By the Down The Cove editorial team in Cornwall
Turn a gas or charcoal barbecue into a simple smoker: where to place the box, how many chips to use and how to get clean smoke without soaking everything.
Read the guide
Smoking guide
A simple route through smoke, wood, kit and confidence for home cooks who want flavour without the noise.
Soaked chips smoulder more slowly, while dry chips catch faster. The right choice depends on your BBQ and the food you are cooking.
BBQ smoking works best when the smoke supports the food rather than taking over. Start with a modest handful of chips and build from there.
Read straight through, or dip into the sections that matter for your next smoking session.
A smoker box is the easiest way to add real wood smoke to a barbecue you already own. Fill it lightly with food-safe coarse chips, place it over the heat, wait for a thin stream of smoke, then move the food to indirect heat and close the lid. The method is simple; the difference between clean flavour and a bitter cloud is mostly heat control and restraint.
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? Usually, no. Dry chips start more predictably and produce clean smoke sooner. Soaked chips spend their first minutes steaming, which can delay the smoke without making it better. If your particular box sits extremely close to fierce charcoal and burns through chips too quickly, a brief soak can slow them down, but start dry and adjust only if the setup proves too hot. Where the box goes on a gas barbecue Place the box over a lit burner, under the cooking grate if the barbecue design allows it, or directly on the grate above that burner. Leave the burner beside it off and cook the food over the unlit zone. That two-zone setup gives the wood enough heat to smoulder while the food cooks gently rather than scorching. Where the box goes on charcoal Bank the hot coals on one side and place the smoker box on or immediately above them. Put the food on the opposite side and close the lid with the vent positioned to draw smoke across the food before it leaves. A small, stable fire is more useful than a barbecue packed edge to edge with glowing coals. What good smoke looks like Aim for a light, almost blue stream rather than thick white clouds. Heavy smoke usually means the wood is starved of air or too much has been added. It can leave food bitter and sooty. Keep the vents open enough for clean combustion, resist lifting the lid every minute and remember that smoke should support the food rather than hide it. Match the wood to the food Apple and cherry are gentle with fish, poultry and pork. Oak is a dependable middle ground for beef, sausages and robust fish. Hickory is bold and works well with ribs and pork shoulder, while mesquite is stronger still and best used sparingly. If you want to compare several woods without buying full bags, start with a
BBQ with a lid, smoker box, wood chips
Keep food away from direct flare-ups, control the heat, and let the smoke stay clean rather than thick and acrid.
1. Choose coarse chips and fill the smoker box no more than loosely full. 2. Put the box directly above a lit burner or on hot charcoal. 3. Close the barbecue lid until the chips begin to smoulder. 4. Move the food to the cooler, indirect side. 5. Cook with the lid down, adding more chips only when the first clean smoke has faded.
A barbecue gives strong direct heat, so it needs a chunkier grade that smoulders without disappearing at once. Coarse chips are made for smoker boxes, grills and charcoal. Fine chips suit hot-smoking ovens, while dust is for cold smoke generators. Our dust, fine and coarse wood guide makes the grades easy to compare.
Usually, no. Dry chips start more predictably and produce clean smoke sooner. Soaked chips spend their first minutes steaming, which can delay the smoke without making it better. If your particular box sits extremely close to fierce charcoal and burns through chips too quickly, a brief soak can slow them down, but start dry and adjust only if the setup proves too hot.
Place the box over a lit burner, under the cooking grate if the barbecue design allows it, or directly on the grate above that burner. Leave the burner beside it off and cook the food over the unlit zone. That two-zone setup gives the wood enough heat to smoulder while the food cooks gently rather than scorching.
Bank the hot coals on one side and place the smoker box on or immediately above them. Put the food on the opposite side and close the lid with the vent positioned to draw smoke across the food before it leaves. A small, stable fire is more useful than a barbecue packed edge to edge with glowing coals.
Aim for a light, almost blue stream rather than thick white clouds. Heavy smoke usually means the wood is starved of air or too much has been added. It can leave food bitter and sooty. Keep the vents open enough for clean combustion, resist lifting the lid every minute and remember that smoke should support the food rather than hide it.
Apple and cherry are gentle with fish, poultry and pork. Oak is a dependable middle ground for beef, sausages and robust fish. Hickory is bold and works well with ribs and pork shoulder, while mesquite is stronger still and best used sparingly. If you want to compare several woods without buying full bags, start with a BBQ wood-chip variety pack.
Start with one loose handful or enough to cover the base of the box. Add more later if needed. Overfilling restricts airflow and creates thick, dirty smoke.
Yes. That is one of its best uses: the box gives gas cooking a real wood-smoke layer without needing a separate smoker.
They are probably not receiving enough direct heat. Move the box closer to the lit burner or coals, preheat with the lid closed and make sure the vents are not blocked.
Choosing the equipment? Compare the options in our smoking oven buyer's guide or browse BBQ smoker boxes and kits.
Home smoking essentials that make the advice easier to put into practice.
