Real examples of smoking on the grill: techniques and tips you’ll actually use

Before we talk gear or temperature charts, let’s ground this in food. Here are some real examples of smoking on the grill: techniques and tips as they show up in everyday cooks you can actually make this weekend.

Picture a lazy Saturday where you:

• Put a rubbed pork shoulder on the cool side of your charcoal grill and let it ride for hours until it shreds into pulled pork.
• Lay out baby back ribs over indirect heat on a gas grill, a smoker box full of apple wood chips quietly streaming smoke.
• Slide a side of salmon onto a cedar plank on the cooler half of the grill, keeping the lid down so gentle cherry smoke wraps around it.
• Toss whole bell peppers and onions near the smoke zone for fajitas that taste like they came from a wood-fired restaurant.
• Cold-smoke a block of cheddar on a chilly morning with just a few smoldering chips, then cube it for smoky mac and cheese.

These are the best examples of smoking on the grill: techniques and tips in action. You’re not doing anything fancy or restaurant-only; you’re just using heat and wood in a thoughtful way.

Examples of smoking on the grill: techniques and tips for charcoal setups

Charcoal grills are naturally friendly to smoking because you already have live coals and a lid. Here’s how smoking on the grill usually plays out on a basic kettle or barrel grill.

Classic two-zone fire for low-and-slow

Most examples of smoking on the grill with charcoal start with a two-zone fire. One side is hot with coals; the other side is cool with no direct fire.

You bank lit charcoal on one half of the grill, then place a disposable aluminum pan filled with water on the empty side. The meat goes over the water pan, away from direct heat. Wood chunks sit on top of the coals so they smolder, not flare.

A simple example of this: smoked whole chicken. You rub the bird with salt, pepper, maybe paprika and garlic, then set it breast-side up over the water pan. The coals are on the opposite side, with a couple of apple or cherry wood chunks on top. You close the lid, leave the vents mostly open, and let the grill settle around 250–275°F. Ninety minutes to two hours later, you’ve got juicy, smoky chicken without ever owning a dedicated smoker.

Snake method for long cooks

If you want to smoke something like a pork butt or beef brisket on a charcoal grill, you need a fire that lasts. That’s where the “charcoal snake” comes in.

You arrange briquettes in a C-shaped line around the edge of the grill, two briquettes wide and two high. You light just one end of that snake. As it burns, it slowly ignites the next briquettes in line, giving you steady, low heat for many hours.

Examples include:

• A 7–8 pound pork shoulder, rubbed the night before and set over a water pan, with hickory chunks spaced along the snake.
• A small brisket flat, smoked with oak and a touch of cherry wood for color.

This is one of the best examples of smoking on the grill: techniques and tips that let a basic charcoal kettle behave like a long-running smoker.

Quick smoke boost for weeknight dinners

Not every smoke session has to be an all-day project. One very practical example of smoking on the grill is adding 30–45 minutes of smoke to something you’d normally just grill hot and fast.

Think:

• Thick pork chops started over indirect heat with a chunk of apple wood, then finished with a quick sear.
• Bone-in chicken thighs smoked gently to 150°F, then moved over the coals to crisp the skin.

You still use the two-zone setup, but the cook time is shorter, and you’re aiming for a moderate temperature—around 300°F—so dinner doesn’t take all night.

Gas grill examples of smoking on the grill: techniques and tips that actually work

Gas grills weren’t born for smoking, but they can absolutely do it with a little setup.

Using a smoker box or foil packet

Most modern gas grills either have a built-in smoker box or enough space to drop in a small stainless-steel box. If yours doesn’t, heavy-duty foil works just fine.

You fill the box or packet with dry wood chips, poke a few holes if it’s foil, and place it directly over a lit burner. Once the chips start smoking, you turn off the other burners and place the food over the unlit side.

Here’s a straightforward example of smoking on the grill with gas: baby back ribs. You rub the ribs, preheat one burner on medium with the smoker box above it, and leave the other burner off. When the box starts smoking, ribs go meat-side up on the cool side. You close the lid and aim for about 250–275°F, adjusting the single burner as needed.

Over 3–4 hours, adding fresh chips to the smoker box every 45–60 minutes, you’ll get tender ribs with real smoke flavor.

Wood chunks in a pan for longer smokes

If you want a slower, steadier smoke on a gas grill, small wood chunks in a metal pan can be easier than constantly refilling chips.

Examples include:

• A whole turkey breast for a holiday meal, smoked with a mix of apple and pecan wood.
• A tray of chicken wings on the cool side, soaking up smoke before a final blast over direct heat.

You partially cover the pan with foil so the chunks smolder instead of catching fire, then place it over a lit burner. Food sits on the unlit side, lid closed, vents open if your grill has them.

Best examples of smoking on the grill: wood, temperature, and timing

Let’s connect some of the best examples of smoking on the grill: techniques and tips to the three levers you control every time you cook: wood choice, temperature, and time.

Wood pairings that actually make sense

You’ll see a lot of wood charts online, but here’s how it plays out in real life:

• Hickory with pork shoulder or ribs when you want classic backyard barbecue flavor.
• Oak with brisket or beef short ribs for a steady, not-too-sweet smoke.
• Apple or cherry with chicken and turkey for a gentle, slightly fruity profile.
• Pecan with salmon or pork tenderloin when you want smoke but not a hammer of intensity.

One example of a smart pairing: cherry wood and salmon. You set up your grill for indirect heat, lay the salmon on a lightly oiled grate or cedar plank, and toss a couple of cherry chunks on the coals. The color turns a gorgeous deep pink, and the flavor is smoky without being harsh.

For health-minded cooks worried about smoke and char, the American Institute for Cancer Research suggests avoiding heavy charring and cooking at lower temperatures when possible. Smoking at moderate heat, and trimming off any blackened bits, is one way to enjoy grilled and smoked foods more thoughtfully. You can read more about that here: https://www.aicr.org/cancer-prevention/food-facts/grilling/

Temperature targets by food

Some of the best examples of smoking on the grill: techniques and tips are really just about hitting the right internal temperature without drying anything out.

Common targets (always verified with a good instant-read thermometer):

• Pulled pork (pork shoulder): 195–205°F internal for shredding.
• Ribs: usually done when the meat pulls back from the bone and a toothpick slides in easily; often around 190–200°F.
• Whole chicken: 160–165°F in the thickest part of the breast; thighs can go to 175°F for tenderness.
• Turkey breast: 160–165°F.
• Salmon: 125–130°F for moist, slightly translucent flesh.

The USDA recommends a minimum internal temperature of 145°F for whole cuts of pork and 165°F for poultry, followed by a rest: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/safe-minimum-internal

You’ll notice that smoking temperatures are usually in the 225–300°F range inside the grill. That slow, gentle heat gives smoke time to work and keeps proteins from tightening up too fast.

Trendy examples of smoking on the grill for 2024–2025

Home cooks have gotten more adventurous lately, and it shows in the newer examples of smoking on the grill you’ll see on social media and in cookbooks.

Smoked cream cheese and dips

One of the big viral trends: smoked cream cheese. You score a block of cream cheese, rub it lightly with barbecue seasoning, and smoke it over indirect heat with mild wood for about two hours. It becomes soft, smoky, and perfect with crackers.

From there, people are smoking:

• Queso dips in cast-iron pans.
• Spinach-artichoke dip with a touch of hickory.
• Smoked onion dip made from slowly smoked onions blended with sour cream.

These are fun, low-pressure examples of smoking on the grill: techniques and tips that don’t require babysitting a big hunk of meat.

Smoked vegetables and plant-forward plates

With more folks leaning toward plant-forward eating, smoked vegetables are having a moment.

Real examples include:

• Smoked cauliflower “steaks” brushed with olive oil and spices.
• Whole smoked cabbage, core removed and filled with butter and seasoning, cooked until tender.
• Smoked sweet potatoes, cooked until creamy inside, then split and topped with yogurt and herbs.

You treat these just like meat: indirect heat, gentle smoke, and enough time to soften. The bonus is that veggies don’t need as long, so they’re great for weeknights.

Smoked cocktails and garnishes

Another 2024–2025 trend: using your grill to add smoke to drinks and garnishes.

Examples include:

• Smoking citrus slices (lemons, limes, oranges) to garnish cocktails or iced tea.
• Lightly smoking cherries or peaches for sangria.
• Setting a small pan of sugar on the grill to pick up smoke, then using it for a smoked simple syrup.

You keep the heat low, use mild woods, and smoke for short periods so you don’t overpower the base flavors.

Practical techniques and tips from the best examples of smoking on the grill

Let’s pull together the main techniques that show up in all these examples of smoking on the grill: techniques and tips you can rely on.

Keep the lid closed more than you want to

Every time you lift the lid, heat and smoke escape. That means longer cook times and less consistent results.

A good habit: only open the lid when you need to add fuel or check internal temperature. For ribs, that might be once an hour to spritz and peek. For salmon, maybe a quick check at the halfway point.

Think clean smoke, not billowing white clouds

Thick, white smoke can make food taste bitter. You want a thin, almost invisible stream of bluish smoke.

Let your wood catch and burn cleanly before putting food on. If you’re using a charcoal grill, wait until the initial thick smoke from lighting the coals dies down.

Use a water pan to stabilize heat

A water pan under or near the food does two jobs: it catches drips and helps moderate temperature swings.

Most examples of smoking on the grill with longer cook times—like pork shoulder, brisket, or whole turkey—benefit from a pan filled with water, broth, or even apple juice.

Be mindful of health and safety

Smoking on the grill is about flavor, but it’s also about safety. A few simple habits go a long way:

• Keep raw and cooked foods separate.
• Use a thermometer instead of guessing doneness.
• Avoid heavy charring; trim off burnt bits.

For more on food safety and grilling, the USDA has a helpful overview: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/grilling

FAQ: Real-world examples of smoking on the grill

What are some easy beginner examples of smoking on the grill?

Start with foods that are forgiving and don’t require 12 hours of babysitting. Great beginner examples include whole chicken, baby back ribs, pork shoulder, and salmon fillets. All of these work well with a simple two-zone setup on a charcoal or gas grill and a mild wood like apple or cherry.

What is the best example of a one-grill, all-day smoke?

A pork shoulder (Boston butt) on a charcoal kettle using the snake method is a strong candidate. You get a long, steady cook, classic barbecue flavor, and a big payoff in the form of pulled pork that feeds a crowd. It’s one of the best examples of smoking on the grill: techniques and tips coming together in a single cook.

Can you give an example of smoking on the grill with a gas setup only?

Yes. A simple example of smoking on the grill with gas is smoked turkey breast. You preheat one burner on low with a smoker box full of wood chips over it, leave the other burner off, and place the turkey breast on the cool side. Keep the lid closed and the temperature around 275°F until the internal temp hits 160–165°F.

What are examples of woods that are too strong for beginners?

Mesquite is the big one. It burns hot and has an intense flavor that can turn bitter if you overdo it. Many cooks prefer to blend a small amount of mesquite with milder woods like oak or apple. If you’re new, start with fruit woods or pecan, then experiment.

Are there examples of smoking vegetables on the grill that taste as satisfying as meat?

Smoked portobello mushrooms, whole cauliflower, and sweet potatoes come very close. They soak up smoke beautifully and develop a meaty texture. Smoked cauliflower “steaks” with a spicy rub are a great example of a plant-forward dish that still scratches that barbecue itch.

What’s an example of over-smoking food, and how do I avoid it?

If you’ve ever had chicken that tasted like an ashtray, that’s over-smoking. It often happens when the grill is filled with thick, white smoke for hours or when very strong woods like mesquite are used heavily on delicate foods. To avoid it, aim for thin, clean smoke, use milder woods for poultry and fish, and remember that more smoke time is not always better.

If you walk away with nothing else, remember this: the best examples of smoking on the grill: techniques and tips are simple. Set up indirect heat, add a little wood, control your temperature, and let time do the heavy lifting. The rest is just practice—and a very happy backyard.