Traeger Side Dishes - Simple pellet grill side dish recipes (2024)

By: Author Nicole Johnson

Posted on - Last updated:

Categories Roundup, Traeger Recipes

Traegers aren’t just for the main event! You can make tons of sides on the pellet grill also.

Here’s a list of my favorite Traeger Side Dishes featured here on Or Whatever You Do!

Traeger Side Dishes - Simple pellet grill side dish recipes (1)

Simple pellet grill side dishes that can go with almost any main!

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Traeger Grilled Brussels Sprouts

Crispy grilled Brussels Sprouts are a perfect side for almost any main course! We love these bacon-tossed vegetables, and think you will too!

Traeger Side Dishes - Simple pellet grill side dish recipes (3)

Traeger Thanksgiving Dressing

Traditional Thanksgiving dressing gets the Traeger treatment! Save some oven space and use your pellet grill to cook Thanksgiving's best side dish.

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Traeger Grilled Carrots

These easy grilled carrots are flavored by the grill, some browned butter, and fresh herbs. The perfect easy side dish!

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Traeger Funeral Potatoes

These cheesy funeral potatoes are a classic side dish that are always one of the first things to go on a table or holiday buffet!

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Traeger Cheesy Broccoli Au Gratin

Traeger Grilled Cheesy Broccoli Au Gratin is a cheese-lover's dream. The homemade cream sauce gets poured on top of fresh broccoli and then copious amounts of cheese on top make this into one of my favorite holiday side dishes, EVER.

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Traeger Grilled Milk Rolls

These tender, delicious, homemade milk rolls are made with milk instead of water to make them extra rich! Then they are cooked on the grill for one of the best rolls you will ever have. Ever.

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Traeger Grilled Spinach

This easy pellet grill spinach is drizzled with oil and sprinkled with salt and then quickly grilled on my Traeger pellet grill. It wilts and gives it just a touch of wood-fired flavor, and is one of my favorite summer sides!

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Traeger Grilled Croutons

Traeger grilled croutons are an easy and delicious way to use up bread that is a little past its prime, and they taste fabulous!

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Traeger Smoked Mac and Cheese

This smoked macaroni and cheese has smoked cheese in it, and is finished off on your wood-fired grill! Just enough smoke to make it interesting.

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Traeger Smoked Salsa Verde

Traeger Smoked Salsa Verde is a simple grilled salsa that has a touch of smoke, a bit of heat, and heaps of fresh flavor. Lime juice adds a touch of acidity to this flavorful salsa, which whips up in under an hour.

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Traeger Smoked Smashed Potatoes

Easy smoked smashed potatoes are cooked over wood fire and have a crisp skin that crackles when you bite it, but creamy soft centers.

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Traeger Smoked Caramelized Onions

Delicious smoked caramelized onions are a whole new level of onion awesomeness.

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Traeger Grilled Cheddar Bay Biscuits

These delicious homemade cheddar bay biscuit copycats are cooked on your wood-fired grill.

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Traeger Corn on the Cob

This easy grilled Corn on the Cob is cooked on your Traeger or other wood-pellet grill. Check it out, and make it today!

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Traeger Grilled Prosciutto Asparagus

Easy Traeger Grilled Prosciutto Asparagus only takes about 10 minutes to prep, and another 10-15 to grill, and you are left with the meatiest and fanciest appetizers or side dishes that you ever did see!

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Grilled Spaghetti Squash

Simply grilled spaghetti squash cooked right on the pellet grill! Served with browned butter and fresh herbs.

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Grilled Butternut Squash

Grilled butternut squash is a simple fall and winter side dish that is all shades of versatile. Cooked with brown sugar and butter, this savory-sweet dish can be scooped right out of its shell, or mashed into oblivion and served mashed potato style.

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Loaded Smoked Mashed Potatoes

These loaded smoked mashed potatoes are the perfect side dish for whatever meal you want to cook. Especially great served with steaks!

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Smoked Bacon Ranch Mac and Cheese

This smoked bacon ranch macaroni and cheese has smoked cheese in it, ranch dressing mix, and all of the bacon. Your whole family will love this easy dinner!

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Caesar Pasta Salad

This simple caesar pasta salad is a cookout classic, and you can make it all in a snap, even the dressing.

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Smoked Scalloped Potatoes

These delicious homemade scalloped potatoes are cooked right on your pellet grill! There's nothing like wood-fired flavor to add that missing piece to your next bbq.

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Pellet Grill Zucchini and Yellow Squash

This easy side dish featuring fresh zucchini and yellow squash is cooked on the pellet grill and seasoned with a big bold blend of Mediterranean seasoning from Spiceology.

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Grilled Mexican Street Corn Elote

Easy Grilled Mexican Street Corn makes any meal better! Loaded with big bold Mexican flavors, break out the napkins and prepare to get messy. It is worth it.

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Grilled Baked Potatoes

These easy grilled baked potatoes are cooked right on your pellet grill, and make the best bakers!

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Smoked Garlic Butter

Wood-fired garlic butter that is smoked on the pellet grill, and is the best thing ever when you need a hit of buttery, garlicky, flavor.

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Smoked Salmon Dip

Easy Smoked Salmon Dip is made with hot smoked salmon, cream cheese, and other common household staples you probably have laying around right now.

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Togarashi Grilled Asparagus

Delicious Togarashi Grilled Asparagus uses a super flavorful Japanese seasoning mix to make grilled asparagus even more amazing than it already was. Like whoa.

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Perfect Grilled Asparagus

This asparagus is grilled and amazing. I don't bestow the "perfect" title easily. This one deserves it.

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Nicole Johnson

Website

Nicole Johnson, a self-taught expert in grilling and outdoor cooking, launched Or Whatever You Do in 2010. Her blog, renowned for its comprehensive and creative outdoor cooking recipes, has garnered a vast audience of millions. Nicole's hands-on experience and passion for grilling shine through her work. Her husband, Jeremiah Johnson, also plays a pivotal role in recipe development, adding his culinary flair to the mix. Together, they form a dynamic duo, offering a rich and varied outdoor cooking experience to their followers.

Traeger Side Dishes - Simple pellet grill side dish recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the easiest thing to smoke on a Traeger? ›

Brisket. One of the first things people want to know when buying their first Traeger is how to smoke brisket. It's pretty simple once you get the basics down. This cut of meat is so full of flavor, you won't need to add much seasoning or other extras, to make it shine.

What is the first thing I should cook on my pellet grill? ›

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!

What is the first thing to try on a Traeger grill? ›

First Recipes to Cook

Simply coat a whole chicken with Traeger's Chicken Rub and cook for just over an hour. That's all you'll need to do for chicken perfection.

What is the hardest meat to smoke? ›

Brisket is BBQ royalty and one of the hardest and toughest meats to smoke. It takes many hours, dedication and each brisket has a journey and a story to tell.

What is the easiest meat to smoke for beginners? ›

Our top choices are brisket, pork shoulder (for pulled pork), pork chops, and ribs. You can also give our St. Louis Ribs a try in your new smoker. Beef brisket, pork shoulder, and ribs are three cuts that offer sufficient fat to keep them juicy and tender when done.

What not to do on a pellet grill? ›

9 Common Pellet Grill Mistakes You Don't Want to Make
  1. Being Impatient. ...
  2. Not Fully Preheating the Pellet Grill. ...
  3. Over-Smoking. ...
  4. Not Taking the Time to Allow Your Meat to Rest. ...
  5. Not Being Conscious of Which Pellets You Use. ...
  6. Relying Heavily on Cook Times. ...
  7. Smoking Meat and Only Meat. ...
  8. Over-Saucing.

Do you flip food on a pellet grill? ›

If need be, we recommend flipping smaller cuts only once, preferably halfway through cooking. Larger cuts will need at least more than one flip to result in tender and juicy pieces of meat. The thickness of the piece of meat also plays a significant role in determining if you will need to flip the meat.

Should you burn off a pellet grill after cooking? ›

It is also extremely important to perform a “burnoff” after each cook to clear your Pit Boss auger as well. Performing a burnoff is simple. Turn the temperature dial to 177°C / 350°F and close the lid. Let your grill run for 5 to 10 minutes to go through its normal cleaning method.

Do you ignite a Traeger grill with the lid open or closed? ›

Open-Lid Startup

Set your Traeger grill to the SMOKE setting with the lid open. You will hear the fan running. Wait for the fire to ignite and establish, roughly 5 minutes, give or take. You should hear a difference in sound from just the fan to hearing a flame going.

How do I get the most smoke flavor on my Traeger? ›

Cooking at lower temperatures naturally creates more smoke. It will also help to start with cold meat, which will take longer to cook providing more time for the smoke to penetrate the meat. You can also consider using a smoke tube, a small cylindrical device that holds wood pellets.

Can I use generic pellets in Traeger? ›

Customers may use any brand of food-quality, wood pellets with their Traeger pellet grill without fear of voiding their grill's warranty. Home heating pellets have adjuncts, binders/glues, biomass, and softwood that will create performance and reliability problems that are not covered by our warranty.

What happens if your Traeger runs out of pellets while cooking? ›

If the grill is still at your set temperature, refill the hopper. You may experience a dip in temperature in the next few minutes — it is possible that there is a gap without pellets in the auger — but the grill will get back to your set temperature momentarily.

Can you leave wood pellets in Traeger? ›

Once you have opened your bag of pellets, it's even more crucial to protect them from moisture. While you can leave pellets in your grill's hopper for the short term when you know the weather will be dry, you should remove them from the hopper and store them airtight when prolonged rain or high humidity is forecast.

What is the first thing I should smoke in my smoker? ›

If you're new to smoking, pulled pork is an ideal way to get started. In fact, the hardest part is making sure you buy the right cut.

Can a Traeger grill be used as a smoker? ›

How Hot Does a Traeger Get? All of their pellet-fired grills can be used for smoking, grilling, roasting, braising, baking, and barbecuing using hardwood pellets rather than charcoal or gas. Traeger produces their own line of pellets and blends to make it easy for you to find the perfect flavor.

What should I smoke on my pellet smoker? ›

Smoking Salmon
  1. Smoking Salmon. Recommended wood pellet flavor: Mesquite. ...
  2. Recommended wood pellet flavor: Mesquite. This simple process will give you fantastic wood-fired results every time. ...
  3. Smoking Chicken Drumsticks. ...
  4. Smoking Steak. ...
  5. Smoking Tri Tip. ...
  6. Smoking Pork Ribs. ...
  7. Smoking Whole Chicken. ...
  8. Smoking Prime Rib.

What temp gives most smoke on Traeger? ›

No matter what temperature you set your Traeger grill, you'll always be smoking your food. Setting your grill between 160º and 225º F will produce the largest amount of smoke, and is thus where we traditionally consider food smoked.

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