25 Exceptional Smoker Recipes to Make You Get Your Smoker Out (2024)

I am super excited that our principal has agreed to purchase a smoker for our culinary competition team.

My husband smokes our turkey every year and I am excited that I get to play with one after so long. So now he is teaching me the tricks of the trade and I will pass this knowledge on to my students.

As I am preparing this great adventure, I am always looking for great smoker recipes to try and to share with them and with you.

Here are some great smoker recipes I have found. I hope you enjoy!

Exceptional Smoker Recipes

1. Chicken Wings

I read something there that already has me thinking. The author of this recipe recommends you use pecan wood or hickory. What type of wood works best for what type of meat? I cannot wait to learn the little details to make our smoker recipes some of the best in the state!

I learned that chicken wings are not something traditionally cooked on a smoker but yet it sounds so tempting. I love eating outside the box and might convince my husband to make these with me so we can learn together. And eat together.

To see exactly how Leigh makes these, head over to her blog at Don’t Sweat the Recipe.

2. Brisket

I think this one is neat because you cook it using two different methods.

First, you cook it in the smoker for four hours and then you add beer to it, let it sit, and cook it in the oven for another four hours.

Interesting and, yet, very yummy I am sure. To see the recipe and all the details for yourself, check out Karen’s recipe over at Flunking Family.

3. Applewood Smoked Turkey

Being a few days away from Thanksgiving, you should have known that a smoked turkey would end up on here somewhere.

But the applewood smoked part makes it feel even more fall-y. Added to that, the gravy is a cider bourbon and I am definitely passing this one along for someone to try. Hopefully, it’s me.

Check out the recipe over at How Sweet Eats.

4. Meatloaf Smoker Recipes

Meatloaf was originally a thing we were not allowed to eat in my household because my husband had it so much as a kid. Then he found a spicy one made by the biker/gun maker Jesse James. Look it up. Good stuff.

I might make this one later this week and just not tell him. It’s got a ton of pepper jack cheese and some Jack Daniels in it. What could be better for a good appetite than that?

I’m coming back to Susie’sHey Grill Hey site soon because she knows her stuff!

5. Smoked Pork Butt

I’ll be honest, the shoulder and the butt are my favorite parts to eat when making a smoked pig. I like to shred it and make pulled pork.

This recipe is fairly simple- using salt water to soak it in and Lowery’s Seasoning as part of the rub.

Sometimes it’s the simple ones that are the best. Be sure to check it out at Food for a Year.

6. Whole Chicken

I just love this picture. This is what smoking should look like to me. Not the stand-up per say because I am pretty sure ours will be a pull-behind but something that has a little bit of everything going on.

The full chicken is where my husband got his start in smoking. The author cooks their chicken for three to four hours at two hundred and fifty degrees.

Check out more at The Black Peppercorn.

7. Smoked Salmon

I think this is an interesting one. She doesn’t give an exact temperature for it to be but that might be the type of smoker she is using.

Another pre-warning, this recipe takes several days to make. She recommends a while to marinade and twenty-four hours to let it cool and dry off for the marinade.

I know that is not the thing in this day and age, so make a big batch and do like she recommends, then freeze it in a vacuum sealed bag and pull out when you need something good. It lasts for up to two months so be sure to put the date made on the top of the seal!

The recipe is at Let the Baking Beginblog.

8. Pork Belly Burnt Ends

Pork belly is something I have never tried before. Shhh… don’t tell anyone. I feel like that is sad for me to say since I am a chef.

Anyways, are burnt ends a thing in the smoking world? I am so new to this stuff.

These look and sound delicious. If the non-pork belly person could be won over, I am sure I can be too. It wouldn’t take too much!

Mary and her husband came up with this recipe that I cannot wait to try! Two new things at once, yeah.

9. Back to the Brisket

I’m adding this recipe because it’s a beginner’s guide to smoking brisket. Plus, the advice is from Aaron Franklin.

If you don’t know who Aaron Franklin is he owns Franklin’s Barbecue in Austin. Google it. People line up for hours to eat at his place.

And now we have his tips. Enough said, except maybe a thank you to Smoked BBQ Source.

10. Beer Can Chicken

A recipe similar to this is what got my husband started with smoking. The beer can chicken idea really intrigued him and I loved watching him get passionate about a food the way that I do.

He cooked it for me for Mother’s Day. At the time, I was working in a restaurant. He and our girls came and sat with me at dinner and ate together. It was super sweet. I am lucky.

And so are you because you have this recipe from This Mama Cooks.

11. Deviled Eggs

I’m excited to be giving you something besides a meat to smoke. This chef must be the real deal- they smoked deviled eggs. How cool is that!

Even better, you can cook your ham and with thirty minutes left add these babies in and it will all come out at the same time. Now that’s what I call winning!

12. Macaroni and Cheese

I think I must have tried slow cooker macaroni and cheese before because I can taste it as I am writing about it!

This one is extra cheesy because it has several types of cheese including cream cheese, cheddar, and Parmesan.

It cooks for one hour at 225 degrees. Head over to Mr. Food Test Kitchen for the full recipe.

13. Smoked Stuffed Cornbread

They had me at pulled pork. Stuffed inside cornbread sounds even more delicious.

You could finish your pulled pork and keep the smoker going for another 30 minutes or so in order to assemble and let it cook, though you may have to bump the temperature up because the recipe calls for 375 degrees heat.

To read more, head over to Thrillist.

14. Jalapeno Mashed Potatoes

This is a recipe that says it is cooked in an electric smoker. That means no wood taste to it; however, I am sure it could be adapted.

I chose the recipe because this would be right up the alley of a spice lover. Spiced and smoked go hand in hand as far as flavors go.

If you try it, let me know what kind of wood you use. For more information on the recipe check out Charbroil’s site.

15. Swineapple

This would be another recipe perfect for my husband. He has done chicken in pineapple boats for us before.

Leigh Ann of Houseologie wrote this recipe after her husband made it for Memorial Day.

In her words, Swineapple is, “a hollowed out Pineapple, stuffed with boneless pork loin then wrapped in bacon.”

17. Ham that Goes Beyond

I write ham that goes beyond because when most people think of ham they just think of honey or brown sugar glazed ham but this one uses pineapple, white wine, brown sugar, honey, and Dijon mustard. That’s a lot of stuff!

A lot of good stuff. Which means it will either be good or bad. I guess we’ll just have to see for ourselves. The recipe, created by Tom Jones, can be found over at the Grillin’ Fools.

18. Smoked Cheeses

Have you ever gotten smoked cheese from the deli? It’s so good and light. It brings out a different flavor I didn’t even know existed!

I love the idea of doing this. The author of this post, Lavern Gingerich, does a great job of explaining how to do it and then showing you how to properly store it for short or long-term use.

As a prepper, those kinds of posts always make me happy!

19. Smoked Vegetables

The really good news with these vegetables is they could be thrown on and only need a few minutes (about fifteen) before they are finished and ready to go.

Pick the vegetables of your choice, though ideas are offered on Cooking on the Side, put them on a skewer, and go to town with the grilling.

Good, good stuff and no need to be indoors on a nice afternoon!

20. Baked Beans Smoker Recipes

The idea of smoking baked beans is a bit of a no-brainer to me. It makes sense because baked beans go so well with smoked meats.

As a matter of fact, it has me wanting to hunt down another recipe for you. But first, head here to try this recipe for yourself. The gentleman shows you how to do it, step by step as is shown in the grilling recipe book down in the left-hand corner.

21. Smoked Sausages

Yes, this is the recipe I was looking for- smoked sausages. It looks delicious and I can almost smell them.

Sausages are a big hit around our house. We eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner- in jambalaya, by themselves, or whatever else we can find honestly.

Be sure to check out the black peppercorn‘s take on this must-have meat!

22. Hickory Smoked Green Beans

Yet another winner in our home, I have green beans in the fridge that I bought from the farmer’s market yesterday. We eat a lot of green beans at our house.

Making these would be simple enough. It takes about three hours on the smoker to get them to just the right consistency to dig in.

Head over to How to BBQ Right to see the recipe in full detail.

23. Meat Lover’s Breakfast

This meat lover’s breakfast really is what it says it is- a meat lover’s delight. It has bacon, sausage, eggs, tater tots, cheese, onions and a few other items.

It’s cooked for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. So if you didn’t have a smoker one day you could opt for the grill, or on that rare occasion that it’s just too cold to go outside, the oven is always an option as well.

This unique breakfast or breakfast-for-dinner recipe comes from Date Night Doin’s.

24. Cherry Cobbler Dessert

Another interesting one comes from The Cards We Drew and it includes… dessert. I wouldn’t recommend following her recipe exactly because I much prefer real butter, but otherwise, it looks delicious.

With the ice cream on top- it’s a hot summer’s night’s dream.

25. Apple Bourbon Crisp

This is a fall dessert that is actually made for the smoker, not the grill. I think smoking is one of those things that can be done year around, especially if you live down south.

Since apples are a fall food, smoker recipes such as this just go to prove that others feel the same way I do. So now is the time to chow down on this apple crisp recipe.

Conclusion

I hope you’ve enjoyed my insight on what foods I cannot wait to try with my students, perfect, and then cook for my family and friends. After all- that’s what cooking is all about- taking what works for you and fixing what doesn’t.

Isn’t life (and smoker recipes) delicious?