Our Food Editor's Guide to Grilling Indoors

So, you live in an apartment without outdoor space. (Me too!) In the colder months, that can feel like a blessing—no leaves to rake, no outdoor plants to care for, no snow to shovel—but come summer, it’s easy to get FOMOOG (Fear Of Missing Out On Grilling).

Whether you’re a backyard-less apartment renter, an avid outdoor griller faced with a bad weather day, or you’re stuck in the dead of winter dreaming of a summery dinner spread, let this guide serve as a primer for all things indoor grilling.

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1. Prep Your Space

First things first, a good grill station is a primed grill station. To set yourself up for success, there are a few key things you can start with to make sure your indoor grilling experience is seamless from start to finish. First, open a window. Nothing’s worse than cooking and simultaneously trying to stand on a chair and aggressively wave a dish towel at the smoke alarm (just me?). If you have a vent fan in the kitchen, get that going too! Second, set out paper towels. This will help catch any oil splatters and save on some cleanup later on. Third, swap your regular cooking olive oil for some neutral, high-smoke-point oil, like canola or grapeseed. Grilling happens at a higher temperature than most regular cooking, so using a more tolerant oil will cut down on the smoke and oil spitting. While you’re swapping out oils, make sure you have all of your seasonings handy too.

2. Grab Your Equipment

Without the main attraction (the outdoor grill), there are a few kitchen essentials you need to pull off an indoor grilling experience, namely, a grill pan. Luckily, there are a ton of great options—some are just a simple grill pan, and some are multifaceted, like this two-in-one cast-iron grill pan and cocotte. (The lid doubles as a grill pan so you can grill burgers and caramelize onions for topping at the same time. Brilliant, right?) A set of wood planks can help you achieve that hickory or maple flavor straight from your oven to the table. Finally, if you really want to feel like an any-season grill master, throw in a few sturdy grill tools to complete the experience.

3. Opt for Smaller Ingredients

Instead of reaching for the show-stopping proteins—like a porterhouse steak—at the grocery store, opt for smaller, thinner cuts, like skirt or strip. Or, turn your proteins into skewered chunks with bits of veggies in between. Not only will this cut down on smoky grill time overall, but a stovetop grill is much smaller, so you’ll want to approach your grilling flow differently than you’d navigate a larger outdoor grill. My advice? If you're grilling animal proteins, start there. Once your meat is cooked, let the delicious oils and fond left on the grill soak into your vegetables (or other items, like bread) for an extra-savory flavor. If you're going meat-free, try working from largest (or longest cook time) to smallest. This gives bigger items resting time while the smaller items grill, and allows for everything to finish around the same time, ensuring nothing goes cold before you dig in.

4. Play With Seasonings, Salts & Spices

There are so many options to mimic the charcoal grill flavor. Using a dedicated grill pan, as mentioned above, will get you those desired grill marks, but there are a few other hacks to get your taste buds fired up with grilling flavors. The easiest way is to swap your regular salt for seasoned salts, like the ones from Icelandic brand Saltverk (the Birch Smoked Salt will give you the perfect touch of smoky aroma and flavor without having to create a massive fire in your kitchen). For a more on-the-nose vibe, barbecue spices will transport you directly to a cookout, and will caramelize beautifully on the grill pan. If your grilling adventure includes meats, a compound butter is an easy way to fancifully finish off your grilled items with flair and flavor.

5. Set the Tone

The main appeal of grilling—besides the deliciously smokey flavors—is simply being outdoors. Treat your indoor kitchen like an oasis: Put on a summery playlist complete with your favorite tunes that invoke warm-weather feelings, light a citronella candle (minus the pesky bugs, what a treat!), invite some pals over, and make a refreshing cocktail to complete the feeling of a sunny day outdoors.

6. Make Your Kitchen Work for You

Want to grill but afraid of the bonfire-like smell permeating every little thing in your home? My favorite hack is to utilize your oven. Seems counterintuitive for a grill situation, but think of your oven like a grill lid. You can use your stovetop to get your grill pan piping hot, then transfer it to the oven and monitor the grilling there. This allows the oven to catch any spitting bits and contain any smoke; it's also a great place to let the grill pan slowly cool off before cleaning (and keep any wandering hands safe from the hot surface).

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What will you be grilling indoors this season? Let us know in the comments!