How to cook steaks on a pellet grill? (2023)

What temperature do you cook steak on a pellet grill?

The best temperature to cook a steak on a pellet grill is around 400 °F or 204 °C if it's direct heat. What is this? But if you prefer the reverse-sear method, start cooking your steak on a pellet grill at around 225 °F or 107 °C. You can change it again after an hour to around 400 °F.

450ºF (230ºC) Rare steaks will take 3-4 minutes per side and medium-rare about 5 minutes. It will take slightly longer for medium steaks, about 6-8 minutes. And for a well-done steak, you can expect it to take up to 7-10 minutes.

Set your Traeger to 500 degrees Fahrenheit and preheat for 15 minutes with the lid closed. Place the steaks on the grill and cook for 4 to 6 minutes on each side, flipping occasionally, until the internal temperature reaches 135 degrees (medium-rare).

Pellet grills are great for steaks. In fact, maybe a pellet grill is the best type of grill to cook steak on. Whenever you read or hear the word steak, you picture a juicy piece of meat seared on each side. You can't achieve this anywhere else but with a pellet grill.

The best grill temperature to grill a steak is high heat (450-550 degrees F.). To prepare steaks for the grill you will need to: Pat them dry: this helps the steaks get a better sear on them.

So, can you sear a ribeye steak on a Traeger grill? You absolutely, 100% can.

At 400°, cook for 3:30 minutes per side. A medium-rare steak is the recommended doneness to taste the meat's natural flavor. It's usually how meat connoisseurs and chefs like to eat it.

Season steaks about 10-15 minutes before grilling and preheat your grill to medium-high heat (about 450-500 degrees F.) Place steaks on hot, well oiled grill. Cover with grill lid and cook for 3-4 minutes, (or more, depending on the thickness of the steak).

Allow to smoke for approximately 45 minutes to one hour, depending on your desired doneness. For medium rare, pull the steaks when they reach 125°F, or 135°F for medium.

How do you keep meat from drying out on a pellet grill?

To grill a ribeye steak, trim the fat and rub with a neutral oil and seasoning. You can go with simple salt and pepper. Let your Traeger get to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, and place your steaks directly on the grill grate, flipping every 6 minutes. Cook until steaks reach an internal temperature of 132 degrees and enjoy.

Steaks – Pecan, Hickory or Mesquite. Salmon – Apple and Cherry — or in a pinch, Pecan. Whole Turkey – Cherry and Apple over Mesquite – If you are serving this for Thanksgiving, I wouldn't go super heavy with smoke flavor here. Pizzas – Pecan wood pellets all the way.

The biggest difference between smoking vs grilling is time. Smoking can be an all-day process with constant temperature monitoring to make sure the meat cooks through evenly. Grilling is more accessible and much quicker, but smoking gives a tender and flavorful product that's nearly impossible to replicate.

For thicker cuts, you want to close the lid to keep the temperature high and even. Large steaks, chicken, and roasts have much more depth for the heat to penetrate, and closing the lid will give the heat time to sink in and cook the meat through in much the same way an oven does.

Take note that when it comes to searing meat, like a good steak, you want to go Hot & Fast to get that nice brown, almost caramelized coating or sear that only a very hot, direct heat source can provide.

Do I need to flip my meat when smoking on the grill? NO! Sorry for being so brash, but this is a common mistake that many novice smokers will make. When smoking, you don't have to worry about one side getting hotter than the other, because the meat cooks indirectly.

Searing meat doesn't create an impermeable barrier that prevents the release of natural juices when cooking or slicing a steak or other cut of meat. But that doesn't mean you should abandon searing altogether. You should always consider searing steaks before grilling, baking, braising, roasting, or sautéeing.

Juiciness: Searing over high heat at the end of the cook allows the muscle fibers to retain more water content, making the meat juicier. Smokiness: Smoking before searing allows the smoke flavor to be infused into the meat before the outside is caramelized.

Is 400 degrees hot enough to grill steak?

The temperature should be anywhere from 360 to 400 degrees based on what type of meat you are grilling. 3/4 to 1 Inch Thick. Allow for medium-low coals in your charcoal grill and check to make sure there is a solid layer of ash on top so that the temperature of your grill stays between 325 and 350.

How long does it take to grill a 1-inch steak on the grill? A 1-inch to 1 ½-inch steak, like sirloin steak, typically takes about 8-10 minutes to grill to medium-rare. If cooking to medium, expect the steak to take 10-12 minutes to cook.

For thicker cuts of meat, in your 450° oven, you should expect about 10 minutes after searing on the stovetop. For thinner cuts of meat, under the broiler, it's about 6 minutes per side. (Flip it on the sheet pan halfway through.) Top Tip: Your steak will continue to cook while resting, so air on the side of caution.

Grilling with the lid on or off – Leave the lid open when you're searing steaks and need to keep a close eye on it. Once you move it to indirect heat, you can close the lid and let the smoke do its thing. Quick-cooking foods can usually be cooked (fish, veggies, hot dogs) with the lid open the whole time.

Season or marinate steaks as desired. For a charcoal grill: Grill steaks on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals 7 to 9 minutes for medium rare (145°F) or 10 to 12 minutes for medium doneness (160°F), turning once halfway through grilling.

It usually takes about 4-6 minutes to cook a steak on each side at 400°F. However, the exact cooking time will depend on the thickness of your steak and how well done you like it. For medium-rare, cook it for 4 minutes on each side; for medium, 6 minutes per side; and for well done, 8 minutes per side.

If you're cooking steak on the grill, you most definitely should flip it about halfway through the cooking process. We typically recommend flipping your steak just once on the grill because it's not getting direct heat on one side like it would on a pan.

Aim for 300 degrees F for thicker steaks. Moderately thick steaks or anything between 1/2″-1″ is best cooked at medium temperature 325-350 degrees F, and 1/2″ and less should be cooked at 375-400 degrees F.

It is important to spritz the meat every half hour to 45 minutes to prevent it from drying out. It also adds a coating that allows the smoke to travel over the meat and stick to it.

How do you get pellet grill skin crispy?

Apply baking powder to chicken skins

Baking powder can also help you achieve crispier chicken skins on your pellet grill when applied directly before baking. The baking powder raises the chicken skin's pH level, which breaks down peptide bonds and results in beautifully browned, crispy skin.

Moisture is the most important reason to spritz your meat. Smoking is a dry process, and it's important to add back some of that lost moisture. Spritzing will help keep your meats juicy and tender and will also help them cook more evenly.

Why Cleaning Your Pellet Grill Is Important. Every time you use your pellet grill, it collects ash and grease. Over time, ash and grease build-up impact how well your pellet smoker functions and can even shorten the lifespan of your grill.

Do: Empty your hopper after using your grill. Leaving unused pellets in your hopper can cause them to rot since they will be exposed to the elements of your outdoor environment.

Pulled pork is the perfect meat to start with when you're new to a pellet grill. A pork shoulder will cook low and slow for 8-10 hours, depending on the size, and produce a delicious meal for a crowd. This is a cost-efficient and simple meal to make on a pellet grill that doesn't sacrifice flavor!

Grill, covered with grill lid, over medium heat (300° to 350°) 2 1/2 minutes. Using tongs, turn each steak at a 60-degree angle, and grill 2 1/2 more minutes. Flip steaks, and grill 2 1/2 minutes. Turn steaks at a 60-degree angle, and grill 2 1/2 more minutes (medium-rare) or to desired degree of doneness.

At 400°, cook for 3:30 minutes per side. A medium-rare steak is the recommended doneness to taste the meat's natural flavor. It's usually how meat connoisseurs and chefs like to eat it.