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Best Pellets to Burn While Grilling

Published Jun 1st, 2021 11:11AM EDT

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It’s never a bad time to enjoy some grilled meats. Heading out to your smoker or grill with a rack of ribs or 12 hamburgers is the epitome of an ideal day for some people, as there’s just something special about biting into some delicious meat. Of course, if you want to enhance the flavors, you can season the meat beforehand with either a wet or dry rub. But there are also steps you can take when you’re getting ready to throw it on the grill and that’s by choosing what kind of wood or pellets to burn. Different woods can burn a certain way and leave a smokiness or hint of flavor in the meat. We’ve highlighted five different pellets to burn while you’re grilling to give you an idea of what is out there for the next barbecue you throw. Let’s take a look and remember that meat grilling should always be enjoyed to the fullest.

Pick the kind you want

There are a ton of different options for you to choose from if you opt for the Traeger Grills All-Natural Hardwood Pellets. Depending on what you’re looking for, you can gets hints of apple, alder, cherry, hickory, maple, mesquite, oak, pecan, signature blend, Texas beef blend, or turkey. We’ve tried the Signature Blend, which delivers a pure, hardwood taste and ensures the perfect blue smoke to flavor your food with. This is a blend of hickory, maple, and Cherry hardwoods that pair perfectly with any cut of beef. There are no binding agents or fillers in these bags, which come holding 20 pounds of pellets. Forget using gas or charcoal when you’re grilling. This adds a pure hardwood flavor to your barbecue and the pellets are made in the United States.

Key Features:

  • 11 different varieties of pellets
  • No binding agents or fillers
  • Made in the United States
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Enjoy a mixture

Looking for a blended mix of wood pellets for multiple hints? Try the CookinPellets 40PM Perfect Mix. There is no oak or alder filler, so you’ll only get quick igniting and long burning woods. This is mixed of the top four hardwoods: hickory, cherry, hard maple, and apple. This can be used to make a smoke ball that will burn for 45 minutes straight. This comes in a bag that holds 40 pounds of pellets.

Key Features:

  • No oak or alder filler
  • Top four hardwoods are blended: hickory, cherry, hard maple, and apple
  • Holds 40 pounds of pellets
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Instill some different tastes

Mixing up the woods can be an easy way to get multiple flavors into your meats. Using the Louisiana Grills 55405 Competition Blend Pellets will give you both sweet and savory hints. It also has a tart bite to it that will be reflected nicely in your meat. This is made up of 50% maple, 25% hickory, and 25% cherry for a great blend of smoke and flavor. This is ideal for use with pellet grills and the wood is sourced all over North America to find the very best. You can also choose between New England Apple, Georgia Pecan, Pennsylvania Cherry, and Texas Mesquite.

Key Features:

  • Gives a sweet, savory, and tart hint
  • Made up of 50% maple, 25% hickory, and 25% cherry
  • Sourced all over North America
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For those who don’t need much

There are plenty of people who don’t have enough space to store a 40-pound bag of wood pellets. So there is an option for a smaller bag like the Smokehouse Products BBQ Pellets All Hardwood Flavors. This comes in a five-pound bag, which is much easier to keep around. You can choose between alder, apple, cherry, hickory, and mesquite. It is made from 100% natural hardwood with no binders or waxes. This is flavored completely without oils or additives. These are known for their consistency, so you’ll enjoy a quality burn each time.

Key Features:

  • Holds five pounds of pellets
  • Options are alder, apple, cherry, hickory, and mesquite
  • No binders or waxes
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Burn at the same rate

Sometimes you’ll open up a bag of pellets and all of the pellets are different sizes, making them harder to burn consistently. But with the RecTec Grills Ultimate Blend Pellets bag, that will never be the case. That’s because these are made to be uniform, allowing them to burn steadily and evenly. You can choose between a single 40-pound bag or a pack with either two or five bags in it. This is made with 100% hardwood as it’s a mix of hickory and oak. It will work on all pellet grills.

Key Features:

  • All pellets are the same size
  • Choose between one 40-pound bag, two of them, or five
  • Mix of hickory and oak
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Chris Hachey Commerce Editor

Chris Hachey is Senior Commerce Editor for BGR. With over a decade of editing and journalism experience, plus thousands of hours of product testing and research, he has helped millions of consumers find the best products and deals to fit their lifestyles.

When he's not searching for top deals, he's likely watching his favorite sports teams or walking around his hometown with his wife and his dog.