Can You Sear On a Traeger? Best Tips, Tricks & Sear Grates
Jump To RecipeThe greatest home cooks know how to make their mark on signature dishes, and when it comes to meats, nothing says mastery quite like a nice sear. If you've been wondering "can you sear on a Traeger?" The answer is a resounding yes.
While Traeger grills are renowned for their smoking capabilities, they're also adept at delivering the perfect sear (especially when you use the Traeger ModiFIRE Sear Grate). In this article, we'll explore how to harness the full potential of your Traeger grill to achieve that coveted sear, turning ordinary dishes into culinary masterpieces.
A sear is to mark, brand, or char a surface with extreme heat. Searing seals in natural flavors and creates a new flavor combination where it sears. When protein and sugars heat above 350°F, meat browns and caramelizes, which improves the flavor. The flavor is what makes people want to lick their plates.
How Can You Sear On a Traeger?
Searing on Traeger pellet grill is is unlike any other searing experience you'll ever have. Not only do you get beautiful marks from searing on a grill, but you'll also get a different flavor and texture than when you sear any other way.
Inside the Traeger wood-fired oven, the convection fan speeds up the cooking process by 20%. By placing the meat directly on a hot grate, the protein begins to warm and the cold of the meat reflects cold back to the grill grate, which slows down the heating process of the parts that are not directly touching the grate. This is how the area of the meat that is touching the grate has the Maillard reaction or browns, and forms seared grill marks on the protein.
Searing occurs in the area of meat that touches the hot grate. This area cooks faster and hotter than the circulating convection heat cooks the rest of the meat.
Preparing Your Meat for Searing
For larger cuts of meat like a tenderloin, the first order of business is trimming what’s known as the “silver skin” or excess fat from your meat.
Next, you want to get the surface as dry as possible. In a pinch, you can blot it dry with a paper towel but for steaks, it’s best to leave it uncovered in the fridge overnight.
Another method is salting the meat. If you go this route, you should let it sit for at least an hour or moisture will get in the way. Salt will draw moisture to the surface.
To Oil? Or Not to Oil?
Some use oil for flavor. Others use it for even cooking. In any case, don’t go overboard for fear of the meat sticking. It’s not uncommon for meat to stick to the grill grates at first, but it has less to do with how much oil you’re using and everything to do with giving the Maillard reaction time to kick in.
You just want to wait for the proteins to harden. Once they do, the meat will flip easily and you’ll see a nice sear. All your hard patience pays off -- just don’t wait too long or your meat will dry out! Keep reading for specific instructions.
Best Products For The Perfect Sear
Make sure the grill is clean. If you’re cooking on a dirty grill, food will stick to it no matter what you do. If it looks like a tough job, an all-natural grill cleaner can help. Then you can use vegetable oil to season the grates.
- Invest in a Modifire Sear Grate for even hotter grates. Made with anodized aluminum, this sear grate is durable and made to last and produces the best finish.
- Get the cooking surface hot. 450°F or higher. Once you’re preheated, you’re ready to go.
- Gently lay the meat on the grates. Searing time varies depending on the type and cut of meat but generally, you’ll want to sear for just 3-5 uninterrupted minutes per side.
- Don’t touch it until it’s time to flip. If you poke and prod at it, you could release juices prematurely which will ruin your sear. Use tongs, a spatula, or our pig tail BBQ flipper to flip.
What's The Best Sear Grate?
Traeger's sear grates stand out for their exceptional performance and durability, engineered to deliver unparalleled heat retention and distribution. Crafted with precision, Traeger's sear grates ensure that every sear locks in flavor, creating mouthwatering caramelization and a perfect crust on your favorite cuts of meat. To see some of our favorite sear grates, take a look at the best Traeger grill grates:
From steaks to seafood to veggies, here are tips for getting a nice sear every time.
How To Sear Your Favorite Foods
From steaks to seafood to veggies, here are your answers to the question: "Can you sear on a Traeger?:
What Temperature Do You Sear On?
Preheat your grill to 500°F before you place the meat on the grill.
How to Sear a Steak
A perfectly seared steak is medium-rare, cooked at approximately 3.5 minutes per side. You don’t have to worry about oiling a well-marbled steak -- high heat takes care of the non-stick concerns. Keep in mind that the thicker the steak, the more flavorful the meat.
Check out our guide on how to cook a steak depending on the cut.
How to Sear Burgers
Set your grill to high heat, and throw that burger on. It will sear as it cooks. The trick is in the preparation — buy an 80-to-20 ratio of meat to fat, and when you’re forming your patties, make a slight indent in the center with your thumb. This will help the burger take the right shape.
Don’t squash it! Those who succumb to the temptation of squashing their burger might think they’re helping along the searing process, but they’re actually pushing out juices, and flavor. This can slow down the process and dry out the burger. Check out our complete guide on how to prepare a burger.
How to Sear Chicken Breasts or Thighs
Leave the chicken skin on if you can. Put a thin coat of oil on both sides. Cook skin side down first for 3 or 4 minutes on each side. Once you get the skin crisp, you can flip and continue to cook with the skin side up.
How to Sear Sausages
Cut the sausages lengthwise in half. Score the rounded sides of the sausage and place the flat side down on the grill. To make flipping easier, lay them on an angle across the grills and give them a little nudge to roll over. Raw brats and Italian sausages may take around 3 to 5 minutes to sear properly. Kielbasa and pre-smoked sausages only need 1 to 3 minutes per side.
How to Sear Pork Chops
Before searing on your Traeger, it's crucial to prepare your meat properly. Start by trimming the outer layer of fat on the pork chop to ensure even cooking and maximum flavor retention. This step not only helps the meat stay flat as the proteins tighten up but also ensures that the juices remain locked inside. When working with thin-cut chops, sear each side for approximately 1 minute on your Traeger grill until the internal temperature reaches 180°F. So, can you sear on a Traeger? Absolutely, and with these simple steps, you'll achieve a perfect sear every time.
How to Sear Ribs
Preheat the grill to at least 450°F. Take your cooked ribs out and pat away any excess moisture. Lay the cooked ribs flat over the heat. You're going for an appetizing brown coloring on each side, which can take 10-15 minutes. If you're saucing your ribs, do so in the last five minutes of cooking.
How to Sear Scallops
Some scallops are sold with a tough abductor muscle attached. If yours has one, remove it. Pat the scallop dry with a paper towel. Gently coat with butter or oil and seasonings, and then start with the flattest side first. Close the lid and cook for 1 minute. Use a pair of tongs to gently roll the scallops to their other side. If they’re sticking to the grate, they need a little more time to cook. Cook for an additional minute on the other side.
Scallops really only need to be seared, since they are so delicate. The process of searing should get the scallops to about 130°F, which will give you a tender bite and milky-white skin.
How to Sear Tuna
First pat-dry your tuna steaks, and season. Cook for about 2.5 minutes before flipping. The tuna will probably be red in the center, but it is both safe and delicious to eat sushi-grade tuna rare. Crispy on the outside, rare on the inside, tuna (like sea scallops) is a must-sear.
How to Reverse Sear
First, what is reverse sear? This is a technique for those who want the best of both worlds: low and slow smoking meets hot and fast searing. A reverse sear takes meat that’s been smoking at around 225°F and then finishes it off with a nice 500 degree Fahrenheit sear.
It’s called the reverse sear because traditional recipes like a roast often call for an initial sear — searing meat in a frying pan before finishing it off in the oven. This is what helps give stews and roasts a rich, full-bodied flavor.
The traditional sear cooking method is faster, but the advantage of a reverse sear (besides fewer dishes to clean) is that you really get to infuse the inside of the meat with smoky flavor and get the exterior texture and color just right. We highly recommend you reverse sear steak, but we’re also huge fans of reverse sear pork chops. See our reverse searing guide to learn more about this method.
Searing Is a Skill
With these instructions, you'll be to answer the question "can you sear on a Traeger?" and be on your way to getting the flavor, texture, and color of a perfect sear every time. Still, the cut of meat, the surface temperature, and the amount of moisture on the surface can change the exact timing.
Grilled Balsamic & Blue Steak
by Traeger Kitchen
Prep Time
10 Min
Cook Time
12 Min
Serves
2
Pellets
Mesquite
Top round is light on fat and perfect for absorbing this zesty balsamic marinade. Sear the steak for a caramelized crust, then heap creamy blue cheese on top for a kick in the taste buds.
Ingredients
main
| 3 Tablespoon | olive oil, plus more as needed |
| 6 Tablespoon | balsamic vinegar |
| 1 Tablespoon | Traeger Prime Rib Rub |
| 1 Teaspoon | fresh thyme leaves, chopped |
| 1 Teaspoon | chopped fresh rosemary, plus more for garnish |
| 4 | garlic cloves, minced, divided |
| 1 1/2 Pound | top round steak |
| 1/4 Cup | (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened |
| 1/4 Cup | crumbled blue cheese |
| 2 Whole | red onions, sliced 1/2-inch thick |
| 2 Whole | Tomatoes, sliced |
| To Taste | kosher salt |
| To Taste | freshly ground black pepper |
1
In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Traeger Prime Rib Rub, thyme, rosemary, and 3 cloves of garlic.
2
Place the top round in a large resealable bag. Pour the balsamic mixture over the steak and rub to coat. Seal the bag and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
3
Remove the steak from the refrigerator 45 minutes before grilling to let it come to room temperature.
4
In a medium bowl, combine the butter, blue cheese, and remaining clove of garlic. Mix well. Refrigerate until ready to use.
5
When ready to cook, set the Traeger temperature to 500°F and preheat with the lid closed for 15 minutes.
6
Insert the probe into the thickest part of the steak. Place the steak directly on the grill grates towards the front of the grill. Sear for about 6 minutes on each side until the internal temperature reaches 130°F for medium-rare, or until done to your desired temperature. Remove from the grill and let rest for 10-15 minutes.
7
Brush the onion and tomato slices with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place directly on the grill grates towards the front of the grill until they develop slight grill marks, then move them to the middle of the grill and cook until tender, 4 minutes more.
8
Slice the steak against the grain, then serve with the grilled onions and tomatoes, a dollop of the blue cheese butter, and a sprinkle of rosemary. Enjoy!
