How to Season a Traeger Grill {How often to season a grill?}

So you purchased a new Traeger grill, and you are excited to use it for the first time, well, not so fast! You need to season the grill first before using it.

Like any other new grill, your Traeger needs to be fine-tuned by seasoning it to perform better and more efficiently once you cook with it.

I know that you cannot wait to use the new grill but this process will ensure you get what you expect from the grill as it becomes better overall before cooking.

There are many reasons why you should season your Traeger grill before using it. We will also be sharing some tips within this post.

For the most part, seasoning a Traeger grill is not that complicated. However, it is a must, as the process will make the grill better and safer for cooking.

Why Do You Need To Season A New Traeger Pellet Grill?

When the Traeger grill undergoes the manufacturing process, chances are there are residues from oil and lubricants used to keep the grill materials tuned.

You need to remove all those residues from the grill.

Even the non-toxic chemicals in the Traeger like oil need to go so the grill works perfectly well long term.

Seasoning opens the Traeger grill to new and better functionalities useful when cooking.

This process is simple but seasoning a Traeger Pro 780 or other larger models can be daunting. Either way, this process will work on any Traeger grill.

Seasoning makes the Traeger grill work safer/better and prolong the grill’s life.

Extending The Life Of A Pellet Grill

Another reason why we season a new Traeger grill is to extend its life. Any metal equipment or tool is at risk of rusting or corrosion eventually.

By seasoning the grill, you allow the grill to develop a coating that will cure the paint and protect it from moisture.

It also, protects the metal parts from moisture when cooking and water from rain or other outside factors.

Any moisture that gets into the pellet grill will immediately drip off so it does not stick or get absorbed by the metal parts and start developing rust.

Re-Seasoning Your Traeger Pellet Grill

Some users say that they never clean or re-season the interior of a Traeger pellet grill throughout its lifetime. However, this can be a bad practice, for you and your grill.

It is almost inevitable that grease, gunk, ashes, food residues, dust, and molds might gather inside the Traeger grill.

Once this happens, you will need to clean the grill’s interior, which means stripping off some of the developed coating on the grill.

After cleaning the Traeger grill, you will need to fire it up to season it once again and keep dirt away from the grill itself.

What Are The Traeger Pro 575 Initial Firing Instructions

The initial firing instructions for the Traeger Pro 575 are pretty straightforward. Here are the instuctions that you can follow:

Assemble the Traeger Pro 575 and tighten all the screws. The instructions for assembly comes included in the user’s manual.
Plug in the grill and then fill up the pellet hopper with wood pellets of your choice.
Preheat the Traeger Pro 575 by setting the temperature dial to “smoke” and allow the grill to preheat for 20 minutes with the lid closed.
After preheating the grill, you can select the temperature you would like to use for your recipe. Baking, grilling, searing, smoking, and more.
Cook your food properly and remove everything from the grill before shutting it down.
Allow the grill to cool down and clean the grates before closing and storing the grill.

Does A Traeger Grill Need To Be Seasoned?

Like any new grill, the Traeger grill needs to be seasoned to remove the toxic lubrications and dirt from manufacturing and delivering the grill to your home.

Seasoning is also sometimes referred to as “burning in” your grill and is a one-time process that you should do right before you use the grill for the first time.

Re-seasoning has the same concept of removing the grill’s dirt that has gathered through time.

You will need to season your Traeger grill to be safe and overall better in cooking your food.

How Long Does It Take To Season A New Traeger?

Seasoning a new Traeger can take between 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes, and this time is enough to burn off any bacteria or dirt from the grill.

A Traeger grill connected to or has the WiFire technology will take longer at 1 hour 30 minutes while the non-WiFire grill will take only an hour or so to season.

It will ensure that the grill does not have any smell left inside that can alter the seasoning and flavors of the food you cook.

How Do I Get The Best Flavor Out Of My Traeger?

The main key to getting as much flavor out of the Traeger grill as possible is producing smoke that will get induced into the food you cook.

You can do the following to improve your food’s flavors:

1. Low And Slow

When cooking, make sure that you start the grill with a low temperature, and this creates a cleaner cloud of smoke that goes through into the food.

It is a slow process but it will give more flavors to the food. Simply turn down the grill temperature and allow it to preheat before putting your food in it.

2. Use Hardwood Pellets

Traeger has its wood pellets brand and you can get those. However, I also recommend trying out other brands to see which gives off more flavors.

Hardwood pellets are great for producing deep flavors that you will surely enjoy being in your food.

3. Smoke Setting

Some Traeger grills have the smoke setting that enhances the smoke from the firebox.

It can be adjusted so that the auger mechanism releases just enough pellets to produce more smoke without turning the temperature too high.

How Do I Prepare My Traeger For The First Time?

Once your Traeger grill arrives, do not put food in it immediately. You need to season or burn in the grill first before you cook in it and here is how to do it.

1. PLUG THE TRAEGER GRILL IN

To start thighs off to season your Traeger grill for the first time, place the Traeger grill in an area where you have an electric outlet nearby.

Ensure that the Traeger grill is off before you plug it in. The ‘O’ sign on the power button indicates that the Traeger grill is off, so check it first before plugging it in.

2. START THE TRAEGER GRILL

Check the Traeger grill pellet hopper and then put some wood pellets.

About 4 pounds of wood pellets will do with the seasoning of the new Traeger grill for the first time so you do not suffocate it.

Get your drip tray or bucket ready for any liquid waste that might melt and come out of the grill. Press the power button of the Traeger grill to turn it on.

3. PRIME THE AUGER MECHANISM

You do not have to prime the auger on a Traeger grill every time, and however, you will need to do that when you season the grill for the first time.

Check the display on the Traeger grill and then press the “Select Auger” on the menu.

Set the grill grate over the grill and then press the “Prime Auger” on the selections when you press the auger setting, this starts priming the auger of the Traeger grill.

4. FINISH PRIMING THE AUGER

There should be a countdown on the screen of the new Traeger grill and once the countdown is done, the priming of the auger mechanism is over and you can proceed to the next step.

Once the countdown is over, press the button that says “Done” to stop the auger mechanism. Some of the pellets should have fallen into the firepot by this time.

Press the button but do not turn the Traeger grill off just yet.

We get to rely heavily on the Traeger seasoning instructions for the next few steps.

5. HECK THE FIREPOT AND FAN

The next step is to make sure that the fan of the Traeger pellet grill is working. You can do this by putting your hands over the grill grates to check if air is coming out.

Turn the smoke setting on the Traeger pellet grill to get the fan working.

6. SET THE TEMPERATURE FOR SEASONING THE TRAEGER GRILL

Set the temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and then press the Ignite button. This will start the fire on the grill and create an open flame.

This specifically came from the Traeger grill seasoning instructions, so follow them. Close the grill lid and then let it run at that temperature for the next 20 minutes.

If the temperature does not go up, you can add a few wood pellets to the pellet hopper.

Run the Traeger pellet grill for another 30 minutes before shutting it down.

7. TURN OFF THE TRAEGER GRILL WITH THE SHUT DOWN CYCLE

After running the grill at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes, press and hold the knob of the grill, and this will trigger the Traeger grill to run its necessary Shutdown Cycle.

This part of the process will take around 25 to 30 minutes and you do not have to do anything. Once the shutdown cycle is complete, you can flip the power button off.

Once you have followed these Traeger grill seasoning instructions, your grill is seasoned, prime, and ready to make the perfect Traeger steak, rack of ribs, or any type of food you want to cook.

What Food Can I Cook On My Traeger Pellet Grill?

So now that your Traeger pellet grill is ready, I bet you are excited to know what you can cook on it, right? Here is a short list of recipes that you can cook.

Beef

Pork

Poultry

Seafood

Others

Of course, there are still a lot of other recipes that you can cook on your Traeger pellet grill. You can experiment with other cuts of meat or check this list out for other ideas!

Can You Leave Pellets In The Hopper?

Yes, you can leave your leftover pellets in the pellet hopper of the Traeger grill but only for a limited amount of time. Of around 1-2 weeks.

If you are not planning to use your grill in the next month, it is best to empty the pellet hopper and clean it.

The pellets can easily rot and degrade in the pellet hopper especially if you live in an area with high humidity as the moisture will ruin the pellets.

Wood pellets that crumble apart can block the auger mechanism, so removing the excess pellets from the hopper is best.

How Often Should I Prime The Auger?

You do not have to prime the auger mechanism every time you cook but it is necessary to do it for the first time.

Unless you purge and clean the auger, there is no need to prime the auger of the Traeger grill every time you cook in it.

You only need to prime the auger mechanism if you have emptied the pellets and the auger no longer has any pellets in it.

When you repeat the process of priming the auger like what we have above in the guide.

TRAEGER TIPS FOR BEGINNERS

You can find these simple Traeger tips for beginners on the Traeger website.

1. Choose The Right Grill For You

The major difference between gas grills or electric grills and pellet grills is that pellet grills can put a smoke flavor to your food.

With the gas and electric grills you might want to use a smoker box to get that effect.

Pellet grills are also great at putting grill marks on the steaks you want to cook.

You do, however, need to buy Traeger brand pellets from authorized dealers of Traeger grill products.

The good news is that you can also buy natural wood pellets in stores like Home Depot.

You also have many options like the Timberline series or the Traeger Pro series from Traeger which are the best outdoor cooking choices for food enthusiasts.

2. Maintain And Clean The Traeger Grill

Maintain and clean the Traeger grills so that you get the best results. Cleaning the grill after every cooking session is a good practice.

It reduces the risk of leaving residues and bacteria on the grill. Use enough wood pellets on the grill and save the unused pellets for your next cooking.

3. Use The Grill’s Versatility

You can use your Traeger grill for any type of cooking method.

Even if it takes hours of cook time to achieve your desired temperature on the food, the Traeger grill can do it.

Traeger grills are great at preserving the natural flavors of the food you are cooking and adding unique flavors.

This is the perfect grill for home cooks that want to make a humble start with their business.

You can get the perfect flavor on your meat/brisket once you master the Traeger grill.

So whether you want to start a business or just want to cook food with great flavors, Traeger is perfect for you.

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