How Many Burners Do I Need on a Gas Barbecue Grill?

Gas grilling is the easiest and most convenient way to cook outdoors.

Gas has outpaced the popularity of charcoal thanks to its affordability and wide availability.

Whether choosing natural gas or propane, getting the right number of burners will be important.

How many burners do I need on a gas barbecue grill?

This is a question that most buyers ask, and the answer is likely more straightforward than you imagined.

The Benefit of Multiple Burners on a Gas Grill

When asking how many burners do I need on a gas barbecue grill, you should consider the actual benefits of having two, three, or even more burners.

The more burners you have on your grill, the more versatile it will be.

You could cook more ingredients at the same time or create different temperature zones for different types of ingredients.

Most importantly, having at least two burners will allow for indirect cooking.

Indirect cooking is a grilling technique where the heat is created on the side of the grill away from food.

It allows for ingredients to be cooked longer without charring the surface.

Indirect cooking is performed with the top down.

You can grill with the indirect cooking technique with at least two burners, although you’ll enjoy more space and overall versatility when the grill has at least three burners.

Two Burners, Three, or Even More?

More burners mean more versatility.

So how many burners do you need to enjoy cooking your favorite ingredients?

There are some simple rules of thumb to follow when you choose your next grill.

If you’re cooking for just one or two people and work with small ingredients, then two burners will be enough. However, if you want to use indirect heat then you should choose a two-burner grill that’s slightly larger than average. The Char-Broil Performance 2 Burner Gas Grill is perfectly sized for small and medium homes and it has a large hood which makes it much easier to cook with indirect heat. With 400 square inches of total cooking area, it’s best suited when cooking for up to four people.
For more versatility to cook large ingredients like big BBQ cuts and whole chickens or smaller turkeys, you can choose a three-burner model. When asking how many burners do I need on a gas barbecue grill, having three burners is the sweet spot. This allows for indirect cooking or three unique temperature zones for different ingredients. The E-310 from Weber is one of the most popular gas grills overall. With three burners and 529 square inches of total cooking area, it’s ideal for larger families and cooking for groups.
You can go up from here, with each additional burner adding more versatility. Typically, having more than three burners is only necessary if you cook exceptionally large ingredients, a lot of ingredients at the same time, or if you frequently entertain large groups. The Weber Genesis II S-435 is a good example of a reliable large grill where there are four main burners, two additional burners (side and searing), and 844 square inches of total cooking area.