23 Backyard Smoking Recipes That Make Firing Up the Smoker on a Friday Feel Like the Right Call

Friday is easier to plan when the smoker can handle the main dish while the rest of the backyard setup comes together. These 23 backyard smoking recipes cover wings, whole chicken, beef roasts, burgers, pulled pork, ham, lamb, stuffed peppers, sandwiches, and enchiladas made with smoked meat. The lineup ranges from 25-minute leftover sandwiches and 30-minute pork tenderloin to all-day chuck roast, pork shoulder, and beef shank projects. Use the collection when firing up the smoker should lead to dinner, weekend leftovers, and enough food for whoever joins the table.

Smoked Chicken Leg Quarters Recipe

Dry skin and a two-temperature method give Smoked Chicken Leg Quarters Recipe smoke flavor without leaving the exterior rubbery. Four leg quarters receive paprika, brown sugar, garlic, onion, thyme, salt, pepper, and smoked hot paprika. The recipe makes 4 servings in 2 hours 15 minutes, including a 5-minute rest. Smoke the chicken at 225°F, finish it at 400°F, and serve it with backyard sides when Friday dinner needs a mostly hands-off main.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Chicken Leg Quarters Recipe

Smoked New York Strip Roast

A coffee-spiked rub gives Smoked New York Strip Roast a dark crust around a four-pound boneless cut. Black pepper, brown sugar, instant coffee, ancho chile, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne season 6 servings. The recipe displays 1 hour 35 minutes, followed by a 10-to-15-minute rest. Start the roast at 180°F, raise the smoker to 225°F, and slice it when a Friday meal calls for a beef centerpiece.
Get the Recipe: Smoked New York Strip Roast

Smoked Chuck Roast

Brisket-style bark develops on Smoked Chuck Roast without requiring a full brisket-sized cut. A 3½-to-4-pound roast receives Montreal-style seasoning, smokes at 225°F, then gets wrapped in butcher paper before finishing at 250°F. The recipe makes 8 servings in 9 hours 15 minutes, followed by at least 30 minutes of resting. Start it early Friday and serve the sliced or pulled beef with potatoes, rolls, or slaw.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Chuck Roast

Smoked Dill Pickle Wings

Pickle brine carries tang through Smoked Dill Pickle Wings before dill, garlic, pepper, and salt coat the surface. Three pounds of wings marinate for at least 4 hours, smoke at 225°F, and finish at 450°F for crisper skin. The recipe makes 4 servings with a displayed total of 1 hour 10 minutes, excluding the brining period. Set out ranch and cold vegetables when the smoker needs an early Friday appetizer.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Dill Pickle Wings

Grilled Smoked Pork Tenderloin with Mezcal BBQ Sauce

Chipotle seasoning and a simmered sauce give Grilled Smoked Pork Tenderloin with Mezcal BBQ Sauce more range than a plain sliced roast. Two tenderloins receive brown sugar, paprika, chile powder, thyme, garlic, onion, and chipotle before smoking with applewood pellets. The recipe makes 6 servings in 30 minutes. Slice the pork and spoon over the mezcal, beer, juice, ketchup, and vinegar sauce for a fast Friday smoker dinner.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Smoked Pork Tenderloin with Mezcal BBQ Sauce

Traeger Smoked Chicken Spatchcock

Flattening the bird helps Traeger Smoked Chicken Spatchcock cook evenly while exposing more skin to smoke and heat. One whole chicken is seasoned with Montreal chicken seasoning or another poultry rub for 6 servings. The recipe takes 2 hours 10 minutes, then calls for a 10-minute rest after a final high-heat crisp. Carve it beside corn, salad, or potatoes when one bird needs to anchor the Friday table.
Get the Recipe: Traeger Smoked Chicken Spatchcock

Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches with Smoked Rib Roast

Leftover beef turns Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches with Smoked Rib Roast into the quickest entry in this smoker-focused lineup. Twelve ounces of thinly sliced rib roast warm with onion, green pepper, mushrooms, butter, and provolone before filling two hoagie rolls. The recipe makes 2 servings in 25 minutes. Save this for the day after a larger smoke when Friday leftovers need a fast sandwich instead of another long cook.
Get the Recipe: Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches with Smoked Rib Roast

Smoked Carver Ham

A brown sugar and maple glaze gives Smoked Carver Ham a sweet coating with mustard, cider vinegar, cinnamon, cloves, and chipotle underneath. One four-pound ham cooks in a foil pan at 300°F for about 2 hours. The recipe makes 8 servings in 2 hours 10 minutes. Slice it for a Friday gathering, then keep the extra meat for sandwiches, breakfast plates, or another dinner later in the weekend.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Carver Ham

Smoked Burgers Recipe With a Reverse Sear

Cold patties take on smoke before a hot finish in Smoked Burgers Recipe With a Reverse Sear. Two pounds of 80/20 beef make four half-pound burgers seasoned only with kosher salt and black pepper, plus cheese, toasted buns, and chosen toppings. The recipe makes 4 servings in 1 hour 50 minutes, including 30 minutes of chilling. Smoke without flipping, sear at about 400°F, and build the burgers when Friday calls for a familiar cookout main.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Burgers Recipe With a Reverse Sear

Smoked Garlic Parmesan Wings

Garlic butter and grated cheese coat Smoked Garlic Parmesan Wings after the skin crisps over higher heat. Two pounds of wings smoke at 225°F, finish at 450°F, then get tossed with Parmesan, butter, fresh garlic, red pepper flakes, and lemon juice. The recipe makes 6 servings in 1 hour 5 minutes. Put them beside celery, dip, or slaw when the first smoker tray needs a savory option without a sticky barbecue glaze.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Garlic Parmesan Wings

Smoked Ribeye Roast

Montreal steak seasoning keeps Smoked Ribeye Roast focused on beef, smoke, and the fat running through a four-pound cut. Olive oil helps the seasoning cling before the roast starts at 180°F and finishes at 225°F. The recipe makes 6 servings with 5 minutes of prep and about 2 hours 30 minutes of cooking, plus at least 15 minutes of resting. Carve it for a Friday dinner that needs a larger roast without a complicated ingredient list.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Ribeye Roast

Smoked Pulled Pork

Mustard and a brown sugar spice rub build the bark on Smoked Pulled Pork during a full day on the smoker. A five-pound pork butt is spritzed with apple juice, covered after reaching 160°F, and cooked until the center reaches 200°F to 205°F. The recipe makes 12 servings in a displayed time of 12 hours 10 minutes. Start before breakfast, then pile the pork onto buns or plates when Friday dinner finally reaches the table.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Pulled Pork

Smoked Beef Tenderloin

Whiskey and Dijon form the coating on Smoked Beef Tenderloin before the lean roast goes into low heat. A two-pound tenderloin is seasoned with garlic, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and the mustard mixture for 6 servings. The recipe takes 2 hours 10 minutes, followed by a 10-to-15-minute rest. Slice it carefully at 125°F for medium-rare when Friday dinner needs a shorter beef smoke than chuck roast or pulled pork.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Beef Tenderloin

Pork Stuffed Smoked Jalapeno Poppers

Bacon wraps the outside of Pork Stuffed Smoked Jalapeno Poppers while ground pork and cream cheese fill each pepper half. Twelve jalapeños also hold green onions, cilantro, garlic powder, onion powder, chipotle, and salt before smoking at three temperatures. The recipe makes 4 servings with 15 minutes of prep and 1 hour 30 minutes of cooking. Serve them while the larger cuts continue to smoke, or make the poppers the centerpiece of a snack-style Friday dinner.
Get the Recipe: Pork Stuffed Smoked Jalapeno Poppers

Smoked Dry Rubbed Wings

Paprika, chile powder, cumin, thyme, garlic, onion, and smoked hot paprika season Smoked Dry Rubbed Wings without a finishing sauce. Two pounds of wings are smoked at 225°F until cooked through, then return to 450°F for a short crisping step. The recipe makes 6 servings with 10 minutes of prep and 1 hour of cooking. Add ranch, pickles, or cold slaw when the Friday spread needs wings that stay easy to handle.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Dry Rubbed Wings

Grilled Smoked Pulled Pork

Applewood smoke and a mustard-backed spice rub carry Grilled Smoked Pulled Pork through a six-hour cook on the Ninja Woodfire. A 3-to-4-pound boneless shoulder is coated with brown sugar, paprika, chile powder, thyme, garlic, onion, and chipotle. The recipe makes 10 servings with 10 minutes of prep and 6 hours of cooking, followed by a 30-minute rest. Shred it for sandwiches, tacos, or plates when the Friday smoker needs to feed a group.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Smoked Pulled Pork

Smoked Chicken Enchiladas

Leftover meat gives Smoked Chicken Enchiladas the smoke flavor without requiring another long session outside. Six cups of chopped chicken combine with cheese and a roasted tomatillo, onion, garlic, and sour cream sauce inside eight tortillas. The recipe makes 4 servings in 40 minutes. Bake the filled casserole on Friday when an earlier smoked chicken needs to become a second dinner with a different format and enough sauce for each portion.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Chicken Enchiladas

Smoked Thor’s Hammer

A trimmed beef shank makes Smoked Thor’s Hammer the largest centerpiece in the collection, with an exposed bone and pull-apart meat. An 8-to-10-pound shank gets salt and pepper before chipotle, garlic, smoked paprika, onion, lime, and butter are added during the wrapped cooking stage. The recipe makes 8 servings with 10 minutes of prep and 10 hours of cooking. Start early Friday and use the meat for nachos, tacos, or a large shared platter.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Thor’s Hammer

Smoked Peach-Chipotle Wings

Peach jam and chipotle give Smoked Peach-Chipotle Wings a sweet glaze with enough heat to stand beside the other smoked meats. Two pounds of wings cook at 180°F, crisp at 450°F, then get tossed with jam, chipotle, adobo sauce, and cider vinegar. The recipe makes 4 servings with 5 minutes of prep and 1 hour of cooking. Serve the extra sauce for dipping when Friday needs a wing tray that moves away from standard barbecue sauce.
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Smoked Picanha

An intact fat cap protects Smoked Picanha while the three-pound roast cooks low and finishes with a short reverse sear. Kosher salt works into the underside during an hour in the refrigerator, and Montreal steak seasoning covers the scored top. The recipe makes 6 servings in 2 hours 30 minutes. Slice the beef across the grain and serve it with chimichurri, potatoes, or corn when Friday calls for a roast with a crisped fat edge.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Picanha

Smoked Chicken Al Pastor

Pineapple and dried chiles give Smoked Chicken Al Pastor a different direction from the rub-heavy chicken recipes in the lineup. Three pounds of thighs marinate with guajillo chiles, garlic, onion, fruit juices, cider vinegar, achiote, cumin, oregano, brown sugar, and chipotle. The recipe makes 8 servings in 11 hours 10 minutes, including 8 hours of marinating. Stack it on a vertical skewer and plan tacos or burritos for Friday night.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Chicken Al Pastor

Smoked Lamb Chops

Rosemary, garlic, vinegar, and olive oil season Smoked Lamb Chops before smoke, and a fast sear handles the cooking. Eight to ten loin chops marinate for at least 30 minutes, smoke at 225°F, then brown for 1 to 2 minutes per side in a hot pan or on a griddle. The recipe makes 4 servings with a displayed total of 50 minutes. Serve them with potatoes or grilled vegetables when Friday needs a smaller smoked main.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Lamb Chops

Easy Smoked Pork Loin

A brown sugar and chipotle rub gives Easy Smoked Pork Loin a sweet and spicy crust without adding a separate sauce. One three-pound loin is scored, seasoned with chile powder, paprika, mustard, garlic, onion, salt, and pepper, then smoked at 180°F and 225°F. The recipe makes 8 servings with 10 minutes of prep and 2 hours of cooking. Rest it before slicing for a Friday main that leaves enough pork for weekend sandwiches.
Get the Recipe: Easy Smoked Pork Loin