What Can You Cook on a Big Green Egg? 25+ Ideas

It's Not Just a Grill

The short answer to "what can you cook on a Big Green Egg?" is: anything. Literally anything you can cook in a kitchen, you can cook on a Big Green Egg, and most of it will come out better. I've been demonstrating these cookers at Lexington Billiards & Spas for years, and the moment that sells more EGGs than any sales pitch is when someone tastes a pizza that came off one. Their eyes go wide. "Wait, you made this on a grill?" It's not a grill. That's the whole point.

A Big Green Egg is a kamado-style ceramic cooker that holds temperatures from 200 degrees F to 750 degrees F with precision you can't get from a gas or charcoal kettle grill. With the draft door and daisy wheel on top, you control airflow to within 5 degrees. That means you can smoke a pork shoulder at 225 for 14 hours or sear a ribeye at 700 in 90 seconds. Same cooker.

Here are 25+ things I've personally cooked on a Big Green Egg, organized by technique.

Direct Grilling (400 - 600 degrees F)

Direct grilling means the food sits right over the charcoal on the cooking grid. This is what most people think of when they picture a grill.

• Burgers: 450 degrees F, 4 minutes per side. The charcoal flavor is leagues beyond gas.
• Steaks: 600-650 degrees F for a perfect sear. Reverse sear method works beautifully here too: start indirect at 250, finish direct at 650.
• Chicken thighs: 400 degrees F, 6-7 minutes per side. Crispy skin every time.
• Hot dogs and brats: 350-400 degrees F, perfect for a UK tailgate at Kroger Field.
• Vegetables: Asparagus, zucchini, peppers, corn on the cob. 400 degrees F, a few minutes per side.
• Shrimp skewers: 450 degrees F, 2 minutes per side. Don't walk away.
• Lamb chops: 500 degrees F, 3-4 minutes per side for medium-rare.

Low-and-Slow Smoking (200 - 275 degrees F)

This is where the Big Green Egg separates itself from every other backyard cooker. With the convEGGtor in place for indirect heat, the ceramic walls hold low temperatures for 12-18 hours on a single load of lump charcoal. No babysitting, no refueling at 3 AM.

• Pork shoulder (pulled pork): 225 degrees F for 12-14 hours. The bark on an EGG-smoked shoulder is something special.
• Beef brisket: 250 degrees F for 10-14 hours depending on size. This is the holy grail of backyard BBQ and the EGG handles it like a competition smoker.
• Baby back ribs: 225 degrees F for 5-6 hours. I use the 3-2-1 method: 3 hours smoke, 2 hours wrapped, 1 hour sauced.
• Whole chicken: 325 degrees F for about 90 minutes. Beer-can chicken on the EGG is a crowd pleaser.
• Smoked turkey: 325 degrees F for about 3 hours for a 12-pounder. I smoke one every Thanksgiving and it's the only way my family will eat turkey now.
• Salmon: 225 degrees F for about 2 hours with apple wood. Kentucky doesn't get a lot of Pacific Northwest salmon culture, but this converts people fast.
• Smoked mac and cheese: 225 degrees F in a cast iron skillet for about an hour. Trust me on this one.
• Beef jerky: 170 degrees F for 4-5 hours. The EGG holds these ultra-low temps better than any electric smoker.

Baking (350 - 450 degrees F)

Yes, baking. The Big Green Egg is essentially a ceramic oven, and it bakes as well as any indoor oven. Better, actually, because the ceramic retains moisture.

• Pizza: 500-600 degrees F on a pizza stone. 7-8 minute cook time. The crust gets that leopard-spotted char you see at wood-fired pizzerias. This is the number one "wow" cook I demonstrate.
• Bread: 400 degrees F with a cast iron Dutch oven. Sourdough, no-knead artisan loaves, cornbread. The ceramic environment creates incredible crust.
• Cobbler: 350 degrees F in a cast iron skillet. Peach cobbler with a hint of smoke is a Kentucky dessert revelation.
• Cornbread: 425 degrees F in a cast iron skillet. A southern staple that picks up just a whisper of charcoal flavor.
• Cinnamon rolls: 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes. Weekend breakfast on the EGG is an experience.

Roasting (325 - 425 degrees F)

Indirect heat with the convEGGtor turns the EGG into a convection-style roaster.

• Prime rib: 325 degrees F to an internal temp of 130 for medium-rare. Christmas dinner on the EGG is a tradition in a lot of Lexington households.
• Whole turkey: Indirect at 325 degrees F. Crispier skin than your indoor oven because the ceramic pulls moisture out of the skin.
• Pork loin: 375 degrees F for about an hour. Simple, reliable weeknight dinner.
• Leg of lamb: 350 degrees F for about 2.5 hours. Easter dinner sorted.
• Roasted vegetables: 400 degrees F. Root vegetables, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, all better with a touch of smoke.

High-Heat Searing (650 - 750 degrees F)

Open up both vents all the way and the Big Green Egg becomes a blast furnace. This is steakhouse-quality searing in your backyard.

• Ribeye steak: 700 degrees F, 90 seconds per side. The crust rivals any chophouse in Lexington.
• Tuna steaks: 650 degrees F, 60 seconds per side for rare. Restaurant quality.
• Seared scallops: 700 degrees F, 60-90 seconds per side.

Why It Beats a Regular Grill

A gas grill does one thing: direct grilling at medium-high heat. Maybe you can turn one burner off and fake indirect cooking, but you're fighting the equipment. A Big Green Egg does five things well because of its design:

1. Ceramic insulation holds any temperature for hours without fuel waste
2. Precise airflow control through the draft door and daisy wheel
3. Lump charcoal burns cleaner and hotter than briquettes or gas
4. Moisture retention from the ceramic dome keeps food juicy
5. One cooker replaces your grill, smoker, oven, and pizza oven

I tell customers all the time: the Big Green Egg doesn't just replace your grill. It replaces four or five pieces of equipment. When you think about it that way, the price starts to make a lot more sense. Come by the showroom on Richmond Road and I'll show you what 50 years of outdoor cooking experience looks like on one of these things.