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Last Updated on April 26, 2021
Whether you want to host more family barbecues this summer or you’ve just purchased a new home, and you’re looking for a way to spruce up your backyard, try building your barbecue grill.
If you want to create a barbecue grill quickly and easily, try out the disposable lasagna pan design. People searching for something more contemporary-looking and permanent should try building a barbecue and outdoor kitchen area with granite, wooden, or metallic finishes.
Building your own barbecue grill can save you money and give you more scope to personalize your design, so it reflects the decor of your outdoor party or seating space.
10 of the Best DIY Barbecue Grill Plans
Consider 10 of the best DIY barbecue grill models around, from a cost-effective, disposable unit to a design that incorporates high-end granite and wooden elements.
Hibachi Brick Grill
Hibachi grills are originally from Japan, where they’re called shichirin. They have a cast iron construction and wide grate that makes them incredibly fuel-efficient. You can cook tomatoes, steak, and meatballs on this type of grill, and you’ll find that the hibachi infuses these foods with a beautifully charred, umami flavor.
When you make your hibachi grill, use 2 rectangular planters of different sizes to create your trough. The smaller planter should fit neatly into the bigger one. Make sure you’re using boxes that are made with unglazed terracotta ceramic.
You can insulate these planters with an aluminum sheet and some sand. These materials allow the grill to retain and distribute heat evenly across the meat and vegetables you’re cooking. Try to invest in charcoal that gives out a low, consistent stream of smoke because you don’t want your fuel to burn out quickly or cause potential flare ups.
Simple Disposable Barbecue Grill
This design is the easiest and most cost-effective option on the list, allowing you to make a disposable barbecue grill using only a cooling rack, a lasagna pan, some cinder blocks, and charcoal.
You’ll find that most standard cooling racks fit neatly onto the top of a disposable lasagna pan, and you can put this makeshift grill on top of a few cement blocks, red bricks, or plant pots to keep it off the floor and away from grass or other flammable materials while you’re cooking. You should be able to cook 2 or 3 sizable steaks on this barbecue for yourself and some friends, no matter where you are.
Terracotta Pot Grill and Barbecue Smoker
Fans of ribs and steak with a unique woody and earthy flavor will appreciate this excellent DIY design, which allows you to create an effective grill that also doubles as a smoker unit.
You’ll need to find a couple of standard-sized terracotta pots, each with a diameter of around 12”. One of these pots should be quite a bit deeper than the other, becoming the base of your smoker and grill unit.
Place your circular gas burner into the bottom of the deeper pot, then remove the handle from a cast iron skillet or saucepan to create a chip tray that you can put on top of the heating element. Rest the grill rack on top of this pot. If you want to smoke your food, you can stack the other terracotta pot on the base unit.
Insert a thermometer into the 1”-wide hole that’s in the middle of this ceramic lid so that you can monitor the model’s internal temperature without having to lift the lid off the unit.
Portable Tabletop Grill
If you’re looking for a portable barbecue unit you can carry from place to place this summer, you should try creating this tabletop model. You’ll need to invest in 2 small and stackable cake tins.
Drill a small hole in the bottom of the slightly larger tin, then stack and glue them both together. The hole will allow air to circulate through the unit and keep the charcoal burning for a longer time.
You can then place a miniature terracotta plant pot inside these cake tins before filling up this planter with long-lasting charcoal. Cut a section of cheap wire mesh to size and fit it to the top of the ceramic plant pot.
Charcoal Barbecue Grill
Individuals searching for a more traditional-style barbecue grill could find some inspiration from the charcoal grill design, with its shallow, cast iron charcoal tray and heavy-duty steel mesh cooking rack.
If you’re lucky enough to have access to a professional blacksmith who’s living somewhere in your local area, ask them to create a rim or lip around the outside of your cast-iron tray. This neat border allows you to line the outside of the rectangular unit with bricks. These blocks help the charcoal keep and distribute heat effectively during the cooking process.
Built-in Barbecue Grill
If you want to build a permanent brick barbecue in your backyard, try creating a stylish and durable built-in unit. Red bricks are excellent at retaining heat, and they will also give your barbecue a chic, industrial-style aesthetic. If you prefer your barbecue to have a rustic, farmhouse-type look, opt for natural gray stones as your construction material of choice. Although these rocks look the part, they’re often considerably more expensive than brick or concrete block options.
You should dig a shallow trench before building your permanent barbecue structure. Fill this hole with crushed stone and top it with a concrete slab to create a more stable unit.
Toolbox Grill
This unit has a retro and chic look that will impress your friends and family when they come over for some barbecued food and cold beer. It’s also relatively lightweight and portable, with the built-in handle from the repurposed toolbox allowing you to carry this unit from place to place with ease.
If you don’t have an old or spare steel toolbox on hand, you can buy one at a cheap price from your local hardware or thrift store. Use ceramic engine coating for applying high-heat stove paint to the outside of this portable barbecue. This high-temperature finish is scratch and corrosion-resistant. It’s also exceptionally durable, making it worth the extra investment to protect your DIY grill.
Fire Pit Grill
When you build your own fire pit grill in your backyard, you’re creating a permanent and durable barbecue that doubles as a cozy source of heat for you and your family members when you’re outdoors on a chilly evening.
This method calls for you to use 4 pieces of 14”-wide concrete tree ring and 6 pieces of 24”-wide concrete tree ring to create the primary structure of the fire pit itself. You can incorporate a small circular grill into the interior ring and fill the gap between the 2 concentric circles with rocks and stone to help the structure retain heat effectively.
Hanging DIY Barbecue Grill
A hanging barbecue grill design has a shabby chic, slightly rustic look, and it will act as the fashionable focal point of your outdoor area or backyard. You can use a spare or old car wheel to make the grill itself. Drill a couple of holes into the side of the metal so that you can connect the chain to the unit. After this, you can cut a cooling rack or ceramic grate to size and fit it onto the top of the wheel.
You’ll find that the charcoal lies just underneath this rack, very near the meat or vegetables that you’re cooking, so this hanging grill cooks many foods quickly and efficiently. When you hang up your DIY grill, you won’t have to worry about the fuel source or the hot base of the wheel coming into direct contact with any flammable materials like grass or leaves. For that reason, this design is as functional and safe as it is stylish and aesthetically pleasing.
Granite Barbecue Grill
If you want to build a permanent, weatherproof barbecue grill structure that also doubles up as a food prep station, you’ll like the look of this design. You can use standard mason construction bricks to line the inside of the unit’s firebox, cutting the top of these bricks at a 45° angle to help with even and effective heat distribution across the grill racks.
You can incorporate a wooden chopping board into a section of this granite unit next to the firebox. This square slab of chunky and stylish-looking hardwood provides you with plenty of space for chopping and slicing onions, tomatoes, and raw meat before you put these foods on the grill rack. Make sure you’re investing in a wooden material that has a smooth finish so that it’s easy to wipe down with sanitizer or disinfectant after you’ve used it.
Have a Memorable Summer When You Build Your Own Barbecue Grill
One of the best ways to turn your backyard into a social hub is to make your own barbecue grill. Whenever you have friends and family over, you can cook up some smoky ribs, juicy chicken legs, or lightly seared steaks while everyone sits and chats on your patio, soaking up the sun.
