National Grilling Month: How To Grill Meat Safely

There’s nothing like the sizzle of food on a hot grill to signal that summer has truly arrived. July is National Grilling Month, and it’s the perfect time to fire up your grill, gather with friends, and soak up the season. But before you get too swept up in the excitement, make sure you’re grilling safely. Whether you’re a seasoned pitmaster or a backyard beginner, this guide covers essential food safety tips to keep your cookouts fun, flavorful, and free of foodborne illness.

When Is National Grilling Month?

While most designated National Months are pretty random, National Grilling Month is easy to remember. It's the month you'd be most likely to throw a backyard barbecue: July! Coincidentally, National Barbecue Day is July 13th.

July is the peak of grilling season. Beautiful weather, camping, and family get-togethers are the perfect stage to highlight your grilling skills. We want to take advantage of National Grilling Month to provide some information and resources about food safety so that you can have the best grilling experience possible.

What's the History of National Grilling Month?

In 1963, July was named National Grilling Month. That means National Grilling Month 2025 is the 62nd annual celebration.

Suspending meat over an open flame is the earliest cooking method there is. It's probably older than man-made fire itself, with early humans using wildfires or lightning strikes to their advantage.

Backyard grilling became popular after World War II. The middle class was booming, suburbs were thriving, and an inventor named George A. Stephens invented the first backyard grill, dubbed George's Barbecue Kettle, in 1950.

How Do You Grill Meat Safely?

One of the best things about grilling is how much you can do with it. From classic crowd-pleasers like burgers and steaks to seafood, veggies, and even fruit, your grill can do it all. Want smoky salmon? Done. Grilled peaches with a touch of honey? Absolutely. But before you get too creative, it’s important to remember that grilling safely is just as important as grilling deliciously.

Grilling poses much more common dangers, though. Nobody wants to invite the whole neighborhood over for food poisoning. So, how do you make sure you're not serving up a big plate of E coli? Take a page out of the professionals' playbook and take food safety precautions followed by restaurateurs.

Before Grilling

First, ensure your cookout meat is safe when you buy it. That includes inspecting the packaging and the meat itself for any signs of tampering, damage, or spoiling. Buy from a reputable source to ensure that the meat has been properly refrigerated or frozen at all stages.

You'll need enough fridge or freezer space to safely store the meat until you grill it. Dangerous microbes double every 20 minutes when meat sits outside refrigeration. They can reach numbers high enough to make you sick within 4 hours. You need to follow certain rules for thawing, cooking, and leaving meat out at room temperature.

If you freeze the meat, plan enough time before your event to thaw everything in the fridge. Don't take the meat out until the grill is fully preheated. Putting it on the grill at too low a temperature can cause unsafe microbial growth.

Never wash meat. It's unnecessary, and you're likely to spread pathogens all over your sink and nearby surfaces. Marinate in the refrigerator and use a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the meat to guarantee you cook everything to a safe temperature, which should be at least 140°F, depending on the meat.

During Your Cookout

When handling and cooking raw meat, you need to be careful to avoid cross-contaminating surfaces, utensils, and other food with dangerous pathogens. Wash your hands often. Wash your grill before and after each use, and keep the utensils and plates used for the raw meat and the cooked meat separate. Anything that touches raw meat should be thoroughly washed before they're used for anything else.

Cook in small enough batches that everything gets eaten promptly. If you have any cold food out, like salad or fruit, keep it on ice so it stays fresh and safe to eat. Cooked meat and ready dishes definitely shouldn't be left out of refrigeration for more than two hours.

After Grilling

You have done everything right up until this point, but no one wants to trip right at the finish line. So, to make sure all that food is safe to eat, you have to check the temperature. An experienced griller always has a meat thermometer on hand to check the internal temperature of their food during and after grilling.

Insert a thermometer into the thickest part of meat and make sure that it doesn't touch fat or bone; this will skew the reading. Keep an eye on the internal temperature of the meat until it hits the advised safe temperature for the kind of meat you are preparing. Throw it back on the grill if it still isn’t reading right. It’s not worth the risk.  Before and after any use, clean the thermometer with hot, soapy water.

Meat

Minimum Internal Temperature

Beef, Pork, Lamb, Veal steaks, and Roasts

145°F (with a 3-minute rest)

Ground Meats (Beef, Pork, Lamb)

160°F

Poultry (Chicken, Turkey, Whole or Ground)

165°F

Fish and Shellfish

 145°F

Whether it’s an instant read, probe, or digital thermometer, they are an essential step to ensuring food safety.

Leftovers

Sometimes, the food you grill is even better the next day. That being said, it’s also important to properly heat your leftovers.  The amount of time leftovers can be stored in the fridge is shorter than you think, only 3 to 4 days. After that time frame, the risk of food poisoning skyrockets. There is a danger zone for food when bacteria run wild, between 40°F and 140°F.

If you need a bit more time to work through your leftovers, freeze them immediately.  Frozen leftovers are safe but taste better within 3-4 months. Most bacteria aren't visible, so if food is past its date, play it safe and throw it out.

To kill dangerous bacteria that could have developed after the food was prepared, it is essential to reheat leftover food until it is steaming hot all over. The only thing standing between you and your leftovers is the perfect internal temperature. When you reheat leftovers, make sure the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Stir evenly to ensure thorough reheating.

Slow cookers aren't recommended for reheating due to the potential for bacterial growth. Always thaw frozen food before cooking. We recommend using the microwave and leaving it in the refrigerator or cold water. Again, avoid leaving frozen food on the counter for potential bacteria growth.

Enjoy National Grilling Safely With Learn2Serve

July is here, and it’s time to enjoy it. Bring your friends and family together for a delicious and safely grilled feast. With these precautions and a little planning, you'll keep everyone safe and satisfied.

If you work in food service, you should know the importance of food safety. That is why Learn2Serve by 360training offers online courses, making it easy for you to receive your Food Handler Card and Certification. We also offer a National Food Handler Certification. Work at your own pace to meet your career goals. Check out our course catalog and get started today!

Happy National Grilling Month!