If you thought your smoker limited you to making ribs, brisket and maybe a spatchcocked chicken, you’re wrong. Any type of Grilla Grills smoker grill allows you to smoke foods beyond beef, poultry and even fish. 

So, what foods can be smoked? Below, we’ll explore unconventional choices that will ramp up your cooking routine and truly earn you a reputation as your neighborhood’s most inventive, well-versed pitmaster.

A Word About Cold Smoking

As you roll through our list of unusual smoked foods, you’ll see that some of them are best when cold-smoked. Cold smoking isn’t tough — it just requires a little prep time. Fill a large, edged aluminum pan with ice, then put your food in a smaller aluminum pan. Place the smaller pan in the larger one and set aside.

Turn your smoker to its lowest temperature level and put both pans inside the smoker. As you smoke your foods, keep adding a steady amount of ice in the bottom as the original ice melts. Within one or two hours, your cold-smoked food should be ready to go.

Best Foods to Smoke That Aren’t From the Meat Department

Now comes the fun part — experimenting with unexpected ingredients. Toss any of the following into your cold smoker, or heat them up as a method of smoking food preservation.

1. Whole Cabbage Head

Cook this baby at around 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the stem and make a hole in the cabbage. Then fill the hole with some butter and your favorite seasonings, if desired. Wrap the cabbage in aluminum foil and let it smoke for a couple of hours.

2. Tomatoes

Why limit yourself to basic pasta sauces and salsas? Incorporate smoky undertones into recipes by cutting your tomatoes in half and laying them on a foil pan. Spritz olive oil and spices on them and let them caramelize for an hour or two.

3. Cheese

Yes, you can smoke cheese. Any kind will work, from hard cheddar blocks to cream cheese varieties. Use your cold smoker setup to get the best results. Try different smoking times to elicit just the right blend of smoke intensity.

4. Butter and Cream

These products require a cold-smoke environment. You’ve never experienced heaven until you drizzle smoked butter over steamed veggies or created a thick pasta sauce with smoked heavy cream.

5. Nuts

Whip up nuts that will fly off the buffet table by smoking almonds, cashews and pecans. Just toss shelled nuts onto a foil-lined pan, pop it in the smoker at roughly 225 degrees Fahrenheit and you’re set.

6. Salt

Why buy smoked salt when you can easily make it yourself? You’ll need to cold smoke salt for around half a day, but if you’re cooking something else low and slow for about as long, why not pop some salt in your Kong, Silverbac or Chimp, too?

7. Ketchup

Most cooks gloss over ketchup. However, it’s a powerful addition to your hot dogs and grilled sandwich meats, particularly when it’s been cold-smoked. You can also smoke it with heat, but be careful — if it loses too much moisture during smoking, it’ll become inedible. 

Try an Unusual Smoked Food Today 

Above are some of the best foods to smoke from your backyard to surprise your friends and wow your family. Keep experimenting and smoking with your Grilla Grill to create new delicacies.