Things You'll Need:
- Bowl of water
- Paper towels
- Wood chip holder
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Step 1
Soak the wood chips. Before grilling, fill a bowl of water and soak the chips for 30 minutes or more. Soaking the chips will provide a slower, more uniform burn.
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Step 2
Dry the wood chips. Allow the wood chips to sit on a paper towel for a few minutes so that all excess water drips off.
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Step 3
Prepare your charcoal. When using hickory chips on a charcoal grill, light the charcoal using a chimney starter or lighter fluid and allow it to gray. Once the charcoal is gray and ready for cooking, add the chips directly on top of the charcoal. Wait several minutes until you see the chips begin to smoke, then proceed with grilling your food.
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Step 4
Purchase a wood chip attachment or smoker box, if you're using a gas grill, since you won't be able to dump the hickory chips directly onto the grill. When possible, purchase an attachment manufactured specifically for your grill. This can be a permanent part of the grill and doesn't require removal. Otherwise, you can purchase a universal smoker box that is placed inside the grill.
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Step 5
Place the soaked hickory chips into the wood chip container. When using a separate smoker box, place it under the cooking grates onto the heating element. (Check with your manual to ensure this is OK on your grill). Turn the burner on which you placed the smoker box to high.
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Step 6
Close the grill lid and allow the chips to heat and begin smoking. Check back in 10 minutes or so and you should see smoke rising from the chips. Once the chips are smoking, adjust the heat to the necessary temperature and begin grilling. Don't grill directly over the chips, but on adjacent cooking grates.
