Your steaks are sizzling perfectly on the main grill. But your corn is getting cold. Your sauce needs another five minutes. And your family is standing around asking, “Is it ready yet?”
Sound familiar?
That’s exactly the problem an outdoor gas grill with side burner solves. One extra burner on the side of your grill — and suddenly you’re cooking everything at the same time, like a real outdoor kitchen.
But is a side burner actually worth it? Or is it just a feature you’ll use twice and forget about?
Let’s dig into the real answer — with honest pros, cons, and our top 2025 picks at the end.
Table of Contents
What Is a Side Burner on an Outdoor Gas Grill?
A side burner is an additional gas burner attached to the side shelf of your outdoor gas grill. It works exactly like a burner on your kitchen stove — you turn the knob, it ignites, and you cook on it using regular pots and pans.
Gas BBQ grills with side burners allow you to cook multiple items simultaneously and keep food warm while you finish cooking. Kismile
Most side burners on quality grills deliver between 10,000 to 13,000 BTU of heat — more than enough to boil water, simmer sauces, sauté vegetables, or even deep fry right there in your backyard.
It’s not a gimmick. It’s a genuine outdoor kitchen upgrade.
Why Serious Grillers Love an Outdoor Gas Grill with Side Burner
1. Cook Everything at the Same Time
This is the number one reason people buy a grill with a side burner — and it’s the most practical one.
Without a side burner, you’re running back and forth between your outdoor grill and your kitchen stove every time you need to cook a side dish. Corn on the cob? Inside. Baked beans? Inside. Sauce? Inside.
With a side burner, everything cooks outside. Together. At the same time. Your entire meal lands on the table hot — not just the grilled parts.
2. Keep Sauces and Sides Warm
Ever spent 30 minutes perfecting your BBQ sauce inside, only to have it go cold by the time the meat comes off the grill?
A side burner keeps your sauce simmering right next to the grill. Your sides stay warm. Your sauce stays hot. And you never have to choose between tending the grill and managing everything else.
3. Searing and High Heat Cooking
Some outdoor gas grill with side burner models come with infrared side burners — designed specifically for high-heat searing. The infrared side burner is perfect for searing steaks or other meats, delivering impressive BTUs of heat. BBQGrills.com
This means you can grill your steak low and slow on the main burners, then finish it with a restaurant-quality sear on the infrared side burner. Professional results, backyard convenience.
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4. Deep Frying and Boiling Outdoors
Nobody wants to deep fry inside. The smell lingers for days, the oil splatters everywhere, and your kitchen pays the price.
A side burner takes frying outside — where the mess belongs. Fries, fried chicken, seafood boils, lobster — the side burner handles all of it without touching your kitchen.
5. You Never Have to Leave Your Guests
This might sound small — but it’s actually huge.
When you’re hosting a cookout, leaving the backyard to cook inside means leaving your guests. A side burner keeps everything outside. You stay at the grill, you stay with your people, and everything gets done right where the party is happening.
What to Look For in an Outdoor Gas Grill with Side Burner
BTU Output of the Side Burner
Not all side burners are created equal. For general cooking — sauces, sides, warming — a 10,000 BTU side burner is plenty. For searing and high heat cooking, look for 12,000–13,000 BTU or an infrared option.
The Weber Genesis E-315 has a side burner that puts out 12,000 BTUs of heat — perfect for cooking side dishes or sauces while you grill. BBQGrills.com
Main Grill Cooking Space
The side burner is a bonus feature — but the main grill still needs to deliver. For most families, look for at least 400–500 square inches of primary cooking space. That’s enough to handle 4–6 steaks, a full rack of ribs, or burgers for a crowd.
Number of Main Burners
For an outdoor gas grill with side burner, the ideal setup is 3 to 4 main burners plus the side burner. This gives you independent heat zones on the main grill — high heat on one side for searing, low heat on the other for indirect cooking — while the side burner handles everything else.
Build Quality and Materials
Gas grills under $200 use cheap materials and are not built to last long. The Barbecue Lab For a grill you’ll use season after season, invest in stainless steel burners, cast iron or porcelain-coated grates, and a sturdy cart. It costs more upfront — but saves you money over replacing cheap grills every few years.
Lid and Temperature Control
A built-in thermometer in the lid is essential — not optional. You need to know what temperature your grill is running at without lifting the lid and losing heat every 30 seconds.
Some premium models now offer digital thermometers and smart connectivity. Weber Connect smart technology gives a digital readout of internal grill temperature as well as the ability to plug in a meat thermometer to see the internal temperature of the meat being cooked. The Barbecue Lab
Ignition System
Push-button electronic ignition is the standard for quality grills. It should light reliably every single time — not after three or four attempts. If a grill’s ignition is unreliable out of the box, it only gets worse over time.
Warranty
This is where you separate quality brands from cheap ones. Weber’s warranty covers the cookbox, lid and burners for 10 years, the grates for 5 years, and everything else for 2 years. The Barbecue Lab That’s the kind of confidence a quality brand has in their product.
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Best Uses for Your Side Burner
Once you have an outdoor gas grill with side burner, here are the best ways to actually use it:
Sauces and Glazes — Simmer your BBQ sauce, teriyaki glaze, or butter baste right next to the grill. Brush it on hot, right from the pot.
Corn and Vegetables — Boil corn on the cob while steaks cook on the main grill. Everything finishes at the same time.
Seafood Boils — Shrimp, crab, lobster — a big pot of boiling seasoned water on the side burner is pure backyard magic.
Sautéed Mushrooms and Onions — Nothing tops a burger like perfectly caramelized onions cooked fresh on the side burner while the patties grill right next to them.
Deep Frying — Keep the oil smell outside where it belongs. Fries, fried chicken, donuts — the side burner handles it all.
Warming and Holding — Food cooked first can sit on low heat on the side burner while everything else catches up.
Outdoor Gas Grill with Side Burner — Size Guide
| Family Size | Recommended Setup | Cooking Space |
|---|---|---|
| 2–3 people | 2-burner + side burner | 300–400 sq in |
| 4–6 people | 3-burner + side burner | 400–550 sq in |
| 6–10 people | 4-burner + side burner | 550–700 sq in |
| 10+ people | 5-burner + side burner | 700+ sq in |
Top Outdoor Gas Grill with Side Burner Models in 2025
🥇 Best Overall — Weber Genesis E-325s
The Weber Genesis E-325s is the gold standard of outdoor gas grills with side burners in 2025. The Weber Genesis E-325s gives you superior control over its spacious cooking grate thanks to three independent burners and a side burner, backed by an appealing 12-year limited warranty. Taste of Home
Three independent main burners, a dedicated side burner, a sear zone for restaurant-quality results, and Weber’s legendary build quality — this is the grill that earns its price tag every single time you fire it up.
🏆 Best Value — Monument Grills Mesa
The Mesa is a full-sized grill with 4 burners, plus a dedicated sear burner and a side burner — a lot of extra features for a competitive price. Smoked BBQ Source
Four main burners, a sear zone, a side burner, stainless steel construction, and a window in the lid — the Monument Mesa gives you features usually found on grills twice the price. Best value pick for families who want maximum cooking versatility without breaking the bank.
Is an Outdoor Gas Grill with Side Burner Worth It?
Honest answer — yes, if you actually cook outside regularly.
If you grill once a month for a casual cookout, a side burner is a nice-to-have. But if you cook outdoors 2–3 times a week, host family gatherings, or love the idea of a true outdoor kitchen — a side burner transforms how you cook.
If you need to cook a few pieces of fish on a Wednesday night quickly, or want to sauté veggies on one side of your cooktop and sear steaks on the other, you can’t beat a gas grill. Men’s Journal Add a side burner to that equation and you have a complete outdoor cooking station.
The side burner isn’t just an extra feature — it’s the difference between a grill and an outdoor kitchen.
