When cooking pizza, most of us associate the process with an oven of some kind…but did you know that pizzas can also be cooked using your Traeger pellet grill? Crazy, right?!
Cooking pizza on your Traeger will add that delicious, smokey-woodsy flavor that we’ve all come to associate with pizza cooked in a wood-fired oven. Also, Traeger grills can reach higher temperatures than domestic ovens. This will allow you to flash-cook pizza like the pros and enjoy freshly baked, piping-hot pizza in a heartbeat.
Hang tight if you’re wondering how to cook pizza on your Traeger grill! In this article, I’ll give you simple step-by-step instructions on how to cook a pizza – al fresco style. Let’s begin!
Table of Contents
- Can You Cook Pizza on A Traeger Grill?
- How to Cook Pizza on A Traeger Grill
- Consider an Add-On Pizza Oven
- What Are the Best Wood Pellets for Cooking Pizza?
- My Final Thoughts
Can You Cook Pizza on A Traeger Grill?
When we think of pellet grills – it’s only natural to think of traditional barbecue foods like burgers, ribs, or steaks, for example. However, you might also be interested to know you can cook other types of food on a Traeger grill, including delicious pizza!
Plus, thanks to the fact that Traeger grills are super easy to use, you will be able to cook pizza on your Traeger grill in a very similar way to how you would normally use your grill AND bake pizza in a conventional oven! In other words, you won’t need to worry about learning a whole new cooking process.
Still, if you have never cooked pizza on your Traeger grill before, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with how to do it by following some helpful instructions. This brings us to our next section!
How to Cook Pizza on A Traeger Grill
Now that you know that it is possible to cook pizza on a Traeger grill, I’ll share a simple step-by-step method that will allow you to cook all types of pizza on your grill. Let’s take a look below!
Step 1: Turn Your Grill on And Heat it to Ideal Temperature
First things first, if you want to cook pizza on your Traeger Grill, the first thing that you are going to need to do is turn your grill on and heat it to an ideal cooking temperature.
The best way to do this is to make sure that you are using the recommended temperature that should be listed on the back of the pizza box.
If you’re cooking fresh pizza (i.e., unbaked dough), then you should crank the Traeger up as high as it will go (circa 450 F).
Step 2: Place Your Chosen Pizza Inside the Grill
Once the grill has reached the right temperature, you can place the pizza inside.
If you’re cooking a pre-made pizza, the base will be stiff enough to place the pizza directly onto the grill grates.
If you’re cooking fresh pizza, you should ideally use a pizza stone or, at the very least, a metallic tray or pan to prevent the dough from sinking through the grates before it cooks.
Keep grilling the pizza until you can see that the crust is browning, the cheese has melted, and any additional toppings are beginning to sizzle and bubble.
Step 3: Remove the Pizza, Let It Cool and Enjoy
Once the pizza is cooked, you can remove it from the grill using a paddle. Let it cool a little (or risk getting a dreaded “cheese burn”) and tuck in!
Consider an Add-On Pizza Oven
Unifit Red Stag Stainless Steel Outdoor Pizza Oven
If you have some money to invest, I’d recommend looking into the amazing Red Stag Stainless Steel Outdoor Pizza Oven from the geniuses at Unifit. They’ve created this clever stainless steel Traeger pizza oven accessory with a ceramic plate for use with wood pellet grills.
The device must be installed directly into the Traeger grill by removing the grates and placing the unit right above the firebox. Then, all you need to do is operate the grill as usual. There’s even a handy built-in thermometer to monitor the temperature inside the oven.
The pizza oven can withstand intense temperatures, precisely what you need to replicate the conditions inside a professional, wood-fired pizza oven. The ceramic plate inside ensures the heat is spread evenly and helps prevent your dough from sticking inside the oven.
Disclaimer:
I haven’t actually tried this unit out myself. Although it’s definitely on my Christmas list!
What Are the Best Wood Pellets for Cooking Pizza?
Just like in the way that certain pellets can enhance and elevate the flavor of meats and other traditional barbecue foods, they can also enhance the flavor of your pizza, too!
Below, let’s take a look at some of the best pellets that you can use to cook your favorite pizzas with:
Pecan Wood Pellets
These impart a subtle woodsy flavor with a hint of cream that will be perfect for pairing with margarita pizzas.
Alder Wood Pellets
This versatile wood pellet option works with a range of different pizzas and will be able to impart a rich, woodsy flavor that you won’t be able to get enough of.
Hickory Wood Pellets
These pellets are delicious with pizzas containing various toppings, especially sweeter-tasting toppings such as peppers and even zesty pineapple.
My Final Thoughts
There we have it! To sum up everything that we have talked about above, it is possible to cook pizza on a Traeger grill, and the best part?
As Traeger grills have the ability to reach temperatures that are higher than a traditional, conventional cooking oven, it means that you will be able to prepare pizza just like the pros do in their high-temperature, wood-burning ovens.
In addition to this, cooking a pizza on your Traeger grill will also allow you to infuse your pizza with the smokiness of the pellets, which will help to enhance the flavor and make your pizza taste even more delicious.
Still, even though it is relatively simple to prepare pizzas on a Traeger grill (or any pellet grill, for that matter), making sure that you follow the instructions above will ensure that you end up with perfectly cooked pizza – each and every time.
Ciao!
