How To Use A Smoker Box On Your Gas Grill
May is National Barbecue Month, and Rhinos across the country are taking their love for grilling to the next level. With summer around the corner, it’s time to try some new techniques for your next cookout. Turning your grill into a smoker will help you pack even more flavor into your favorite dishes. Follow these simple steps to get that smoky flavor you’ve always wanted!1. Selecting the right wood chips
Grilling with propane gives you the best of both worlds. Because propane is a clean-burning fuel, you won’t have any unwanted flavors in your food. But now, you can also add plenty of rich, smoky flavors to your meals through a smoker box, or homemade smoker pouch by following the steps in this video. The key element to achieving that smoky flavor is having a variety of wood chips. Certain types of wood offer certain flavors when grilling. For example, mesquite wood chips will give your food a traditional, strong, and spicy taste. On the other hand, cherry wood chips will give a mild, sweet, and fruity flavor to your food. There are several other woods to fit your taste buds. Check out our Wood Smoking Guide for the best flavor combinations.2. Preparing your smoker box
Once you’ve selected the perfect wood chips for your next meal, it’s time to prepare them for your smoker box or pouch. First, be sure to soak the wood chips in water, as this will help create a deeper, richer smoke. Be sure to follow the wood chip package instructions, as those will provide guidelines on how long to soak your wood chips. Once the wood chips are soaked, remove them from the water and spread them evenly inside your smoker box. Finally, close off the box and get ready to grill!3. Grilling with your smoker box
After lighting your grill, it’s time to place the smoker box over a lit burner. Once your smoker box has been positioned over the burner, place your food next to it. In just a few short minutes, you should start to see the smoke making its way out of the smoker box. At this point, you can close the lid of your grill to allow for the smoky flavor to infuse with your food. Depending on the length of time it takes to prepare your food, you may need to discard the first set of wood chips, and add another handful of soaked chips to your smoker box. This will ensure the smoky flavor you love will be consistent throughout the whole cooking process. Lastly, to check that any meats are finished cooking, use a meat thermometer and consult our internal temperature guide for safe serving temperatures.4. Cleaning up
Finally, once you’ve finished grilling your food, it’s time to clean up. Safely remove the smoker box from the grill and discard of all used wood chips. Once the smoker box cools, give it a quick rinse so that it’s ready to use for next time. Finally, make sure to clean off your grill once you’re done using it. Check out our Tuning Up Your Grill page for more instructions on how to clean all parts of your grill.Now that you’ve got this smoker box trick down, you can tell your friends to keep their charcoal at home! With the right flavor wood chips, you’ll be having that delicious, smoky flavor you’ve always wanted without any of the hassle. And for some great recipes to pair with your new grilling tool, check out our Blue Rhino recipes page before your next cookout!