Locals are trading reservations for tongs this summer… and grilling season is the reason why. To help, we’ve gathered expert insight from a lineup of South Florida chefs who are sharing their go-to techniques for achieving restaurant-quality results at home.
From mastering the perfect sear to unexpected flavor upgrades, we’ve rounded up top advice and hot takes below.
Chef Duvan Marin of Oceans 234 Says Great Grilling Starts with Patience
Executive Chef Duvan Marin of Oceans 234 believes one of the biggest home grilling mistakes is simply not letting food cook. He encourages home cooks to focus on heat control rather than overcomplicating the process. He says lean white fish and seafood are some of the most underrated ingredients for the grill. A fan of jerk seasoning, Marin recommends stepping outside the usual burgers and steaks and trying everything from scallops and lobster tails to fresh-caught fish. His biggest piece of advice? Don’t be afraid to fail. “There is information everywhere now. If you feel like you can’t do it, you just have to try.” Additional Tips: HERE
Chef Rocco’s Rule for Better Grilling: Slow Down and Let the Fire Work
Rocco Carulli, the executive chef behind Wynwood hot spot R House, says great grilling comes down to heat control and patience. “Let the grill fully preheat before cooking, and don’t constantly flip or move proteins around,” he says. He also recommends thinking beyond burgers and steaks this summer, highlighting grilled vegetables and octopus as underrated options that shine with simple flavors like olive oil, lemon and fresh herbs. Additional Tips: HERE
Fire Up the Grill with Chef Markus Millan of Uchiko Miami Beach
Markus Millan, chef de cuisine at Uchiko Miami Beach, encourages home cooks to approach grilling season with confidence and creativity. “Don’t be scared to try it out,” he says, noting that while charcoal grilling can feel intimidating at first, there are endless resources available to help build knowledge and technique. He recommends setting up ingredients, proteins and tools ahead of time, much like a professional kitchen, to make the process smoother and more enjoyable. When it comes to common mistakes, Millan advises against going overboard on char. “The flavor of the grill is awesome, but not everything needs to be charred super heavily,” he says. His final tip for elevating backyard grilling? Start with quality ingredients. “The product will speak for itself.” Additional Tips: HERE
Sear & Stay with Chef Yohsy of Novotel Miami Brickell
Yohsy Hernandez, executive chef at Novotel Miami Brickell, says one of the biggest mistakes home cooks make during grilling season is rushing the process. “A lot of people try to cook everything on very high heat, but creating different heat zones on the grill gives you much more control and better results,” he says. He also recommends letting the grill fully preheat before cooking and avoiding the urge to constantly flip or move food around. He says allowing proteins to develop a proper sear before turning them and giving meat time to rest after grilling helps retain juices and elevate the final result. Additional Tips: HERE
Searing Sourdough with Owner & Chef Michael Hackman of aioli
Owner and Chef Michael Hackman of aioli Sourdough Bakery & Café encourages home cooks to think beyond traditional barbecue staples and embrace a more creative approach to summer grilling. His advice starts with fundamentals: “Make sure your grill is preheated, just like sautéing. You want to get a good sear.” Whether serving grilled chicken wings, charred sourdough or his signature live-fire oysters with garlic butter, Hackman’s guiding principle is to simply keep an open mind. “Some of the best things off the grill are the ones people least expect,” he says. Additional Tips: HERE
Grilling Steady: Executive Chef Gregory Gourreau of Vilebrequin La Plage Miami
Executive Chef Gregory Gourreau of Vilebrequin La Plage Miami advises home cooks to give the grill ample time to preheat, keep the lid closed to maintain steady temperatures and avoid the common mistake of moving food too soon. “Allowing food to cook undisturbed helps develop proper caramelization and grill marks while preventing it from sticking to the grates,” he says. His preferred summer grilling profile balances “smoke, acidity, salt, sweetness and fresh herbs,” often incorporating citrus, garlic and herbs to keep dishes bright and seasonal. Additional Tips: HERE
From Citrus to Char: Chef Antony Awak’s Elevated Grilling Tips for Sizzle Season
Antony Awak, executive chef at The Elser Hotel & Residences’ Bayview Rooftop Bar & Kitchen, shares that great grilling starts with proper heat and seasoning. “Make sure your grill is nice and hot before putting your protein on so you get a good crust,” he explains. He notes that home cooks often underseason and overcook their meats, especially larger cuts of beef, and recommends using a thermometer to achieve perfect readiness every time. For seafood, Awak suggests pairing fish with bright citrus flavors like lemon, orange and tangerine, along with Syrian-style marinades featuring seven spices and dried peppers such as Aleppo or Urfa. Additional Tips: HERE
From Senegal to the Grill: Chef Oumar Diouf’s Recipe for Summer Cookout Success
Oumar Diouf, executive chef at Wyn Wyn, believes great grilling starts long before food hits the fire. His top advice is to let the grill fully preheat, bring proteins to room temperature, and resist the urge to constantly flip or press food while it cooks. Looking beyond traditional barbecue fare, Diouf champions whole fish, especially snapper, as one of the most underrated ingredients on the grill, noting that the skin and bones help keep it moist and flavorful. For bold summer flavors, he recommends marinades built around acid, heat and aromatics, such as his Senegalese-inspired blend of onion, garlic, ginger, lime, mustard and habanero. His final tip for elevating any backyard cookout: Finish dishes with fresh herbs, citrus, flaky sea salt or a drizzle of sauce. “That last 30 seconds is what separates backyard burgers from something memorable.” Additional Tips: HERE
From One of Miami’s Hottest Tables: Delilah Miami’s Chef Mitchell Hesse’s Grilling Secret
Forget expensive cuts of meat. According to Mitchell Hesse, executive chef at Delilah Miami, the secret to better grilling this summer is all in the butter. He recommends making an herb-infused basting butter with thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley, garlic, lemon peel and black peppercorns, then brushing it onto proteins as they cook. The result is deeper flavor, better caramelization and a more polished final dish. “It will instantly increase your flavor profiles,” he says, making it one of the simplest ways to achieve restaurant-quality results at home. Additional Tips: HERE
Chef James Weinlein’s Secret to Better Grilling – Heat, Patience and Charred Lemon
Chef James Weinlein of Prime After Dark encourages home cooks to focus on heat and patience when grilling this summer. His top advice is to let the grill fully preheat, avoid overcrowding the grates, and allow proteins to sit at room temperature for 30-40 minutes before cooking. “Most people crowd the grill and flip constantly,” he says. “Heat plus patience is what builds that crust.” For an often-overlooked grilling ingredient, Weinlein points to vegetables like broccolini, which he recommends blanching before grilling over high heat for a flavorful char. To elevate any backyard cookout, he suggests finishing grilled foods with flaky salt, fresh herbs, good olive oil and charred lemon. “That last-second brightness is the difference between backyard and restaurant,” he says. Additional Tips: HERE
Chef Leo Pablo Wants Home Cooks to Stop Flipping and Start Trusting the Grill
This summer, Chef Leo Pablo of Grand Public Kitchen + Bar is encouraging home cooks to take a more patient approach to grilling. One of the most common mistakes he sees is people constantly flipping, pressing and checking their food before it’s ready. “Grilling needs patience,” he says. “If the food is sticking, many times, it simply is not ready to be turned yet.” Pablo recommends focusing on proper heat management, allowing food to develop a strong sear and resting proteins after cooking to lock in flavor. His favorite under-the-radar grilling picks? Whole fish and fennel, both of which develop rich smoky flavor over an open flame. Additional Tips: HERE
Brush, Baste, Grill: Chef Laurent Tourondel’s Flavor-Boosting Tip
Chef Laurent Tourondel, director of culinary at the Michelin Key-recognized Betsy South Beach, says one of the easiest ways home cooks can elevate their grilling game is by basting proteins with fresh herbs while they cook. “While the meat is on the grill, take fresh rosemary, thyme and sage, dip them in olive oil and garlic, and brush the meat as it cooks,” he says. The technique helps keep proteins moist while infusing them with fresh, aromatic flavor throughout the grilling process. With more than 40 years of experience in professional kitchens around the world, Tourondel considers this simple herb-basting method an easy way to achieve restaurant-quality results at home. Additional Tips: HERE
Italian Charcoal Grilling: Executive Chef Andrea Albanese of Leonardo
Executive Chef Andrea Albanese of Leonardo in Miami Beach encourages home cooks to embrace the Italian approach by emphasizing patience and letting simple, high-quality ingredients take center stage. In Italy, grilling is traditionally done over charcoal rather than gas, creating a more intense heat that requires a slower, more attentive cooking process. Albanese recommends bringing meat to room temperature before grilling. “For a large steak, it’s common in Italy to take it out of the refrigerator several hours ahead of cooking, a few hours in advance,” he says. Next is to season while the cut is already on the grill (not beforehand) with salt and pepper and finish with extra-virgin olive oil. Avoid the temptation to constantly flip or pierce, as this lets the flavorful juices escape.
Additional Tips: HERE
Mediterranean Grilling, Mastered: Chef Ricardo Esteban of ZIVA Shares His Summer Secrets
According to Ricardo Esteban, executive chef of Midtown Miami’s ZIVA, great grilling starts with temperature control, not timing. “Create different heat zones, sear where it’s hot, then move proteins to a cooler area to finish cooking,” he says. While many people focus on steaks and burgers, Esteban believes vegetables like eggplant, zucchini and mushrooms deserve more attention on the grill, alongside underrated proteins such as chicken thighs. For summer entertaining, he recommends bright Mediterranean flavors like olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, oregano, parsley and smoked paprika. His go-to backyard spread is a shareable Mediterranean platter featuring grilled chicken skewers, shrimp, vegetables, warm pita, tzatziki and fresh salads. His final tip: Elevate your cookout with fresh herbs, quality olive oil, citrus and thoughtful presentation. “Simple finishing touches can completely transform the experience.”Additional Tips: HERE
Fire Up the Grill with Chef Diana Martinez of Uchi Miami
Chef Diana Martinez of Uchi Miami believes great grilling starts with patience. “Let your grill get really hot before adding anything,” she says. “That beautiful sear locks in juices and builds flavor.” While many home cooks focus on meat, Martinez encourages giving vegetables like eggplant and oyster mushrooms a place on the grill, noting that they absorb smoky flavors beautifully and are incredibly versatile. She also cautions against one of the most common grilling mistakes: constantly flipping food or pressing it down with a spatula. “Let it cook undisturbed to develop a great crust,” she says. Her final tip for taking backyard barbecues to the next level? Plate with intention. “A sprinkle of fresh herbs, a squeeze of citrus or a drizzle of good olive oil right before serving can make even the simplest grilled dishes feel restaurant-worthy.” Additional Tips: HERE
One Flip Is Enough: Plum Market Aventura Chef Nicholas Redlin’s Best Grilling Advice
Plum Market Executive Chef Nicholas Redlin, whose chef-crafted menu is featured at Plum Market Aventura, says one of the biggest grilling mistakes home cooks make is flipping their food too often. Instead, let the protein naturally release from the grates before turning it. His favorite underrated protein is chicken thighs for their juicy texture and forgiving nature, while kebabs are his go-to for effortless summer entertaining. To give any backyard barbecue a restaurant-quality finish, Redlin recommends a final touch of fresh herbs, a drizzle of sauce or a squeeze of fresh lemon before serving. Additional Tips: HERE