Best Food to Smoke During Fall

Cooler weather, football weekends, and holiday gatherings make fall one of the best times of year to put your smoker to work.

While summer gets most of the attention when it comes to outdoor cooking, fall opens the door to heartier cuts of meat, seasonal flavors, and long weekend cooks. From game-day pulled pork to a Thanksgiving turkey, there are plenty of reasons to keep the smoke rolling in Louisville.

Here are a few of our favorite foods to put on the smoker this fall.

1. Pork Shoulder

If you’re relatively new to smoking, pork shoulder is a great place to start.

It’s perfect for a long Saturday cook and can feed plenty of people once pulled. Keep the seasoning classic with your favorite BBQ rub, or bring in some fall flavor with ingredients like apple, maple, mustard, or a little heat.

Turn the finished pork into sandwiches, sliders, nachos, or tacos for an easy game-day spread.

Need some inspiration? Grill Masters Supply already has its own Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwiches and Bourbon BBQ Pork Sliders with Apple Slaw recipes worth checking out. 

2. Turkey

Why should the oven get all the attention at Thanksgiving?

Smoking a whole turkey adds another layer of flavor to the holiday centerpiece and frees up valuable oven space for everything else.

Try pairing your turkey with classic fall flavors like sage, rosemary, garlic, maple, apple, or pecan. You can also experiment with different hardwoods or fruitwoods to find the smoke profile you prefer.

If you’re smoking your Thanksgiving bird, food safety matters. USDA recommends completely thawing the turkey before smoking and cooking it until it reaches a safe minimum internal temperature of 165°F in the innermost thigh and wing and thickest part of the breast. 

3. Brisket

Cool fall weekends were practically made for brisket.

It’s a longer cook, which makes brisket ideal when you’re planning to spend the day watching football, working around the house, or hanging out in the backyard.

You don’t have to get complicated with it, either. A simple seasoning approach lets the beef and smoke do most of the talking.

The important part is giving yourself plenty of time. Weather, meat size, smoker temperature, and several other factors can affect smoking time, which is why USDA recommends relying on thermometers rather than time alone. 

4. Ribs

Ribs work in just about every season, but they feel especially appropriate when football is on.

Sweet, savory, spicy, or somewhere in between; there’s plenty of room to make them your own. Try experimenting with fall-inspired flavors such as maple, bourbon, apple, brown sugar, or warm spices in your rubs and sauces.

Serve them alongside smoked beans or mac and cheese and you’ve got a pretty hard-to-beat fall meal.

Grill Masters Supply has recipes for both Smoked BBQ Beans and Smoked Mac ‘n Cheese if you need ideas for the sides. 

5. Salmon

Your fall smoker lineup doesn’t have to be all pork and beef.

Salmon takes on smoke beautifully and offers a lighter option when you’ve already had your share of brisket and pulled pork. Try pairing it with flavors like maple, Dijon mustard, garlic, lemon, or herbs.

It also doesn’t require the same all-day commitment as some larger cuts of meat.

6. Mac & Cheese

Yes, your smoker can handle more than meat.

Smoked mac and cheese is an easy way to add a little BBQ flavor to a classic comfort food. It’s also a natural side for brisket, ribs, pulled pork, or just about anything else coming off the smoker.

And when you’re feeding a crowd for football or a fall get-together, nobody is going to complain about mac and cheese.

Try Grill Masters Supply’s own Smoked Mac ‘n Cheese recipe to get started. 

7. Seasonal Vegetables

Don’t forget to save some smoker space for the sides.

Fall vegetables like squash, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, carrots, and even whole heads of cauliflower can take on an entirely different character with a little smoke.

Keep things simple with oil and seasoning, or experiment with sweet, savory, and spicy combinations to complement whatever you’re serving as the main course.

Keep Smoking All Fall Long

The best thing about fall smoking is that there’s always another occasion to cook for.

Football weekend? Smoke some ribs.

Cool Saturday afternoon? Start a brisket.

Thanksgiving? Give the turkey a turn.

And sometimes, “it’s 60 degrees and I felt like smoking a pork shoulder” is reason enough.

Stop by Grill Masters Supply for smokers, fuel, seasonings, tools, and everything else you need to keep cooking outside all fall long.