Looking for some unique things to smoke that you may not have thought of before? We have some interesting and different suggestions for smoked food ideas for you.
You may or may not have heard of these things to smoke, but either way they are probably ideas you haven’t tried or at least haven’t tried in a while.
- 1 Cocktails – A Unique and Popular Thing to Smoke
- 2 Ostrich – A Lean and Different Meat to Smoke
- 3 Hard Boiled Eggs – A Delicious and Underrated Thing to Smoke
- 4 Smoking Tomatoes – One of the Most Versatile Things to Smoke
- 5 Smoked Mac N Cheese – One of the Most Delicious Things to Smoke
- 6 Smoked Ice – A Great Thing to Smoke to Boost Any Beverage
- 7 Smoked Seasonings – Salt and Pepper are Useful Things to Smoke
- 8 Chilli Peppers – One of the Spicier Things to Smoke
- 9 Smoking or Roasting Garlic – A Really Versatile Thing to Smoke
- 10 Smoked Cauliflower – A Tasty Thing to Smoke for Vegans & Vegetarians
- 11 Smoked Head of Cabbage
- 12 Goat – An Often Forgotten Thing to Smoke
- 13 Smoked Kangaroo Meat
- 14 Smoked Nuts
- 15 Smoked Bison
- 16 Smoking Alligator or Crocodile
- Traeger Cookbook Recipes

1 Cocktails – A Unique and Popular Thing to Smoke
Cocktails have become a really popular thing to smoke. We’ve all heard of using a smoky whiskey to add flavour to your cocktail, but have you considered smoking fruit with wood in your BBQ smoker?
Smoking cherries for 45 minutes in the smoker with alder wood chips imparts incredible flavour. If you leave the cherries overnight in the syrup you will use for your cocktails, then you have the perfect flavour base.
Try out the article for instructions and ideas galore. It could open up lots of possibilities, and transform your cookouts.
2 Ostrich – A Lean and Different Meat to Smoke
Instead of the obvious meats like chicken why not try ostrich?
It actually tastes more like a lean red meat than poultry, and it also makes for a mean burger or steak.
You can smoke, ostrich legs or steaks or the whole bird like the article shows you. If you like to mix things up at a barbecue then you have to try it at least once!
3 Hard Boiled Eggs – A Delicious and Underrated Thing to Smoke
Why do people so rarely think about smoking eggs? Smoked devilled eggs only need a few spices and a little time in the smoker, and they turn out super tasty.
Minimal effort for maximum taste.
Have a look at the article and try them out today!
4 Smoking Tomatoes – One of the Most Versatile Things to Smoke
Tomatoes have so many uses from soups to curries to ketchup, but they taste even better smoked.
Once you have smoked them you can use them as a pasta sauce, to impart a smoky dimension to BBQ sauce or Homemade ketchup, to salsas, or as an enjoyable side dish by themselves.
Smoked tomatoes are just so versatile and tasty!
5 Smoked Mac N Cheese – One of the Most Delicious Things to Smoke
Mac n cheese is always a popular side dish at a BBQ, but have you considered smoking it in the smoker?
It really adds an extra dimension of taste, especially if you make it with smoky bacon pieces.
Delicious!
6 Smoked Ice – A Great Thing to Smoke to Boost Any Beverage
This is a fantastic way to get that great smoky flavour into your drinks.
You simply leave the ice in a tray in the smoker at a low heat for a few hours.
The ice will melt of course, but you will be left with smoke-infused water which you can put in an ice tray, and place in the freezer until you are ready to use it.
7 Smoked Seasonings – Salt and Pepper are Useful Things to Smoke
We all rely heavily on these 2 seasonings to add extra flavour, but have you considered smoking your salt and pepper in advance?
This is a really simple and easy way to add extra smoky depth to your dishes.
Well worth a go!
8 Chilli Peppers – One of the Spicier Things to Smoke
We’ve all heard of, or enjoyed smoked chipotle or habanero chillies, but we don’t always think about smoking chilli peppers at home.
These smoked whole chillies will really bring a beef (or veg) chilli to life, not to mention your tacos and burritos of choice.
They don’t take too long to smoke either.
9 Smoking or Roasting Garlic – A Really Versatile Thing to Smoke
When you cook garlic you release the natural sweet, nutty flavours. If you smoke it as well then you’re really on to a winner.
You end up with a sweet, gooey smoky texture which can be added to mayo, sauces, dips, curries, pasta dishes, stews and much much more.
You can either wrap it in foil or use a garlic roaster.
10 Smoked Cauliflower – A Tasty Thing to Smoke for Vegans & Vegetarians
Vegetables are always among the quickest and easiest things to smoke, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t delicious.
Cauliflower wings are a delicious alternative for chicken wings especially when served with a delicious Buffalo Hot Sauce.
11 Smoked Head of Cabbage
This leads us on to another great vegetable for smoking – cabbage.
All you need to is cut a hole in the cabbage head and add your favourite seasonings and some butter or oil. Then smoke it wrapped in foil for around 2 hours until soft to the touch.
12 Goat – An Often Forgotten Thing to Smoke
Goat may not be one of the more obvious meats for smoking, but it’s really tasty and just that little bit different.
It tastes a bit like lamb but it has its own unique taste as well.
Try it at your next Backyard BBQ!
13 Smoked Kangaroo Meat
This one may be obvious for the Australians, but maybe not so much for the rest of us.
Kangaroo meat is great for burgers and steaks, and has a earthy bold flavour similar to beef. It’s also a really lean meat because the animal is very active.
You should definitely try this delicious smoked meat if you fancy something a bit out of the ordinary.
This smoked kangaroo recipe involves marinating kangaroo fillets in shiraz and black and pepper. Absolutely delicious!
14 Smoked Nuts
We generally think of roasting nuts in the oven, yet they taste so much better when they are done in the smoker.
And you have so many options to choose from. A popular choice would be peanuts with chilli powder, or pecans with a little maple syrup, but it’s worth experimenting with the whole range of nuts and which woods to smoke them with.
Just make sure you remove the shells to get plenty of smoke flavour in.
Such experiments provide lots of fun for hours to come!
15 Smoked Bison
For a different and less common alternative to beef consider smoking Bison.
Bison has higher levels of iron than beef which gives it more of an earthy, mineral taste. Bison are much more active than domestic cattle which makes it a leaner meat with less fat and calories than beef.
For something a little out of the ordinary try smoking bison, brisket or ribs next time you are smoking.
16 Smoking Alligator or Crocodile
These 2 different species are often confused, but one thing is sure they are both delicious meats to smoke. Depending on where you are in the world, you may find it easier to source one or the other.
Both alligator and crocodile taste like a combination of fish and chicken, making them fantastic to smoke. Alligator and crocodile are slightly salty, delicate white meats which are great for low and slow cooking.
If you are looking for unique things to smoke, look no further.
17 Smoking Wild Game Birds
For tasty alternatives to chicken it’s well worth considering wild game birds such as quail, partridge, pheasant, guinea fowl, or wood pigeon.
These birds are always on the move, unlike domestic chickens, and their meat is lean. They also eat berries and grubs in the wild so you will never have to consider whether they are organic or not.
You should definitely consider game birds as unique meats to smoke instead of domesticated poultry at your next BBQ! Try one game bird or a mix of them for a wild game bird platter to impress your guests.
We hope you enjoyed a few new smoking ideas!
If you enjoyed this recipe try our pellet grill brisket recipe.
Or our pellet grill turkey recipe.
For more interesting ideas on what to smoke try our ‘Pit Boss Smoker Recipes,’ post.
Other Great and Unique Things to Smoke
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