My Egg got delivered while I was at work.
By the time I got home, it was already late. I had ribs in the fridge. That was the plan for the weekend. But I couldn’t wait. I had a brand new Big Green Egg sitting on my deck and I needed to use it.
So I grilled hot dogs.
Not brisket. Not pulled pork. Not even chicken. Hot dogs. And honestly? It was the right call. I’ve written about that maiden voyage before: Happy Egg-a-versary. The Egg was the cook that night. I was just standing next to it.
That’s the point of this list. Most beginner guides will tell you what you should cook first. This is what I actually cooked, in the order I cooked it, and what each one taught me. They weren’t written by someone who grilled hot dogs on a $1,500 grill because he couldn’t wait until Saturday.
Oh, and by the way, I do list some affiliate links in this post to gear I actually use.
TL;DR: Hot dogs or burgers to learn the fire and the vents. Sausages or beer can chicken for your first indirect cook. Ribs or pork shoulder to understand low and slow. Pizza when you’re ready for high heat. Skip brisket until you’ve done all five.
Know This Before You Light It
The Big Green Egg runs on airflow.
The daisy wheel on top and the draft door at the bottom control temperature together. Open them to raise heat. Close them down to lower it. That’s the whole system.
Here’s what I wish someone had told me before my first cook: keep the ash tray clear. Even on the first light, ash builds up and over time blocks airflow. I also packed in too much charcoal early on, which made it nearly impossible to hold a low temperature for a longer cook. The Egg isn’t complicated. But it rewards people who understand what’s actually controlling the fire.
The First Cooks
This isn’t the textbook order. It’s mine. A lot of guides say to start with pulled pork because it’s forgiving. That’s not bad advice. But here’s how it actually went.
1. Hot Dogs (or whatever’s in the fridge)
The lesson: meet your Egg
This isn’t about the food. What you’re actually doing is lighting the Egg for the first time, feeling how it heats up, watching the vents respond, and learning how long it takes to stabilize.
Direct heat, dome around 400F, done before you finish your first beer. The hot dogs were great.
Don’t skip this because it feels too simple. Get familiar with the equipment before you try to impress anyone.
2. Burgers
The lesson: direct heat and lid discipline
Burgers give you fast, immediate feedback. You’ll notice quickly that the Big Green Egg runs hotter than a gas grill. You’ll also find out what happens when you open the lid too often.
High direct heat, 500-550F, a few minutes per side. Keep the lid closed between flips. The Egg rewards patience even on a quick cook.
3. Sausages or Beer Can Chicken
The lesson: indirect heat
This is your first cook with the convEGGtor, the ceramic plate setter that turns the Big Green Egg into a convection oven.
Beer can chicken was one of the first times I couldn’t believe how good something came off the Egg. One of the best chicken recipes I’ve ever made. It looks impressive, it’s forgiving if your temperature drifts, and it’s the kind of cook that makes you realize what this thing is actually capable of. Sausages work too. Lower stakes, same lesson.
Set the dome around 375-400F indirect and let it run. You don’t need to hover. That’s the point.
4. Ribs or Pork Shoulder
The lesson: low and slow
This is the cook that shows you what the Big Green Egg is actually for.
Low and slow means holding 225-250F for hours. Ribs take 4-5. Pork shoulder can go 8-12. Once the Egg is settled in, it barely needs touching.
My first rib cook was a disappointment. They came out chewy and overdone. I blamed myself. Turned out it was the meat. Side ribs, previously frozen. Not a great combination. Now I buy back ribs only and never freeze them first. The cook was fine. The shopping was the problem.
5. Pizza
The lesson: high heat, different mindset
Pizza on the Big Green Egg is nothing like anything else on this list. You’re running the dome at 600-650F with a pizza stone inside. The cook takes minutes, not hours. Fast, hot, and you have to think about it differently than everything that came before.
I waited months before trying this. No regrets. It’s a milestone cook, the kind you make when you want to show someone what the Egg can actually do.
What about brisket?
Every new Big Green Egg owner thinks about brisket. I did too.
Brisket is expensive, unforgiving, and takes 12-16 hours. It’s not where you start. It’s the cook you earn by doing the five above first. I waited nearly six months. Part of it was caution. A big part of it was not wanting to waste expensive meat.
If you’re already feeling the pull, I wrote about that whole experience here: Got Brisket Stress?
Where to go from here
Past these five and want to know what’s next? I’ve put together a full list of Big Green Egg recipes from simple to challenging.
And if you want everything in one place, the Like a Dad Big Green Egg page covers equipment, charcoal, accessories, techniques, and more recipes. Everything I’ve learned since that first night with the hot dogs.
Big Green Egg beginner FAQs
What should I cook first on a Big Green Egg? Something quick and low-stakes. Hot dogs, burgers, sausages. The goal isn’t a great meal. It’s getting comfortable with the Egg before you cook something that matters.
Do I need a convEGGtor for my first cook? No. Save it for cook three. Your first cooks should be direct heat so you understand how the Egg handles an open fire first.
How do I control the temperature on a Big Green Egg? With the top daisy wheel and the bottom draft door. Open both to raise the temperature, close them to lower it. Small adjustments, then wait a few minutes before changing again.
Why does my Big Green Egg overshoot temperature? Usually too much charcoal and too much airflow at startup. Let it come up slowly and dial the vents down before it hits your target. Easier to raise temp than lower it.
How often should I clean the ash tray? Every cook is extreme. But you should keep an eye on it. Blocked airflow is the most common reason new owners lose temperature control. Two minutes that prevents most beginner problems.
The hot dogs were years ago. Brisket is a regular thing now.
Every cook in between taught me something. Start wherever you’re starting. Just start.
