Many people considering a pellet grill wonder the same thing:
Does it actually get hot enough to grill a good ribeye or burger?

It is a natural question. A classic charcoal grill can get extremely hot when you grill directly over the embers, while most pellet grills – such as Traeger – have a maximum temperature of around 260°C.

Even so, pellet grills are surprisingly good for both steaks and burgers. The secret lies in how you use the grill.

Why a pellet grill works differently

A pellet grill works more like a wood-fired convection oven than a traditional grill.

Instead of direct flames under the food, you get:

• even heat circulating around the food

• stable temperature control

• real smoke flavour from wood pellets

This gives some clear advantages – especially when you are cooking larger cuts of meat.

The best method for ribeye: Reverse sear

One of the most popular methods on a pellet grill is reverse sear. It gives a very even and juicy result.

1. Start at a low temperature

Set the grill to about 110–120°C.

Put the ribeye on the grill and let it slowly heat up to about 46–48°C core temperature.

The advantage of this method is that the meat gets:

• even heat all the way through

• a light smoke flavour

• better juiciness

2. Finish on high heat

Then turn the grill up to maximum temperature (about 250–260°C).

Grill the meat quickly:

• about 1 minute per side

This gives a nice crust while the meat stays juicy.

Many people actually find that this method gives a better result than grilling directly over embers, because the meat is cooked more evenly.

Practical tip for reverse sear

When you reverse sear a steak or Tomahawk:

1. Take the meat off the grill when it reaches the desired temperature before searing.

2. Turn the grill to maximum temperature.

3. Let the grill heat up for 6–8 minutes.

4. Put the meat back on to get a crust.

That way you avoid the meat continuing to heat up while the grill raises its temperature.

Burgers on a pellet grill

Burgers also work very well on a pellet grill.

Set the grill to 220–250°C and grill the burgers directly on the grate.

Typical grilling time is:

• about 4–5 minutes per side

The advantage of a pellet grill is that the temperature is stable, and you avoid sudden flare-ups from fat dripping onto the embers. At the same time, the burgers get a light smoky aroma from the pellets.

Perfect for large cuts – Tomahawk

Pellet grills are especially good for large cuts of meat, and Tomahawk steak is a perfect example.

A Tomahawk is a thick ribeye with a long bone, often weighing 1–1.5 kg. This is where the advantages of a pellet grill really come into their own.

The best method is once again reverse sear:

1. Start at 110–120°C

2. Let the meat slowly reach about 44–46°C core temperature

3. Raise the temperature to maximum and grill quickly on both sides to get a good crust.

During this final searing, the temperature in the meat will rise a few more degrees, and the end result often lands at around 52–55°C, which gives a perfect medium rare steak.

• evenly pink centre

• juicy meat

• nice crust

Large cuts like these are exactly what pellet grills are especially good at.

Iberico – perfect for smoke flavour

Meat from Iberico pigs is known for its high fat marbling and rich flavour. That makes it very well suited to a pellet grill.

Typical cuts that work well are:

• Iberico secreto

• Iberico pluma

• Iberico presa

Grill the meat at 200–230°C, preferably with a little smoke first at a low temperature.

The natural fat marbling makes the meat incredibly juicy, and the mild smoke flavour from pellets goes very well with the nutty flavour of Iberico.

How to get an extra good crust

If you want to take your grilling one step further, there are a few simple tricks.

GrillGrates

These are special aluminium grates that store a lot of heat and give distinct grill marks. They increase the temperature at the contact surface and give a stronger crust.

Cast iron pan

A cast iron pan on the pellet grill gets very hot and is perfect for both ribeye and smash burgers.

High heat at the end

When you combine low temperature first and high heat at the end, you get both smoke flavour and a good crust.

What a pellet grill does best

Even though steaks and burgers work excellently, pellet grills are especially good for dishes that require an even temperature over time.

Typical favourites are:

• ribs

• brisket

• pulled pork

• chicken

• large cuts of meat

This is where the advantages of a pellet grill really come into their own: stable temperature, genuine wood-fired flavour and very easy temperature control.

Summary

A pellet grill may not get quite as extremely hot as a charcoal grill, but with the right method you can still make fantastic steaks, juicy burgers and large cuts such as Tomahawk.

The combination of even temperature, real smoke flavour and techniques such as reverse sear makes the pellet grill an incredibly versatile grill.

For many people it quickly becomes the grill they use most throughout the grilling season.

See our range of Traeger grills.