How to Smoke Meat on a BBQ Grill
It’s true: you can make delicious smoked spare ribs, smoked chicken, and other smoked meats with a regular grill. Smoking meat on an outdoor BBQ grill is totally doable—you just need to know how to control the heat and create a smoke environment.
My life is so busy as a mother of 7 and now mother-in-law of 3 and grandmother of 1 that smoking meats has become a lifesaver for me. I cook my meats once during the week and add sides and salads throughout the week. Smoking is great for feeding lots of folks all at once, like we did over Memorial Day.
Here’s a step-by-step guide and some tips to help you turn your grill into a smoker.
Smoking on the BBQ Grill: What You’ll Need
- A charcoal or gas outdoor BBQ grill or grill/smoker combo
- Wood chips or chunks (hickory, mesquite, apple, cherry, oak, pecan)
- A foil pan for water
- Aluminum foil
- Pink butcher paper
- Meat thermometer
- Tongs
- Spatula
- Grill Brush
- Chimney (if using a charcoal grill)
- Basting Brush
- Cookie Sheets and Cooling Racks to transport food or
- Serving Platters
- Meat of your choice: chicken thighs, a rack of ribs, salmon, or whatever you want to smoke
- Your favorite BBQ sauce (optional)
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This post will tell you how to smoke meat with any grill. But if you want to go all out and get a grill & smoker combo, I love my Camp Chef Woodwind Pro 24 Pellet Grill, especially for smoking meat. You can’t go wrong with this one. It has a side burner for sauces, pizza oven — you name it. Traeger’s are amazing, too. I also like the Traeger Ironwood XL Wood Pellet Smoker Grill.
General Smoking Setup
Here are setup instructions for both types of outdoor grills. Note that cooking times will vary depending on your grill and the temperature.
Smoked Spare Ribs and Smoked Chicken with a Charcoal Grill
- Set up the grill for two-zone cooking: place charcoal on one side of the grill and ribs or chicken on the other.
- Add wood chips or chunks of your choice for smoke. I like hickory or apple wood.
- If you’re using wood chips, soak them in water for 30–60 minutes, then place them directly on hot coals.
- For wood chunks, soaking isn’t necessary. Just place the wood beside or on the coals.
- Put the water pan into place.
- Put a foil pan with water on the cooler side, under the meat if possible.
- This helps maintain moisture and stabilize temperature.
- Control the airflow.
- Adjust the top and bottom vents to maintain a temperature between 225°F and 250°F (107–121°C).
- Open vents: more oxygen = more heat. Close slightly to cool things down.
- Add coals and wood as needed.
- Every hour or so, add a few coals and wood to maintain heat and smoke.
Stacy Lyn’s Pick
For a charcoal grill, you’ll want one that heats evenly and is easy to ignite. This one will do the trick. I love Weber grills!
Weber Original Kettle Premium 22-inch Charcoal Grill.
Smoking Meat with a Gas Grill
- Set up the grill for indirect heat.
- Turn on one or two burners on one side, and leave the others off.
- Cook the meat on the unlit side.
- Create a smoker packet.
- Wrap soaked wood chips in aluminum foil and poke holes in the top.
- Place it directly over the lit burner or in a smoker box if you have one.
- Put the water pan into place.
- Place a foil pan with water on the grill grate next to the meat or on a lower rack.
- Maintain temperature.
- Adjust the burner to keep the grill at 225–250°F.
- Monitor with a grill thermometer if your lid thermometer isn’t accurate.
Stacy Lyn’s Picks
If you’re buying a gas grill, you’ll need at least a 3-burner model. My favorites:
Weber Genesis E-335 Natural Gas Grill
Camp Chef Big Gas Grill 16-3-Burner Propane Gas Stove
For a larger grill, check out this Monument Grill stainless 4-burner Propane Gas Grill.
More Smoking Tips
- Preheat the grill before adding meat.
- Don’t over-smoke: with smoking, a little goes a long way. Too much can make meat taste bitter.
- Don’t peek more than necessary: every time you lift the lid, heat and smoke escape.
- Use a thermometer to check internal meat temperature rather than going by time alone.
- Let it rest: after smoking, rest meat for at least 10–15 minutes before slicing.
3-2-1 Method for Smoked Spare Ribs
For a perfect rack of ribs, follow these steps.
- Prep the ribs.
- Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs.
- Apply a dry BBQ rub generously and let the ribs sit for 30 minutes at room temp.
- Smoke the unwrapped meat for about 3 hours.
- Place ribs bone-side down on the cool side of the grill.
- Close the lid. Maintain smoke and temperature.
- Add wood chips or chunks as needed.
- Wrap the pork ribs and smoke them for about 2 hours.
- For tender and juicy meat, wrap ribs tightly in foil or pink butcher paper with 2-3 tablespoons of apple juice and then cook with indirect heat.
- Unwrap the ribs and place back on the grill for about 1 hour.
- Optional: Brush with your favorite BBQ sauce during the last 30 minutes.
- Check smoked spare ribs for doneness:
- Ribs should be tender but not falling apart.
- Meat should pull back from the bones slightly.
- Internal temp near 195–203°F is ideal.
- You can do the bend test: Pick up ribs with tongs—if they bend easily and start to crack, they’re done.
More Smoking Tips for Racks of Ribs
- For baby back ribs, reduce the time to 2-2-1 (2 hours unwrapped, 2 wrapped, 1 to finish).
- Too much smoke = bitter flavor. Start light.
- Try using a spray bottle with apple juice to spritz ribs during the unwrapped stages. It adds moisture and flavor.
- Let ribs rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Now this is the dream setup for any serious grill master! Love how it combines the convenience of gas with the flavor of charcoal and the depth of a smoker. It’s like having every grilling option in one place. Perfect for backyard BBQs and experimenting with different cooking styles. Thanks for showcasing this beast!
Thanks!! I do love this grill. It’s super easy to use.