5 Easy Steps on How to Smoke Meat on Electric Grill

Smoking meat is not a new concept around the world to preserve meat for a long time as there are no refrigerators or other ways to store it for a long time. Nowadays it is a method of enjoyment and spending time with loved ones. People around the world enjoy smoking meat on different types of grills. However, the issue arises when you have an electric grill and you want to smoke meat on it.

An electric grill is one of the most convenient and mostly used indoor grills from grilling steaks to making omelets. It does not need a gas tank or charcoal to cook food on it. One of the drawbacks of using an electric grill is the lack of smoky flavor, but you can smoke on it using some customization. If you want to smoke meat on electric grill you have to use wood chips in a smoker box or you have to make one for yourself.

How to Enhance Smoky Flavor with Electric Grill?

1. Prepare the Meat

It is important to know which meat is ideal for smoking on an electric grill. There are many cuts that are ideal for smoking but the best one has a fattier cut like beef brisket, and ribs. The main thing that is responsible for producing smoke in a grill is the fat if you are not using wood for getting smoke. Take a piece that has a considerable amount of marbling and a nice layer of fat.

If the meat contains a greater portion of fats, then remove some of the fats because the greater content of fats will cause a grease fire. If you are a lover of spicy food, use your favorite rub or marinade to season it and let it for some time before starting to smoke it.

2. Set up Your Electric Grill

When you are done with your meat it’s time to set the grill. Clean the grill if you have cooked something on it before as it will add a different flavor to the meat. Place the grill on a flat surface so the juice cannot collect at one side of the grill which will cause fire if do not attain it properly. After setting the grill properly plug it in the circuit and let it get hot for some time.

3. Add Wood Chips to a Smoker Box

The flavor depends on the type of wood you choose for grilling, as different woods have their own distinct flavors. The most popular ones are hickory, mesquites, applewood, maple, and oak. However, you can use a combination of different woods if you know the taste of each before. It is better to use hardwood for heavier meats like beef, and pork.

When you select the wood chips open the smoker box and add in to it. It has holes all over its body which makes it useable anywhere in the grill and the air will enter and leave from any side. Fill the smoker box to half or a little more than that. If it is filled completely, it will not produce the required amount of smoke in the grill.

4. Place Wood and Meat into the Grill

When the grill attains the required temperature range of 225-250°F, place the smoker box filled with the wood chips above the grates on one side of the electric grill. After that place the meat either seasoned or not on the grates in such a way that it should not cover the whole plate or grates to allow the smoke to circulate in the grill. When you place the smoker box and the meat in the grill cover it with the lid and leave it. The smoking time depends on the type of wood and the size of the meat.    

5. Observe the Temperature

The best smoky flavor comes when you give proper time and consideration to the smoking process. It is necessary to monitor the smoking wood and the temperature of the grill throughout the grilling process. If the wood chips get fired, it will burn the meat and instead of getting a smoky flavor, you will get burned-out meat.

It is necessary to maintain the temperature within the optimal range, which depends on the food you are grilling over the electric grill to get the perfect steak. The easy way is to use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the meat periodically and adjust the temperature to get a consistent smoking environment while serving the steak.

Using a Smoker Box on an Electric Grill

An electric grill lacks a smoker feature on it so it is hard to get a real smoker flavor from the electric grill until you customize it. There are many techniques to get smoking flavor however, the easiest one is using a smoker box. You just need to get your favorite hardwood chips for smoking and fill the smoker with the required amount of chips. It is not necessary to fill the box to the lid as it will restrict the flow of air within the box.

After filling with your favorite chips place, the smoker box above the electric source. It is better to place the box after the grill is heated enough. The reason behind this is to avoid the burning of the chips while the grill is getting hot. When the smoker box starts smoking place the meat or any food you want to flavor with the smoke. You can also place the meat and the smoker box at the same time on the heated grill as it will give you the same results. 

Easy Homemade Ways for Perfect Smoking Flavor

The smoky flavor of food not only comes from the wood used in the electric grill. There are many ways and ingredients that can contribute to adding a smoky flavor to the food. Some of the ingredients when come in contact with the hot grates produce a dense smoke that is absorbed by the meat.

Using Marinades

It is an effective way to add an extended flavor to the meat. The marinade enhances the flavor by adding extra moisture and tenderizing the meat. When the meat is placed on the hot grill the starts losing the juice stored in the meat. This juice when comes in contact with the hot grates starts smoking, and the same smoke gets absorbed by the meat.

Using Dry Rub

It is a mixture of brown sugar, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and red chili. Apply the mixture to the meat and place it on the hot electric grill. When the meat starts searing it evaporates water which is a mixture of dry rub the water, and it comes in contact with the hot rods. The hot plate burns the mixture and produces an intense smoke which helps to give a smoky flavor to the meat.

Tips on Getting Smoke Meat on Electric Grill with Chips

Marinated meat will help in making the smoke denser and more flavorful as compared to using the wood chips alone. When the marinade from the meat drips on the hot plate or grates of the grill it produces smoke which will combine with the wood chips smoke and make the smoke dense and flavorful.

Try different types of wood chips or a combination of them because each one has its own specific flavor. When you combine different types of wood chips the smoke will be altogether unique and the smoking capacity will also change.  

Avoid opening the grill too often, because this can cause the temperature to drop instantaneously and the smoke will disperse in the air. It can increase the cooking time and you will get a steak with the least amount of smoke. The lid maintains heat and smoke within the grill and provides the best environment for smoking meat.

Don’t give the meat too much smoke as it will create a bitter taste because of the formation of creosote. It is a thick and oily layer that is made on the meat due to the intense and heavy smoke gives for a longer time. Thin and wispy smoke is best for getting smoky and flavored meat as compared to billowing white smoke.

Keep checking the thermometer for temperature regulation and also observe the smoke produced from the chips. The lid is almost tempered glass so you will be able to see everything without opening the lid. 

Frequently Asked Question

Conclusion 

Smoking meat on an electric grill seems a little bit tricky and many of the newbies don’t know how to get the flavored smoky meat on a grill. The smoking is simple with some additional steps listed above in the article, that will help either you are a newbie or a pro griller. However, cleaning the grill and preheating it before cooking is a common process for getting the best results.

The additional thing is filling the flavored chips in a smoker box and placing it in the right position on the grill. It is better to place the wood chips with the meat at the same time when the grill gets hot so the electric component of the grill doesn’t burn the chips. When the food gets hot it starts producing vapors which helps the chips to produce smoke without burning.