Best Smoker Recipes

Smoking meat is one of the best ways to make a flavorful plate of pork, chicken, or beef. You can smoke anything from venison to shrimp and a smoker will do it justice.

There is something about the infused essence of the wood whether it’s sweet, mild, or bold that makes smoked meats taste so good.

A good smoked rib or chicken can be downright sensational and I have some incredible smoker recipes for you to try as well as tips like what kind of wood to use, how to get a proper smoke and “What’s a spatchcock?”

Enjoy all of these delicious recipes!

Pairing Wood Chips with Meat

There is no wrong way to pair wood chips with the meat you cook. All types of wood chips are great for smoking, as are different types of meat.

Each has a flavor of its own and each combination brings something new to the table (so to speak). However, just because there is no “wrong” combination doesn’t mean there aren’t optimal pairings.

Just like combining any other two flavors (coffee and pastries, wine and cheese, etc.), some pairings hit the ball out of the park and you may just want to stick to those.

It all depends on what you want to get out of your smoked meat. You can add to it, you can draw out its natural essence. The right wood can be used to neutralize or balance flavors, or to make those flavors even bolder.

The Flavor of Wood

There are 8 main types of wood used for most smoker recipes to add smoky flavor to your meats or side dishes. Smoked food is more popular than ever!

These different woods can be used individually or can be made into a blend of your choice to highlight and include a variety of flavors for a rich and more nuanced flavor profile.

Many of the wood types are sweet and mild. A couple imbue the smoked meat with a certain fruitiness to it. A couple, like oak and mesquite, have bold flavors.

Of the fruity woods, there are really two choices, cherry, and apple. Applewood is most commonly associated with bacon, although pork is second only to chicken for how many optimal pairings you can make.

Just about anything pairs well with chicken depending on just what flavors you want to come across.

Beef on the other hand pairs best with only a few wood varieties: hickory, mesquite, and oak.

Venison does better with sweeter milder wood, like pecan, apple, or hickory.

Lamb is delicious smoked with fruity pairings or bold and sweet mesquite. Seafood also fares well with light or fruity wood varieties.

While almost every hardwood can and has been used to smoke meat, the following four hardwoods are the gold standard of smoking.

Hickory - Savory and hearty. An almost universal wood that pairs well with all meats.
Mesquite - A wood that packs a powerfully smoky punch. It's best used with beef as it has an extremely strong flavor that can easily overpower other meats, especially poultry.
Apple - A mild, fruity wood that pairs well with meats like poultry and pork.
Oak - Bolder than apple but milder than mesquite. Like hickory, it's a wood that can be used on just about any meat, making it perfect for any scenario.

Chips or Pellets?

Whether you use chips or pellets for smoking may or may not be determined by the kind of smoker you have. If you have a smoker made for using pellets then that’s the only option you have.

If you have any other smoker, the choice is yours. So, which is the right one? To begin with, it’s important to know that there is no wrong choice as long as you use the type of wood product that will work in the smoker you have.

However, there are distinct differences between the two that may play an important role in your personal preference.

Wood chips are chipped wood. Pellets are made from compressed sawdust. The idea of pellets is right away unappealing to many grillers and smokers who like to use “real wood”.

But the pellets are just as effective at smoking small batches of meat. If you have a larger smoker and/or more meat to smoke, wood chips are a more efficient way to get the job done.

Wood chips are better at imparting natural wood flavors to the meat as well, whereas pellets offer more flavored varieties that are not necessarily natural or original to the type of wood used.

If you like more flavor options, or have a smaller smoker, or have a smoker specifically designed for pellets, then pellets are the right choice. For all other occasions, chips are the preferred wood option.

I prefer wood chips whenever possible for a more natural flavor. However, wood pellets are perfectly safe, and for many smaller smokers, they are the only alternative. Don't worry. Pellets are just as effective when used for their intended purpose and totally safe.

How are Smoked Meats Different From Grilled?

They look similar and have similar components. Many people, even grill enthusiasts, will use the two interchangeably. However, grill and smoker recipes are inherently different from each other.

One uses direct heat to sear and cook meat over a dry heat source. The other uses lower heat and steam to retain moisture and cook meat slowly over time.

You can smoke grilled food, but the meat does not get imbued with the qualities of the wood the way that it does when you smoke it slow and low.

If you want to take hours to cultivate a good smoky flavor and you want that fall off the bone quality, then smokers are what you want to use. If you like a faster cook over a hot grill and you like to seal in the juices with a nice caramelized crust, then the grill will be your method of choice.

What is Needed to Make Sure the Meat Smokes Properly?

With most smoker recipes, you want to slowly bring it up to the right cooked temperature. You need either wood pellets or chips and you need a water pan for moisture.

It’s important to keep the pan full so that the moisture can continue to keep the meat from drying. Since you aren’t searing the meat, there is nothing to trap in the juices, that’s why you want to keep it humid in there and not cook it too fast.

Cooking slowly allows the outside of the meat to dry out a bit as it cooks which helps it to seal in the juices. Cooking with heat that's too high will cause the juices to leak out of the meat.

On the other hand, slow cooking won't squeeze the juice out of the meat, ensuring smoked meats that are tender and juicy on the inside and nice and crispy on the outside.

What is Spatchcock?

Spatchcocking is a unique cooking term used only for the preparation of poultry. It’s a process of breaking down the bird for faster cooking and easier access to the whole bird for seasoning.

Another term used for spatchcocking is butterfly which describes a similar process of cutting the poultry in half, spreading it apart, and allowing it to cook flat.

Spatchcocking involves cutting away the backbone, removing the wingtips, and pressing both sides flat before dressing the bird and cooking it.

Spatchcoking really is the best way to smoke poultry. Without this process, the breast will take longer to smoke than the extremities which leads to legs and wings that are over cooked, even if the breast is perfectly done.

Choosing Pork and Beef Ribs

Let me show you how to select your ribs for smoking. I'll break down a variety of ribs, why you want them, and what to look for. All ribs are delicious, but not all ribs are cooked the same way or even prepped the same way!

We'll look at different ribs, how to prep them, and how to cook them to ensure you make the perfect ribs every single time.

Hickory Smoked Bacon - Kicking Store Bought Bacon Way Up

This easy smoked bacon recipe is simple to make and so full of smoky flavor. It only takes two ingredients to make the best smoked bacon ever