How to Start a Fire for Asado Without Lighter Fluid

By Asador.mx · April 17, 2026

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Asking any seasoned Argentine parrillero what they think about lighter fluid in an asado will get you a very strong reaction — and it won't be a positive one. Lighter fluid imparts chemical flavors to the meat, creates unpredictable flare-ups, and frankly, it's just not how a real asado is done. The good news is that starting a fire without lighter fluid is not only possible for beginners, it's actually easier than you think once you understand the fundamentals of fire: fuel, heat, and oxygen.

In Argentina, the fire is as much a part of the ritual as the meat itself. Taking the time to build a proper fire from scratch is an act of respect — for the ingredients, for your guests, and for the tradition. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to start a clean, hot, chemical-free asado fire every single time.

Why You Should Never Use Lighter Fluid for Asado

Lighter fluid is a petroleum-based product, and when it burns, it releases volatile compounds that can penetrate your meat — especially during the critical early stages of cooking. That faint chemical aftertaste you've noticed at some backyard barbecues? That's lighter fluid. For everyday burgers it might go unnoticed, but for high-quality asado cuts like entraña, vacío, or a beautiful tira de asado, those flavors are unacceptable.

Beyond flavor, lighter fluid creates dangerously unpredictable flare-ups and can make it difficult to judge when your coals are truly ready. Many beginners mistake an active lighter-fluid flame for ready coals and start cooking too early, resulting in raw-on-the-inside, burnt-on-the-outside results. Learning to build a natural fire forces you to develop patience — and patience is the single most important skill in asado.

Choosing the Right Charcoal and Wood

Not all charcoal is created equal. For the best asado experience, look for quebracho charcoal — a dense South American hardwood that burns hotter and longer than standard briquettes and produces minimal smoke and ash. Quebracho is widely available across Latin America and increasingly found in specialty BBQ stores worldwide. If you cannot find quebracho, look for any natural hardwood lump charcoal and avoid charcoal briquettes that contain binders and additives.

For kindling, the key word is dry. Moisture is the enemy of fire. Collect or purchase thin, dry wooden sticks — no thicker than your finger to start. If you live somewhere with access to dry pine cones, they make excellent natural fire starters that burn hot and fast. Even dry cardboard cut into strips can serve as an effective kindling supplement. Keep a bag of your kindling stored in a dry place so it's always ready when the asado mood strikes.

The Chimney Starter: A Beginner's Best Friend

If there is one piece of equipment we recommend every beginner invest in before anything else, it's a chimney starter — called an encendedor de chimenea in Spanish. This simple metal cylinder with a handle and ventilation holes uses convection to ignite charcoal quickly and evenly without any chemical products whatsoever. You simply fill the top with charcoal, stuff crumpled newspaper in the bottom chamber, and light it. Within 20-25 minutes you have a full load of glowing, ash-coated coals ready to pour into your parrilla.

A chimney starter is also much more consistent than building a fire directly in the grill, making it ideal for beginners who are still learning to read fire. Once you've mastered the chimney method, you can graduate to the traditional direct method of building your fire structure straight in the parrilla — the way the old-school parrilleros do it. Both methods produce excellent results with zero chemicals involved.

How Long Does It Take to Have Ready Coals?

This is the question every new asador asks, and the honest answer is: plan for at least 45 minutes from the moment you light the newspaper to having a proper coal bed ready for cooking. The first 5-10 minutes are spent getting the kindling burning confidently. The next 30-40 minutes are dedicated to the charcoal igniting, catching, and developing that signature gray-white ash coating over glowing red-orange centers. This ash coating tells you the volatile gases have burned off and you're now working with pure, stable radiant heat.

Rushing this process is the most common beginner mistake in asado. Start your fire before your guests arrive — never after. A proper asado is not fast food; the fire preparation is part of the ceremony. Use this time to prepare your meat, set the table, open a Malbec, and enjoy the process. In Argentina, the parrillero who tends the fire is given great respect, and that respect begins with patience. Build your fire right, build it without chemicals, and your asado will taste exactly the way it was meant to.

How to Start a Fire for Asado Without Lighter Fluid

Prep 15 min
Cook 45 min
Total 1 hr
Yield Serves 4-6 people

Ingredients

  • 1 kg hardwood charcoal (quebracho or similar hardwood preferred)
  • 6-8 sheets of newspaper, crumpled
  • 8-10 dry kindling sticks (thin, dry wood pieces about 20-30 cm long)
  • 4-6 medium dry wood sticks or small logs
  • 1 chimney starter (optional but highly recommended)
  • 2-3 dry pine cones (optional natural fire starter)
  • 1 box of long matches or a long-reach lighter
  • Small pieces of dry cardboard (optional)

Instructions

  1. Prepare Your Grill and Materials

    Clean out any old ash from your parrilla or grill grate. Gather all your materials: newspaper, kindling, charcoal, and matches. Make sure all wood and kindling is completely dry — wet wood is the number one enemy of a good fire start. Arrange your workspace so everything is within easy reach.

  2. Build the Base Layer with Newspaper

    Crumple 4-6 sheets of newspaper into loose balls — not too tight, as air needs to flow through them. Place them in the center of your fire grate or inside your chimney starter. Loose crumpling is key: too tight and the paper burns too quickly without catching the kindling.

  3. Create a Kindling Teepee or Log Cabin

    Stack your thin, dry kindling sticks over the newspaper in a teepee or log-cabin pattern. A teepee shape works best for beginners — lean 6-8 sticks together at an angle meeting at the top, with the newspaper base visible below. Leave gaps between sticks so oxygen can feed the flame. Add a few larger sticks around the outside of the teepee to create a second layer that will catch once the kindling is burning well.

  4. Light the Newspaper from Multiple Points

    Using long matches or a long-reach lighter, light the newspaper from 2-3 different points around the base — bottom corners work best. Avoid blowing directly on the flame at this stage. Let the paper catch naturally and transfer the flame to the kindling. If using a chimney starter, light the newspaper at the bottom holes and set the chimney on the grate.

  5. Add Charcoal Once Kindling is Burning

    Once your kindling is burning steadily and confidently — usually after 3-5 minutes — begin adding charcoal in a pyramid shape over the burning kindling. Start with smaller pieces and layer larger pieces on top. Do not smother the flame by adding too much charcoal at once. If using a chimney starter, fill it with charcoal above the kindling and wait for the coals to ignite.

  6. Allow Coals to Develop Properly

    This is the most important step that beginners rush. Allow the fire to burn undisturbed for 30-40 minutes until the charcoal develops a gray-white ash coating over glowing orange-red coals. This is the sign your coals are ready. Avoid placing food on the grill too early — raw flames and unready coals will produce uneven cooking and bitter flavors.

  7. Spread Coals and Begin Grilling

    Once your coals are fully ashed over and glowing, use long-handled tongs or a coal rake to spread them evenly across the fire bed. For asado, you typically want a thicker coal bed on one side for direct high heat, and a thinner layer on the other for indirect cooking. Hold your hand about 15 cm above the grate — if you can hold it there for 3-4 seconds, the heat is ideal for most asado cuts.

  8. Maintain the Fire Throughout the Cook

    Keep a small reserve of charcoal or wood nearby to add throughout your cook as needed. Add fresh coals to the edges of the existing coal bed and let them ignite naturally before moving them to the center. Never add cold charcoal directly under food that is already cooking, as this can cause flare-ups and temperature drops.