Grill marks are mostly for looks

Mostly presentation, but they do add a tiny bit of char flavor if you do them right.

Grill marks are just lines of concentrated Maillard reaction, so yeah, those stripes are technically browned and caramelized. But the problem is the rest of the steak surface doesn’t get that same browning. You end up with a bunch of unseared spots where the grill grates didn’t touch.

If you want real flavor, you want even, full-surface crust. That’s where the deep savory notes come from. Grill marks are showy. They scream “I used a grill,” but they don’t deliver the same punch as a consistent sear. That said, if you’re cooking over charcoal or a hot gas grill, you can get some nice smoky edge to those lines. It’s not nothing.

If you’re dead set on marks, use high heat, place the steak diagonally on the grates, and don’t touch it for a few minutes. Then rotate 90 degrees for the crosshatch. That’s about all there is to it.

Focus on the crust, not the grid.