23 Smoker Recipes Loaded With Bold, Smoky Flavor

Smoker meals bring a different kind of depth to the table, especially when the lineup goes beyond the usual rack of ribs. These 23 recipes cover chicken legs, pork skewers, lamb chops, wings, roasts, pulled pork, meatloaf, ham, kabobs, and smoked party bites. Some are quick enough for weeknight smoking, while others need a slower cook for weekend meals. Use this list when the smoker is ready, and the table needs food with a bigger flavor.

A closeup shot of two tacos filled with smoked pork belly and vegetables. — Smoked Pork Belly Tacos. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Smoked Chicken Legs with Red Pepper Glaze

With a 1-hour 40-minute total time and six servings, Smoked Chicken Legs with Red Pepper Glaze starts with three pounds of chicken legs. Olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, rosemary, red pepper jelly, bourbon, and Sriracha build the marinade and glaze. The legs smoke low first, then finish hotter after being coated. Serve with potatoes, slaw, corn, or salad when the meal needs a sticky chicken main.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Chicken Legs with Red Pepper Glaze

Smoked Pork & Pineapple Skewers

Smoked Pork & Pineapple Kabobs on a plate for serving. — Smoked Pork & Pineapple Skewers. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

After 30 minutes of marinating, Smoked Pork & Pineapple Skewers are smoked for about 1 hour and serve four. Pork loin cubes, fresh pineapple, bell pepper, red onion, brown sugar, cider vinegar, fish sauce, and garlic make the skewers. The smoker cooks the pork and fruit together until the pork reaches the desired temperature. Serve with rice, grilled corn, salad, or flatbread for a dinner that feels easy to plate.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Pork & Pineapple Skewers

Smoked Lamb Chops

Ready in 50 minutes and serving four, Smoked Lamb Chops give the smoker a faster lamb option. Lamb loin chops are marinated with olive oil, fresh rosemary, garlic, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper before smoking at 225°F. A quick sear after smoking adds color to the outside. Serve with potatoes, asparagus, rice, or salad when the meal needs lamb without a long roast.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Lamb Chops

Smoked Garlic Parmesan Wings

Chicken wings with garlic and Parmesan on a white plate. — Smoked Garlic Parmesan Wings. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

With a 1-hour 5-minute total time and six servings, Smoked Garlic Parmesan Wings use two pounds of chicken wings. Parmesan, butter, garlic, red pepper flakes, and lemon juice make the coating after the wings smoke. The wings cook at 225°F first, then return to higher heat for a crisp finish. Serve with ranch, celery, fries, slaw, or extra garlic Parmesan butter on the side.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Garlic Parmesan Wings

Smoked Pork Tenderloin with Mezcal BBQ Sauce

Ready in 30 minutes and serving six, Smoked Pork Tenderloin with Mezcal BBQ Sauce keeps the smoker cook short. Two pork tenderloins get rubbed with brown sugar, paprika, chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, salt, pepper, and chipotle powder. The sauce uses ketchup, beer, juice, mezcal, vinegar, and spices. Serve sliced pork with coleslaw, beans, cornbread, potatoes, or salad.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Pork Tenderloin with Mezcal BBQ Sauce

Smoked Ribeye Roast

Sliced smoked ribeye beef on a cutting board. — Smoked Ribeye Roast. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

With 5 minutes of prep and a 2-hour 30-minute cook, Smoked Ribeye Roast gives the smoker a beef centerpiece for six. A 4-pound ribeye roast needs only olive oil and Montreal steak seasoning before it goes on the smoker. The recipe starts at 180°F, then finishes at 225°F until the roast reaches medium-rare temperature. Serve with mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, salad, or rolls.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Ribeye Roast

Traeger Smoked Chicken Spatchcock

Roasted chicken on a slate board with carving knife and fork. — Traeger Smoked Chicken Spatchcock. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

With a 2-hour 10-minute total time and six servings, Traeger Smoked Chicken Spatchcock keeps the ingredient list short. A whole spatchcocked chicken is seasoned with Montreal chicken seasoning or another chicken rub before smoking. The chicken starts low, finishes at 225°F, then can be crisped at high heat or under the broiler. Serve carved chicken with barbecue sides, potatoes, slaw, salad, or corn.
Get the Recipe: Traeger Smoked Chicken Spatchcock

Smoked Pulled Pork

With a 12-hour 10-minute total time and 12 servings, Smoked Pulled Pork is built for a longer smoker day. A 5-pound pork butt gets coated with yellow mustard, brown sugar, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Apple juice is used while the pork cooks low and slow. Serve the pulled pork on buns, over potatoes, with beans, or beside slaw.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Pulled Pork

Smoked Chicken Al Pastor

A stack of chicken and pineapple on a vertical skewer on a cutting board. — Smoked Chicken Al Pastor. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

With an 11-hour 10-minute total time, including marinating, Smoked Chicken Al Pastor serves eight and uses three pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs. Guajillo chiles, garlic, onion, pineapple juice, orange juice, cider vinegar, achiote paste, cumin, brown sugar, oregano, chipotle powder, and pineapple build the marinade and stack. The chicken smokes on a vertical skewer. Serve it in tacos, nachos, burritos, or rice bowls.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Chicken Al Pastor

Smoked Meatloaf

Ready in 1 hour and 40 minutes and serving eight, Smoked Meatloaf turns beef, pork, and bacon into a smoky main. Ground beef, ground pork, chopped bacon, bread, milk, eggs, onion flakes, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, ketchup, cider vinegar, brown sugar, and mustard powder build the loaf and glaze. The meatloaf smokes low first, then finishes hotter with sauce. Serve with potatoes, green beans, or corn.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Meatloaf

Smoked Peach-Chipotle Wings

Smoked and glazed peach-chipotle chicken wings on a black plate. — Smoked Peach-Chipotle Wings. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

With a 5-minute prep and 1-hour cook time, Smoked Peach-Chipotle Wings make four servings. Chicken wings are seasoned with salt and pepper, smoked, crisped at a higher heat, then tossed in a sauce made from peach jam, chipotle in adobo, adobo sauce, and apple cider vinegar. The sauce brings fruit and heat without a long ingredient list. Serve with slaw, fries, celery, ranch, or rice.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Peach-Chipotle Wings

Smoked Lil Smokies

Ready in 2 hours and 35 minutes and serving four, Smoked Lil Smokies turn cocktail sausages into a smoker appetizer. Lit’l Smokies, barbecue sauce, raspberry jam or jelly, and Worcestershire sauce go into a cast-iron pan before smoking at low heat. Stirring during the cooking keeps the sauce coating the sausages. Serve with toothpicks, rolls, chips, baked beans, or a larger smoked meat spread.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Lil Smokies

Smoked New York Strip Roast

With a 1-hour 35-minute total time and six servings, Smoked New York Strip Roast uses a 4-pound boneless roast. Black pepper, brown sugar, instant coffee, ancho chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne make the rub. The roast smokes at 180°F first, then continues at 225°F until it reaches the target temperature. Serve sliced beef with mashed potatoes, asparagus, salad, or roasted vegetables.
Get the Recipe: Smoked New York Strip Roast

Smoked Pork Shots

With 20 minutes of prep and a 1-hour cook, Smoked Pork Shots make eight servings for a party-style smoker tray. Smoked sausage, thick-cut bacon, cream cheese, sharp cheddar, diced chiles, and seasoning create small bacon-wrapped bites with a creamy filling. The pork shots smoke at 250°F until the bacon crisps. Serve them with toothpicks, pickles, slaw, chips, or other smoked appetizers.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Pork Shots

Traeger Smoked Leg of Lamb

Whole cooked leg of lamb on a board with a knife. — Traeger Smoked Leg of Lamb. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

With 10 minutes of prep and a 2-hour cook, Traeger Smoked Leg of Lamb makes six servings. A leg of lamb is scored, seasoned, and coated with a paste made from fresh rosemary, thyme, garlic, and olive oil. The lamb starts at 180°F, then finishes at 225°F until medium-rare. Resting before slicing helps the meat hold together. Serve with potatoes, asparagus, bread, or salad.
Get the Recipe: Traeger Smoked Leg of Lamb

Smoked Eye of Round

Ready in 1 hour and 39 minutes and serving six, Smoked Eye of Round gives the smoker a lean beef roast option. A 3-pound eye of round roast is seasoned with Montreal steak seasoning, then smoked first at 180°F before finishing at 225°F. The recipe stresses cooking to temperature so the roast stays sliceable. Serve thin slices with potatoes, salad, rolls, or vegetables.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Eye of Round

Smoked Meatballs

With a 1-hour 40-minute total time and six servings, Smoked Meatballs use a beef and pork mixture. White bread soaked in milk, lean ground beef, ground pork, eggs, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper make the meatballs. They smoke at 180°F first, then finish at 225°F until cooked through. Serve with pasta, tomato sauce, barbecue sauce, salad, or toasted bread.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Meatballs

Smoked Chicken Thighs

Chicken thighs on a cutting board with tomatoes. — Smoked Chicken Thighs. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Ready in 1 hour and 40 minutes and serving four, Smoked Chicken Thighs keep the method simple. Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are trimmed, tossed with Montreal chicken seasoning, and smoked in a single layer. The thighs cook at 225°F until the meat near the bone reaches 165°F. Serve with slaw, corn, baked pasta, potatoes, or salad when the smoker needs an easy chicken dinner.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Chicken Thighs

Smoked Beef Tenderloin

With a 2-hour 10-minute total time and six servings, Smoked Beef Tenderloin uses a 2-pound beef tenderloin roast. Dijon mustard, garlic, whiskey, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar make the coating before the roast goes on the smoker. The recipe cooks the beef at 180°F until it reaches medium-rare temperature. Serve slices with roasted potatoes, asparagus, salad, rolls, or a simple pan sauce.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Beef Tenderloin

Smoked Tomahawk Steak

A sliced Tomahawk Steak on a cream color plate. — Smoked Tomahawk Steak. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

With 20 minutes of prep and a 2-hour cook, Smoked Tomahawk Steak serves two and makes a large steak feel built for the smoker. A 2-pound tomahawk steak gets coated with Montreal steak seasoning before cooking low. The mustard seed chimichurri uses lime juice, shallot, garlic, mustard seeds, olive oil, parsley, cilantro, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Serve with potatoes, salad, or grilled vegetables.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Tomahawk Steak

Smoked Carver Ham

Smoked sliced ham on a cutting board. — Smoked Carver Ham. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Ready in 2 hours and 10 minutes and serving eight, Smoked Carver Ham uses a 4-pound carver ham with a sweet-spiced glaze. Brown sugar, maple syrup or honey, cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, cinnamon, onion powder, garlic powder, cloves, and chipotle powder make the glaze. The ham smokes at 300°F until heated through. Serve with au gratin potatoes, asparagus, salad, rolls, or holiday sides.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Carver Ham

Smoked Dill Pickle Wings

Smoked chicken wings with pickles on a black plate. — Smoked Dill Pickle Wings. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

With a 1-hour 10-minute total time and four servings, Smoked Dill Pickle Wings bring brined chicken wings to the smoker. Three pounds of wings soak in dill pickle brine before getting coated with dried dill, granulated garlic, black pepper, and kosher salt. The wings smoke at 225°F, then finish hot for crisp skin. Serve with ranch, potato salad, grilled vegetables, or a green salad.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Dill Pickle Wings

Smoked Beef Kabobs

After 1 hour of marinating, these Smoked Beef Kabobs cook in 45 minutes and serve four. Sirloin, ribeye, or beef tenderloin is skewered with zucchini, red onion, mushrooms, and red bell pepper. Soy sauce, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper make the marinade. The skewers smoke low first, then finish hotter. Serve with rice, potatoes, pasta, or extra vegetables.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Beef Kabobs