Easy Smoking Recipes for the Beginner
By The Sous Chef Team
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April 14th, 2023
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Smoking meat is a delicious and time-honoured American tradition that has been enjoyed for generations. It involves slow cooking meat at low temperatures using smoke from burning wood or charcoal. But for someone smoking for the first time, the process can seem a bit intimidating. Don't worry, though - there are plenty of easy recipes to get you started.
These recipes are all for hot smoking. To learn more about hot smoking, read our article hot and cold smoking: what's the difference.
Ideas for simple smoking recipes
1. Garlic Bulbs - One of the easiest things to smoke is garlic. Simply wrap a head of garlic in aluminium foil and place it in the smoker for about an hour at 107°C. The garlic will emerge soft and sweet, perfect for spreading on bread or incorporating into dishes like mashed potatoes or hummus.
2. Salmon - Another easy recipe for smoking beginners is smoked salmon. All you need is a fillet of salmon, some salt, and your choice of wood chips (like cedar or hickory). Rub the salmon with salt and let it sit for an hour or so, then place it in the smoker at around 82°C for 2-3 hours. The result will be a tender, smoky salmon that's perfect for sandwiches, salads, or just snacking.
Read our article on how to hot smoke salmon to learn more.
3. Olives - Olives can really easily be smoked by placing on a perforated baking tray and put in a smoker for around 30 minutes at roughly 90°C. It's super quick, super easy and delicious. To take it up another level you can even stuff the olives afterwards. We'd recommend feta or blue cheese.
4. Nuts - Another simple recipe for beginners is smoked nuts. Set your smoker to around 100°C and leave the nuts in for around 2 hours. You can flavour your nuts with different spices for an extra treat. They're a great garnish or snack.
5. Onions - Caramelising onions can take a lot of time because it needs to be done low and slow - which means its perfect for smoking. Cut up your onions, place in a tray or pan, drizzle with some oil and salt, then you're good to go.
6. Vegetables - If you're a bit nervous about smoking for the first time and ensuring all your meat is thoroughly cooked vegetables are a great first choice. You can read our article on vegetarian BBQ to get some more ideas.
First Cook Videos from ProQ
ProQ have put together a series of 'first cook' videos to guide you through the first time using your ProQ BBQ smoker. Each video has the recipe and method in the description so you can easily follow along.
Heartier meals to try on your BBQ Smoker
Once you've got the hang of using your BBQ smoker find all of our BBQ & Smoking Recipes. These include some hearty meals, including:
- ProQ Smoky BBQ Beef Brisket
- ProQ Smoky Lamb Ribs
- ProQ Murgh Makhani - Butter Chicken Curry
See all our BBQ & smoking recipes.
Want to learn more? We recommend the below articles to help you get started with smoking or BBQ
About the author
The Sous Chef team spends all day, every day hunting out the most exciting flavours, trends and recipes from across the world.
Every single team member tastes ingredients weekly, and cooks with the most up-to-date and classic cooking tools regularly. We're experts in ingredients and cookware from around the world.
We are constantly tasting new products, trying new recipes, and speaking to expert producers. For recipes and inspiration from the Sous Chef team, sign up for emails here.
