Heat and a wire brush are all you need

Yes, you can absolutely clean a grill grate without chemicals.

Fire does the work for you. Crank the grill up high for 10-15 minutes with the lid closed. That heat will carbonize any stuck-on food into ash. Then just scrape with a stiff wire brush. The ash falls off easily.

One trick if it’s really caked: after heating, dip a halved onion (face down) into water and scrub the hot grate with it. The steam and onion’s natural acidity loosen gunk without any spray-on cleaner. Works surprisingly well.

For tough buildup, ball up some crumpled aluminum foil and use tongs to scrub while the grate is still hot. No chemicals, no weird residues, just friction and heat.

Don’t overthink it. A clean grill is a hot grill and a quick scrape.