How to Smoke Food in an Electric Grill

eHow may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. Learn more about our affiliate and product review process here.

Things You'll Need

  • Smoker box

  • Hardwood chips

  • Heavy duty aluminum foil

  • Disposable aluminum mini-loaf pan

  • Knife

  • Meat

  • Meat thermometer

Electric grills allow you to grill any time of the year without connecting your grill to a gas tank or purchasing charcoal. This convenience comes at the cost of a lack of smoky flavor from most electric grills, but you can smoke food with your electric grill by using the included smoker box or making your own. Smoking differs from grilling in both the time and temperature. Surrounding your food with smoke by a long and low cooking process ensures the most flavor gets to your meat.

Advertisement

Step 1

Soak hardwood chips in water for 1 to 2 hours (See reference 1, page 21).

Video of the Day

Step 2

Drain the wood chips and place them into the smoker box (See reference 1, page 21).

Step 3

Fill a disposable aluminum mini-loaf pan with the drained chips and cover with a sheet of aluminum foil if you do not have a smoker box. Use a knife to poke several holes into the aluminum foil on top of the loaf pan to allow the smoke to escape and flavor the food (See reference 1, page 21).

Step 4

Set the smoker box or aluminum loaf pan directly on top of the heated lava rock inside the grill (See reference 1, page 21).

Step 5

Preheat the grill for indirect heat by turning only one burner on and setting the temperature to low or 200 degrees Fahrenheit (See reference 1, page 21).

Advertisement

Step 6

Place the meat on the grill grates over indirect heat and close the lid (See reference 2 page 524).

Step 7

Smoke the meat over indirect heat at 200 degrees for about 1 hour per pound (See reference 2, page 500).

Advertisement

Step 8

Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest portion of the meat every hour, and remove the meat when the internal temperature reads at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit, indicating well done (See reference 2, page 390).

Advertisement

Video of the Day