Grill Masters Swear by This Cleaning Hack
As you open your grill for barbecuing season, don’t reach for the grill brush to clean those grill grates. Instead something goes with something more natural but still surprisingly effective–an onion. Here's how it works.
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- Heat up your grill for about 15 to 20 minutes. In the meantime, cut a large onion in half and stick it on the end of a barbecue fork. You can also purchase an onion holder to make the process easier.
- After the grease and food bits on the grill have carbonized, rub the cut side of the onion over the hot grill grates. As the onion heats up, it releases moisture that turns into steam, helping to release food bits and grime from the grate. The onion is also acidic, making it a natural degreaser.
- Along with cleaning grime off the grates, the oils leave behind a temporary non-stick coating, helping to keep fish, chicken, and other foods from sticking to the grill grates.
- Hold onto the onion and clean the grates after cooking to prep it for the next grilling session.
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Benefits of Using an Onion to Clean Your Grill Grates
Along with cleaning char off your grill, using an onion also has a number of side benefits you won't get with a standard grill scraper:
- Onions also contain a compound called allicin, which acts as antimicrobial treatment for your grill grates.
- Cooking onions just smell good. Using the onion to clean your grill grates creates a pleasant aroma that whets your guests' appetites.
- An onion is a safer alternative to wire metal scrapers that can shed dangerous wires into food.
- What better way to look like a pro to your neighbors, family and friends than by using this technique? Using an onion to clean your grill grates is an excellent conversation starter and a great way to demonstrate your grilling acumen.
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What type of Onions work best?
You can use any type of onion, but large white onions seem to be the most effective. White onions have higher acidic content than red or sweet onions, giving them more grease cutting power. White onions also tend to be firmer than other types of onions and hold up better against hot grimy grill grates.