What foods should you smoke for football season?

Barbecue pairs perfectly with football—especially if you’re going to spend your Saturday or Sunday watching games all day. Not only do you have the time to smoke some great food, you’ve also got something to keep you entertained between trips outside to check on the smoker!

Whether you’re having a party or your smoking something up for yourself, here are a few of our  favorites for football season.

Chicken wings Maybe the most popular football food in the country (one report says the average American will eat 18,000 in their lifetime), chicken wings are easy to prepare, fast to cook compared to other smoked foods, and absolutely delicious.

You can add rub before smoking your wings, or put them on dry and add sauce later. (That’s not a bad idea if you have people who prefer varying levels of heat.) Smoke them for about 2 or 2.5 hours, flip them once when you’re halfway done, and check the internal temp—you’re looking for 165 degrees.

A quick note about frozen wings: While you can cook those over direct heat, we don’t recommend smoking them. Plan ahead and let them thaw out!

Pulled pork When you smoke a pork shoulder and then pull it apart, you’ve got all kinds of options—sandwiches, nachos, dips, you name it. 

Put a rub on and let it sink in for about 12 hours or so. Set the smoker to 225 degrees and allow for 1.5-2 hours per pound. To keep your pork moist, it’s a good idea to mop or spray the shoulder around every hour with an equal mixture of water, apple cider vinegar, and apple juice. And don’t forget to keep your smoker temp at the right level!

When the pork’s temperature is 205 degrees, take it off the smoker. Pull it apart or shred it, add sauce to the mix or leave it on the side, and you’re ready to go.

Smoked bacon What’s better than bacon? Smoked bacon! And this is super easy. Take a pound—or more—of bacon, rub it up with some maple syrup and brown sugar, and put it on a couple of racks on top of your smoker grates. (It’s a good idea to put a cookie sheet or small pan under the racks.) After about an hour at 225 degrees, flip the slices and go for another hour. And don’t jam the slices together … give them a little space so the smoke can reach every edge.