How and When to Clean a Traeger Grill?

Traeger Grills are low-maintenance grills that use advanced technology to deliver precise temperature control. Not only can these powerful wood pellet grills be temperature controlled via your phone, but to clean a Traeger grill is a piece of steak.

Keeping your Traeger grill clean reduces fire hazards by removing dust, ash and leftover grease that could catch fire.

Want to learn more about how often you should clean a Traeger grill? Read on for easy-to-follow instructions to clean a Traeger grill, which products to use, and other FAQs.

How Often Should You Clean a Traeger Grill?

According to their official website, Traeger recommends cleaning your grill after every twenty hours of grilling. For most, this is between two to five cooks.

Depending on what you are cooking on your Traeger grill, you may need to clean it more frequently. Anything that releases a lot of fat and grease can cause blockages or buildup and poses a serious fire hazard if not properly cleaned.

Regular cleaning will help extend the lifespan of your grill and improve the flavor of your cook. After every cook, wipe down the grill grate of any food pieces before they bake on and become difficult to clean off.

How to Clean a Traeger Grill

When you clean a Traeger grill, wear gloves to protect your hands from any ashes or built-on gunk and unplug the grill as a precaution.

To clean a Traeger grill simply follow the steps below:

Take Apart the Grill

Start by taking off the top grill grate, the grease pan, and the heat baffle to access the base of your grill.

Vacuum the Grill

Take a Shop Vac to the inside of the bottom of the grill to suck out any dust and ashes. This step is important to help minimize uncontrolled fires in the base of the grill.

Make sure that you insert the vacuum into the firepot to eliminate any debris around the heat rod. This will insure hat the grill lights the pellets as designed and will help prevent pellet overflows in the base.

Clean the Grease Tray

I take the grease tray, place it over a trash can and then use a putty knife to scrape off the baked on grease into the trash can.  This gets rid of most of the grease but it still looks dirty.

To get the grease tray looking cleaner I will spray it with a non-toxic degreaser, let it soak in for a few minutes, and then wash it clean with dish soap and water.

Let the grease tray dry thoroughly before putting it back in the grill.

Using a foil liner will help keep the grease tray cleaner for your next cooks.

Clean the Grease Drain

The grease tray directs the grease into a V Shaped grease drain that empties into the grease bucket.  Make sure that you clean the grease drain as that is a commonly overlooked area of the grill that people miss when doing a quick cleaning.

You need to keep this drain clean because if it plugs up the grease will run into the base of the grill and will eventually cause a grease fire.

The best way to clean the drain is the scrape out any built up grease with a small putty knife or a wooden paint stick.  After any large debris is removed, wipe the area down with paper towels and make sure the opening to the grease bucket is not obstructed.

Clean the Grill Grates

Clean both sides of the grill grates, not just the side you use for cooking.  There will often be large amounts of baked on fat and debris on the bottom of the grate so you want to make sure you clean that side.

I like to place the grates on my driveway and spray them with a non-toxic degreaser.  I will let the degreaser sit of the grates for about five minutes and then will rise the grates with a garden hose.

You can then wash the grates with a sponge and soapy water before rinsing again, drying, and putting them back in the grill.

What Should You Use to Clean a Traeger Grill?

Use a natural degreaser like a non-toxic citrus spray to help cut built-on grease.  CitruSafe is my degreaser of choice but Goo Gone is also an excellent product.

Wire brushes have been known to pose safety risks. Instead, we recommend using a cloth, nylon-thistle brush, microfiber towel, or even an onion to scrub the grill grate.

Be sure to put gloves on before cleaning to protect your hands.

How to Protect a Traeger from Dirt and Rust

Keep your Traeger grill clean of rust and other built-on food particles or ashes by regularly maintaining your barbecue.

Use a Traeger grill cover to lessen the effects of rain or snow on the outside. While these grills are designed for the outdoors, they are not rust-free.

After each use, clean a Traeger grill by wiping down the grill grates. If your cook was particularly greasy, consider changing out the aluminum foil on the grease pan early.

Fire It Up

Now you can put the cleaning supplies away and grab your BBQ apron.

Clean a Traeger grill regularly to extend its lifespan and get the most out of your grill for years to come. Removing built-on grease reduces fire hazards and bad-tasting smoke that can affect the flavor of your food.

You can clean a Traeger grill with just a few supplies and elbow grease. Once you’ve finished, reward yourself by firing it up and testing it out.