Why Does My BBQ Keep Flaring Up? 7 Things to Check

Professional Insight

You put the steaks on, close the lid and suddenly flames are shooting up through the grill.

A small amount of flame during BBQ cooking can happen when fat or marinades drip onto hot surfaces below. But if your BBQ is constantly flaring up, producing excessive smoke or burning food before it has a chance to cook properly, it’s worth investigating why.

One of the first places to look is underneath the cooking surface.

After professionally cleaning BBQs across Sydney, the Central Coast, Newcastle and the Hunter, we regularly see just how much grease, carbon and food debris can accumulate in the areas most people rarely inspect.

What You’ll Learn

In this article, we’ll look at:

• Why BBQ flare-ups happen.

• How grease build-up can contribute.

• Seven things worth checking.

• Why cleaning the grill alone may not solve the problem.

• When a BBQ problem needs more than cleaning.

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Quick Answer: Why Does My BBQ Keep Flaring Up?

BBQ flare-ups commonly occur when fat, oil or marinades drip down and ignite.

If they’re happening frequently, accumulated grease underneath the cooking plates, dirty flame tamers, an overflowing grease tray, excessively fatty food or cooking with too much oil could be contributing.

The first question we’d ask is:

When did you last look underneath your BBQ hotplates?

1. Grease Has Built Up Underneath the Hotplates

This is a big one.

Most BBQ cleaning happens where the cooking happens.

You scrape the grill, clean the hotplate and perhaps wipe around the outside.

Meanwhile, grease and food residue can gradually accumulate underneath.

Every time you cook fatty meat or use oil, some of that fat can travel down into the BBQ. If enough combustible grease accumulates around hot components, it can contribute to unwanted flames.

From Oven Brothers

We often see BBQs where the cooking surface has been maintained beautifully.

Then we remove the plates.

Underneath can be a completely different story.

It’s one of the reasons we encourage BBQ owners to occasionally look below the surface, rather than using the appearance of the hotplate as the measure of whether the whole BBQ is clean.

2. Your Grease Tray Needs Attention

Your grease tray has a very important job.

It collects fat and cooking residue that drains away from the cooking area.

And because it's usually hidden underneath the BBQ, it can be incredibly easy to forget.

Check it regularly and clean or replace any disposable components according to your BBQ manufacturer's instructions.

If you can't remember the last time you looked at yours, this might be a very good time.

3. You're Cooking Very Fatty Foods

Sometimes your BBQ isn't particularly dirty.

It's dinner.

Sausages, burgers, fatty cuts of meat and foods with a lot of oil can release significant amounts of fat as they cook.

When that fat drips onto a sufficiently hot surface below, it can ignite.

If your flare-ups tend to happen with particular foods rather than every time you use the BBQ, that's an important clue.

4. You're Using Too Much Oil

More oil doesn't necessarily mean better BBQ cooking.

Excess oil can drip through the cooking surface and add more fuel to a flare-up.

Rather than pouring large amounts of oil directly onto the BBQ, use an appropriate amount for the food and cooking surface you're using.

5. Your Marinade Is Dripping

That delicious marinade can also be part of the problem.

Oil, sugar and other ingredients can drip from marinated food while it cooks.

Sugary marinades can also burn quickly, leaving sticky carbonised residue behind.

If flare-ups are particularly noticeable when you're cooking marinated meat, try letting excess marinade drain before placing the food on the BBQ.

6. Your Flame Tamers Are Covered in Grease

Depending on your BBQ design, you may have flame tamers, heat diffusers or similar components positioned above the burners.

These help distribute heat and protect burners from dripping grease.

Naturally, that also means they can become dirty.

If they're coated with old grease and carbon, cleaning them according to the manufacturer's instructions may help.

Pro Tip: Look Down, Not Just Across

Next time your BBQ is completely cool, remove the cooking plates or grills if your manufacturer recommends doing so for cleaning.

Have a look underneath.

Check the grease tray, accessible interior surfaces and flame tamers.

You don't need to dismantle the BBQ. You're simply getting a better idea of how much has accumulated below the surface you normally see.

7. There Could Be a Burner or Gas-System Problem

Not every unusual flame is caused by grease.

If flames appear unusual around the burners, the BBQ isn't igniting correctly, you smell gas, or you suspect there's a problem with the gas supply, regulator, hose or burner system, stop using the BBQ.

Don't try to diagnose or repair gas components yourself.

Follow the manufacturer's safety instructions and arrange for an appropriately qualified professional to inspect the BBQ where necessary.

Is an Occasional Flare-Up Normal?

Brief flare-ups can occur during BBQ cooking, particularly when fat drips from food.

The more useful question is whether they're brief and occasional or frequent and difficult to control.

If you're constantly moving food away from flames, producing excessive smoke or finding that everything develops a burnt exterior, it's worth investigating what's happening underneath.

Can Cleaning Stop BBQ Flare-Ups?

Cleaning can help when accumulated grease and food debris are contributing to the problem.

But it won't prevent every flare-up.

Fresh fat can still drip from the food you're cooking, and other mechanical or gas-related problems require appropriate inspection rather than more cleaning.

That's why identifying the cause matters.

One Last Thing...

If your BBQ keeps flaring up, don't only stare at the flames.

Look at what's feeding them.

The answer might be the sausages you're cooking, the amount of oil you're using or the marinade dripping from your food.

But if you haven't looked underneath your hotplates for months, we'd start there.

You may be surprised by what's been quietly accumulating underneath every BBQ dinner.

Is Your BBQ Due for a Deep Clean?

If you've lifted your hotplates and discovered considerably more grease and carbon than you expected, Oven Brothers can take care of the deep clean for you.

We provide professional BBQ cleaning across Sydney, the Central Coast, Newcastle and the Hunter, as well as professional oven, range hood and cooktop cleaning.

Call 0449 748 722, email contact@ovenbrothersaustralia.com.au, or visit Oven Brothers Australia to make an enquiry.