Most wood pellet smokers and grills cook using indirect heat similar to a convection oven rather than direct flame like a campfire to cook. This seems to make searing more difficult. Not impossible, just more difficult. There are, however, more and more pellet grills coming online that offer a direct flame cooking option and by extension, meat searing! I’ll list out a few here shortly.
What is searing anyway and why do barbeque fans want to do it? Searing is a cooking technique that works for just about any kind of meat: beef, lamb, chicken, spam, or pork. This technique can improve appearance (char and grill marks), improve texture, and enhance the flavor of the meat.
When I got my first pellet smoker grill, a Traeger Lil’ Tex Elite back in 2014, the steaks I pulled off the grill didn’t impress my wife that much. The flavor was good, but they lacked those all-important grill marks and char that we got with our direct-flame propane grill. But I kept at it, adjusted the heat settings, time on the grill, etc., and got better results.
Searing meat caramelizes the sugars and amino acids found in meats when they come in contact with high heat. Searing, browning, or charing, is technically known as the Maillard reaction, which adds better color and surface texture to the finished product – especially with good seasonings – and lends additional flavor to the meat. It’s what we’re used to seeing when we order a $22 steak in a restaurant.
Can A Pellet Grill Sear?
As stated earlier, most pellet smoker grills cook using indirect heat from wood pellets under a heat shield and drip cover. But some pellet grills offer a slider plate that opens up an area for the flame to hit the meat directly. It was this option that sold me on the Pit Boss Austin XL pellet smoker grill.
The Austin XL isn’t the only pellet grill with the slider plate option. Here a few others that you can order online and have delivered right to your home:
- Camp Chef offers models with a separate sear box
- Pit Boss has the Austin XL and others
- More Pellet Grills and Smokers Here with Free Shipping or Discounts
Are Pellet Grills Good For Smoking?
I couldn’t answer this question with any authority until after I picked up a Vertical Smoker also from Pit Boss. Yes, I’ve had other cheaper, low-quality smokers in the past, but they weren’t pellet grills like my Traeger and Austin XL. In my opinion, the horizontal design allows the smoke to escape far away from the meat and out the smokestack more easily taking the smokey flavor with it.
By contrast, the vertical design allows the smoke to engage the meat more directly. The smoke surrounds and hovers around the meat to give it a more smokey flavor. That’s my non-technical opinion after smoking several different types of meat. My wife and I both agree that meat smoked in a vertical smoker is smokier.
My answer to the question about pellet grills being good smokers is this: Yes, they’re good smokers, but vertical smokers are better smokers. Here’s my video comparing my Austin XL to my Copperhead Vertical Smoker:
Do Pellet Grills Give Smoke Flavor?
The short answer is yes, they do or yes, they can. Put meat in a smoky environment and you’ll likely get some detectible smoke flavor. But there are more things to consider than just the pellet grill itself.
Smoke comes from the burning wood pellets. So, the quality of the wood pellets needs to be brought into the conversation. Cheap, low-grade woods with fillers and artificial flavoring oils won’t give off the kind of smoke you’ll want on your brisket or pork shoulders. Go with quality, real hardwoods from trusted manufacturers. You can compare wood pellet varieties and read reviews here.
Time is another important factor. Meat that is only smoked for an hour or two won’t be as smokey as meat smoked for several hours. How does that old tv ad go? “We will serve no wine before it’s time.” Smoke takes time to penetrate the meat as it cooks. Aim for at least 4-5 hours of smoke time if you can.
Then how hot you’re smoking will play a role as well. The higher the temperature, the less smoke you’ll get. In fact, you’re really roasting versus smoking. Smoke temperatures can range from a low of 145 to a high of 275 but most smoke pros aim for about 200 – 225 depending on what they’re smoking.
Another way to get more smoke into the foods on your pellet grill is to add a smoke tube. This is a small metal tube with holes in it that you add a handful of wood pellets too. The tube rests on the grill near the meat. It’s away from the flame below but still gets hot enough to smolder adding additional smoke to your food.
The slider plate on my Austin XL was a great selling point, but honestly, I haven’t used it much. I haven’t used it much because I haven’t needed it. The Austin XL is an efficient grill. When I crank it up to 450, I put my steaks on for 4-5 mins per side (depending on the cut) and it’s got good grill marks without moving the slider plate.
I strongly suggest you read the reviews and ask questions from previous customers about how their grill is working for them. You may find answers to your questions to help you pick out the right pellet smoker grill for you and your family.
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