Wait, is grilling food actually bad for you?

Among all the different cooking methods out there, grilling has long been considered one of the healthier options. By skipping the deep fryer and tossing some shrimp or chicken on the grill instead, it’s natural to think you’re doing your health a solid. But, are you really? More and more studies are linking grilled food — specifically charred and burnt meats — to certain types of cancer. It’s enough to make you shut the lid on your barbecue forever.

Not so fast, though. Despite what you may hear, “the grill is not the enemy,” says Ellie Abramsky, M.S., R.D.N., a registered dietitian through Weight Watchers Clinic. But that doesn't mean grilling meat is completely risk-free. Here’s what you need to know.

It’s not so much the grill itself that is worrying, but what occurs once those turkey burgers or chicken thighs start sizzling. When you cook meat, poultry, or fish to very high temperatures — like what happens over a fire — it triggers certain chemical reactions. “This gives us all those wonderful flavors, colors, and aromas that we crave in barbecue,” says Robert Turesky, Ph.D., a professor in the department of medicinal chemistry at the University of Minnesota who holds the Masonic Chair in Cancer Causation at the Masonic Cancer Center. 

But these elevated cooking temperatures also produce two classes of chemicals: heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). HCAs are created when components of meat, including amino acids, sugars, and a chemical found in muscle tissue called creatine, are exposed to high heat. PAHs are formed when fats from the cooking meat drip into the heat source — say, the charcoal briquettes or gas flame in a grill — and vaporize into a smoke that coats the surface of the cooked meat, says Turesky. 

Both HCAs and PAHs are potential cancer-causing chemicals, says Turesky. “They occur in low amounts, but they are formed during cooking,” he says. “Generally speaking, the higher the temperature and the longer the cooking time, the greater the levels of these harmful chemicals.”

That means the risk can be more significant for animal proteins that are overcooked, burned, or charred; it can also be higher for fattier cuts or ones that are cooked over an open flame or direct smoke. 

If you are grilling processed meats — like sausages and hot dogs — it might bring extra risks, too. When meats are cured with nitrate, compounds called nitrosamines can form. These chemicals have also been linked to cancer, particularly of the GI tract. And they can also form HCAs and PAHs when exposed to high heats. So if you grill processed meats, “it’s possible you can have a double whammy,” says Turesky.

The concern with the two chemicals isn’t just theoretical: When scientists looked at how they affected animal’s bodies, they discovered HCAs and PAHs caused cancer. When rodents were fed diets supplemented with these chemicals, they developed different types of cancers, including that of the breast, GI tract, liver, lung, prostate, and leukemias.  

While animal studies have found a strong link between exposure to these two chemicals and cancer development, the health risk can’t necessarily be translated to humans in the same way. “The big difference is laboratory animals are given very, very high doses,” Turesky says. “Like 100,000 to 1 million or even 10 million times more than you and I would eat in a meal. So that's a big difference in exposure leading to uncertainty in estimating human health risk.”

There have been studies on people and, while the findings haven’t been completely consistent, some data suggests those who frequently eat well-done or grilled meat have an increased risk of certain types of cancers, says Turesky. For example, a 2022 meta-analysis published in Frontiers in Nutrition analyzed findings from 58 studies and concluded that greater intake of certain types of HCAs was significantly linked to cancers of the bladder, rectum, prostate, esophagus, and more. And a 2017 study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that higher consumption of grilled, barbecued, or smoked meat after a breast cancer diagnosis was linked to higher odds of dying during follow-up. 

But keep in mind that two things being linked is not the same as one thing causing another. For instance, the authors of both studies mention the difficulty in ascertaining people’s actual HCA consumption based on self-reported dietary recall — they could, for example, unknowingly misclassify their food’s level of doneness. It’s also possible that other factors could play a role in their cancer risk too. People who eat more barbecued meat, for instance, might also have lower activity levels, higher BMIs, or less-balanced diets overall — all factors that may raise cancer risk by themselves, says Turesky.

So while you won’t get any firm statistics about how much grilled meat is unhealthy, Turesky likes to tell folks to keep this in mind: “Just understand that when you cook at high temperatures, small amounts of these potential cancer-causing agents can form,” he says. “And if you eat these foods frequently over many years, you may have an increased risk for developing cancer.” This doesn’t mean you have to avoid barbecues or grilled meats altogether. Turesky himself still enjoys barbecues about once a week during the summer. “I love a good steak, I love a nice burger on the grill,” he says. “I just won't char it or burn it.”

If you want to reduce your exposure to HCAs and PAHs, there are ways to do so without having to skip the barbecue, says Abramsky. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

• Swap in some leaner grilling options: Because PAHs are formed from dripping fat, leaner options can create less of them. Consider grilling up a skirt, flank, or sirloin steak instead of a ribeye or Wagyu, or skinless chicken breast rather than thighs with skin. This makes non-meat options, like veggies or fruit, lower risk, too — Abramsky is a big fan of grilled peaches as a sweet summery dessert. 

• Cook your meat for less time: How long the food is over high heat or flame plays a big role in how many cancer-causing particles are formed, so pulling your food off before it develops that char can help. “I don't eat my meat well done” says Turesky. You should also flip your patties, dogs, or drumsticks often, since this will help prevent chars from developing. Just remember: It’s always important to cook food to a safe minimum internal temperature (165 for chicken) to destroy any harmful bacteria. 

• Remove the burnt bits: If you do end up cooking your meat too long and get noticeable char, pick it off, says Abramsky. “The majority of the harmful compounds are going to be concentrated in those really blackened, crispy parts,” she says.

• Prep to your advantage: Using marinades and certain spices has been shown to reduce the amount of potentially harmful compounds in the meats. “Acidic marinades with ingredients like vinegar or lemon juice can create a protective barrier on the meat surface, which then slows down the temperature rise,” says Abramsky. And spices and aromatics like garlic, ginger, pepper, onion, and rosemary can help, too. “They’re rich in antioxidants, and antioxidants block the chemical reaction that creates the HCAs during the cooking process,” she says.

• Avoid loitering at the grill: Because PAHs are found in the smoke, breathing it in can be dangerous, too. Move away from the grill so your face isn’t directly over it, and if it’s windy, try to position the grill — and yourself — so the smoke isn’t blowing right in your face, says Turesky.

• Diversify your plate: Colorful fruits and veggies contain antioxidants and other helpful nutrients, like fiber, which can play a protective role for your overall cancer risk, says Abramsky. Load up on fruit salad, fresh corn on the cob, or veggie slaws in addition to your burger or dog.

Research does seem to suggest that meat grilled at high temperatures could contain cancer-causing agents, but the levels of them are low — and they’re just one piece of the puzzle in regard to cancer risk. Like most things in the nutrition world, moderation is key. You don’t want to eat grilled foods every day, but you probably don’t need to completely remove them from your plate, either. And don’t forget that barbecues can bring other benefits, too. “Grilling is such a nice way to prepare food, it’s such a lovely summer experience, and it’s generally a healthy cooking preparation,” says Abramsky. “I don't want people to feel like grilling is the enemy. It’s more about thinking about things you can do to reduce some of these risk factors.”