9 Best Pellet Grill Accessories [Traeger, Pit Boss, Camp Chef]

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The best pellet grill accessories to take your backyard cooking to the next level. From tongs and spatulas to the best wood pellets, these essential tools and equipment will take your pellet grilling to the next level.

traeger pellet grill

With your pellet grill set up and taking pride of place in your backyard, you’re almost ready to get cooking. But not before you get the right tools for the job.

Which pellet grill accessories are truly essentials and which are just fancy add-ons? With a ton of tools and gadgets out there fighting for your attention, making the right choice can be daunting.

Whether you swear by Traeger, Pit Boss, or Camp Chef, these must-have pellet grill accessories ensure bang for your buck and will elevate your next pellet dish.

Wood Pellets

traeger signature blend wood pellets

Where better to start than with wood pellets? Fundamental to the pellet grill experience, wood pellets are the primary fuel source for your grill, while they also offer an opportunity to infuse your food with added aroma and flavor.

These small pellets are made from recycled wood and sawdust, usually taken from the leftover wood found in wood mills. It is broken down into a small, dry piece before being remolded to give us the wood fuel we need for our pellet grill.

Getting your wood pellet choice right is important for a couple of reasons. One is that different pellets burn at different rates, potentially giving your longer burn times or hotter temperatures. Another is that not every type of pellet will suit every grill (some grill manufacturers will in fact void your warranty if you use non-brand pellets).

Always go for 100% natural hardwood pellets. These won’t contain the type of fillers or binders that can yield nasty chemicals or uneven cooking temperatures. Also, ensure they are uniformly sized (uneven sizes can play havoc with temperature consistency), and go for flavors that match the food you’re preparing. For example, hickory or mesquite for strong meats like beef, and more mild fruitwoods like apple or pecan for poultry.

Bear Mountain Premium BBQ All Natural Hardwood...
  • Mesquite BBQ Flavor: Mesquite BBQ pellets infuse a distinctive, rich, and smooth flavor profile...
  • All-Natural Hardwoods: Made from 100-percent all-natural hardwoods, these pellets maintain...
  • Low Moisture: Optimal low moisture content, these all-natural wood pellets guarantee a clean...

Pellet Storage

Nothing ruins wood pellets faster than moisture, with only the slightest contact with water causing them to swell or crumble. The best way to store wood pellets to keep them at their best is in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

There’s no need to get fancy here. While there are purpose-built storage options out there, the cost doesn’t always represent good value for money. As long as your storage is airtight then you’re golden.

We use multi-gallon plastic containers and swear by them. The best ones are FDA-approved and are built to lock out moisture. If they can keep food from bacteria, they can keep moisture from your pellets.

Keep your pellets in their bag (this will help you quickly tell what flavor they are) and seal them with clips. Then place the bag in the container and shut it tight, before storing away in a cool dry place, away from floor level.

IRIS USA WEATHERPRO 19 Quart Stackable Storage Box...
  • WEATHERPRO - The IRIS USA WeatherPro Plastic Storage Bin has high quality heavy duty seals in...
  • BUCKLE UP LATCHING - The multi-buckle box latches strongly and securely onto the durable lid....
  • STACK THEM UP - The Plastic Storage Tote has grooves on the lid and body to create a secure...

Grill Cover

traeger ironwood pellet grill cover

Investing in a good pellet grill cover could make all the difference when it comes to getting years of use out of your grill. Not just a way to keep it looking nice, a solid cover will protect your grill from the harmful effects of rain and snow, particularly rust and mold.

When choosing your pellet grill cover, getting the fit right is crucial. You need it to cover the entire grill unit while staying snug enough to stay in place during whatever the weather throws your way.

Luckily, most pellet grill manufacturers sell matching covers for each of their specific grill ranges (for example, Traeger sells covers for each of their Ironwood, Timberline, and Pro models). Generic universal covers are available online, but be sure to check the fit against the dimensions of your pellet grill before ordering.

If you live in relatively colder climates, we recommend investing in a smoker welding blanket for added protection. These blankets feature woven fiberglass fabric that’s specially designed to retain heat, which will help protect your grill from the effects of subzero temperatures. They aren’t cheap but are a worthwhile investment for getting the most out of your pellet grill.

Sale
Traeger Grills BAC375 Full-Length Grill Cover...
  • Made of heavy-duty, all-weather material to protect your grill from rain, sun, and snow
  • Water resistant to ensure your grill stays dry
  • Snug fit that's easy to put on and take off

Thermometer

A digital meat thermometer is a barbecue chef’s best friend, whether your chosen weapon is a pellet grill, electric smoker, or charcoal grill. With so many factors impacting cook time, the only way to truly know if your meat is ready to serve is by measuring its internal temperature.

Many pellet grills offer thermometers as standard that can plug into your pellet hopper and give you a reading on the grill display. However, this is usually in the form of just a single probe, meaning you can only stay across one meat at a time. If you often cook more than one different meat at a time, an extra meat thermometer is a sensible investment.

Many of the best grill thermometers are dual-probe – allowing you to read two different meats at once – and have BlueTooth connectivity via an app, giving you live updates of your food’s progress from the convenience of your phone.

Sale
Yunbaoit Wireless Meat Thermometer, Digital Remote...
  • Stable Wireless Signal & 500FT Remote Range - The wireless meat thermometer can monitor 500FT...
  • Fast and Accurate Instant Reading - The grill thermometer can measure a wide range of 14˚F to...
  • Washable Dual Color-Coated Probes & Splashproof Transmitter - The 2 different color meat...

Grill Cleaner Spray

Nothing ensures the longevity of your pellet grill more than keeping it clean. Regular cleaning between uses will help reduce grease and grime, improving not just the flavor of your food but also the functioning of your pellet grill.

Investing in a reliable cleaner spray is the best way to make light work of reducing grease. Don’t use just any old cleaning spray though – go for something grill-specific or, better yet, something recommended by your grill’s manufacturer (you wouldn’t believe how nitpicky some warranties can be).

Traeger Grills BAC679 Grill Cleaner 946 ml Grill...
  • Non-toxic solution
  • Industrial strength grill cleaner
  • Biodegradable

Disposable Drip Sheets

Disposable drip tray liners sit between your pellet grill’s grates and drip tray to catch grease and food residue as it cooks. This helps protect the drip tray from grease buildup, helping to reduce the risk of flare-ups or the long-term effects of grime.

Liners are designed to fit the area of the drip tray closely, so in most cases, you will need to buy sheets that are specific to your pellet grill model.

Traeger Grills BAC520 Pro 780 Drip Tray Liner...
2,827 Reviews
Traeger Grills BAC520 Pro 780 Drip Tray Liner...
  • Pack includes 5 aluminum liners
  • Light and disposable for easy grill cleanup
  • Product Dimensions: 29in x 16in

Pellet Sensor

The bane of any pellet griller’s life is keeping across pellet levels. Running out of pellets mid-cook can at worst halt an entire smoke session, and at best lead to temperature fluctuations and uneven cooking.

A pellet grill sensor is a device that sits inside the grill hopper and monitors the level of pellets, often using infrared or ultrasound sensors. Once it reaches below a certain threshold, it will alert you via either the hopper panel or your grill’s mobile app.

While newer premium pellet models tend to include pellet sensors as standard, this isn’t always the case and is a worthwhile investment. Sure, you could keep across this yourself but don’t underestimate how difficult this can be over the course of an afternoon-long smoke.

Sale
Traeger Grills BAC523 Electric Pellet Sensor Grill...
  • Compatible with Traeger Pro 575 & 780 and Traeger Ironwood 650 & 885 grills
  • Automatically integrates with WiFIRE when installed
  • Mounts directly into hopper

Bucket Liner

Invaluable but often forgotten, bucket liners offer easy lining for your pellet grill’s grease bucket to catch grease and ash as you cook. Most modern pellet smokers have a grease management system that funnels run-off and ash out of the grill chamber into a bucket to the side or rear of the grill.

By offering a disposable lining instead, you can keep the main bucket for months (if not years) before replacing it. No need to clean it between uses – just chuck out the aluminum version once you’re done cooking.

Don’t skimp on getting aluminum here. It can withstand the high heat of grease and ash as it comes out of your grill, helping to eliminate the inherent safety risks of hot waste. Bucket sizes can vary brand-to-brand, so we recommend buying liners sold by your pellet grill’s brand. In most cases, these stay consistent across each brand’s range of models.

Finally, we recommend buying in bulk here to save cost and time – You’ll get through them faster than you might think!

Sale
Traeger Grills BAC407 Grease Bucket Liner Grill...
13,402 Reviews
Traeger Grills BAC407 Grease Bucket Liner Grill...
  • Disposable aluminum liners make cleanup easy - Just insert our liners into your drip bucket and...
  • Pack includes 5 liners
  • Designed to work with Traeger grease bucket

Rib Rack

A rib rack solves the problem of how to best place your baby back or short ribs on your grill grates to best allow them to cook evenly. If you’re a BBQ ribs fan, this underrated accessory is invaluable.

A good rib rack will prop up several racks on their side to allow good heat circulation and also to maximize valuable grate space around them, allowing you to throw more meat onto your grill.

Try to get a non-stick rack with porcelain coating or stainless steel for easy cleaning, and also a design that’s stable and can accommodate longer racks of ribs.

Traeger Grills BAC354 BBQ Rib Rack Grill Accessory...
  • Can hold up to 8 racks of ribs offering extra grill space for your next big gathering
  • Made of durable stainless Steel
  • Dimensions: 17 1/2" L x 12" D x 3 1/2" H

Last update on 2024-03-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

About the Author

Ben Isham-Smith

A BBQ obsessive, Ben is behind 250+ of The Online Grill’s recipes, as well as countless barbecue guides to help barbecue newbies get to grips with the world’s best form of cooking.


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