How to Grill on a Pellet Grill

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: August 25, 2021 References

You might be wondering why pellet grills are so popular, but fire yours up and you'll soon see why! They're as convenient as gas grills—just fill the grill's hopper with wood pellets, plug it in, and turn it on. Since the grill uses fans to circulate the heat, it acts like a convection oven so there's no need to flip your food or move it around on the grill. Plus, the smoke from the burning pellets flavors the food so you'll have perfectly grilled food with a rich smoky taste.

Question 1

Question 1 of 5:
Are pellet grills easy to start up?

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Yes—fill the hopper with pellets and plug in the grill to get it set up. Most people think that using a pellet grill is actually easier than lighting a charcoal grill. Pour pellets into the hopper that's on the side of the grill. Your grill's hopper probably has a fill line marked on the side. Then, plug your grill into an outlet.^{[1]
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- Use your pellet grill outside since there's always a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
2
Preheat the grill to your recipe's temperature before you add the food. It's super easy to set your pellet grill to an exact temperature and the temperature on most pellet grills can reach up to 600 or 700 °F (316 or 371 °C)! Read your recipe and set the grill to that temperature about 10 minutes before you want to start grilling.^{[2]
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- You don't need to do anything with the pellets at this point. The grill will automatically heat more pellets to hold the grill at the same temperature.

Question 2

Question 2 of 5:
How do I grill hamburgers on a pellet grill?

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Lay the patties on a preheated grill and cook them for about 25 minutes. Preheat your pellet grill to 415 °F (213 °C) and arrange as many patties on the grill as you want to cook. Leave at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of space between them so they cook evenly. Then, close the lid and cook the burgers until they're at least 160 °F (71 °C).^{[3]
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- Want to make cheeseburgers? No problem! Lay a slice of your favorite cheese on each burger and grill them for 1 minute so the cheese melts.
- The best way to check the burger temperature is with an instant-read meat thermometer.

Question 3

Question 3 of 5:
Do I need to flip food on the grill?

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Flip the food if you want to make grill marks on both sides—if not, skip it. You're not cooking food over direct flame in a pellet grill, so you don't have turn the food to make it cook evenly. However, if you want your steak or burgers to have those great grill marks on both sides, use tongs to flip them over halfway through the cooking time.
- Avoid opening up the pellet grill frequently or it will lose heat and the temperature in the grill will drop.

Question 4

Question 4 of 5:
Can I use different pellets to add flavor?

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Add subtle flavor to the smoke by using pellet blends. The next time you shop for pellets, check out fruitwood pellets made from cherry, beech, or apple wood. These pellets can give the smoke a sweet, mild flavor. You could also use oak or hickory pellet to give your smoke a bold, mesquite scent.^{[4]
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- Try hickory or mesquite smoke with ribs, chops, or pork. Pecan or maple pellets are also great with any type of beef.

Question 5

Question 5 of 5:
What other foods can I grill on my pellet grill?

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Grill anything you like! Since pellet grills combine the best of a standard grill with a smoker, your grilled food will have a great smoky flavor. In addition to hamburgers, you could toss steaks, pork chops, salmon, ribs, or even turkey on the pellet grill.^{[5]
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- You can even grill vegetables like zucchini, corn, or eggplant on the grill. Spread them in a grill basket if you don't want smaller pieces to fall through the grates.