Best Pellet Grills & Smokers For Tailgating

What Are the Best Tailgate Pellet Grills?

Energex December 27, 2021 Pellet Grills

BBQ and tailgating go hand in hand. There are few things better than enjoying some grilled goods with your friends and family as you come together to support your favorite team. One of those better things is enhancing the flavor of your favorite tailgating foods with amazing, smoky flavor. But how do you infuse hickory, apple, bourbon, oak or other flavors into your game day grub?

With a portable pellet grill, you can have slow, smoked flavors on the go. Cheer on your team with friends and family, and get together to enjoy amazing food. To create the perfect tailgating spread, you need the perfect grill, but there are a lot of options out there. The following are some of the best tailgate pellet grills to consider for future tailgating adventures.

Best Tailgate Pellet Grills

What is the best pellet smoker for tailgating? That depends on your needs and what you appreciate in a portable pellet grill. Just because a grill is portable doesn’t mean you have to compromise on power, cooking capacity or even style. Take a look at some tailgate pellet grills any tailgater or home griller will appreciate to decide what’s best for you and your crew.

Pit Boss Tailgater PelletGrill

The Pit Boss 700FB Wood Pellet Grill is a solid choice with all-around capabilities and a particularly large cooking surface of 700 square inches. Its specs include:

Wheels for portability.
A digital control center.
A cooking area of 700 square inches.
A hopper capacity of 22 pounds.
A temperature range of 170-600 degrees Fahrenheit and open-flame searing up to 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

Those positives mean this grill has good power and can also serve as a home smoker if you don’t want to own two grills for the same purpose.

The primary drawback of the Pit Boss 700FB is that it isn’t particularly easy to move. With its large cooking area and high weight of 132.2 pounds, it isn’t as small or light as some other models. It also lacks folding legs and cannot be converted into a tabletop pellet grill. If you’re looking for a Pit Boss tabletop pellet grill, check out the Mahogany 150PPS.

Still, the 700FB has wheels for easier movement and offers plenty of space for those cooking large amounts of food. This Pit Boss grill has a regular price of $499, but you can see the current price here.

Country Smokers Tailgating Smoker

Country Smokers’ tabletop pellet smoker from the Frontier Series could be the best tailgate pellet smoker for travelers and those on a budget. It does not convert to a standing or patio smoker, but Country Smokers’ The Traveler is one of the smallest pellet grills on our list, conveniently sized for tailgating or camping. If you’re grilling on the go, you may want to consider this tabletop pellet grill.

This tailgate pellet smoker operates with a dial-in digital control and comes in at a lightweight 43 pounds. Because of its smaller size, some grillers may be concerned that its specs aren’t as big as other grills. It sports:

A 256-square-inch cooking surface with a 191.4-square-inch main rack and removable 64.6-square-inch rack.
A 3.5-pound hopper capacity for wood pellets.
No wheels, but the lightweight and compact size means wheels may not be necessary.
A temperature range from 180-500 degrees Fahrenheit.

This tabletop pellet grill sells for $229, making it a great option for travelers looking for a moderately priced portable grill. Check out the current price here.

CampChef Wood Pellet Grill

The CampChef Pursuit 20 is a handy, portable pellet grill well-suited for tailgating and at-home use. This model requires a 110V outlet and has some useful features unique to CampChef. Its specs include:

A proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller.
Adjustable smoke settings with 10 levels.
A temperature range from 160-500 degrees Fahrenheit and direct flame grilling up to 650 degrees Fahrenheit.
A grease management system and an ash cleanup system.
Auto-ignition and an automatic auger system.
Folding legs and wheels for portability.
A total rack surface area of 501 square inches, with a 248-square-inch upper rack area and a 253-square-inch lower rack.
A hopper capacity of 10 pounds.

This capable grill folds down easily and can sport up to 24 quarter-pound burgers, four chickens or four racks of ribs. It’s a bit heavier than some other models at 82 pounds and lacks some height for taller items, but the wheels help with portability, and if you don’t need much height, it’s a solid choice. The CampChef Pursuit 20 is usually $499, but you can check the current price on the product page.

This capable grill folds down easily and can sport up to 24 quarter-pond burgers, four chickens, or four racks of ribs.

Green Mountain Grills

The Trek portable pellet smoker by Green Mountain Grills is a revamp of the company’s Davy Crockett model. It’s great for tailgating, camping or home use because it runs on 12V or 120AC power. Some pros to this tailgater wood pellet grill are:

A digital WiFi controller to monitor and adjust the grill with your phone.
A peaked lid, which is useful for grilling foods like a rack of ribs.
A thermal sensor, Sense-Mate, for continuous monitoring.
A temperature range of 150-550 degrees Fahrenheit with 5-degree increment controls.
Sturdy, non-foldable legs.
A weight of 68 pounds.
A hopper that holds 9 pounds of pellets.

The cons of this tailgate pellet smoker include:

No wheels, making portability difficult.
A 219-square-inch cooking area.

This may be the best tailgate pellet smoker for someone who doesn’t cook for large crowds. If just you and a couple of friends plan on going tailgating, then you may not need a lot of grill real estate. According to Green Mountain Grills, you can cook either a couple racks of ribs or around four to six steaks on this grill. The list price is $399, but you can find the current price here.

couple using tailgate pellet grill

Traeger

Traeger’s Tailgater Pellet Grill is great for grillers who tailgate, camp or are on the move. It’s a popular option for its:

Eight-pound pellet hopper capacity.
Light weight of 62 pounds.
Foldable legs and wheels for portability.
Temperature range of 180-450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Digital Arc Control to maintain a consistent temperature.
Keep Warm mode.

Some grillers may want a larger cooking space than the Tailgater’s 300-square-inch grilling area, but this small size also makes it particularly easy to pack up and take your grill with you or toss it in the bed of a truck.

Traeger’s Tailgater Pellet Grill is great for grillers who tailgate, camp or are on the move.

With this portable pellet smoker, you can grill two whole chickens, three rib racks or 12 burgers, which is likely a good amount of food, depending on your crowd. Traeger’s Tailgater Pellet Grill sells for $499.99, but you can check the current price here.

Z Grills

Z Grills’ 550B Wood Pellet Grill has a digital temperature control that auto-ignites your grill for convenience. It’s a good choice for smaller families and couples with the following specs:

10-pound hopper capacity for pellets.
560-square-inch total cooking area with a 406-square-inch main area and 154-square-inch removable upper rack.
Bottom storage shelf.
Wheels for portability.
PID controller to maintain precise temperatures even in winter.
Temperature range of 180-450 degrees Fahrenheit.

One spec that some grillers may see as a con is that this tailgate pellet smoker has a smaller temperature range. It also weighs 84 pounds, meaning it could be on the heavier side for some grillers, but the wheels make it easier to maneuver. If the 550B is just shy of the size you’re looking for, the 550A is similar, with a 16-pound hopper and a total cooking surface of 585 square inches. The 550B regularly sells for $469, but you can see the current price here.

Grilla Grills

Grilla Grills’ Chimp Tailgater Portable Wood Pellet Grill is a powerful choice with some unique features, including:

The Alpha Smoke Dual Controller.
The wireless Alpha Connect WiFi Controller.
Automatic ignition.
5-degree increment temperature settings from 180-500 degrees Fahrenheit.
High- and low-temperature safety shutdown if the temperature exceeds 615°F or goes below 105°F.
15-pound hopper capacity for pellets.
Snap-lock folding legs for portability.
A total cooking area of 460 square inches with a 340-square-inch main area and a 120-square-inch upper rack.

This grill is another high-tech model, with handy wireless controls and other unique tools from Grilla like TempTamer and dual smoking modes. The grill is on the heftier side at 90 pounds, but the wheels make that a bit more manageable. The Grilla Grills tailgater wood pellet grill sells for $599, and you can see the current price here.

Equip Your Tailgate Pellet Grills With Ol’ Hick Pellets

No matter what you choose for your tabletop pellet grill, fuel it with Ol’ Hick pellets. At Energex, we offer high-quality cooking pellets that will level up anything you grill with a rich, smoky flavor.

Experience our dedication to providing consistent quality. Check out our Ol’ Hick pellets in hickory, apple or Jim Beam bourbon flavors to create your perfect, smoked tailgating meal. Feel free to contact us with any questions you have about our products.