I know, right?! That’s a pretty wide variety of things you can make on a grill, but Z Grills are awesome. If you’re not familiar with them, Z Grills are similar to the more widely known Traeger grills. They’re smokers/grills with full hatch covers that burn wood pellets and release smoke from a smokestack-like apparatus off to the side. However, if you don’t have one – or if you have a Traeger, Pit Boss, or another similar grill – you can still make most (if not all) of these dishes on other grills.
1. Smoked Brisket
People often see the 6+ hour cook time on smoked brisket and think, “That’s just not for me.” But if you’re a beginning griller, briskets are one of the easiest things you can cook. As long as you get your marinade (mop sauce) right and don’t forget to slather it on every hour or so, you’ll be fine. You can basically leave it alone and let it do its thing.
2. Homemade Dinner Rolls
Most people don’t think about making homemade dinner rolls on a grill, but you can. All you’ll need is flour, rapid rise yeast, sugar, salt, milk, butter, an egg, and your Z Grill set to 176 °C. It’s a super-easy way to make them, and they turn out just as gorgeously golden and buttery as they would if you made them in the oven instead.
3. Smoked Cheeseburger
If you’re hoping to make the thickest, juiciest, and tastiest smoked cheeseburgers, pull out your grill, some ground chuck, and your seasonings (salt, black pepper, and garlic powder). Once they’re ready, slap them on some warmed buns with cheddar cheese and all your favorite toppings.
4. Smoked Ribeye Steaks
You’ve not truly enjoyed ribeye steaks until you’ve had them grilled over wood pellets in your Z grill. You can choose your favorite seasoning or rub for this one. Just be sure you cook it so that you get a nice, seasoned sear on the outside while leaving the center juicy and pink.
5. Smoked Salmon
There are four steps to smoking the perfect salmon on your Z Grill: Do it right, and you’ll have the most beautiful piece of salmon you’ve ever seen. It’ll have a great color and an even better sweet and smoky flavor that’s out of this world.
6. Full Turkey on Z Grills
With the right Z Grill, you can even cook an entire 18-pound turkey in about 4 hours! All you’ll need is your turkey, your ingredients for your dry brine (salt and baking soda), and your rub (salt, garlic, and poultry seasoning). The result is a gorgeous golden-brown bird that’s juicy, has perfectly crispy skin, and tastes amazing in every way.
7. Whole Roaster Chicken
And it goes without saying that if you can make an entire turkey, a roasting chicken won’t be any problem at all. I like this recipe because it uses garlic, dry rub, red onions, and lemon for taste. It gives it an herby, zesty flavor that’s hard not to love. I usually add a dash of rosemary (and sometimes even cayenne pepper) to mine, as well.
8. Smoked Meatloaf
This smoked meatloaf has everything you could want in a traditional meatloaf – bread crumbs, onion, mozzarella, parmesan, salt, BBQ sauce, dry rub, and more. It has a wonderfully smoked barbecue flavor but doesn’t get too dry.
9. Smoked Pork Steaks
Pork steaks are another thing that’s hard to get wrong on a Z Grill. As long as you season your steaks correctly beforehand, cooking them is a breeze. You’ll need paprika, seasoned salt, chili powder, black pepper, and sugar for the dry rub to get the flavor just right. Then, add your favorite BBQ sauce while the steaks are cooking. The steaks are succulent, and each bite seems to pack more flavor than the one before it. Just be sure you prepare enough for everyone because this isn’t one of those meals you’ll want to half with someone else.
10. Smoked Chicken Wings
These smoky, saucy chicken wings are another easy-to-make Z Grill recipe, and they’re sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Besides the chicken, all you’ll need is a bit of olive oil, some chicken rub, Traeger rub, and whatever barbecue sauce you like best. After all, if Fried Green Tomatoes taught us anything, it’s that the secret’s in the sauce.
11. Pellet Grill Smoked Spare Ribs
These ribs have it all. They’re buttery, saucy, juicy, and full of that incredible Cajun seasoning flavor that makes everything taste better. It takes about 6 hours to cook them. However, much like the brisket, except for two hands-on steps about 3 and 5 hours in, there’s not much to cooking them at all.
12. Smoked St. Louis Style Ribs
If you prefer your ribs with more of a sweet and tangy flavor, you might enjoy these smoked St. Louis style ribs instead. They’re just as fall-off-the-bone tender as the ones above, but the flavor is subtly different and has more of a sweetness to it than the others.
13. Smoked Cornish Game Hens
I love smoked Cornish game hens. They have such crispy, flavorful skin and tender, succulent meat. Plus, they’re (relatively) quick and easy to cook compared to other options like ribs and turkey. These have a fantastic buttery and herby flavor that’s almost rotisserie-like. You won’t get an overwhelmingly smoky taste. Instead, the meat tastes fresh, clean, and somehow healthy.
14. Smoked Tri Tip
The trick to making a delectable tri tip is getting your seasonings just right and ensuring you don’t overcook it. The “seasonings” for this one include Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, turbinado sugar, chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic, onion powder, chipotle powder, and MSG. The cooking time is about 90 minutes. Get those things right, and you’ll have a delicious, juicy meal on your table in no time.
15. Pellet Grill Filet Mignon
Who doesn’t love a perfectly prepared filet mignon? I know I do. And this one is beyond perfect; I’m not even sure there’s a word good enough to describe it. You’ll use simple seasonings and surround each cut with thick, salty bacon. Slather it in bleu cheese butter and cook it over applewood pellets. It incorporates so many different flavor profiles into every bite – salty, savory, sweetly tart, smoky, and more. There’s nothing about this not to like.
16. Smoked Brats
Not everything you make on your Z Grill has to be fancy and take hours and hours to cook. Sometimes, you’re just in the mood for some smoky brats. All you’ll need to make these is a pack of bratwurst sausages, hot dog buns, yellow mustard, and chopped onions. Of course, you can add whatever toppings you like best.
17. Pellet Grill Mac and Cheese
If you’ve never had mac and cheese made on a grill, you’re in for a real treat. It’s supremely cheesy and creamy, and there’s just a hint of smoky yumminess that makes it unbeatable. I like to use macaroni noodles, but some people prefer shells. Either way, you’ll also need butter, flour, whole milk, heavy whipping cream, cream cheese, cheddar, and gouda. That’s for the macaroni and cheese itself. You’ll also want to add a crunchy, flavorful topping of Panko breadcrumbs, butter, and shredded cheddar cheese. It makes it wonderfully gooey and insanely good.
18. Brisket Sandwich
If you’re looking for a new way to enjoy your brisket, give this brisket sandwich a try. You’ll need brisket flat, beef stock, brine, your sauces, kaiser rolls, and provolone cheese. It turns an already delicious dinner into a complete meal, especially if you make the recommended beer-batter onion rings to go with the sandwiches.
19. Pellet Grill Smoked Turkey Breast
If you’re looking for something simple, herby, and truly flavorful, give the pellet grill smoked turkey breast a try. Just remember that the turkey needs to chill in the brine for a couple of days before you decide to cook it, so go ahead and do that part beforehand. The longer it sits in the mixture of salt, thyme, Greek oregano, black pepper, and minced onion, the more robust and rich the final flavor will be.
20. Smoked Pork Loin
For something with a sweet and smoky flavor, smoked pork loin is the way to go. You’ll flavor it with a mixture of apple juice, honey, brown sugar, pork rub, black pepper, and oregano. Doing so gives it a fantastic flavor that seeps into every molecule of the meat, thanks to the slow cooking. It takes a bit over 5 hours to make in total, but it’s worth every second of time that it takes. Click on a star to rate it!
Average rating 5 / 5. Vote count: 1 No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.
Share on social media: Let us improve this post!
