How to Cook with a Traeger Grill

All Traeger grills use the same basic, easy to follow start-up and shut down procedure.

Steps to Use Your Traeger Grill:

1. Remove the cover.
2. Move the Traeger far away from the wall.
3. Check the wood pellets and refill as needed (see below).  You can use the same batch of wood pellets for up to 1 week.
4. Plug the Traeger in. Turn the power to “On” and turn the temperature dial to the “Smoke” option.
5. Open the lid.
6. Let the grill sit for approximately 5 minutes.
7. Close the lid when the grill starts to roar.  You should see smoke after approx. 2 minutes and hear it “catch” on fire after approx. 3 minutes. It will make a wooshing sound
8. Once the grill is preheated, adjust the heat setting depending on what you will be cooking (ex: for burgers, turn the heat to “High” (from “Smoke”).
9. Close the lid.
10. Wait until the correct temperature is reached (5-10 minutes).
11. Cook the meat.
12. Afterward, scrape off any food remains stuck to the grill
13. Change the setting to “Shut Down Cycle” and close the lid.  Let the unit sit for about 10 minutes.
14. Turn to “Off”, unplug the Traeger, clean the grill once it cools down (with a fresh rag), and replace the cover.

How to Add Wood Pellets

1. Place the wood pellets inside your grill’s hopper.
2. Locate the large metal box attached to your grill’s main body, known as the hopper. Open the lid and, if necessary, scoop out any pellets already inside the hopper or remove them by opening your grill’s hopper cleanout door.
3. Then, fill the chamber to the top with wood pellets.