Some gas grills come with a dedicated space for wood chips, while many others are compatible with smoker boxes that can sit either directly on the burner or grill grates. You can also smoke wood chips in a foil pan or by wrapping them in a rectangular sheet of foil to form a pouch. Regardless of method, we never soak wood chips because all that does is delay the actual burning and produce steam rather than smoke.

Wood chips being added to a smoker box

Chef Tony recommends placing foil pouches on or between the flame tamers, if possible, near the far left or right burner. Smoker trays, meanwhile, usually come with instructions for where they should be positioned within the grill. For both foil pouches and pans, make sure to poke holes in the covering with a fork so smoke can escape and fill your food with flavor.

Preheat the grill like normal, turn the wood chip burner to low, then add your smoker box or foil setup and shut the lid so the chips can begin smoldering. Once you see blue smoke — which is clean and ideal for distributing flavor — flowing from the back of your grill, then it’s time to put your food on. We know you’ll have the urge to check on your food while it’s smoking, but it’s important to keep the lid closed so the smoke stays trapped and soaks in. Also remember that different wood chips impart different flavors, and you can always split wood chunks into smaller potions for a quicker burn in the grill.