Tips & Recipes

Following are several Tips & Tricks that will help you operate your Traeger Pellet Grill like a pro. Read through the whole page or click on any of the categories to jump right to that topic.

Operating Tips
Cleaning & Maintenance
Pellet Guide and Tips
Cold Weather Cooking
Hot Weather Cooking & Food Safety
Thermometers
Traeger Spice Guide
Traeger Sauce Guide

OPERATING TIPS

1) Always start your grill on high, to feed enough pellets into the firepot to ensure the fire starts. You can then turn the contol down to a lower setting if desired.

1) Your Traeger Pellet Grill should never be moved when it is hot. If you are transporting your grill in a vehicle after cooking on it, make sure the fire is completely out and the unit is completely cold before placing it in any vehicle. Never put water in the firepot or hopper, as this will jam the auger.

2) The Traeger Pellet Grill is designed to cook with the lid closed. Cooking with the lid open--or frequently opening the lid--will dramatically lengthen your cooking time.

3) Never add pellets by hand to a hot firepot. This is dangerous and you may get seriously burned. If you run out of fuel and lose your fire while cooking, let the unit completely cool and start all over again.

4) The smoke setting can be used to "hold" foods at approximately 180-210 degrees if the food is done but you are not yet ready to serve it.

5) When estimating cooking times, remember that the outside temperature will affect your cooking times. If it is hot outside, it will take less time for food to cook. If it is cold, wet or windy, it will take longer for food to cook.

CLEANING & MAINTENANCE

1) Regularly change the aluminum foil on your angled drip pan. This will reduce the likelihood of grease fires and flare-ups.

2) Spray your grease catch bucket with vegetable spray. Then, when you're ready to empty it, the drippings will more easily slide out. Take a wad of paper towels to swab down the inside of the bucket. In hot weather, empty the grease on a more frequent basis so it doesn't turn rancid.

3) The easiest way to clean your porcelain coated cooking grids is to take a piece of aluminum foil and rub it over and between the grids. This is best done when the grids are warm. Be careful not to burn yourself! Use a long sleeve barbecue mitt to protect your hand and forearm.

4) Each month or so, while your grill is cold, remove the cooking grids, angled drip pan and heat deflector and clean out the inside of your grill with a shop vac or damp paper towels. Remove the pellet ash from around the firepot and bottom of the cooking chamber, but leave about an inch of ash inside the firepot as this helps to light the pellets at start-up. Use a vegetable brush to knock-off built up scale on the inside walls of your Traeger Barbecue.

5) One way to clean your cooking grids is to place them inside your self-cleaning oven and turn the knob to CLEAN. Both the oven and cooking grids will be clean as a whistle, without having to use a lot of elbow grease. This is especially useful if your cooking grids are encrusted with food deposits.

6) Another way to clean your cooking grids is to place them in a heavy-duty yard debris sack, add one-half cup of ammonia and seal the bag closed. Lay the grids down flat overnight. The next day, remove the grids, thoroughly rinse with hot water and they'll be nice and clean. The ammonia helps to dissolve the grease on the grids.

7) If you own a stainless steel grill, remember to ALWAYS clean dirt and dust off the surface of the grill BEFORE you begin cooking. Use a damp cloth to do this job. Otherwise, the dirt cooks into the metal and discolors it.

PELLET GUIDE & TIPS

Traeger hardwood barbecue pellets are no larger than the eraser on the end of a pencil. Many people who see them for the first time think they look like rabbit food, but there is nothing small about the heat energy in a barbecue pellet, with more than 8,500 BTUs per pound! Wood pellets are not new; they have been around for a long time in industrial, commercial, and residential heating appliances and applications. There are over 100 fully operational pellet mills in the United States.

Traeger was the first company to use pellets for cooking. Only the finest hardwood raw materials are sourced from all over the country. The pure, raw material (sawdust) is then pulverized in hammer mills and dried. The dried material is then processed under heat and pressure. Lignin, which is the natural glue which holds plant fiber together, softens above 100 degrees Celsius, permitting the material to change shape. The hot lignin then acts like a glue to bond the pellet together. Pellet manufacturing employs a hard steel die which rotates against rollers forcing the material through the die with pressures of over 10,000 PSI. As the pellet is forced through the die, it is sheared off at the specified length, cooled, screened, and bagged into 20 lb. bags.

General specifications for barbecue pellets are: 100% hardwood, 1" long or less in length, 1/4" diameter, less than 2% ash content, less than 2% fines, 20% moisture content, 8,500 BTUs per lb., and about 40 lbs per cubic ft. density.

Hickory and Mesquite pellets are our most popular "flavors," however many of our customers are now using fruit woods for specialty smoking and gourmet cooking.

Traeger barbecue pellets may be purchased from local outlets, or ordered directly from Traeger by calling them at 800-TRAEGER. Nobody supplies finer quality hardwood barbecue pellets than Traeger. Remember, if it doesn't say Traeger on the bag, you don't know what's inside.

Pellet Recommendations Chart

COLD WEATHER COOKING

1) Remember, it will take longer for food to cook when it's cold, windy or wet outside. Rule of thumb: add 20 minutes cooking time per pound for every 5 degrees BELOW 45 degrees F.

2) Every time you open the lid to your grill, you lose the heat in the cooking chamber. This can add extra cooking time each time you check your meat.

3) During winter, move your grill to an area that is out of the wind and cold. However, NEVER operate your grill in an unventilated area!

4) Place an outdoor thermometer close to the area where you have your grill. It will help you keep track of the outside air temperature and help you determine how long it will take your food to cook.

5) When cooking in cold weather, it's best to allow your grill to heat-up on a high temperature setting for at least 20 minutes before you place the food on the grill. You can always turn down the grill temperature when you begin cooking.

HOT WEATHER COOKING & FOOD SAFETY

1) The hotter it is outside, the faster food will cook on your grill. If you are slow cooking, consider cooking your food at a lower temperature setting.

2) Because food will cook faster, it's important to use a high-quality meat thermometer or instant reading thermometer to monitor internal meat temperatures. This will help prevent over-cooking your meat and drying it out.

3) Even in hot weather, you still want to cook with the lid to your Traeger grill closed, to keep heat from escaping.

4) In hot weather, make sure you defrost meat in the refrigerator. Food-borne bacteria rapidly multiply in hot weather and can easily cause food to spoil, ruining your cookout.

5) Remember the safety zones for foods: above 140 degrees or below 40 degrees.

6) Cooked food and salads should not be left out in the heat for more than an hour. Better yet, fill a deep tray or casserole dish with ice and keep salads--particularly potato or mayonnaise-based salad--on ice.

7) Never use the same cutting board for cooked meat that you used to prepare raw meat, unless you've thoroughly washed it in hot, soapy water before using again. The same thing holds true with knives and cooking utensils.

8) You can keep foods hot by wrapping them in foil and then placing them in an insulated cooler with no ice. Stuff wadded-up newspaper around the foil wrapped food. This will keep your food hot for a good three-to-four hours.

9) If you plan to serve marinade as a sauce at the table, be sure to bring it to a boil for several minutes to kill any bacteria.

Additional barbecue food safety tips can be found at the USDA website.

THERMOMETERS

1) There are three important temperatures with which every outdoor cook should be familiar:

a) Outside Temperature - determines if your food is going to cook fast or slow depending on how hot or cold it is outside.
b) Cooking Grid Temperature - what the temperature is in the cooking chamber of your grill. This will help you determine how long it will take the meat to cook. For example, at 350 degrees, meat will cook at approximately 20 minutes per pound. So, a 10 pound turkey will take approximately 3:33 hours to fully cook at 350.
c) Internal Meat Temperature - this is your "target" temperature. It tells you if your meat has come up to the proper temperature and is ready to eat. We recommend following the USDA meat temperature guidelines.

2) Not all meat thermometers are accurate. Here's how to test yours: Place a pan of cold water on your stove, heat up on high until the water begins to boil--which is 212 degrees. Place stem of the thermometer into the water for one minute. If it is properly calibrated, it should read 212.

3) Purchase only those thermometers with a nut on the back of the dial housing. This allows you to calibrate the dial indicator by using a pair of pliers to adjust the temperature indicator.

4) Temperature forks are rarely accurate. Better: Purchase a good quality meat or instant reading meat thermometer and use it every time you cook outdoors.

5) Instant reading--or pocket type ---thermometers are only to be left in the meat for one minute---not for the entire length of time you're cooking your meat.


TRAEGER SPICE GUIDE

Traeger takes pride in the fact that all of our rubs and shakes are made in our own facility. Because the ingredients are so fresh, you'll find that you only need to use a little bit at a time. We think you'll truly enjoy the way each of our unique rubs and shakes brings out the best in everything you cook.

1) Rinse meat and lightly pat dry with a paper towel.

2) Sprinkle a small amount of rub or shake into palm of your hand and rub over the entire piece of meat, chicken or fish--making sure to coat all sides. When getting additional rub, be sure to not cross-contaminate the seasoning mix.

3) On larger cuts of meat; rub the meat, place into a plastic bag and refrigerate over night. One way to coat a fairly large cut of meat is to place it in a resealable bag, add shake or rub. Seal the bag, then vigorously shake the bag until the meat is coated with the seasoning.

4) Remember, a little bit of our seasonings goes a long way to producing maximum flavor enhancement.

5) To ensure that your Traeger seasonings stay fresh, store them in a cool, dark area and keep them tightly closed.

Seasoning Recommendations Chart

Barbecue Rub - The original Traeger rub! Still a winner-providing a sweet spiciness with a hint of smoke flavor characteristics.
Beef Rub - A course ground blend of fresh spices, including dill and garlic. Does beef good!
Chicken Rub - A combination of fresh pepper, black and chili pepper, and a hint of annatto brings true barbecued chicken flavor.
Prime Rib Rub - Robust seasonings with a good garlic base provide the perfect seasoning for restaurant quality prime rib. (Excellent in Bloody Marys, too!)
Sweet Rub - Excellent on pork, chicken, and lamb. A spicy, fruity blend of seasonings that is truly magical.
Beef Shake - Lighter than our Beef Rub. This shake includes garlic, onion and as a surprise--natural lemon flavoring. Truly wonderful on steaks and smaller cuts of beef.
Cajun Shake - Good heat without blowing the top of your head off. Pepper, garlic and other seasonings bring out true Bayou flavor.
Pork & Poultry Shake - A very versatile shake. Coriander, Thyme and Turmeric add their flavor profiles to enhance the delicate flavors of pork and poultry cuts.
Salmon Shake - Not just for salmon anymore. This shake can easily find its home on beef, pork and chicken.
Veggie Shake - A delicious, somewhat spicy blend of salt, black pepper, red pepper, dill, coriander, garlic herbs and other seasonings, this shake is ideal for grilled vegetables, as well as pork and fish.

TRAEGER SAUCE GUIDE

1) The right time to add sauce to your meat is after you take it off your Traeger. Many of our sauces contain sugar. When sugar is exposed to high or prolonged heat it caramelizes and burns.

2) A pastry brush is an excellent tool for painting sauce on your meat or poultry This is especially true when you want you use the sauce as a glaze.

3) Want to add a little heat to your sauce? Add a teaspoon or two of cayenne pepper to the sauce. Caution: unless you really like it hot, add a little cayenne at a time until you reach the right degree of heat for your taste buds.

4) To warm your sauce up in your Traeger, pour it into a heat-resistant bowl and place it on the far left of the grill. It will only take a few minutes for it to warm up. Be sure to wear a protective mitt to prevent burning your hand.

5) Our sauces and seasonings blend well with one another. We recommend that you put the dry seasoning on the meat first, then paint the sauce on the meat. We suggest that you wait until you remove the meat from the grill before applying the sauce.

Sauce Recommendations Chart