The Ultimate Traeger Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker Cookbook
By Marcus Vance, RD, Pitmaster & Certified Clinical Dietitian · For US backyard grillers, Traeger owners, and health-conscious BBQ enthusiasts seeking foolproof wood-fired recipes with exact internal temperature targets and macro tracking.
Master the art of wood-fired convection cooking with the definitive American guide to your Traeger pellet grill. Authored by a competitive pitmaster and Registered Dietitian, this collection bridges authentic backyard smokehouse flavor with clinical-grade temperature precision and complete macronutrient breakdowns. From 14-hour Texas-style brisket to 20-minute weeknight smoked salmon, every recipe guarantees foolproof, repeatable results.
Beef & Brisket
5 recipes
Texas Post Oak Smoked Whole Packer Brisket
Authentic Central Texas-style beef brisket featuring a coarse Dalmatian rub, mahogany bark, and melt-in-your-mouth rendered tallow. Smoked low and slow at 225°F (107°C) and wrapped in pink butcher paper for foolproof tenderness.
Reverse-Seared Cowboy Ribeye with Smoked Bone Marrow Herb Butter
A restaurant-grade 2-inch thick bone-in ribeye steak cold-smoked at 225°F (107°C) for edge-to-edge pink perfection, then seared blazing hot at 500°F (260°C) and crowned with garlic-rosemary compound butter.
Maple-Bourbon Chuck Roast 'Poor Man's' Burnt Ends
All the caramelized, pillowy magic of Kansas City brisket point burnt ends at half the price and half the time. Marbled beef chuck roast smoked at 250°F (121°C), cubed, and braised in a sticky maple-bourbon glaze.
Holiday Smoked Prime Rib Roast with Roasted Garlic & Rosemary Crust
The ultimate holiday centerpiece: a bone-in standing rib roast slathered in roasted garlic-herb butter, slow-smoked at 225°F (107°C) for spinalis-to-center medium-rare richness, and finished at 450°F (232°C) for a crackling savory crust.
Coffee-Crusted Smoked Beef Short Ribs with Stout & Pepper Braise
Meaty English-cut beef short ribs rubbed with espresso and black pepper, smoked over Oak pellets at 250°F (121°C), and braised to 205°F (96°C) in dark stout beer, sweet bell peppers, and caramelized onions.
Pork & Ribs
5 recipes
Competition Applewood Smoked Baby Back Ribs (Modified 2.5-1.5-0.5 Method)
Forget mushy overcooked 3-2-1 ribs—this pitmaster-calibrated 2.5-1.5-0.5 timeline at 225°F–250°F (107°C–121°C) delivers clean bite-through tenderness at 198°F (92°C) with a sweet apple-cider and honey-butter glaze.
Carolina Hickory-Smoked Pulled Pork Butt with Tangy Cider Mop
Juicy, hand-pulled Boston butt pork shoulder smoked over Hickory pellets at 225°F–250°F (107°C–121°C) until 203°F (95°C) bone-pull tender, then tossed with its own rendered juices and bright Carolina apple cider vinegar mop.
Weeknight Cherrywood Smoked Pork Tenderloin with Bourbon-Peach Glaze
Lean, fork-tender pork tenderloin medallions on the table in under an hour. Smoked at 250°F (121°C) over sweet Cherry pellets and pulled at an exact 145°F (63°C) so every slice stays blush-pink and juicy.
Hot Honey & Applewood Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends ('Meat Candy')
Cubes of skinless pork belly smoked on wire racks at 250°F (121°C) until the fat renders like warm butter, then braised and glazed in spicy-sweet hot honey, apple butter, and brown sugar to 205°F (96°C).
Thick-Cut Cider-Brined Smoked Pork Chops with Caramelized Onion Butter
Double-cut 1.5-inch bone-in rib pork chops brined in spiced apple cider, smoked at 225°F (107°C) over Hickory pellets, and seared at 450°F (232°C) to an exact 145°F (63°C) internal temperature.
Poultry & Wings
5 recipes
Glass-Skin Spatchcock Smoked Whole Chicken with Alabama White Sauce
Say goodbye to rubbery smoked poultry skin forever. Flattening the bird and roasting at 375°F (190°C) with a touch of baking powder in the dry rub produces shatteringly crisp skin and 165°F (74°C) dripping-juicy breast meat.
0-to-425°F Crispy Smoked Garlic-Parmesan & Buffalo Chicken Wings
Deep-fryer crunch meets authentic hickory smoke. Tossed with cornstarch and smoked for 30 minutes at 225°F (107°C) before blasting at 425°F (218°C) to an internal 180°F (82°C) for blistered skin and tender meat.
Texas-Style Garlic-Herb Butter Smoked Boneless Turkey Breast
Inspired by legendary Texas BBQ joints where smoked turkey breast rivals brisket. Brined, seasoned with coarse black pepper and garlic, smoked at 250°F (121°C), and wrapped in foil with melted herb butter to 162°F (72°C).
Competition Bite-Through Chipotle-Honey Smoked Chicken Thighs
Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs braised in a butter bath at 275°F (135°C) and finished with a smoky chipotle-honey glaze to 180°F (82°C). Tender, competition-worthy skin and deeply flavorful dark meat.
Jalapeño-Cheddar Bacon-Wrapped Smoked Chicken Drumstick Lollipops
Showstopping tailgating drumsticks french-trimmed into neat lollipops, stuffed under the skin with jalapeño cream cheese, wrapped in smoky bacon, and roasted at 300°F (149°C) to 180°F (82°C) with a cherry-bourbon glaze.
Seafood & Fish
5 recipes
Pacific Northwest Alder-Smoked King Salmon with Maple-Black Pepper Glaze
Silky, flaky wild-caught salmon cured briefly with brown sugar and kosher salt to prevent white albumin protein weeping, then smoked at 225°F (107°C) over Alder pellets to an exact 135°F (57°C) with a maple-cracked pepper glaze.
High-Heat Cajun Garlic-Herb Butter Grilled Gulf Shrimp Skewers
Plump jumbo Gulf shrimp marinated in smoky Cajun spices and olive oil, wood-fired hot and fast at 425°F (218°C) for 8 minutes until 135°F–140°F (57°C–60°C) opaque and snappy, and basted with charred lemon-garlic butter.
Piggyback Pecan-Smoked Cold-Water Lobster Tails with Lemon-Tarragon Butter
Steakhouse luxury on your backyard Traeger. Cold-water Maine lobster tails butterflied piggyback-style, brushed with lemon-tarragon clarified butter, and roasted at 350°F (175°C) to a succulent, translucent-to-opaque 140°F (60°C).
Cedar-Planked Miso-Maple Glazed Smoked Black Cod (Sablefish)
A wood-fired twist on Nobu's iconic black cod. Buttery, omega-3-rich Alaskan sablefish marinated in white miso, ginger, and maple, then roasted on a smoldering cedar plank at 400°F (204°C) to 140°F (60°C).
Crispy Bacon-Wrapped Smoked Diver Scallops with Maple-Pepper Glaze
The secret to bacon-wrapped scallops where the bacon is actually crisp and the scallop isn't overcooked rubber: par-cooking the bacon halfway before wrapping dry-packed sea scallops and smoking at 400°F (204°C) to 125°F (52°C).
Smoked Sides & Appetizers
5 recipes
Cast-Iron Smoked Five-Cheese Mac & Cheese with Garlic-Panko Crunch
The ultimate backyard BBQ side dish. Cavatappi pasta folded into a velvety sharp cheddar, Gruyère, and smoked Gouda Mornay sauce that never turns grainy, smoked in cast iron at 250°F (121°C) to a bubbling 165°F (74°C).
Smoked 'Texas Twinkies' (Brisket & Cheddar Stuffed Bacon Jalapeño Poppers)
Inspired by Hutchins BBQ in Texas: jumbo jalapeños stuffed with chopped smoked brisket, sharp cheddar, and cream cheese, wrapped tightly in bacon, and smoked at 275°F (135°C) until 165°F (74°C) with a sweet-heat glaze.
Smokehouse Bourbon-Peach Pit Baked Beans with Bacon & Brisket Ends
Doctored-up smokehouse baked beans slow-simmered in cast iron at 250°F (121°C) with crispy thick-cut bacon, chopped brisket burnt ends, sautéed bell peppers, diced peaches, and smoky bourbon molasses.
Wood-Fired Smoked Mexican Street Corn (Elote) with Lime-Chipotle Crema
Sweet summer bi-color corn on the cob basted with garlic-cilantro butter, smoked and charred at 375°F (190°C) until tender at 185°F (85°C), then slathered in tangy lime-chipotle crema, crumbly Cotija cheese, and Tajín.
Smoked then Crispy-Smashed Baby Gold Potatoes with Parmesan & Rosemary
Creamy Yukon Gold baby potatoes smoked at 250°F (121°C) until fork-tender at 205°F (96°C), flattened with the bottom of a mason jar to quadruple their crispy surface area, and roasted at 425°F (218°C) in duck fat or beef tallow.
Burgers, Brats & Wood-Fired Comfort
5 recipes
Award-Winning 'Over-the-Top' Smoked Beef & Chorizo Chili
The viral pitmaster technique that changes chili forever: a giant seasoned meatball of ground chuck and Mexican chorizo suspended on a grate directly above a Dutch oven of simmering peppers and tomatoes at 250°F (121°C).
Wisconsin-Style Applewood Smoked Beer Brats with Caramelized Onions
Snap-casing pork bratwursts cold-smoked first at 225°F (107°C) so the natural casings absorb real wood smoke without bursting, then simmered in a cast-iron amber beer and butter onion bath at 350°F (175°C) to 160°F (71°C).
Reverse-Seared Smoked Bacon-Cheddar Pub Burgers with Smash Sauce
Thick 1/2-pound pub burgers blended with smoky bacon bits, cold-smoked at 225°F (107°C) for a deep pink smoke ring, then seared at 450°F (232°C) under melted sharp cheddar to a juicy 160°F (71°C).
Hickory-Smoked Bacon-Wrapped BBQ Meatloaf with Tangy Ketchup Glaze
Not your grandmother's oven meatloaf. A savory blend of ground beef and pork bound with caramelized onions and panko, draped in crispy Hickory bacon, and smoked free-form on a wire rack at 250°F–300°F (121°C–149°C) to 160°F (71°C).
Wood-Fired Cast-Iron Pulled Pork Skillet Nachos with Smoked Queso
Crispy restaurant-style tortilla chips layered in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet with citrus-rubbed smoked pulled pork, black beans, Monterey Jack, and cheddar, then roasted at 375°F (190°C) until bubbling at 165°F (74°C).