If you are looking for an easy way to add flavor to your meats, vegetables or other foods while grilling, then a smoker box is the right product. It will infuse smoke into whatever food you might be cooking and give it that smoky flavor without having to start up a separate grill just for smoking.
They allow you to slow cook meat with wood chips, herbs, and spices while the food is cooking on the grill. You can also use them in an oven or smoker for added flavor. One of my favorite things about smoking meats is how easy it is! All you need are some wood chips, some foil pans (or other heat-proof dish), and some aluminum foil.
How to Use Smoker Box on Gas Grill?
They can be used for everything from bacon and vegetables to ribs and chicken. These boxes quickly become a favorite tool in your outdoor cooking arsenal, but they’re not without their drawbacks. We’ll show you how smoker boxes work on gas grills so that you can take advantage of this simple technique anytime you grill!
The process of smoking food is an art form that takes a lot of patience and time. In order to get the best results, you have to monitor your smoker box carefully for optimum heat distribution. A gas grill smoker box can help you control the amount of smoke coming from your grill by adding more or less wood chips as needed—something that is not possible with charcoal grills without removing the grate and using tongs.
How to use smoker box on gas grill? With an easy-to-follow step by step guide, we’ll show you how to easily use the smoker box on your gas grill for some delicious BBQ!
Step 1: Place soaked wood chips in the bottom of the smoker box.
Step 2: Fill lower tray with warm water (not boiling) and place on top of burner. Turn heat up until smoke starts coming out from under lid.
Step 3: Add smoking pellets or sawdust to generate more smoke if desired.
Step 4: Follow instructions on recipes being cooked as usual, adding liquid/seasonings as instructed in recipe once cooking has started on one side.
The best part about using a smoker box on the gas grill? It’s very quick! You’ll be able to make flavorful meals fast without heating up your kitchen too much during these hot summer months. How to use smoker box on gas grill? I’ll share more tips in this article so keep reading!
Table of Contents
What is a smoker box
A smoker box is a tool used in smoking meat or fish. It can be made of metal or foil and it’s designed to give the smoke more time to flavor your food without being exposed directly to flame. It helps prevent flare-ups during grilling by keeping drippings off direct heat, creates an even flow of smoky aroma throughout the cooking process, and keeps your grill tidy for easier maintenance. This will also keep your charcoal briquettes from denying you that campfire taste with its shiny mirror finish!
For this recipe we used aluminum foil wrapped around our wood chips but you can very well use a pre-made smoker box; alternatively, buy some wooden skewers (preferably ones that won’t catch fire) and use a few to hold your soaked wood chips.
I had a really cheap barrel smoker before but it did the job right up until I used it to cook fish. The whole thing fell apart from the heat and my nice juicy salmon fillets landed in the fire! My neighbor was kind enough to let me use her Weber kettle grill that night and since then, this is my go-to tool for everything from smoking ribs to jerky. There are some differences when it comes to making a good smoked meal but they all seem to follow these guidelines: Keep your meat away from direct flame or high heat. Thinner cuts of meat will cook faster than usual, thicker cuts require longer smoking times. Cook low and slow at around 250°F – 275°F
I used a chicken leg quarter to test out the smoker box and it came out great! The meat was very tender and flavorful. I placed a drip pan underneath to catch all the juices but you can also wrap your chicken in foil so it’s easier to clean later on. If you want a smoky flavor without having to use a smoker box, just place wood chips directly onto hot coals.
The preparation time is only 15 minutes for this recipe with most of that being waiting time since there is no direct contact with fire. This is an ideal way to cook outdoors with friends because everybody can be involved in getting food ready or prepping side dishes while the main course smokes away beautifully.
You should be able to use pretty much any kind of smoker that has an opening where you can put your hand, or maybe even just rocks or another solid object. Anything where the air can circulate will work! For instance, here’s my Meco charcoal unit…
The top rack isn’t really necessary – if you have something sturdy enough to act as a “rack”, like one of those wire cooling racks they sell at Wal Mart, it’ll work. I don’t have to use the top rack, but sometimes I do if I want to keep my chips up off the bottom of the smoker.
How to use smoker box on gas grill? You can also make your own “smoker box” out of scrap metal. It doesn’t need to be pretty – in fact, you’ll probably want to make it very ugly so that no one will steal it! Something like this… That’s just a piece of 14 gauges sheet metal with some small holes drilled into it. To use it, just put soaked wood pieces into the tray before putting them into your smoker. You don’t need much – just enough for smoke for 15 minutes or so at most. How many times you use is up to you!
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How to use the smoker box on the gas grill
A smoker box is a metal container opened on one side, filled with wood chips and placed over the heat. The lid of the pot is closed until it forms a flavor bomb that will give your dishes a smoky touch.
First of all, it allows you to cook more easily by giving a long-term smoke to slow food such as fish or meat; Secondly, when using low temperatures (100 ° C) in particular, closing the lid of the smoker box drives the smoke directly towards your dish and gives you an exceptional flavor without burning too much.
It’s very simple: before inserting your ingredients in your cooker, place the smoker box on one of your burners, then turn it to high heat. Give a few minutes for the smoke to spread in the pot, then reduce your flame to moderate or low heat and your dish is ready in no time! Once, you have finished cooking, empty out any remaining wood chips, pour warm water inside the box and close it until you are ready to grill again. Once dry, place it back on your gas grill. It’s that simple!
Smoked onion soup, smoked salmon, seared stakes … when using very slow heat (110 ° C), these little boxes filled with wood chips will allow you to obtain a very strong smoke that will give your dish an exceptional taste. Aside from that, when placing the smoker box on one burner or in the center of your gas grill, you create an indirect system for slow cooking (increased temperature in the center and low temperature at the edges). This is called “closing”. The result is incredible!
Do not use too much wood chips: it will burn them all in no time. Do not set up your cooker to speed grilling with this tool: because of its reduced dimensions, it only heats up around 200 ° C even when using high heat. Which means that if you want to cook quickly, meat or fish will be burned on the outside and raw inside.
Finally, do not use smoker boxes when smoking: according to experts, it will only burn the wood chips and create an acrid taste that will ruin your dish. Only deploy it on a gas grill for slow cooking!
We recommend hickory, mesquite, cherry, apple, peach or maple wood chips as they are flavorful yet easy on your wallet at the same time. Here are some of our favorite recipes that use smoke flavor from different types of wood chips: Smokey Beef Brisket Recipe, Smoked Pork Loin Recipe, Honey Glazed Whole Chicken Recipe. Your choice of wood chip will greatly affect the final taste of your dish; therefore, remember to use a wood chip that compliments your meal.
How to use smoker box on gas grill? Do not use a large smoker box with legs because this would create an unstable surface for the gas grill. Instead, you can use a smaller disposable foil pan underneath the smoker box in order to elevate it from direct heat source. This will ensure that you get great tasting smoke flavor! This depends if the type of wood chips used is oaked or not, which is explained below. If you are cooking large quantity of food then there is no need to soak the wood chips before putting them into the smoker box as this will prolong or slow down the whole process.
It’s important that you follow your recipe closely if you want great results; however, here is a general step-by-step guide on how our favorite cooks use the smoker boxes: Soak wood chips for 30 minutes and put them next to but not directly under the hottest part of your grill (you may also choose to soak and drain extra wood chips if necessary). Soaking will give your smoke box longer lasting flavor with every use by allowing more time for water molecules to be absorbed by wood chips. Put one or two grates on top of the hot part of your grill and place smoker box on top of them (as mentioned above, make sure to leave enough space between the bottom of the smoker box and the grates). Fill half of your smoke box with drained wood chips then light it up. Now close lid quickly then adjust temperature according to recipe requirements (remember that extra smoke flavor is always added during the first five minutes when you light up a fresh smoke box). Wait for at least two minutes before opening again. If you notice an unpleasant taste coming from your food after adding smoke flavor, try preheating your smoker box next time; we believe this will help eliminate any ash particles present in wood chips and will produce smoke cleaner than ever. When smoking is done, let your smoker box cool down for 2-3 minutes then open it up and put drained wood chips in an airtight container; they will keep absorbing smoke flavor for months!
Note: if you’re using a gas grill then preheating the smoker box is not necessary as it already reaches grilling temperature when turned on. It’s all about how you use it that counts!
Why you should use a smoker box on your gas grill
You can smoke meat with your gas grill. All it takes is a smoker box and wood chips. Fresh smoked flavor every time!
The temperatures on my new gas grill can get as low as 200 degrees, perfect for smoking turkey! The problem was I didn’t want to use the ceramic burner – it never heated up enough and I couldn’t control the temperature like I wanted to… Enter my new charcoal smoker box:
Picture this: Two 12-hour slow smoked pork butts (pulled pork) that were moist and flavorful; perfectly cooked shrimp skewers; tri-tip steak; chicken wings; hamburgers; fresh salmon fillets; stuffed jalapeno peppers, and even bacon wrapped scallops! I was using my charcoal smoker box on my new grill and loving it.
A smoker box is typically a small metal container, sometimes made of cast iron, which contains wood chips or chunks for smoking various foods. It can be placed directly on the cooking grate of a gas grill to add flavor during the cooking process. They are great for adding smoke flavor without having to start up your grill with the ceramic burners or lava rocks (which never get hot enough). Just place them under the grates right above one of the burners/vents where flames shoot out. This allows heat to pass over top of the wood chips but not directly underneath them so they slowly smolder and smoke.
There are some advantages to using wood chips verses the lava rocks that come with most grills:
You don’t have to light them so you can throw on your meat right away without waiting for the grill to preheat
Your time is valuable, who wants to wait 30-45 minutes for your grill or smoker box to heat up? I want mine smoking ASAP while I’m prepping everything else! With my new Weber charcoal smoker box I just put it under one of the burners/vents, turn it on high until it starts sparking then turn down the heat. Within 5-10 minutes it’s ready to go. Chip smoking is another story entirely… but not an issue if you’re using my new Weber charcoal smoker box.
You can use it on its own or to enhance other forms of heat… indirect, direct, gas, pellet, etc. The real beauty of the smoker box is that you have much greater control over the heat flowing through it so you can manage your cooking times much better.
The burner flare-ups are eliminated which means no burnt edges on your steaks/chops/burgers because now all those flavor seep back into the meat instead up in smoke! Yeah baby!! And just think about how great that house will smell when you’re entertaining guests outside! You couldn’t do that with lava rocks unless someone ran inside every time they smelled something burning.
How to use smoker box on gas grill? I’m still experimenting with my new Weber charcoal smoker box and will post more recipes as I discover them. If anyone else has some great smoking recipes please feel free to share! And let me know what you think of the smoker box… I love it, just wish I had come up with the idea!! The smoker box is well made, small (stacks perfectly in my grill cover), and easy to clean when finished. Have a “grilling” day everyone.
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Tips for using a smoker box with your gas grill
For some reason, I see a lot of people use the gill as an excuse for not smoking their own food. The least they can do is make sure that they have all the right ingredients and accessories to properly smoke on their gas grill. A smoker box is something you should never be without when trying to make low and slow meat; it really helps get things going. When using a smoker box with your gas grill, there are several tips you will need to keep in mind so that everything goes smoothly. This guide offers simple solutions to common problems, so let’s begin!
To use the wood chips with your gas grill, start by taking about two tablespoons of dry chips and tucking them into your smoker box; then close it up tightly. Wait to light the propane until after you’ve put the lid onto your grill (and you can wait up to 10 minutes depending on how hot your grill gets). Once the blue flames die down a bit, place the smoker box over one of these burners and let it get smoking hot for between five and ten minutes before putting food on top of it. This keeps from adding too much smoke flavor at once, which can make meats taste bitter or unpleasant. will need to experiment with different types of grills. Some people have a lot of trouble getting a good amount of smoke flavor unless they’re using charcoal grills, but it’s always worth checking out what works best for you!
You may want to experiment with different types of grills if you find that a smoker box doesn’t work well at all with your gas grill. Some people have a lot of trouble getting a good amount of smoke flavor unless they’re using charcoal grills, but it’s always worth checking out what works best for you!
Smoking chips will need to experiment with different types of grills. Some people have a lot of trouble getting a good amount of smoke flavor unless they’re using charcoal grills, but it’s always worth checking out what works best for you! Natural untreated wood chips are best because they are 100% natural. They produce more smoke than treated types do, so expect a stronger flavor in your meat when using untreated varieties.
There are many reasons why you might want to use a smoker box. One of the most common is adding another layer of flavor to your food apart from your gas grill itself. There will be an unmistakable smoky taste that will come through but not overwhelm the natural flavors and tastes of your food. For example, you can use for grilling meat like steaks or chicken thighs as well as vegetables such as jalapeno poppers and onions (see our recipe collections).
A great way to keep the right amount of high-heat searing is by placing lava rocks or ceramic briquettes on top of your main burner; this will allow for indirect cooking over low heat (250-350 F), which is the preferred method for smoking meats. If you’re using a gas grill that has an electric ignition (not one with a piezo), you can also place your smoker box on the other burners.
How to use smoker box on gas grill? If you’re in need and can’t find a smoker box, just do what I did back when I first started grilling: use foil. Take several pieces and scrunch them into balls that measure about 1-inch in diameter; then poke holes in them using a fork before placing on the heat source. It won’t give off much smoke, but it will add more than no smoking agent at all. To help things along even more, wrap your food in tin foil with the moist ingredients inserted inside for added flavor. Never cut corners when cooking meat; if you want to go through the trouble of smoking foods, make sure you have all the proper tools to do so.
Recipes that work well in an electric or propane oven, but not so much in an outdoor cooker
Bread is the obvious one. It’s done by the intense dry heat of an oven, rather than the moisture of an outdoor cooker. If you’re willing to experiment with it, try making your own loaf pan. Take a couple strips of aluminum foil and crumple them into a loaf- or tube-shape about six inches long or so, along with one strip flat on the bottom to keep it from buckling up. Spray this lightly with cooking spray (or coat with butter if available) before adding ingredients for best results. Don’t use too big a piece of foil, or your bread will turn out more like cake. You can also make something similar by rolling dough around on some wax paper that you then roll up into the shape of a tube. Give it another spray of cooking oil just before baking. It’s not exactly the same, but is passable most of the time.
Another good recipe for experimentation is meatloaf or meatballs in sauce- or gravy-type dishes. Try taking some basic mix, adding water to it to make a thick paste, and stuffing that into aluminum foil with some spices on top before putting in the oven. Cook until done, stirring once halfway through cooking to break up the foil so your food cooks more evenly. You can also cook this without using aluminum foil by making a loaf shape out of soaked cardboard (or soaked paper towel if you don’t have any cardboard) and placing it on top of your grate instead of using the grate itself.
Baked chicken is another good recipe for experimenting with in your oven. Take a whole cut up or down chicken, rub it with spices and/or marinade of choice (can be store-bought or homemade), stuff cavity, wrap lightly in aluminum foil, put on top of grate over indirect heat. This usually takes about one hour per pound– monitor closely so you don’t overcook your food! You can also do this with legs and thighs individually if you don’t want to use the entire chicken at once.
Eggs are another thing that work better baked in an oven than on a cooker due to their moisture content– poached eggs in particular are much harder to make when cooked on an outdoor cooker. If you want to try them, use aluminum foil to make a wire rack inside your oven and place eggs on that for easier cooking/transport. Alternatively, you can just crack the eggs into a bowl or cup before cooking in the oven.
If it’s cake or cookies you’re after, I’m not sure how exactly to help other than suggesting getting something like an electric fondue pot (where the heating element is at the bottom of the little pot) instead of using your oven for this– they seem to work much better for making brownies, cakes, etc. ! Be sure to experiment with recipes first; some cookie doughs or cake mixes need specific instructions for optimal results when baked in an oven or fondue pot, and baked goods that are meant to be more crunchy can end up tasting burnt if cooked too long. If it’s a bar you’re after, try setting your aluminum foil with the mix on top of a grate over direct heat for best results.
Casseroles – You can cook casseroles directly in the oven, baking them until the center is set. Cooking casseroles on a grill or smoker would be difficult without also cooking the exterior, which you don’t want to do.
In general, I’d say that anything you might have cooked in an oven you could cook in an outdoor cooker as well! If it was moist and didn’t require much browning, cooking it over indirect heat will probably work great. If doing something like broiling a steak though, I think your time savings may not be worth it because of how long it takes to preheat an outdoor cooker.
Read more: 5 Best Charcoal Grill Smoker Combo
Disadvantages of using a smoker box on the gas grill
First of all, let’s be clear that when it comes to BBQ, there are gas smokers and charcoal smokers. Using an electric smoker is also popular because the process of smoking is slow and steady, which matches well with electrical heat. Gas grills use propane or natural gas for fuel and there are no moving parts involved in the “fire” so they run very efficiently. Charcoal needs air flow control if it is going to burn at lower temps (225F), but this usually means tinkering vents on the lid or bottom of the smoker.
How to use smoker box on gas grill? Recipes a smoker box is simply a metal container that sits inside your BBQ grill and holds wood chips or chunks. You can put just about anything in there, but I prefer good quality hardwoods like hickory, cherry, apple, etc… The smoke from these will add flavor to whatever you are grilling. Some people use soft woods for smoking beef, however it is generally agreed that if you are using low quality meats (like grocery store meats) then it’s okay to try such woods as pecan, maple and such to help cover up some of the bad flavors. If you’re doing things right though, then keep those chips/chunks to hardwoods only!
But there are some disadvantages that you should consider before buying one. The biggest issue is that the wood burns very hot, which means you only get about 15 minutes to use it before having to open the lid to cool it down so you can reuse it. Because of this limitation, I’ve found that soaking the chips in water prior to using them goes a long way to extending your smoke flavor time.
Another thing to consider is that if you soak the chips and end up using more than one stick of wood, you will need to add it in two 15 minutes blocks or risk having an acrid smoke flavor (which we all know tastes gross). This seems like a small issue until you’ve tasted it. I guess my point is that there can be some limitations depending on your plan for smoking and what type of food you are most likely to use the smoker box for.
Disadvantages of using a smoker box on the gas grill are that you cannot control the temperature like with charcoal, wood, or electric smokers. Depending upon your gas grill, there may also be another disadvantage related to safety. Some people think that they can turn off the gas after use and that is enough to prevent any problems. However, this is not correct as dead-cold fittings (piping, valves etc.) may still retain some pressure which can lead to explosions if lit! Another safety note: never use lighter fluid in a smoker box – it is highly flammable and will make your food taste dreadful! Lighter cubes or piezo igniters are usually quite adequate for lighting most smoker boxes. A few things about hickory – It’s a very dense wood so it imparts the most smoke flavor. The downside is that it does not burn as long as some other woods like oak, so your fire may go out before you’re done cooking.
When you are using a smoker box on the gas grill are that you cannot control the temperature like with charcoal, wood, or electric smokers. Depending upon your gas grill, there may also be another disadvantage related to safety. Some people think that they can turn off the gas after use and that is enough to prevent any problems. However, this is not correct as dead-cold fittings (piping, valves etc.) may still retain some pressure which can lead to explosions if lit! Another safety note: never use lighter fluid in a smoker box – it is highly flammable and will make your food taste dreadful! Lighter cubes or piezo igniters are usually quite adequate for lighting most smoker boxes.
A few things about hickory – It’s a very dense wood so it imparts the most smoke flavor. The downside is that it does not burn as long as some other woods like oak, so your fire may go out before you’re done cooking.
>>> How to use smoker box on gas grill (How to Smoke on a Gas Grill)
How to use smoker box on gas grill – Conclusion
How to use smoker box on gas grill? Cooking on the grill is one of the best ways to prepare food. Not only does it taste so good, but there are endless dishes you can make with a simple set up and some fresh ingredients. One way to optimize your grilling experience is by using smoker boxes for gas grills if you don’t have an old-fashioned charcoal grill at home. These small containers work well when placed directly over the flame or in front of lit coals because they help control how much smoke gets into your meat–a must for delicate foods like fish that need less smoky flavor than ribs or brisket do. You should consider investing in one of these best gas grills above as your final choice.
Gas grills come with a variety of features. If you want the ultimate in flexibility, versatility, cooking space, and ease-of-use then we recommend one of the gas grills on the market today.
It is worth noting that gas grills with smoker boxes are not as common as they once were. This may be due to the rise of pellet smokers and other less bulky alternatives, but we’re still big fans of this old-school technique for preparing smoked meats at home on a budget. If you’ve been looking for ways to smoke meat without investing in an expensive rig or fiddling around with charcoal, feel free to give the method outlined above a try!
You can use this device on your gas grill for indirect cooking and smoking meat with a flavorful wood chip flavor. If you are looking for an alternative to pork or beef jerky, smoked foods may be perfect for you! The best way to utilize them is by using a fire-proof container like our product we mentioned above. It will allow you to get all of the benefits without worrying about getting burned – literally and figuratively!
How to use smoker box on gas grill? After reading this blog post, you should have a better understanding of how to use the smoker box on your gas grill. You may also want to consider one of the best gas grills we’ve mentioned as your final choice for purchasing one in order to take advantage of all its features. We hope that this information will help you enjoy your next cookout with family and friends!
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