Can You Use Aluminum Foil On The Grill?

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From burgers to vegetables to chicken to ribs, there's nothing quite like a meal hot off the grill. If you use your grill regularly, you may wonder whether it makes sense to use foil while you're cooking to help make the cleanup process easier. Morgan Bolling, executive food editor at America's Test Kitchen, spoke exclusively with Chowhound about whether it's actually a smart idea to use aluminum foil on the grill. Additionally, you can apply this advice to many of the recipes in America's Test Kitchen's new release, "The Complete Grilling and Barbecue Cookbook."

Most of the time, it's a great idea to use aluminum foil on the grill, according to Bolling. "It is perfectly safe to use aluminum foil on a grill. I do avoid it with highly acidic foods, but that's a good rule of thumb whether you're grilling or not," says Bolling. Cooking acidic foods, such as tomatoes, on aluminum foil can cause the aluminum to leach into your food, so you'll want to keep that in mind when using foil on the grill.

Keeping aluminum foil on hand can help you elevate your grilling experience. Bolling says it can actually expand what you're able to cook. "It can help you trap moisture, control heat exposure, and more easily manipulate small or delicate ingredients," she says. Foil helps lock smoky flavors into meals on the grill that would normally require a pot on the stovetop instead. Foil also has a use you may not know about – you can ball it up after grilling and use it to clean your grates.

Before you get started, make sure you're using the right type of foil. "I've seen people use foil that's too thin," says Morgan Bolling. "I highly recommend using heavy-duty foil for grilling. It's thicker and more durable." Most aluminum foil is intended for temperatures up to 400 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit before it risks leaching, so a durable foil is a good investment.

A foil pack is a quick and easy cooking method that can keep your grill clean while allowing flavors to meld beautifully. Bolling says that foil packets can help foods on the grill cook more evenly. It's also a great way to steam foods before placing them directly on the grill for a bit of char at the end of the cooking process. She recommends adding a few tablespoons of water to foil packets before placing them on the grill to steam any vegetables.

Another way to use foil to your advantage is that it can help to add a deeper flavor to your food, even if you're using a charcoal or gas grill. "You can enclose 1 to 2 cups of wood chips in foil, fold it into a packet about 8 by 4 inches, and cut a couple of small slits on top to allow smoke to escape," says Bolling. She suggests placing the packet over your gas burner or directly on charcoal to lend your food deep, smoky flavors without using a smoker. The bottom line is that if you're a grill master, you absolutely need to keep heavy-duty aluminum on hand.