How to Use Electric Smoker with Wood Chips

On this page (8 sections)

1. What wood chips work best in an electric smoker?
2. How do you prepare and load wood chips?
3. How do you manage smoke during the cook?
4. How do you load chips on a smoker with a side loader?
5. How do you keep the temperature steady while smoking?
6. How do you know when the meat is done?
7. How do you clean up after a wood chip cook?
8. Which setup should you choose for your first wood chip cook?

To use wood chips in an electric smoker, soak them for about 30 minutes, drain them well, and load a small handful into the chip tray or loader once the smoker reaches your set temperature. Add more chips every 45 to 60 minutes to keep thin blue smoke going.

An electric smoker does the heat control for you, so the wood is the part you manage. Get the chip type, amount and timing right and you'll have steady smoke without opening the door and losing heat.

What wood chips work best in an electric smoker?

Small chips or discs work best, because they fit the shallow tray and start smoking quickly. Big chunks often smother in an electric chip tray, so keep the pieces small and drained well.

The wood species sets the flavor. Hickory gives a bold, savory depth that suits pork butts and ribs.

Mesquite brings a strong Texas-style smoke that's easy to overdo on chicken. Apple and cherry are milder and fruitier, which makes them a safe pick for poultry, fish and vegetables.

For a first cook, choose one mild wood and learn how much smoke the cabinet holds. A variety pack lets you try several flavors without buying four full bags, and our guide to the wood chips for electric smoker compares the common options in more detail.

Check that your smoker's manual allows chips rather than pellets before you buy. Most chip trays also accept discs, which burn longer than loose chips.

How do you prepare and load wood chips?

Soak the chips, drain them, then load a small handful into the tray or side loader before or just after you start the smoker. Wet chips smolder slowly instead of flaring up and burning off in one hot burst.

Here is the order that works:

1. Soak the chips in a bowl of water for about 30 minutes.
2. Drain them in a colander and shake off the loose water.
3. Fill the chip tray or loader with roughly half a cup.
4. Close the smoker and let it come up to temperature.
5. Add more chips when the smoke thins.

Don't pack the tray tight. Air needs to move through the chips for them to smolder rather than sit cold.

If your smoker has a side chip loader, use it so you never open the door mid-cook.

How many chips should you load at once?

Start with about half a cup, then adjust to your smoker and the wood. Hickory and mesquite are strong, so a smaller load keeps the flavor clean.

Apple and cherry are gentler and can take a slightly fuller tray.

An overloaded tray produces thick white smoke that can leave a bitter taste on the meat. Aim for thin blue smoke drifting from the vent instead.

If the smoke turns white and heavy, reduce the chips and let the cabinet settle.

How do you manage smoke during the cook?

Keep a light, steady stream of thin blue smoke and add chips in small batches through the cook. Thin smoke carries flavor; thick white smoke coats the food in soot and can taste harsh.

Check the smoke at the vent every so often rather than opening the door. On most electric smokers the element heats the chips until they smolder, so the smoke cycle runs in bursts.

A fresh handful every 45 to 60 minutes keeps it going without a big spike.

Keep the water bowl filled if your smoker has one. Moist air helps smoke settle on the surface of the meat and keeps the cabinet from drying out.

Refill it with warm water so the temperature doesn't dip.

How do you know when to add more chips?

Add more when the vent smoke thins to almost nothing, usually every 45 to 60 minutes. If you're using a smoker with a side chip loader, you can top up without opening the door.

Some cooks stop adding wood after the first few hours and let the meat finish on heat alone. That works well for long cooks like brisket or pork butt, where too much smoke can turn acrid.

For shorter cooks like chicken or fish, small regular additions keep the flavor even.

How do you load chips on a smoker with a side loader?

Use the side loader to add chips without opening the door, which keeps heat, smoke and moisture inside the cabinet. It is the handiest feature on chip-fed electric smokers, and it changes how you manage the whole cook.

On the Masterbuilt 30 Digital Electric Smoker, the patented side wood chip loader lets you continually add smoke flavor without opening the door. Its digital panel sets temperature and time up to 275°F, and the water bowl adds moisture for juicier meat.

With a loader, you can add a small handful whenever the smoke thins and never lose your set temperature. That matters on windy or cold days, when every door opening costs heat.

If you smoke through winter, our guide on whether you can use an electric smoker in the winter covers the extra steps.

Without a side loader, load the tray before you start and open the door only when the smoke dies down. Work fast and close the door behind you.

How do you keep the temperature steady while smoking?

Set the temperature and leave the door closed, letting the chip tray and water bowl do their work. Every door opening dumps heat, and the element then has to recover while the smoke thins.

Preheat the smoker with the door shut before adding food. Once the meat is in, resist the urge to peek; use a remote thermometer to track the internal temperature instead of opening the cabinet.

On cool or windy days, move the smoker out of the wind and give it more time to reach temperature. Chip smoke behaves the same, but the element works harder to hold the set point.

A water bowl helps buffer swings, and a full bowl keeps the cabinet humid.

Don't overload the tray to compensate for a cool day. More chips make thicker smoke, not steadier heat.

Adjust the temperature setting instead.

How do you know when the meat is done?

Cook to internal temperature, not to time, and check it with a probe thermometer rather than by opening the door. Wood smoke adds flavor, but the meat's temperature tells you when it's safe and tender.

The TempPro TempSync uses RF rather than Bluetooth, so it holds a connection up to 1,000 feet away. Four color-coded probes let you track several cuts at once, and 10 USDA-recommended presets plus smart alarms take the guesswork out of doneness.

Run the probe wires out through the smoker's vent or grommet if it has one. Keep the probe tips in the thickest part of the meat, away from bone and fat.

For a first cook, our walkthrough on how to use an electric smoker covers seasoning the cabinet and the first smoke.

How do you clean up after a wood chip cook?

Empty the ash and chip tray once the smoker is cold, then wipe the racks, water bowl and door seal. Leftover ash holds moisture and can rust the tray or leave a stale taste on the next cook.

Let the unit cool completely before you touch the tray. Dump the spent chips and ash into a metal bin, not a plastic bag, since embers can hide in the ash for hours.

Wipe the interior with a mild cleaner and dry it before closing the door.

Clean the racks and water bowl in warm soapy water. Check the vent and the chip loader for buildup, since a clogged vent traps smoke and makes the next cook taste bitter.

Our full guide to how to clean an electric smoker covers the deeper clean and how often to do it.

Store the smoker covered and dry between cooks. A damp cabinet is the main cause of rust on the element housing and tray.

Which setup should you choose for your first wood chip cook?

Start with a mild wood, a small load and a remote thermometer, then adjust the chip amount as you learn your smoker. That combination gives you clean smoke and a reliable read on doneness without opening the door.

Pick the Western variety pack if you want to try apple, cherry, hickory and mesquite before settling on a favorite. Choose the Masterbuilt 30 if a side chip loader and digital temperature control matter more to you than a basic cabinet.

Add the TempPro TempSync if you plan to smoke several cuts at once or watch the cook from inside the house.

Once you've learned how to use an electric smoker with wood chips, the rest is timing and taste. Keep the smoke thin, the door shut and the tray topped up, and the wood will do its job.

Frequently asked questions

How many wood chips do you put in an electric smoker?

Start with a small handful, roughly half a cup, in the chip tray or loader. Electric smokers are sealed cabinets, so a little wood goes far and an overloaded tray can choke the smoke.

How often do you add wood chips while smoking?

Add a fresh handful every 45 to 60 minutes, or when the smoke thins out. Thin blue smoke is what you want; thick white smoke means too many chips or too much heat.

Can you use wood chips and pellets in the same electric smoker?

Only if your smoker's manual allows both. Most chip trays are built for chips or discs, and pellets can fall through the tray or burn too hot in a chip setup.

Do you need to soak chips in a Masterbuilt electric smoker?

Masterbuilt's side chip loader is designed to add chips during the cook without opening the door. Soaking is optional, though many cooks soak first to stretch the smoke over a longer cook.