If you are here, it means you are wondering how to smoke on a gas grill. And to ease the numerous questions going through your mind, yes, you can smoke meats and vegetables on a basic gas grill. The original design of a gas grill is not for smoking, because the gaps between the lids cause the heat and Smoke to escape quickly. As a result, your food may not be as good as it would have if you smoked it on a real charcoal smoker, but it would still be good enough. Grilling on a gas grill is very easy. Below is a breakdown of everything you need to know about smoking on a gas grill step by step.
How to Smoke on a Gas Grill Step by Step in 2021
Smoke Meat on a Gas Grill
A lot of gas grills today come equipped with a smoker box sitting on a burner. You can control how fast the wood chips of chunks will produce Smoke by turning the knob of the Burner higher or lower. If in your case, your gas grill does not come with a smoker box, you can purchase a heavy-duty stainless steel gas grill smoker box and set it right on the cooking grate. The Smoke produced from the smoker box, along with the heat, is what will cook your meat.
Basics of Smoking on a Gas Grill
As you might already know, a gas grill is more comfortable to manage than a charcoal grill. In other words, smoking on a gas grill is way more comfortable than meets the eyes. But since the original design of a gas grill is not to Smoke, there are some basic things you need to note if you are successfully converting it into a smoker.
- Burner Configuration: The basic idea of smoking on a gas grill is to ensure the temperature is low. And since most gas grills come with more than one Burner, it would not be wise to have all the Burners turned On. For example, if you are using a four-burner gas grill, start smoking with the first Burner, and after a while, move to the next, and the next until you get to the last, and then you repeat the cycle. Moving from one Burner to the next while smoking on a gas grill ensures every part of your meat gets enough heat.
- Temperature monitoring: Just as configuring your Burner is essential, so is monitoring the temperature. A thermometer with at least two probes is the best for monitoring the temperature inside the grill. Note that several factors can affect your temperature, so you would have to make adjustments accordingly while smoking. In summary, try your best to keep the temperature of the grill steady at 225-250 degrees Fahrenheit.
How to Smoke on a Gas Grill with Chips
Wood chips and chunks are common ways to add real smoke flavor to your meat when you are not smoking on a charcoal grill. As stated above, you will need the most to Smoke with chips on a gas grill is a flavorizer of a smoker box.
1. Pick Your Meat
The first step to smoking on a gas grill is placing your meat on the grate with the right burner configuration. Big slices of meat require much lower heat than thin slices so that the meat can cook well and not get burnt.
2. Pick Your Wood
Next on how to smoke on a gas grill with chips is picking a type of wood chip. Different types of wood add different flavors of Smoke. There are many types of wood chips you can choose from like alder wood, almond wood, cherry wood, maple wood, pecan wood, hickory wood, and so on. Picking the type of wood chips depends on your preference and the type of meat you are smoking. Some types of wood chips pair well with some kinds of meat. For example, hickory pairs well with smoking all meats, especially pork and ribs, maple pairs will with smoking steak, cheese, and vegetables, and the list goes on and on. Generally speaking, use a sweet fruit-flavored wood chip to smoke poultry produce, and a more intense savory flavored wood to smoke pork and beef.
3. Choose Your Delivery Method
Lastly, you need to choose a delivery method in which you want to deliver the Smoke to your meat. As you already know, you would need a smoker box; however, you still need to choose whether you would prefer to use the wood dry or soak the wood. Using dry wood would produce a thin blue smoke, which will give your food a unique flavor. Moreover, placing a smoker box over a cooking grate will allow the wood to preheat before the Smoke appears fully. On the other hand, soaking wood like pecan, apple, hickory, or other fruitwood for an hour before using it in a gas grill will allow the real flavor from the wood to come out with the Smoke. And since the wood is wet, it would burn slowly.
Conclusion
In summary, learning how to grill on a gas grill gives you the luxury to smoke anytime, anywhere. And since gas grills are easier to manage, you would not have to stress yourself anytime you feel like enjoying smoked food. Since you already own a gas grill, turn it into a smoker with these easy steps in this review. Use a wood chip that best matches what you are smoking to get the best flavor in your food, or use your favorite wood chip. And lastly, when Smoking, choose a delivery method and ensure you monitor the temperature regularly, so it does not go too high or too low. Have you ever Smoked on a gas grill? Leave a comment in the comment section below, sharing your experience.