I am a year-round smoker, rain, snow, wind, or sunshine. I will find a way to be able to smoke some meats or veggies or pastas for our meal. If I have to set up a windbreak, use a wrap to insulate, or put up a shade, I will find a way to keep the temperature regulated so that I can get that smoky goodness. So many shy away from smoking recipes because they think you have to cook it for hours and hours and hours. Granted some you do, but that’s more about how tender you want the end product to be. Many things like mac & cheese or deviled eggs or sausages don’t take all that long. I have pulled together a dozen or so of my most popular Smoker recipes so that you can make a whole meal out of it or just make something a little different than you usually would.
A few key kitchen tools you may want to have to hand when it comes to making these shrimp recipes:
- Smoker – obviously you are going to adore piece of equipment to smoke things. I love love my Traeger Pellet Grill. It gives me plenty of space to smoke the main and the sides, and let’s me regulate the temperature with ease.
- Meat Thermometer – since you are typically cooking at lower temperatures for longer periods of time, you want to be able to ensure the internal temperature of the meats has reached them minimums of doneness. You can use a digital WIFI unit that informs you thru an app. You can use a handheld digital quick reader. Or you can stay old school and use an analog unit.
- Grill Gloves – sometimes you just need to be able to grab something in the smoker and move or flip it quickly. And some times it’s just too awkward to grab with tongs or a spatula. A good set of heat resistant gloves can be a game changer.
And without further adieu – here are My Favorite Smoker Recipes from the blog!
Bourbon Smoked Turkey Legs – If you want the most succulent, fall off the bone turkey legs, then you have to make this recipe. Bourbon Smoked Turkey Legs was so dang good, my family was mad I only made one for each of us. What I love most about smoking meats is that it only TASTES like you slaved over it all day. You really don’t have to do much, just prep it and set it in the smoker for several hours. It’s actually best to not open the lid at all.
Lemongrass Smoked Beef Bowl– Smoking meats is such a great way to get amazing flavor from some of the less desirable cuts. It is a great way to impart deeper flavors as well make tougher cuts more tender. Which is exactly what you get out of this marinated, slow cooked, smoked chuck roast. This Lemongrass Smoked Beef Bowl has got such great flavors you are gonna be making this one more than once for sure!
Rosemary Lemon Spatchcock Smoked Chicken – Cooking a whole chicken can be dauting to some, mostly because of the time it can take to cook. Spatchcock might be a term you are not familiar with, it’s basically a fancy way to say butterflying of a whole bird. By marinating the chicken in a delicious lemon and rosemary flavors you can get the taste classic comfort food taste in less than half the time. Rosemary Lemon Spatchcock Smoked Chicken sounds as scrumptious as it tastes.
Smoked Meatloaf– Meatloaf is a quintessential, classic comfort food. There is just something that feels like home when you bring a meatloaf to the table. But let’s be honest, sometimes it can be a little bit boring. That’s why I’ve played around and tweaked that classic meatloaf recipe to turned it into a show stopping Smoked Meatloaf that you are going to be talking about all week long.
Smoked Jalapeno Poppers – I gotta tell ya – I love a good jalapeno popper. The mix of the spicy with the creamy is just so super good. While I do enjoy the deep fried variety – I also really like it smoked, and wrapped in bacon! And that is why my very favorite kind of popper – Smoked Jalapeno Poppers are a game changer! Speaking of games…these are the perfect game day snack too!
Smoked Pineapple Teriyaki Burgers – Sometimes you just want a classic bacon cheeseburger – and sometimes you want something a little extra, dare I say, a little bit gourmet when it comes to your burger night. By going down the fusion road, you can take the classic flavors of the islands and turn it into a dang tasty burger. The smoky flavors with sweetness of the pineapple and teriyaki sauce, then the zing of the onion all come together for a fantastic burger bite. If you are looking for a new way to celebrate #burgernight – this recipe for Smoked Pineapple Teriyaki Burgers will fit the bill.
Smoked Bangers & Mash – Some say don’t mess with the classics – but sometimes it’s totally worth it! I decided to try my hand at Bangers & Mash but add my own spin. I decided to make it in my Traeger and turned up with Smoked Bangers & Mash. The deep delicious Stout beer cooks down into a pan gravy to make an amazing top to this dish.
Smoked Mac & Cheese – There are so many many ways to make a fantastic mac & cheese. You can use different types of cheese, different types of pasta and different methods of cooking. To make this Smoked Mac & Cheese, we will use the classic style of mac and cheese and then put it in the smoker to take it up a few notches.
Smoked Italian Sliders – Sometimes you just need to take a classic sandwich to the next level. I am a total sucker for Italian subs – usually ham, pepperoni and salami, but I won’t say no to some capicola or mortadella, if we want to get fancy pants. But if I want to make such a relatively simple dish for a dinner, I feel the need to jazz it up some. I recently learned about smoking cheeses in the smoker. So I decided to see what would happen if I made Smoked Italian Sliders – let me tell you, it was a total success!
Smoked Deviled Eggs -While I’m sure many have had the classic deviled eggs and thoroughly enjoyed them, you may not have heard about Smoked Deviled Eggs. By smoking the eggs on your smoker (like my trusty Traeger Grill) instead of boiling them, you get a delicious layer of flavor you may not expect from something as small as a humble egg.
Smoked Teriyaki Chicken– It has been a bit since I shared a smoker recipe. It is not because I have fallen out of love with my smoker by any means. Quiet the contrary, it is just that I have been making a few things on repeat as we have been in this state of transition for a few months. And one of those things is this Smoked Teriyaki Chicken. A simple marinade of bone in chicken (I use drumsticks, but you can use thighs too – just adjust the cook time to add more to be sure it’s cooked through) and then slow smoked before grilling a glazing for a sticky delicious teriyaki chicken.
Hope you enjoyed my selections of Crispy Fried Recipes – do you have a favorite? Which one will you be trying first?
Estelle Forrest self-published this cookbook after a lot of playing around in the kitchen. You can purchase your own copy here:
AVAILABLE IN PRINT OR KINDLE eBOOK VERSIONS
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