Grilling and Roasting are Not the Same: Here's the Difference

History has it that millions of years ago, when there was nothing known as civilisation, humans cooked meats and foods over an open fire, which is what we call grilling and roasting. Grilling and roasting foods are two closely related concepts; however, both methods differ in some ways or the other. Both methods are widely accepted amongst the health wizards because they use indirect heat to cook the food. Have you ever wondered what really the differences are? We shall tell you some of the important distinctions that make grilling and roasting unique and different.

What is Roasting?

According to Celebrity Chef Sadaf Hussain, historically, roasting meant cooking foods (usually meats) in front of an open fire. But with the invention of oven, the method of roasting also changed. Roasting now means cooking food in an insulated box over a set temperature. This box utilises the hot air inside the box and cooks the meat till perfection ensuring the meat juices don't get dried up in the process.

What is Grilling?

Chef Sadaf tells us, "Grilling is a method which involves cooking over a charcoal (gas) flame. This was one of the early food cooking techniques. Food is placed on a grill rack over the open flame and it utilises the intense heat to break down the meat and cook it nicely." A lot of people consider this method more suitable because of the added health factor and it also doesn't require any oven and practically anything can be grilled.

What Foods to Grill and What to Roast?

Grilling is a fast cooking method and gives a nice brown charred colour to the meat. It is best suited to cook steak, lamb chops and other thin cuts since the intensity of fire is high. On the other hand, roasting is a slow cooking process and hence it is best suited to cook the bigger pieces over a period of time.


You can grill chicken legs or lamb chops over the open fire very easily, considering the seasoning is perfect, but if you are planning to cook the whole chicken or whole lamb then roasting is the best method. The cooking in this method will be slower and will result in a much more flavoursome treat. Although you can use both the techniques to cook vegetables or meats, but you will know the difference in the taste and flavour.


Grilling and roasting may be closely related and may have different ways to prepare food, however, each of them rely on a careful technique, precision and time that should be taken care of.