Having an electric grill is a convenient option. For instance, you can use them either indoors or outdoors, depending on the weather. But not only that, it provides you with a chance to have complete control over the process of preparing food. However, you cannot expect the same flavor as with a charcoal grill.

Many people hesitate to use a charcoal grill since they need to have at least some level of knowledge when it comes to controlling the temperature. Not only that, but charcoal grills themselves tend to be much more complicated to use than other ones. So, the chances of meat being overcooked are rather high.

Consequently, they are simply not as common as electric ones among beginners. Thankfully, there’s are a couple of solutions that can help you have the exact flavor you want, and still not use a charcoal grill. Today, we want to provide you with these. Let’s check them out.

Using Charcoal in Electric Grill

Were you aware of the fact that it is possible to use charcoal in an electric grill? It is possible, and you can use it in a couple of ways. For instance, using charcoal combined with wood choice together in a foil will provide the user with an opportunity to put them together, and reap all the benefits.

For those who do not know what wood chips are, these are small wood particles that can be used on their own, or together with charcoal to prepare meat in whatever type of grill. In fact, some professional grillers prefer to use them instead of charcoal for a wide array of different reasons.

Among the most popular types of wood chips out there, you can find maple, hickory, alder, or cherry. The smoke they will produce is not as thick as some other options do. What needs to be understood is that not all the electrical grills out there can support these.

Adding an Olive Oil

If you want to enhance the smoke by being more successful at penetrating the meat, then you should add a little bit of olive oil. There is a moment when you should do it. When the wood chips and charcoal are becoming as hot as they can be, add a little bit of olive oil. That way, the smoke will become more fragrant.

Cost-Effective

One of the reasons why we believe using charcoal in an electric grill is the way to go is that this is a cost-effective method. Meaning, you will not need to invest money in devices that are much heftier than electric ones. Plus, wood chips tend to be cheaper than the charcoal itself.

Time-Saving

Not only that, by using a foil, you will prevent any sort of mess. Just think about all the ash that can stay behind this process, and how much time do you need to clean it afterward. By opting for this approach, you will gather all the ash in the foil, and have no problems with getting rid of it in a couple of minutes.

Potential Problems

When you opt for using charcoal, make sure that you’ve selected the proper one. There are many different varieties to choose from. Some of them tend to be lighter, which means that they will maintain the burning properly. With some other varieties, you can have a problem with maintaining it.

We would recommend you to take a look at lump charcoal. It is made of a nearly-pure carbon. Another great option would be to choose the briquettes. They are even more durable than lumps. Maybe you can take a look at both of these and see which one of these serves you in a better way.

Liquid Smoke

Another great approach you can take a look at is using liquid smoke. It can provide that particular smoky flavor to the meat. Still, we feel that using it should be done solely in the case when you have a device that doesn’t have a lid cover. All you need to do is to prepare the food in a particular way.

When we say that, we mean that you should mix it with the ingredients when you prepare them for the grill. What needs to be said that is not providing an equal layer to every particle can lead to the food being overcooked or even burned. So, pay attention that you do it carefully and without rushing.

Thankfully, purchasing the marinade that includes liquid smoke is not something you should worry about. These products can be found in practically any store near you. With the addition of this marinade, the food you’re preparing will get the flavor you wanted, you can be sure of that.

Using Smoky Spices

The final method we want to talk about is adding some smoky spices to the marinade you use for food. One of the first ingredients you can use for this marinate is smoked paprika. That would be the most obvious choice. Another one would be bacon salt, which doesn’t contain any meat.

Besides that, you can take a look at some other ones, and choose them depending on your preferences. We’re talking about smoke powder, smoked salts, and lapsang souchong tea. The last one we’ve mentioned is not as common as the other ones, but we feel it can provide a great addition to the marinade.

Combine all of these ingredients and create a marine that will be added to the food. Have in mind that this is something that will require them to cook for a little bit longer. But, you can rest assured that the food will absorb all the flavors properly.

Final Thoughts

Now that you know it is possible to make the food you prepare with an electric grill taste like it was done on a charcoal grill, then the sky’s the limit for you. There are numerous alter-natives you can use to do it. In this article of ours, we’ve provided you with a couple of the most popular ones. Be sure to check them out.