Low and slow is 105°C (225°F) to 135°C (275°F) for barbecue. Smoke roast is 135°C (275°F) to 175°C (350°F) for skin and hot-fast barbecue. Medium is 175°C (350°F) to 230°C (450°F), the everyday working heat. High is 230°C (450°F) to 290°C (550°F) for grill marks. White hot is 290°C (550°F) and above, for searing only.
Charcoal grill temperature chart
This is the whole guide in one table. The grill temperature is measured at the cooking grate, next to the food. The hand test is how many seconds you can hold your palm five inches above the grate. The vent and fuel settings are starting points for a 57cm (22 inch) kettle and come from our guide to controlling charcoal grill temperature.
| Heat | Grill temperature | Hand test | Bottom vent | Fuel | Use it for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | 105 to 135°C (225 to 275°F) | 8 to 10 seconds | 1/4 open | Snake or Minion, 8 to 12 lit coals | Brisket, pork shoulder, ribs |
| Smoke roast | 135 to 175°C (275 to 350°F) | 6 to 8 seconds | 1/3 to 1/2 open | Minion with 15 to 20 lit coals, or a small banked fire | Chicken, hot and fast ribs, anything with skin |
| Medium | 175 to 230°C (350 to 450°F) | 4 to 6 seconds | 3/4 open | Half to full chimney, banked | Whole birds, chops, sausages, most everyday grilling |
| High | 230 to 290°C (450 to 550°F) | 2 to 4 seconds | Fully open | Full chimney, spread even | Burgers, thin steaks, grill marks |
| White hot | 290°C (550°F) and above | 1 to 2 seconds | Fully open, lid off | Full chimney, deep bed | Searing a steak at the end of a reverse sear |
How hot does a charcoal grill get?
A full chimney of briquettes, poured into a deep bed with the vents wide open, gets the grate of a kettle well past 290°C (550°F) for searing. Lump charcoal burns hotter than briquettes and peaks sooner. Thick-walled kamados hold their heat best of all and will reach 400°C (750°F) for pizza. Most of the time you want far less than the maximum, which is why the useful skill is holding a temperature rather than reaching one.
From lighting, a chimney starter takes 12 to 15 minutes to get the coals ready, and the grill needs another five to ten minutes with the lid on to settle. Allow about 25 minutes from match to food. Our guide to lighting charcoal walks through it.
How to raise or lower the temperature
Two things decide how hot a charcoal grill runs. The first is how much charcoal is lit, which sets the ceiling. The second is how much air reaches it through the bottom vent, which sets where you sit under that ceiling. To go hotter, open the bottom vent or add lit coals. To go cooler, close the bottom vent a quarter at a time and wait fifteen minutes between changes. Keep the top vent at least half open throughout.
If the grill will not come down however far you close the vents, or will not get hot enough however far you open them, we go through the causes in why your charcoal grill runs too hot. For fuel quantities, see how much charcoal to use.
What temperature should the grill be for each food?
The grill temperature decides how the outside cooks. The fire layout decides whether the inside has time to catch up. Most thick food is cooked on a two-zone fire, starting on the cool side.
| Food | Grill temperature | Fire |
|---|---|---|
| Thick steak | 120°C (250°F), then 290°C (550°F)+ to sear | Two-zone, reverse sear |
| Thin steak, smash burgers | 230°C (450°F) and above | Direct |
| Spatchcock chicken | 135 to 175°C (275 to 350°F) | Two-zone |
| Chicken thighs and wings | 175 to 230°C (350 to 450°F) | Two-zone |
| Pork chops | 120°C (250°F), then sear | Two-zone, reverse sear |
| Pork ribs | 135 to 175°C (275 to 350°F) | Snake, Minion or two-zone |
| Brisket, pork shoulder | 105 to 135°C (225 to 275°F) | Snake or Minion |
| Salmon fillets | 175 to 230°C (350 to 450°F) | Two-zone |
| Vegetables | 175 to 230°C (350 to 450°F) | Two-zone or direct |
Target internal temperatures
Grill temperature gets you there; internal temperature tells you when you have arrived. These are the numbers that actually decide whether dinner is good.
| Food | Pull at | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Beef steak, rare | 50°C (120°F) | Add about 3°C (5°F) of carryover |
| Beef steak, medium rare | 55°C (130°F) | The default target |
| Beef steak, medium | 60°C (140°F) | |
| Burgers, ground beef | 70°C (160°F) | Ground meat, cook through |
| Brisket, short rib, pulled pork | 95°C (203°F) | Probe tender matters more than the number |
| Pork chops and loin | 65°C (145°F) | Faintly pink is correct |
| Pork ribs | 90 to 95°C (195 to 203°F) | Bend test is the real test |
| Chicken breast | 75°C (165°F) | Pull at 70°C (160°F) for carryover |
| Chicken thigh and leg | 80 to 85°C (175 to 185°F) | Better above 75°C (165°F), not worse |
| Whole chicken | 75°C (165°F) breast, 80°C (175°F) thigh | |
| Lamb, medium rare | 55°C (130°F) | |
| Salmon | 50 to 55°C (125 to 130°F) | Published guidance is 65°C (145°F) |
| White fish | 55 to 55°C (130 to 135°F) | Flakes and goes opaque |
| Prawns | 50°C (120°F) | Loose C shape, not a tight O |
UK and US food safety guidance gives higher figures for some of these, notably poultry, minced meat and fish, and those are the safe choice if you are cooking for young children, older people or anyone pregnant. You need a probe to use any of these numbers. An instant-read thermometer is the one piece of kit that improves charcoal cooking the most.
How do I know the grill temperature without a thermometer?
The hand test. Hold your palm five inches above the grate and count how long you can hold it there. One to two seconds is white hot, two to four is high, four to six is medium, six to eight is medium low, eight to ten is low. Calibrate it against a probe a few times and it becomes genuinely reliable.
Why is my grate temperature different to the lid thermometer?
Because they are measuring different things. A lid thermometer measures air at the top of the dome, several inches above and away from the food, and on most kettles it reads 14 to 28°C (25 to 50°F) away from grate level. It is also usually uncalibrated. Clip a probe to the grate beside the food and use that number. A leave-in probe thermometer with a grate clip does this and reads the meat at the same time.
Food keeps cooking after it leaves the fire, as heat travels inward from the hot surface. A thick steak climbs 3 to 6°C (5 to 10°F) while resting; a whole shoulder can climb more. Pull food below your target, not at it. This single habit fixes more overcooked meat than any other.
Common questions
What temperature should a charcoal grill be for steak?
290°C (550°F) or higher at the grate for the sear. For anything over an inch and a quarter thick, cook it first at 120°C (250°F) on the indirect side and sear at the end, which is the reverse sear.
What temperature for low and slow barbecue?
105°C (225°F) to 135°C (275°F). Lower is traditional, 135°C (275°F) is faster and the difference in the finished food is smaller than people claim. Ribs in particular are better at 135°C (275°F).
Is 105°C (225°F) always better than 135°C (275°F)?
No. 105°C (225°F) suits large fatty cuts with a lot of collagen and plenty of time. 135°C (275°F) suits leaner or smaller cuts like baby back ribs and poultry, which dry out before they tenderise at lower heat.
What is medium heat on a charcoal grill?
About 175°C (350°F) to 230°C (450°F) at the grate, or four to six seconds on the hand test. It is the heat for most everyday grilling.
How long does a charcoal grill take to get hot?
About 25 minutes: 12 to 15 minutes for the coals in a chimney starter, then five to ten minutes with the lid on for the grill to settle.
What is the highest temperature a charcoal grill can reach?
A kettle with a deep bed of fully lit charcoal and the vents open will go well past 290°C (550°F) at the grate. Kamados reach 400°C (750°F).
Related guides
TechniqueHow to Light Charcoal Without Lighter Fluid
There is one right way to light charcoal, it costs about twenty five dollars, and it takes fifteen minutes.
TechniqueHow to Set Up a Two-Zone Fire on a Charcoal Grill
A two-zone fire puts all the lit charcoal on one side of the grill and leaves the other side empty. You get a hot side for searing and a cooler side where thick food can cook through without burning, and it is the setup we use for most things.
TechniqueThe Snake Method: Low and Slow on a Kettle
A line of unlit briquettes, lit at one end, burning along at about an inch an hour. It is the cheapest smoker you will ever build and it is already inside your kettle.