5 Ways to Light Your Charcoal Without a Chimney Starter

If you are unfamiliar with lighting charcoal without lighter fluid or a charcoal chimney starter, it can be a frustrating undertaking and bring your manly qualities into question by any onlookers! We’ve tested these methods ourselves through years of trial and error, so you can trust the advice. We have some alternative methods you can learn to save the day and your reputation.

How To Light A Charcoal Fire Without the Chimney Starter

1. Lighting Charcoal With Newspaper

The newspaper method is a classic way your grandpa likely used to light his charcoal grill. Just because it’s old‑fashioned doesn’t mean it’s obsolete—in fact, it’s a reliable, chemical‑free technique that pairs perfectly with the carnivore diet’s focus on clean, unadulterated food.

The biggest hurdle today is simply finding a newspaper. If you can’t, any uncoated paper will work, including the paper bag your charcoal came in. For best results, add a few dry twigs on top of the paper—they catch fire from the paper and burn longer, giving your coals more time to ignite.

• Scrunch the newspaper into balls. Four tennis‑ball‑sized balls usually suffice for a standard grill.
• Stack the twigs. Build a small pyramid of dry twigs around and over the paper balls.
• Stack the charcoal. Pile the charcoal at the base of the twigs and up onto them, leaving a small opening to reach the paper.
• Light the newspaper. Use a long‑neck lighter for control, or a kitchen torch for a faster, more modern ignition. Matches work too, though they’re trickier.

Once the newspaper catches, the twigs will carry the flame long enough to get your charcoal glowing. This method is eco‑friendly, cost‑free, and gives you that satisfying hands‑on connection to your cookout.

2. Lighting Charcoal With An Egg Carton

This alternative charcoal lighting method works very well as a fire starter. You will need a cardboard egg carton.

For a larger charcoal grill, you can use two egg cartons.

Open the egg carton and fill the spaces where the eggs would go with the charcoal.

Close the lid and place the box inside the grill. Stack additional charcoal around and on top of the egg carton.

Light the four corners of the egg carton. As the carton burns, the charcoal inside will ignite and become the heart of the fire.

The charcoal surrounding the carton will also ignite from the flames as it burns.

Another method to extend the egg carton's burn time is adding some bacon grease or lard on the inside of the lid.

Also Read: How to Keep a Charcoal Grill Lit

3. Lighting Charcoal With Fire Lighter Cubes

Fire lighter cubes are another easy way to light a charcoal grill lighter fluid in a short time with minimal fuss.

These blocks are normally sold in a box containing 24 cubes, sealed in a foil or plastic bag.

The cubes are made from paraffin wax, and they burn for a substantial amount of time, giving the charcoal opportunity to light.

Take four fire lighter cubes out of the packaging, ensuring to reseal the bag. If the cubes are exposed to the air, the paraffin evaporates, becoming less effective.

Place the four cubes on the bottom of your grill and stack the charcoal around and on top of them. Leave enough space to light the cubes through the charcoal.

Use a match or a barbeque lighter fluid with a long nozzle to light the cubes. The cubes will burn for about 5-minutes, which is enough time for the surrounding charcoal to become lit.

4. Lighting A Charcoal Fire With Vegetable Oil

This alternative method to start a charcoal grill without grill lighter fluid uses a combination of kitchen paper towels and vegetable cooking oil.

The paper towel is great because it is absorbent and holds the cooking oil well.

Scrunch 4 or 5 pieces of paper towel into loose balls. Douse the balls with vegetable oil and place the oil-soaked balls on the charcoal grill grate and surround them with charcoal.

Drizzle a little oil over the charcoal nearest the paper towel as well.

Use a match or a barbeque lighter fluid to ignite the oil-soaked paper towel. The oil will burn for a few minutes, allowing the charcoal to ignite.

5. Using Alcohol To Start A Charcoal Grill

Alcohol can be used in combination with a kitchen paper towel or another absorbent material to light a charcoal grill grate without lighter fluid, such as a piece of cotton cloth or a cotton ball.

The alcohol used must be high-proof alcohol; otherwise, it will not light, and the flame will not burn long or hot enough to ignite the charcoal briquettes.

Whisky is good to use because of its high alcohol content, but many may find it sacrilegious to waste expensive whisky on such a task!

Vodka is another alcohol that works well as a fire starter without lighter fluid for charcoal grate.

If you don't want to raid your liquor cabinet or would rather drink your whisky while grilling a few pieces of meat, rubbing alcohol or denatured alcohol can be used as a substitute to lighter fluid.

However, these alcohol types evaporate fast, so you need to work quickly when using these alternatives.

Scrunch up the kitchen paper towel into loose balls and soak them with the alcohol of your choice. It is best to have the charcoal pre-stacked and push the paper towels in between the charcoal.

Light the alcohol on the paper by lighting a match and tossing it onto the paper. Do not stand too close or get your hands too close.

The volatile alcohol fumes can create a fireball that could be dangerous.

Related Article: How to Get Charcoal Grill Hotter