Best Meats to Smoke (& What Not to Cook in a Drum)

To smoke or not to smoke?

We grillers love to experiment. Sometimes, though, our love of food chemistry can blow up in our faces (hopefully not literally).

Whether you’re new to your rig or simply want to branch out, it’s wise to refresh yourself on the best meats to smoke. A handful of meats stand out as benefiting from that delicious, smoky flavor, while other cuts don’t gain much benefit from a long, slow cook.

Why Science Loves Certain Meats for Smoking

Understanding the science of why certain meats “work” on a smoker is what separates good BBQ from great BBQ.

The core principle of what you can and can’t cook in a smoker is this: It’s a low-and-slow cooking method (typically 225-275°F over several hours). The meats that thrive are ones with specific characteristics that benefit from that environment.

Collagen: Not Just for Duck Lips

The easiest cuts to work with are loaded with collagen. This is the fibrous tissue whose job is to hold muscles together (or artificially plump women’s lips, if this were the 1990s). When held at low heat for a long time, collagen slowly converts into gelatin, which:

• Bastes the meat from the inside
• Creates that silky, pull-apart texture
• Keeps the meat moist even after hours of cooking

This is why cheap, tough cuts pair well with the smoking process. A smoker grill doesn't just tolerate that type of cut – it's built for it.

Fat Content = Flavor & Moisture Insurance

Fattier cuts also come with a self-basting mechanism. As the fat slowly renders (melts) over hours, it continuously coats the muscle fibers, preventing them from drying out. 

Smoke Ring & Absorption 

Smoke doesn't just flavor the outside of whatever you’re cooking – it also chemically reacts with the food’s surface. This is what creates the iconic pink smoke ring beneath the crust. 

Meats with more surface area, looser muscle fibers, or longer cook times absorb more of that smoky flavor. This is why ribs and brisket get so savory and aromatic, while a quick-cooked chicken breast tastes like … a slightly smoky chicken breast.

The 7 Best Meats to Smoke

Without any further ado, here are the tried-and-true favorites that experience smoker grill users rave about.

Brisket

The king of BBQ is two muscles in one cut: the flat (lean) and the point (fatty). The fat cap on top bastes the lean flat throughout the cook. The meat is succulent and deeply smoky, just like you want it.

The enormous amount of connective tissue in this working muscle (it's from the cow's chest, which bears a lot of weight) takes 10–18 hours to fully break down. The legendary result is worth the wait, whether you're working with a drum smoker or another kind.

Pork Shoulder / Boston Butt

This is one of the most forgiving cuts in BBQ. You’re working with high fat, high collagen, and a porous bone that conducts heat slightly faster than the center meat itself (depending on who you ask). Even if you overshoot the temperature slightly, the fat content saves you. 

If you’re a beginner, this is a perfect starting cut. If you’re a fan of pulled pork, it’s even better.

Pork shoulder (and arguably pork belly) are textbook examples of the virtues of fat. They're almost impossible to ruin because there's so much fat working in your favor.

Pork Ribs

An excellent and obvious choice. Pork ribs transform into a whole new kind of awesome if you cook them low and slow at around 225-275° for 5–7 hours.

Spare and St. Louis-style ribs have more fat and connective tissue than baby backs, making them arguably better for smoking. The meat between and around the bones slowly tenderizes while the surface develops a caramelized bark – aka the flavor-packed crust.

An ugly drum smoker (UDS) allows for even more successful spare ribs, as they excel at even heat distribution.

Chicken (Whole or Thighs)

Chicken has shorter muscle fibers and naturally higher moisture than red meat, so it doesn't need as long to break down. Thighs outperform breasts because of higher fat content. Whole chickens benefit from the skin acting as a moisture barrier. Any chicken is a great smoke absorber.

Plus, you can’t go wrong with serving chicken. (Almost) everyone loves it.

Turkey

Grilling a turkey means using similar logic to chicken, but turned up to 11. The skin crisps nicely at smoking temps, and the larger mass means more time for smoke to do its job. Dark meat on the thighs and legs stays juicy; white meat on the breast needs more attention.

If you’re looking to get creative for holiday meals, look no further than smoked turkey. These are the days you're planning to cook all day anyway, right?

Lamb Shoulder

Underrated, but excellent. Lamb shoulder has similar DNA to pork shoulder — rich fat content, lots of collagen, and a strong enough flavor that wood smoke won’t overwhelm it. It's a popular meal in Australia and New Zealand, often with dashes of rosemary, garlic, and olive oil.

Lamb leg gets an honorable mention for being super-juicy and relatively quick to cook (about 3.5 hours).

Beef Short Ribs

Of course you can smoke beef short ribs! They're called "brisket on a stick" for a reason.

That said, beef short ribs are even more collagen-rich than brisket. The texture is tender and buttery, and it brings an intensely beefy flavor. The thick cap of fat and meat sitting on top of the bone renders beautifully over 8–10 hours.

Short ribs are also visually dramatic. You’ll look like a grill maestro of the highest order while you do your thing.

 

Warning: These Meats Are a Struggle

Some experiments are doomed to fail. We’re not saying you can’t use the list below, but they’re either not the easiest meat to smoke or don’t benefit much from the process.

Delicate Fish

Certain popular fish are lean with almost no fat and very delicate flesh. They fall apart physically, followed minutes later by their flavor profile (which smoke completely overwhelms). 

Fish to avoid slapping onto a UDS include:

• Cod
• Tilapia
• Flounder

There's no fat or collagen to protect them the way salmon's oils do.

Lean, Thin Cuts

Certain cuts of popular meats have very little fat and almost no connective tissue: Pour one out for:

• Chicken breast
• Pork loin
• Pork tenderloin

Again, this type of meat has nothing to keep it moist during a long cook. The muscle fibers simply tighten, squeeze out their moisture, and turn dry and chalky. 

You can smoke them, but you have to cook them hot and quickly, which defeats the purpose of a smoker – and still requires babysitting.

Anything Needing a True Sear (Unless You Went Ugly)

A smoker maintains a consistent low, indirect heat environment. A proper sear (think steakhouse crust) requires extremely high direct heat of 500°F or more. This triggers the Maillard reaction, which is the chemical process that creates that brown, crusty, deeply savory exterior. 

Smokers simply don't reach those temperatures, and when they do, the heat isn't direct. One caveat: An ugly drum smoker running hot can approximate a sear better than other smoker types.

For BBQ Smoking, Fat Is in Style

When it comes to smoking, fat and collagen are your friends. Cuts with plenty of both are the absolute best meats to smoke. 

Cuts without them need special handling or don't belong there at all. Not all of your smoker ideas will end up in the cookbook hall of fame, and that’s OK.

To learn more about creating winning BBQ an ugly drum smoker, grab our free beginner’s guide: