Best Smoker Recipes For This Summer

Summer is the perfect time to fire up the smoker and craft those rich, smokey and hearty barbecue recipes! Whether you’re a seasoned pitmaster or a backyard cookout enthusiast, the summer season brings endless opportunities to experiment with mouthwatering recipes that make the most of your long, sunny days.

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Summer is in full swing! And with it brings the calming scent of freshly cut grass, the joyful sounds of kids splashing in backyard pools, and the eager anticipation of epic barbecue cookouts!

Here at Umamiology, we’re all about helping you plan your next backyard gathering to be the most delicious, smokey and chargrilled event ever – so here’s our guide to the Best Smoker Recipes you need to prepare, to make that happen.

(Click on each item below to go to the full recipe.)

But First, You Gotta Have A Good Smoker

To have an epic BBQ cookout, you gotta have a good smoker. And there are many choices out there – each with their merits and their deficiencies. If you’d like to see a review of some of the top smokers out there, as of late 2023, this video from The Barbecue Lab, does a great job.

I have 2 smoker grills, the Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560 and the Traeger Ironwood XL.

While the Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560 is a decent mid-level smoker, it functions better as a quality grill for searing burgers and meats, as opposed to low-and-slow smoking.

The best smoker I’ve seen, to date (as of mid 2024), is the Traeger Ironwood XL. It’s a bit pricey, but in my opinion, it’s one of the most advanced and efficient smokers out there – with its WiFi connected control panel and “Super Smoke” feature. This is the smoker I use in all the these best smoker recipes below.

Best Smoker Recipes For The Summer

48 Hour Smoked Beef Brisket

You've never had a Smoked Beef Brisket so soft and buttery like this before. This 48 hour smoked brisket is so melt-in-your-mouth tender, incredibly juicy and immensely rich in flavor and rendered fat. This might be the BEST BRISKET you've ever had!

Check out this recipe

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Tender Smoked Baby Back Ribs

These smoked baby back ribs are just fall-apart tender and incredibly juicy. The meat is so succulent and moist that they literally slide off the bone at the slightest tug and impart the richest and meatiest flavor you've ever had.

Check out this recipe

Smoked Shotgun Shells

Smoked Shotgun Shells are delicious barbecue sides made by stuffing manicotti pasta shells with ground beef, pork and cheese and then wrapping them with bacon and smoking them. They are perfect for any outdoor bbq cookout!

Check out this recipe

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Smoked Brisket Burnt Ends

What are Smoked Brisket Burnt Ends? Imagine slow smoked brisket cubes, braised in a sweet and tangy barbecue sauce, resulting in a tender, candied, melt-in-your mouth experience. That's what you'll get with this Brisket Burnt Ends recipe.

Check out this recipe

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Smoked Cream Cheese (2 Ingredients)

This quick and easy Smoked Cream Cheese has it all. Creamy cheese flavor, infused with deep hickory smoke and dusted with a robust dry rub that adds depth and umami to every bite. Spread on a bagel, or used as a dip for crackers, this smoked cream cheese elevates your dip game to the next level.

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Traeger Smoked Burgers

No barbecue cookout is complete without Smoked Burgers. My guide to crafting the perfectly smoked burger combines rich and smokey hickory wood flavor with the tenderness of juicy all meat patties. Get that perfectly smoked burger taste and impress all of your guest at your next backyard cookout!

Check out this recipe

Smoked Beer Can Chicken

This Smoked Beer Can Chicken is a whole chicken, seasoned with a savory blend of aromatic spices, smoked slowly, perched on a can of premium beer. With its golden, crispy skin and the deep, moist flavor that only a smoker can deliver, this dish is sure to be the star of your next cookout!

Check out this recipe

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Smoked Baked Beans (With Bacon & Brown Sugar)

These Smoked Baked Beans are the perfect barbecue side! Slow smoked and simmered in thick, rich bbq sauce with dark brown sugar and savory bacon – these beans might even outshine your brisket! That's how good they are.

Check out this recipe

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Smoked Whole Chicken (with Peppercorn Smoked Chicken Brine)

What makes this Smoked Whole Chicken recipe so special? It's the peppery and savory smoked chicken brine that infuses the meat and makes it juicy and flavorful. Once you try this smoked chicken brine recipe, you'll never have chicken the same boring way again.

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Traeger Smoked Chicken Wings

These crispy Traeger Smoked Chicken Wings are bursting with smokey, tender and juicy flavor. With Traeger's signature wood-fired taste, you'll get that deep, campfire essence with a crisp and crackling skin.

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Fall-Off-The-Bone Smoked Beef Ribs

When you first bite into Fall-Off-The-Bone Smoked Beef Ribs, you're immediately overwhelmed with the deliciously rich & decadent taste of deeply smoked beef – and this flavor is just unbeatable. So moist, warm and savory, it's unlike any other cut of beef you've ever had.

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Enjoy These Smoker Recipes!

Charcoal Image — Photo Credit: jaco-pretorius

These recipes will help you savor the sights, sounds, smells and all of the flavors of a great summer time cookout and will make your backyard gather the talk of the neighborhood!