A 2-yr study evaluated the efficacy of using dried distillers grains plus solubles (DDGS) as a substitute for nitrogen (N) or N and phosphorus (P) fertilizer in stocker cattle grazing Plains Old World bluestem. Cattle were allotted to 1 of 4 treatments:1) Old World bluestem pastures with no N or P fertilizer and low stocking rate of 325 kg BW/ha (CONT), 2) Old World bluestem pastures fertilized with 90 kg/ha of N and no P with high stocking rate of 650 kg/ha (NFERT), 3) Old World bluestem pastures fertilized with 90 kg/ha of N and 40 kg/ha of P with high stocking rate of 650 kg BW/ha (NPFERT), and 4) unfertilized Old World bluestem pastures with the same stocking rate as NFERT and NPFERT with cattle receiving 0.75% BW of corn DDGS per day for a 5 d/week feeding schedule (SUPP). Average forage mass in yr 1 and 2 was 3,170 and 6,051 kg/ha, respectively. In yr 1 final BW (P < 0.05), total BW gain (P < 0.05), overall ADG (P < 0.05), and gain/ha (P < 0.05) were greater for SUPP compared with CONT, NFERT, and NPFERT. Nitrogen recovery as cattle weight gain was greatest (P < 0.05) for CONT (28.32%), and SUPP (14.22%) was greater than NFERT (4.42%) and NPFERT (4.77%). In yr 2 there were no differences (P > 0.05) between final BW, total BW gain, or overall ADG between treatments. This may have been due to greater forage mass in yr 2. Gain per ha was greater (P < 0.05) for SUPP, NFERT, and NPFERT compared with CONT and may be due to increased stocking rates for those treatments. Nitrogen recovery was greater (P < 0.05) for CONT (45.45%), intermediate for SUPP (18.20%), and lowest for NFERT (6.91%) and NPFERT (6.81%). Dried distillers grains can be used as a substitute for forage and N fertilizer by improving performance and N recovery by stocker cattle grazing Old World bluestem.