How to Smoke Food on a Gas Grill

Contrary to popular opinion, smoking on a gas grill is easy. Before heating up your grill, fill your smoke box (also called a smoker box) with wood chips and set it on the cooking grate, or just below the grate over one burner if your grill and smoke box instructions allow that position. Leave the heat plates (flame tamers) in place unless your grill’s instructions say otherwise, and never put loose chips directly on a burner. The Monument Grills Smoke Box is specifically designed to fit in this position on a Monument Grill, allowing precise temperature control over your wood chips. Make sure to soak your wood chips ahead of time to get the slow smoldering burn that produces maximum smoke over time.

The rest is easy. You can use your grill like normal (making sure the burner under your chips is on) and you will end up with a slight smokiness, similar to cooking on a charcoal grill. Or you can take it to the next level and ONLY use the burner under your wood chips and cook with indirect heat over a longer period. You will end up with your meal deliciously infused with smoky flavor. When cooking for longer periods, try setting your smoke box or a sealed foil packet of chips on top of the grates instead of under. You can’t control the temperature of the chips as easily, but you can add more chips as they burn away. If new to indirect cooking it may be worth investing in a meat thermometer to ensure a safe internal temperature!

How to Use a Smoker Box on a Gas Grill, Step by Step

1. Soak your wood chips. Soak them ahead of time so they smolder slowly and smoke instead of catching fire.
2. Fill the smoker box and close the lid. Load the soaked chips into the box and close the vented lid. Never put loose chips directly on a burner.
3. Set the box over one burner. Place the smoker box on the cooking grate above that burner, or just below the grate over the burner if your grill and smoke box instructions allow that position. Leave the heat plates (flame tamers) in place unless your grill’s instructions say otherwise.
4. Light the grill. Light it with the lid open, following your grill manual, then close the lid and let the chips heat until they start to smoke.
5. Pick direct or indirect heat. For a slight smokiness, cook as normal with the burner under the chips on. For deeper smoke flavor, run ONLY the burner under the smoker box and cook the food on the unlit side with indirect heat over a longer period.
6. Keep the lid closed and the food close to the smoke. The smoke needs to build up inside the grill to flavor the food.
7. Add chips as they burn away. On a long cook, top up the box with more soaked chips. The box and its lid get hot, so use heat-resistant gloves or tongs.

Monument sells stainless steel smoker boxes made for its grills. The 98457 Stainless Steel Smoker Box lists Denali models among its compatible grills, and the A007 Stainless Steel Smoker Box lists Mesa models. Check the model list on the product page before ordering.

Unsure what woodchips to be using with what types of meat? Find a recipe online! Look for a smoked version of your favorite grilled meal. Don’t limit yourself to smoking your favorite cut of meat, look for a smoked version of your favorite vegetables too! Really impress your friends and family this grilling season with smoky grilled corn, melt in your mouth smoky grilled onions, or smoked mixed veggies.

Don’t have a smoke box? No worries, you can still enjoy smoking on your gas grill. Option one is to buy an aluminum tray with an aluminum lid, cut holes in the top (for escaping smoke) and place it on top of your grill grates. Option two is to take a large sheet of aluminum foil, put your soaked wood chips in the middle and fold your foil over them fully containing the wood chips then slice several slits in the top. The trick is to seal them in fully, the less oxygen getting in the slower the woodchips will burn and release smoke. Place your wood chip packet on your grill grates over a burner and you’re all set.

Now smoky flavor in food doesn’t come from being near smoke, it comes from being directly in the smoke. Keeping the lid closed allows the smoke to build up inside the grill and really get into the food. Remember to keep food as close to the source of smoke as possible, while of course keeping in mind whether you’re still cooking with indirect or direct heat.

The final step? Enjoy your delicious smoke infused meal!