How To Grill In Your Oven

You don’t need to step outside to create the charbroiled flavor of freshly grilled foods when you know how to grill in your oven. Whether you’re charring vegetables or grilling up some steaks, you can discover the grilling possibilities of your oven when you know the right technique. Use this article as a guide to the general steps of oven grilling.

For grill enthusiasts looking to bring the taste of the barbeque into their kitchen, the KitchenAid® Smart Oven+ with Powered Attachments turns your oven into a grill, a steamer, a baking stone and more to expand the way you create.

Person grilling meat in an oven Person grilling meat in an oven

How to Grill Indoors in an Oven

You can get the fresh taste of barbecue without stepping foot outside of your kitchen. Grilling in your oven is different from grilling on your stove or with an outdoor grill, so read on below to learn the technique.

WHAT YOU NEED TO GRILL IN AN OVEN

SUPPLIES
  • Cast iron grill pan or broiler pan
Tools
  • Oven
  • Tongs
  • Meat thermometer (optional)
Woman rearranging oven racks

STEP 1. REARRANGE YOUR OVEN RACKS

If you’re using a grill pan, arrange your oven racks close to the oven’s heating element. You can skip this step if you’re grilling using a broiler pan.

KitchenAid® Grill Attachment in a Smart Oven

STEP 2. PLACE EMPTY GRILL PAN IN THE OVEN AND PREHEAT

To grill in an oven, you want your cooking surface to be as hot as the oven itself. Place your empty cast iron grill pan inside your oven, then preheat the oven to 500°F. If you’re using the broiler to grill in the oven, place your empty broiler pan on the top rack or in the broiler compartment of your oven. It may take about 20-30 minutes for the oven and pan to come up to temperature.

TIP:

A grill pan is a skillet with raised ridges across the cooking surface to create the flavorful char marks associated with outdoor grilling. For this cooking method, it is important to use a cast iron grill pan as they can withstand the high heat from your oven.

Kebabs grilling in a KitchenAid® Smart Oven with Grill Attachment

STEP 3. GRILL YOUR FOOD

Once the grill pan has come up to temperature, place your food in the pan and cook like you would on a grill, turning the food halfway through the cooking time. To add even more flavor to your grilled meats or vegetables, brush them with a marinade as they’re grilling to lock in moisture and flavor.

Grilling with the KitchenAid®Smart Oven+ with Powered Attachments

The KitchenAid® Smart Oven Grill Attachment connects to a powered hub inside compatible KitchenAid® smart ovens+ to activate the grill heating element. Once it’s attached, you can either manually enter the time and temperature you need or select one of the grill settings programmed into the oven.

Once your grill attachment has preheated to the proper temperature, you can either manually control the cooking or select the grilling mode that provides timing suggestions about turning, flipping or removing your food to take the guesswork out of grilling. The heat applied directly to the surface of your food can help give it that signature char and caramelization. The Grill Attachment also minimizes flares smoke and eliminates flares common with outdoor grills to help make indoor grilling easier.

Discover KitchenAid®Smart Ovens & Attachments

KitchenAid® Smart Ovens open up your kitchen to numerous cooking methods, such as grilling without a grill. The Smart Oven with Attachments turns your oven into a grill, steamer and a baking stones while performing the traditional oven tasks of baking and broiling.

Person brushing sauce over grilled pineapple Person brushing sauce over grilled pineapple

Is broiling the same as grilling?

Grilling places meats or vegetables over an open flame or hot coals on preheated metal grates to cook using high temperatures, while broiling places food on a preheated broiler pan positioned inside an oven 2–6 inches beneath the heating element. Both grilling and broiling use intense direct heat to cook your food and provide a similar caramelization.

Person turning T-bone steaks on a KitchenAid® Grill Attachment Person turning T-bone steaks on a KitchenAid® Grill Attachment

How do you grill meat in the oven?

You can achieve a similar result to grilling meat outdoors inside your oven. To grill meat in the oven, place your oven rack close to the heating element, allowing for a bit of space in between. The heating element should not touch your food. Preheat your oven to a high temperature (400–500°F) and place your grill pan in the oven as it preheats. Then, place the meat on a grill pan and grill until cooked to your desired temperature, checking with a meat thermometer. Avoid turning your meat too often as this can reduce the flavor and interrupt the caramelization process that gives meat a nicely browned crust.

Your KitchenAid® Smart Oven+ Grill Attachment allows you to truly grill in your oven year-round. You can make perfectly charred pork chops or kebabs with settings that suggest when to turn and remove meats from the heat. You can also pan sear and cook steak on your stovetop for delicious caramelized flavor.

Person placing vegetables on a KitchenAid® Grill Attachment Person placing vegetables on a KitchenAid® Grill Attachment

How do you grill vegetables in the oven?

Arrange your oven racks to be close to your oven heating element, then place an empty grill pan in the oven. Preheat the oven to a high temperature (400–500°F), allowing the grill pan to heat inside the oven. Then, place vegetables on the pan and grill until cooked through. For added flavor, brush your vegetables with olive oil or a marinade before and during the grilling process.

Oven grilling recipes

If you’re ready to start grilling inside your oven, check out the following recipes to get inspired. For more ideas, check out our list of 5 foods you can grill.

Thai chicken skewers from yummly.com

1. Thai Chicken Skewers

This recipe transforms boneless, skinless chicken breast into tender, juicy and flavorful skewers with flavors like coconut, ginger, lime and thai basil.

T-bone steaks with blue cheese butter from yummly.com

2. T-Bone Steaks with Blue Cheese Butter

Learn how to grill a juicy and flavorful steak for your next romantic evening at home. This recipe uses aromatic flavors like blue cheese, garlic and freshly chopped herbs to create a rich steak dinner.

Grilled pound cake with caramelized banana from yummly.com

3. Grilled Pound Cake with Caramelized Banana

Use up leftover pound cake with this unexpected recipe. Grill sliced pound cake on both sides and top with caramelized banana and shredded coconut to create this sweet treat.

Learn More About Grilling & Cooking At Home