These Smoker Recipes Will Expand Your Smoky Horizons

Smoky, Savory Chicken Recipes
Chicken is great when it's smoked right. It's juicy, it's tender, and full of awe-inspiring flavor. Cook it wrong and you'll think you're eating last week's funny paper. Add some variety to your chicken cookin' with these smoked chicken recipes. Whole chickens, beer-canned, grill-smoked, and yes, even spatchcocked!

Brisket
With this slew of smoked brisket recipes you'll know your briskets will be treated with the utmost respect. You'll find some informative tips for preparation and smoking that'll smooth out the process. You'll be exposed to unique seasoning ideas and learn some moppin' sauce lore. Might even find a finishing sauce that'll add a final touch of flavor before it goes down the hatch.

BBQ Sauces
A dab of good homemade bbq sauce on a fork full of great smoked meat is a marriage made in heaven. True, sometimes the meat doesn't need that added touch of zing, but other times it can make all the difference in the world. Give one of these barbecue sauce recipes a try. You might decide that store bought, mass produced bbq sauces will be a thing of your past.

Smoky Ribs
Ribs in the smoker. A beautiful, sunny day. A cold drink in hand. Of those three perfect things, if I can choose only one, I'll go with door number 1, Monty. If you're of the same mind, one of these smoked rib recipes will take you to your happy place. Whether you're hankerin' for beef ribs, pork spare ribs, baby backs or country styles, there's a rib recipe that will bring you joy.

Smoked Salmon Recipes
Considering how tough we've made it for salmon to survive in the Lower 48, it's lucky we can still enjoy their rich flavor. Thanks, Alaska! Some people love the fat-rich Chinooks. Others would prefer a fillet of the milder Coho. Many believe the best, in every way, is the Sockeye. Whichever type floats your boat, there's a smoker recipe here that'll do your salmon justice.

Dry Rubs
Quality spices and herbs make all the difference when putting together a rub mix, and when you're seasoning a pricey cut of meat, only the best is good enough. In the past I went for the discount spices I'd find in the WalMart bin, 2 for a dollar. But when I switched to using better stuff, I found that my rub recipes added loads more flavor to my smoked meats.

Delicious Side Dishes
What do you pile on the plate with your smoked ribs? Or your brisket? Pulled pork? Smoked turkey legs? Whatever fits! With side dishes, the pleasure comes in variety, so you should have several smoked sides ready to go when it's eatin' time. Veggies are a nice, healthy counterpoint to a grease-drippin' hunk o' meat. And beans have the fiber that makes you regular - something I find critical as I age.

Smoker Recipes for Beef
Where's the beef? If you're doing thing right, it should be in your smoker, gettin' a dose of goodness from burning embers and mellow heat. There are two kinds of beef - the type that's best with a low, slow, make-it-submit kind of cooking, and the type that needs just enough heat and time to rid it of rawness. Try one of the smoked beef recipes for back ribs or tri tip.

Smoked Pork
Pork has a lot going for it... unless you're the pig. And then, well, you know, it ain't such a good thing. But for us carnivores, pork offers a lot of affordable and great-tasting eating options. Smoke up a nice picnic shoulder, with chewy bark covering moist meat. Caress a pork loin with smoke until it's medium-rare and juicy. Try the smoker recipe for sirloin chops and you'll think you went to piggy heaven.

Smokin' Hot Turkeys
I'm a little perturbed of the fact that turkeys are considered holiday fare. Thanksgiving (the big one), is followed by Christmas and Easter as the biggest turkey-eating days of the year. I think, no, I firmly believe, that turkeys should be eaten year 'round. Read the turkey smoking instructions. Check out the recipes.

Beef Brisket Dry Rubs
When I smoke briskets, I thinks it's best to pack 'em with the rub and refrigerate them overnight - maybe for two days. And even though the rub flavor doesn't penetrate very far into the meat, I think it amplifies the flavor of my smoked briskets. For even more flavor, I separate the flat and the point before seasoning with one of my brisket dry rub recipes. More surface area = more seasoning potential.

Smoker Recipes for Wild Game
It's a challenge to smoke a wild game without it becoming tough and dry. Marinating, slow smoking, basting and wrapping the meat with bacon are a few techniques that can improve the texture and flavor of wild game.  These smoked game recipes release the tender, juicy potential that's lurking just behind the bushes.

Smoked Poultry
Poultry of all kinds is smoker-friendly. Birds don't have tough connective tissue that needs to break down, they have a fatty skin that keep the meat moist, and most of all, they taste good with a little smoke thrown in the mix. If you're not in the mood for chicken, try one of these poultry smoker recipes for the other flying foods. The smoked Cornish game hens are one of my favorites.

You Say Marinäde, I Say Marināde
Adding flavor via an acidic, oily liquid does have its place.These BBQ marinade recipes can offer some benefit when used with fish, poultry and the thinner cuts of pork. Some suggest that acid in marinades will tenderize meat, but that's a myth. Too much time in acidic marinade will soften the meat surface in an unpleasant way, and it won't penetrate deep enough into the meat to cause any major tenderizing effect.

Smoked and Grilled Shrimp
The brisket is in the smoker and it's gonna be hours before it's ready to eat. What do you do for a quick fix to your appetite? Cook up some shrimp, of course! I always have a bag or two ready for action in the freezer. Thaw 'em quickly in running cold water, then season 'em up with some flavor. Cook them right alongside that brisket, and they'll be ready to eat in no time!

Smoked Sausage
So many sausages, so little time. This new category  includes a recipe for homemade andouille sausage, plus links to articles that give details on how to smoke sausages and brats. There's even a recipe for a tasty sausage-and-bacon appetizer.

Grilled Vegetables
If your smoker is filled to capacity, get your grill going and cook up a couple of healthy veggies. Onions, taters, broccoli and asparagus are all excellent when given the grill treatment, and taste great when piled on the plate next to your smoked meats.

Catfish
I always loved to start my day of fishing at sunset, sitting in my reclining lawn chair on the bank of the lake. Sometimes worms  would work. Other times, Bee'-Jay would interest the cats. And occasionally I'd resort to using ripe, smelly shad sides. Usually it took a while for the cats to bite and things moved at a leisurely pace. But other times it seemed like every catfish in the lake was starving and I'd get a limit in an hour or so. I love bottom fishing for cats!

Country Style Ribs
Meaty and delicious, country style ribs are also quite the smoker-meat bargain! I go for the boneless ribs if I can find them, grabbing the leanest ones I can find. Country style ribs can be smoked a couple of ways. Cook 'em low and slow until the collagen breaks down and they're shreddable. Or they can be smoked just long enough to reach medium-rare - slightly pink and perfectly moist.

Mango and Cherries
Dip your chips in it. Scoop some up with a hand-held slice of juicy pork loin. Gently disperse a spoonful onto a fillet of succulent smoked salmon. This cherry mango salsa can pretty much do it all. It's rife with tropical fruit flavor, plus it has a dose of dark-red cherry magic added for good measure. The acidity of this great salsa balances out the richness of your succulent smoked meats.

Beef Cross Rib Roast
This cut of beef yearns for tender lovin' care. Smoke a beef cross rib roast too long and you'll be biting on shoe leather, but cook it to medium rare it's a rare pleasure indeed! I run the smoker a little on the hot side for these, mainly for the benefit of the bacon-wrap. Gives it a little crispiness while bathing the beef in bacon grease. Bacon and beef are a pretty good flavor combination!

Marvelous Memphis Rib Enhancer
A little touch of heat and a little bit sweet let the meaty flavor of your smoked ribs shine through. Pork ribs are usually smoked dry when they're seasoned with Memphis rub, with the spices adding just the right amount of flavor. There's nothing illegal about dipping them in sauce at the table, but you won't miss it if you eat these ribs sans sauce.

Got a Little Captain In Ya?
Arrgh! Next time you're sippin' on a bit of the Captain's rum, Matey, be sure to forgo that last couple o' drams! It's worth suffering a parched throat when you know it's for makin' a batch o' Captain Morgan barbecue sauce. The rare spices in the rum add bountiful character to a sauce fit for any grub. It's high grade booty, Bucko.

Beef Tri Tip Roasts
This three-sided marvel of the meat-cow has three times the people pleasin' flavor of all the other beef cuts combined! Well, maybe I'm going a little overboard, but I DO like a smoky tri tip roast. It's got the fat. It's got the flavor. It chews easy and doesn't take long to smoke. Crank up the smoker to high and the fat-cap gets a nice crispy crust. Deeeelicious!

Stuffed Sweet Bell Peppers
For a complete, balanced meal in a small package, these beef filled peppers are hard to beat. Of all the bell peppers, I prefer them deep red. They have great flavor and just a bit of sweetness. The smoked stuffed peppers filling is completely cooked before it's packed into place, and the peppers are smoked just enough to soften them, and to brown their meaty crowns.

Smoked Pork Loin
The mere mention of pork loins gets my juices flowing. They're one of my favorite cuts because they're meaty, low in fat and have great flavor. This smoker recipe doesn't take long to cook, either - get the smoked pork loin's internal temperature up to 145˚F and both you and the USDA will be happy.

Mesquite Smoked Beef Ribs
For all around great beefy flavor, a big plateful of smoked beef ribs is hard to beat. These meaty bomb pops don't need a lot of fancy flavor in the rub, so this batch was dusted with just salt, pepper and onion powder. As they smoked, I basted them a couple of time for good measure. To speed up the cooking the beef ribs got the foil treatment at the halftime mark.

Smoky London Broil
What, may you ask, is a London broil? Well it sure ain't a cut of meat. It's cooking style that was popularized in the United States in the 1930's. A marinated beef roast is seared or broiled, then thinly sliced. Canada's idea of a London broil is a more complex combination of tenderized, sliced steak wrapped around a ground meat concoction. This is my version - a smoked London broil.

Mustard Sauce
I've had this recipe on my site for many years, and it's garnered a lot of positive response. One fellow emailed me and told me he liked the recipe so much that he was going to use it as the house mustard sauce in his BBQ restaurant. That's a high accolade, and I was thoroughly honored! Mixing this mustard barbecue sauce requires a little high RPM shaking.

Smoked Whole Chickens
Herbs, spices and a touch of cayenne pepper offer up their flavors in this smoked chicken recipe. Brining the chicken beforehand is imperative. It's the secret weapon that guarantees that the meat is moist, tender and oh so tasty. Use this smoker recipe as it is for cooking whole or half chickens. Cut the brining time in half if leg quarters or breasts are what you've got a mind to smoke.

Beef Chuck Roasts
Why is it called chuck roast? You think it was once considered such a poor quality cut that butchers said "Chuck that tough piece of xxxx into the grinder"?  All I know is they're mouthwatering good when cooked right. Any cuts from the beef chuck primal need long, gentle cooking to tame the toughness - just how a smoker does it!  This smoked beef chuck recipe tames the beast to its tender best.

Chicken Dry Rub Recipe
Written in mind for the needs of folks on a low salt diet, it'll still work for you if salt's not a problem. It's loaded with tasty goodness that will make you forget salt even exists. And if you do want a little salt with this chicken rub, just sprinkle a bit on the bird before you rub in the excitement.

Santa Maria Tri Tip
When I craving the iron and protein of a nice piece of beef, dripping with pink juice, I turn to one of my favorite smoker recipes: Santa Maria tri tip. Back in the old cowboy days, near sleepy little Santa Maria, California, Cookie would sear tri tips over a white oak fire. The cowboys loved it! This Santa Maria tri tip pays homage to those hungry hombres.

Memphis Style Ribs
Use some of that Memphis rub and smoke a few slab of Memphis style pork ribs. To make 'em right, use trimmed spare rib slabs. But I've been known to break rules, and use this recipe with baby backs from time to time. They're a little leaner, and the meat's a finer texture. Either way, ribs cooked like this just taste darned good.

Smoked Wild Turkey Breasts
My good friend Don is an avid turkey hunter and he would set me up with a few boned-out wild turkey breasts from time to time. So naturally, I smoked 'em! And Don knows how to shoot, so I had no concerns of biting into a shot pellet. And in Kansas, steel shot's required for knockin' turkeys over. A bite of steel would hurt!

Time for Smoking Turkey Breasts
How long does it take to smoke a turkey breast? As long as it takes. It depends a lot on the temperature of the smoker or the grill. It depends on the size of the turkey breast, and even whether or not it was brined. All of those things have an impact on gettin' that bird breast done in a timely (or not) manner.

Stuffed Mushrooms
Packed with a tasty filling, these mushroom caps, cooked on the grill or in the smoker, make a great side dish, snack or appetizer. The chopped green onions and crab meat in the filling are surrounded by a ready-to-use corn muffin mix. Easy to make and easier to eat. Stuffed 'shrooms are so good that one time I braved minus-10 degree weather to fire up the grill and cook up a batch.

Smoked Turkey Legs
You can smoke these babies right along with a whole turkey. The turkey legs will be done before the whole turkey, so you'll have something to relieve your ravenous hunger brought on by the scent of smoking turkey. Big tom turkey drumsticks are fun to eat, but the smaller hen drumsticks take less time to brine, and need less time in the smoker.

Pork Loin Smoking Time
How long does it take to smoke a boneless pork loin? Many have pondered that age-old question, ruminating for hours in the space-time continuum of pork loin smoking. Read what other readers have had to say about this pressing problem.

Cider Soaked Baby Back Ribs
Apple cider adds some flavor to these smoked baby back ribs, and when they're smoked they're exceptional. The cider infused brine contains a few flavoring elements that give this recipe flavor to spare. One nice thing about baby backs, they don't really need much, if any, trimming or fat-scraping. Taste good, too!

It's Bean Smokin' Time
Beans. High in fiber, rich in nutrients and packed with flavor. Add a few choice ingredients and a little bit of smoke, and you'll want these smoky baked beans with every meal. I've heard it rumored that when beans are smoked, it forces them to release all their pent-up gas potential.

Brining Beautiful Salmon
There's nothing wrong with gently baking salmon, or with lightly sauteing it in a bit of real butter, after being sprinkled with fresh dill and a crack or two of black pepper. But when a salmon is brined and smoked, it opens up a new dimension of flavor. Learn how to make and use brine for smoked salmon, and enjoy this fish that has sustained civilizations, and even caused a war or two.

Smoking a Perfect Brisket
Briskets are beautiful, I do not joke. To give one great flavor, kiss it with smoke.
OK. I ain't no poet, but I do know how to smoke a brisket. Get your thinkin' cap on and learn the craft and art of brisket smoking. You'll discover that buying quality meat is half the battle. Trimming, seasoning, smoking and serving. It's all explained here.

Smoky Chili Con Carne, Beans Optional
Did you know that chili is the official dish of the great state of Texas? With roots in San Antonio, the chili craze spread like wildfire. This recipe is for the most part a standard chili recipe, except for the meat. The coarse ground beef is slowly smoked in a perforated tray, giving it and the chili an extra kick of flavor.

CranApple Turkey Breast
Don't fall for the propaganda that tries to make us think that turkey is just for Thanksgiving. Smoked turkey breasts are great any time of the year. This recipe uses a brine made with cranberry and apple juices, giving the breast a bit of a sweet, fruity flavor.

Herb and Spice Chicken Rub
Oregano, sage, rosemary and thyme. What. No parsley! Don't worry, you won't miss it. This chicken dry rub is great for seasoning whole roasting hens, breasts, thighs or legs.

Recipes for Electric Smokers
I know, I know. Electric smokers don't give meats the flavor you get when gettin' the heat from burning wood or charcoal, but they are really convenient. My inexpensive Masterbuilt does a pretty good job with anything I throw in it, and it's a lot cheaper to operate - charcoal can be expensive! This selection of smoker recipes I've tried were successes that I'll enjoy more that once.

Cold Smoked Salmon
The gourmet dish that conjures up images of  the rich and famous, enjoying fancy hors d'oeuvres while attending an after-hours soirée. This delicacy is lovingly smoked at a low temperature for hours, not to cook it but to impart a mild smokiness as evaporation firms the flesh and intensifies the salmon's rich flavor.

Brisket Rubs
Whether you use the Texas rub or the basic rub, there's a rub for you and your brisket. These big hunks of beef can handle a lot of flavor, so don't be afraid to pile the rub on.

Smoking Whole Chickens
The appeal of a well smoked chicken tempts many senses. Its aroma inspires hunger. Its visual perfection dilates the pupil. The sound and sensation of crispy skin between teeth give heed to the rush of incredible flavor that excites the tongue. Learn the secret of how to smoke a whole chicken!

Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers
Some call them poppers, others ABTs, and the rest just call 'em good eating! The jalapenos can vary in heat, so you might bite into one that has a little extra kick to it. With the cheesy filling and crispy bacon wrap, they're a great tasting appetizer.

The Compleat Tri Tip Smoker
That would've been the title of his book if Izaac Walton smoked tri tips - instead of dipping lines for fish. Alas, he never achieved the honor of writing the first tome on how to smoke tri tips. Thankfully, others have taken the challenge to task and offered up their combined knowledge of the art and science of smoking the perfect tri tip.

Spicy Buffalo Shrimp
Every once in a while I get the hungries for some spicy shrimp, and this recipe is the one I go for. Cooked on the grill, it doesn't take too long to make. Get fancy and serve 'em with a dipping-bowl full of bleu cheese dressing.