Using A Smoker Box On Gas Grill

Using a Smoker Box on a Gas Grill: A Guide Ideally, your smoker box should keep the wood chips smoking at a temperature between 550 and 750 degrees Fahrenheit (287.7 – 398.8 Celsius). Deviating from this temperature range could quickly turn your grilling success into failure. Luckily, we’ve compiled an easy 5-step guide to help you master the use of a smokebox, ensuring your grilled meat has that perfect flavor. Plus, we’ve included a few tips for you.

What Is A Smoker Box

A smoker box, or a smoking box, is a small rectangular box with slots cut in the top. The box is made out of stainless steel or cast iron and the top part flips back or comes completely off.

What Does A Smoker Box Do

The idea is pretty simple. You fill the small box with wood chips to heat up on the grill and add smoke flavour to whatever you are cooking.

As the grill heats the box, the wood starts to smoke. The small slits in the box limit the amount of oxygen that reaches the wood, allowing it to smoulder and smoke rather than ignite and catch fire.

Using a wood chip smoker box is like adding a layer of seasoning.

How much wood you put in the box and how long you leave it in with the food will determine how much smoky flavour you get in the meat you’re cooking.

• Clean The Grate And Preheat The Grill

It is suggested that you preheat the grill for 10 to 20 minutes. During this time, you can turn your burners too high. This will reduce the time required to achieve the desired grill temperature.

To smoke your food, you don’t need many instruments or accessories. A smoker for grilling purposes is adequate and frequently comes in handy at the side of a smoking grill.

You will discover that preheating the grill beforehand causes it to smoke faster when it’s placed in the smoker box.

It is also a good idea to use a stainless steel grill brush to clean the metal grill grate directly. You should always strive to maintain your grill brush clean.

• Pack The Box Full Of Smoking Chips

Dry wood chips should fill slightly more than half of the smoker box. Another option is to add wood pieces to make it burn more slowly and consistently.

There are many different sorts of wood chips to choose from, and you can select one or two. You may also smoke red meat with hickory or pecan for the greatest results. Cherry and apple woods work well together to impart a sweet, smokey taste to poultry and pork. Mesquite adds a powerful flavor to red meats, while oak is ideal for a mild traditional beef flavor and a pleasurable grilling experience.

Some individuals believe that soaking wood chips in water for close to 30 minutes is necessary to keep them from catching fire. Most smoker boxes, however, do not have little tight holes on the bottom, so the wood chips do not come into direct touch with the flames. Soaking them may lengthen the time it takes for them to begin smoking.

• Add The Smoker Box To The Grill

Lower the smoker box onto a burner if you’re using a gas grill. If you’re using a charcoal barbecue, place your box on top of the coals and always use the best-rated charcoal for smoking.

The smoker box should be placed as near to the heat source as possible. When using the smoker box, don’t put too much charcoal around it, since embers from the fire might fall low in through the openings on the top of the box and light your pieces on fire. Cover the box with foil where you will poke a few holes in it if you are using an electric grill.

If your gas grill burners aren’t already set to the maximum setting, one method to get them there is to turn them up enough so your smoker box is hot enough and the chips start smoking better. It’s actually less difficult this way.

• After The Box Has Smoke, Turn Off The Burners To Use A Smoker Box On Gas Grill

When you notice the wood chips burning, turn down the burners on your gas grills to the standard cooking temperature of 225 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. This is intended to specifically prepare your grill for indirect cooking.

You may continue to use the burner with your smoker box turned on while turning down the others so that wood smoke is created throughout the cooking process.

• Close The Lid On The Grill And Place The Meat On It

Close the cover of your gas grill and place your meal on the grilling grate over an unlit burner. The cooking time may vary depending on whether you are preparing beef, fish, or ribs, but you must cook it slowly to acquire the lovely mild smoke tastes. It might take up to 1.5 hours per pound of beef to cook using this approach.

Poultry may be cooked at temperatures ranging from 160 to 175 degrees Fahrenheit, and red meats can be cooked at temperatures ranging from 190 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

Properly Using A Smoker Box On A Gas Grill

Gas grills can make it a little trickier to position the smoker box, but it is doable. Setting up on a gas grill will be a little different.

First, preheat your grill. Turn all the burners on the highest setting and let it get nice and hot.  Make sure to always clean your grates with a good grill brush after it preheats.

While you’re waiting, fill up your smoker box.

Now it’s time to throw that smoker box in there. The ideal placement is resting on the burners but below the grill. Again, depending on the size and style of your grill you may need to play with this setup.

If you need to cook your food at a very high direct temperature. Use the burners next to the smoker box burner to cook the food.

Conclusion

There is nothing tastier than smoked meat to share when it comes to grilling. It is a good thing you have your smoker box.

It’s okay to put the smoker box on the grill grates next to the meat. You may lose a lot of smoke out the rear air vent before it ever reaches the meat, so below the grate is a better option.

A smoker box adds an enticing smoked taste to grilled meat preparations. Now that you’ve learned how to utilize a smoker box, it’s time to bring the bacon home. Literally!