How to turn your grill into a smoker

You may expect someone who’s made cooking and recipes their career to have every utensil, gadget and cooking vessel possible. But my 100-year-old kitchen and city “backyard” (it’s a driveway—much more essential) simply can’t hold it all, which means that everything I use needs to be multi-purpose, right down to my grill. I grill year-round, as long as my equipment is not buried under icy snow, but I most look forward to warm days when I can make slowly smoked brisket, chicken and smoked ribs. I taught myself how to smoke on a grill, and it wasn’t as hard as I thought.

There is nothing wrong with buying a separate smoker if it works for your budget and space, but you can also put that money toward one of the best charcoal grills or gas grills. That way, you can turn it into a smoker when you want and use it as a grill the rest of the time. This also takes the pressure off when you’re experimenting with regional barbecue styles, knowing that if the method is not for you, there’s no investment on the line besides your time and some groceries.

This guide will explain how to turn your grill into a smoker, offer tips for using wood chips properly, and detail how to maintain the right heat during the low-and-slow cooking process. You’ll be grilling barbecue recipes like a pitmaster before you know it.

How to Turn a Grill into a Smoker

Before starting, gather all your supplies, including wood chips, an instant-read meat thermometer, heatproof grilling gloves and tongs. For a charcoal grill, you’ll need charcoal, a chimney starter and a long-handled lighter. If using propane on a gas grill, double-check the fuel level, especially if you will be smoking a large cut of meat that will take much of the day, so you don’t run out halfway through. I also like to have a disposable aluminum tray that I can set under the meat to catch the juices and rendered fat. It makes cleanup a breeze. Then, clean your grill and you’re ready to go.

Step 1: Prepare the wood chips

You can’t have smoked food without the wood that creates the smoke, but you’ll want to consider the type and quantity of wood chips to use. Hickory and mesquite impart a bold-tasting smoke, so they are often paired with beef, which can stand up to the smoke without tasting like campfire soot. Fruit woods, such as apple and cherry, are less intense and pair well with pork, fish or chicken. Pecan wood is a great in-between option that works with anything. You can also use wood chunks, which burn more slowly than chips and are ideal for delivering extended, steady smoke.

For charcoal, you’ll just need to add the wood to the lit coals. For a gas grill, wrap the wood in an aluminum foil pouch and punch a few air holes in the top or use a smoker box. Although it used to be recommended, you don’t need to soak the wood chips first and, actually, you shouldn’t. Damp wood produces thick, heavy steam rather than a light, flavorful smoke. A little goes a long way with wood chips and you can always add more, but to avoid a bitter flavor, start with a generous handful, about 2 cups.

Step 2: Heat the grill

Most smoked foods require indirect and direct heat zones on the grill. Indirect heat means the food is not placed directly over a heat source but rather next to it. While the grill heats, remove your meat from a marinade or give it a final seasoning.

• For a charcoal grill: Fill a chimney starter about 1/3 of the way with charcoal. Once the coals are hot, pour them on one side of the grill and let them burn down until the optimal temperature is reached, usually 225° to 250°F. Preheating the coals can take 30 minutes or longer, so be patient. You can also try the snake method: Place unlit coals around the perimeter of about half the grill, then add the lit coal to the end of the trail. They will gradually light each other in a circle as they burn through.
• For a gas grill: Unless you have a built-in metal smoker box, remove a grate from one side of the grill (that’s where the smoker box or foil pack will go) and then turn all the burners on until the grill hits around 500°. Turn off the burners on one side of the grill. You’ll want the side where you are placing the chips to remain lit.

Step 3: Add the chips

Once your grill hits the desired temperature, add the wood chips, close the lid (make sure the vents are open on a charcoal grill) and wait a few minutes for the wood to start smoking. If you’re using a charcoal grill, sprinkle them directly all over the coals. If you’re using a gas grill, place the filled smoker box or foil package on the heating element.

Step 4: Start cooking

Add your meat to the grill as the recipe directs, which is usually on the cooler part of the grill, and close the lid. Check the grill occasionally to ensure it’s holding the desired temperature. For recipes that take only around an hour to cook, like honey smoked salmon or Santa Maria roast beef, you likely won’t need to adjust much. For longer recipes, adjust the grill based on whether you’re using gas or charcoal.

• For a gas grill: Adjust the temperature on a gas grill with the control knobs to maintain a steady temperature. Increase or decrease them incrementally, as it may take a few minutes for the heat level to creep up or down.
• For a charcoal grill: Position the lid so the vents are over the food, which pulls the smoke across it for the best flavor. To maintain a steady temperature, open or partially close the vents on the grill lid. Opening the vents allows more oxygen to circulate, raising the grill temperature. Partially closing them will lower it. You may also need to add more coals if the temperature dips too low.

Editor’s Tip: You can add more wood chips, but only in the first two to three hours of cooking—after that, the meat can’t absorb any more. It’s one of our best smoked meat tips!

Step 5: Monitor internal temperatures

Use a meat thermometer to take the internal temperature of your food to know when it’s ready to come off the smoker. Large, tough cuts should reach around 190° for a sliceable texture and around 205° for shredding. Steaks can be cooked to your choice of doneness, and for other meats and seafood, just follow our guide to food-safe cooking temperatures. Then, let the meat rest, and it’s time to feast.

How to Cook Regional Barbecue Styles at Home

United States regional barbecue is incredibly varied, but you can make many classic regional recipes at home by using your grill as a smoker with specific woods, dry spice rubs and different barbecue sauce recipes.

• Texas: The focus of Texan barbecue is meat and smoke, with a particular love of beef. Brisket, ribs (pork and beef), and sausages are all staples. The meat is usually coated in a spice rub heavy on salt and black pepper, and Texas-style barbecue sauce is served on the side. Mesquite, hickory, pecan and oak are the top wood choices for your smoker to give the meat bold flavor.
• Kansas City: Kansas City barbecue sauce is an essential part of Kansas City barbecue. It is thick and tomato-heavy, and it has an earthy sweetness from molasses. Kansas City barbecue features a variety of meats rubbed with a bold mix of dried herbs, spices and brown sugar. The region is particularly known for burnt ends: well-charred, crispy fatty nuggets from the edges of a smoked brisket. Hickory, or a combination of hickory and oak, is the most common wood choice. Don’t forget to slather the sauce over your meat before serving.
• Memphis: Memphis barbecue is all about pork, especially ribs and pulled pork. Hickory is the go-to wood, which gives the meat an assertively smoky flavor. A complex, slightly spicy dry rub is a must, as is a tangy, thin Memphis barbecue sauce. You can brush the sauce over the meat before serving or leave it on the side. Serve it all with a heap of coleslaw.
• North Carolina: Vinegary North Carolina barbecue sauce and pork is what many people immediately think of when it comes to North Carolina barbecue, but that’s just part of the story. The state has two distinct styles: a whole pig, with finely chopped meat, is common in the eastern part of the state, while pulled pork is common in the Lexington area on the other side of the state. At home, it’ll be easier to make pulled pork. Use hickory, and if you chop the meat instead of shredding it, as many do for sandwiches, leave it chunky.

Tips for Using a Grill as a Makeshift Smoker

What are the best meats to cook in a smoker?

In a smoker, you can smoke pretty much any meat or seafood that you like, from whole chickens and pork shoulders to shrimp and individual steaks. Keep in mind that the smaller the piece of meat, the less time it will take to smoke and the milder it will be. I love making a smoked turkey on Thanksgiving and leaving my oven free for stuffing and pies. Plus, it makes a killer leftover turkey stock. Well-marbled cuts of beef and pork stay juicy during long smoking times. Brining or marinating lean chicken breast or pork tenderloin helps prevent it from drying out.

Should I use a water pan on my makeshift smoker?

Adding a water pan to your grill while smoking meat isn’t essential, but many people find that the steamy environment it creates helps keep meat tender and juicy during the lengthy cooking time. All you have to do is set a grill-safe metal pan or disposable aluminum tray filled with a few inches of water on the cool side of the grill. I don’t find it necessary (and, frankly, it takes up a lot of space) as long as you maintain a steady, low heat and monitor the internal temperature of your meat so it doesn’t overcook.

What’s “dirty smoke” and how do I avoid it?

“Dirty smoke” refers to thick, white or gray smoke that can give your food a bitter, acrid or overly intense smoky taste. This can happen if your wood is wet (another reason to skip soaking your wood chips) or if there isn’t enough oxygen circulating inside the grill and the wood smolders instead of burning. To avoid dirty smoke, always use wood specifically labeled for smokers, as it comes from untreated, thoroughly dried wood. Avoid sap-heavy wood, such as pine, which can potentially also make you sick.

When you first add fresh wood chips, it’s normal to see some initial thick smoke, but it should die down in a few minutes to a stream of light or pale blue smoke. Adjust the heat on a gas grill or the vents on a charcoal grill as needed to keep the wood steadily burning. People who think they don’t like smoked meats because they taste like a fireplace probably had poorly smoked food.

Do I really have to let smoked meat rest before cutting into it?

Resting smoked meat is an important step in the process that allows the juices inside the meat to settle, the fibers to relax, and the carryover cooking, often built into a recipe, to complete. Larger cuts, such as whole birds, should rest for at least 30 minutes. Some pitmasters place a wrapped smoked pork butt or brisket in a cooler to rest for well over an hour, keeping it warm. A proper rest keeps tough meat tender after the long and slow cooking time. Smaller cuts, like pork chops, salmon fillets and steaks, need only 5 to 10 minutes before you can slice and enjoy.