it.

Adjustments

A grill might be able to stand as an impromptu oven, but the two are still not the same. If you’re following a recipe, you would most likely have to make adjustments here and there, especially with the temperature.

If this would be the first time you’re using the grill as an oven replacement, then you might want to do a few “dry runs” before tackling that dish. You might also want to make sure you have enough ingredients for another batch if the first attempt fails.

Summary

Today we talked about pans, grills, and many other things you could use for your next great dish. You found out that, yes, you can use a pan on a grill, but that not every pan and grill will work together. Additionally, you also got an idea of which pans and grills to use for the job.

We hope that we were able to help you! If you have any other questions like this one, then you might want to take a look around. We’ve answered many other cooking concerns in the past, and we might already have the answer to your next cooking question!