This extensive list of holiday recipes for the grill or smoker is the perfect menu planner! Whether you are hosting a gathering or contributing a dish, we have you covered. You’ll find everything from party snacks to delicious roasts and desserts.
The holidays are a whirlwind of work parties, festive family dinners, Friendsgiving, and, let’s not forget, New Year’s Eve! This menu planner is filled with holiday recipes for the grill or smoker. We use your outdoor cooking equipment year-round, regardless of seasonal changes. If this resonates with you, you’ve come to the right place for your holiday meal planning. Peruse these incredible recipes, and plan for the holiday season.
HOLIDAY PARTY FOOD
Take these amazing small-bite recipes to potlucks, or serve them as appetizers at your next party.
Plank Grilled Brie
This Plank Grilled Brie is one of the easiest appetizers to prepare on the grill. The best part is that petite brie comes in different flavors, so you can mix it up by pairing a different preserve with each one. You can also pair each with a different wine. Ask your local cheese-monger for a sample and some suggestions. You will need to use brie encased in the rind for this recipe. Doing this will make the grilling process so much easier!
Smoked BBQ Meatballs
Made-from-scratch smoked BBQ meatballs make the perfect appetizer for holiday parties. These meatballs are smoked right on your grill or smoker, then bathed in a flavorful, sweet and tangy BBQ sauce.
Jalapeno Popper Corn Dip
Indulge your senses with this creamy jalapeno popper corn dip. This easy, delicious dip is perfect for potlucks, and parties. You can cook this dish indoors or on a gas, charcoal, or pellet grill.
Smoked Cream Cheese (5 ways)
Smoked cream cheese is one of the easiest and incredibly delicious appetizer recipes out there. If you haven’t tried this one yet, you are in for a treat! We’ve included 5 ways of preparing this trending cream cheese appetizer. We recommend making at least 3 for moderate sized holiday parties. It’ll be gone before you know it!
Grilled Stuffed Mushrooms
We love serving these grilled jalapeno poppers on New Year’s Eve, tailgating events, Super Bowl parties, and cookouts. They are incredibly easy to make, and if you’re already using your grill for cooking your favorite proteins, why not just pop these bacon and jalapeno stuffed mushrooms on there too? It’s fast, and convenient, and you’ll have a perfectly cooked appetizer in just 20 minutes.
Smoked Pumpkin Butter
Sure, you can purchase pumpkin butter, but this smoked pumpkin butter is a budget-friendly alternative and so worth the effort! Our easy smoked pumpkin recipe will get you started, and the best part is that you’ll have enough pumpkin puree to make soup or pumpkin pie! Use this smoked pumpkin butter as a topping, spread, or fruit dip.
MAIN PROTEINS
Hosting a festive dinner? These are some of our most popular holiday recipes for the grill or smoker. Make the perfect smoked turkey, prime rib, crown roast, and more with our extensive recipe guides.
Pellet Grill Smoked Turkey
Pellet Grill Smoked Turkey is amazingly delicious and a great alternative to an oven-baked holiday turkey! Our comprehensive guide will walk you through choosing the right turkey, using the best woods, optimal time and temperature for smoking, plus Pitmaster techniques for smoking perfection.
Pellet Grill Prime Rib
The prime rib roast is the king of all holiday meals! And, with rising beef prices, you want to make sure that your investment yields the best results. Using a pellet grill is probably the easiest way to achieve smoky prime rib goodness. If you do not own a Traeger or other pellet grill, you can apply this recipe to a stick burner unit. Please see our Kettle Smoked Rib Roast if you plan to use your Big Green Egg or Weber Kettle. Pair your holiday prime rib with our delicious Homemade Beef Gravy.
Smoked Whole Turkey Breast
We love huge holiday meals, but some years we host smaller dinner parties. This smoked turkey breast comes in handy for occasions like this. And, it’s a great option for those who prefer breast meat over thigh and drumstick meat. This recipe guide will walk you through all the steps to make a delicious smoked whole turkey breast. And the best part is that you can use this recipe year-round!
Grilled Pork Crown Roast
Grilled Pork Crown Roast is perfect for the holidays and special occasions! We love making pork crown roast every chance we get, and the best part is that we can use the grill for cooking the main course while freeing up the oven for side dishes and desserts. This fantastic crown roast is marinated in a citrus-herb mixture, then basted with maple-whiskey sauce as it cooks.
Smoked Pellet Grill Brisket
Pellet Grill Smoked Brisket is incredibly delicious, and our comprehensive guide will walk you through the steps for perfecting this popular barbecue staple. Our method will yield a tender, juicy, perfectly smoked brisket for holidays. So, if you’re looking for a Texas-style brisket recipe, this is the one!
Pork Rib Roast
Pork Rib Roast is an underutilized cut of meat that has so much to offer. When cooked right, this roast is tender, juicy, and flavorful. For this recipe, we start with a brine and then season the roast with a simple rub. Trust us when we say that this makes the perfect Holiday Pork Rib Roast! Most importantly, it is a less expensive cut than its beef equivalent.
Porchetta
Wow your guests this holiday season with Smoked Porchetta! This impressive Italian-style roast is chock-full of amazing flavor and relatively inexpensive compared to prime rib.
Smoked Root Beer Glazed Ham
This ham is full of flavor, double-smoked and then basted with a fantastic root beer glaze. It is definitely, a must-try ham recipe during the holidays! Save the leftovers to make delicious sandwiches, salads, and hearty cold-weather soups!
Pellet Grill Roasted Leg of Lamb
Are you ready for something utterly delicious? This pellet roasted leg of lamb will undoubtedly do the trick. Seasoned with lemon, herbs, and garlic, this perfectly crusted smoke-kissed lamb will tantalize your taste buds. This dish is perfect for the holidays and Sunday dinner.
Tapenade Stuffed Pork Loin
This amazing grilled tapenade pork loin is wonderfully elegant and perfect for for small holiday gatherings. Make the tapenade from scratch and tailor the flavors to suit your tastes, or use premade tapenade if you’re short on time.
Side Dishes
Every smoked roast deserves a delicious supporting side dish. Pair one, two, or even three sides for the perfect meal.
Smoked Au Gratin Potatoes
Smoked au gratin potatoes are the new and improved version of a comfort food classic. This easy-to-follow recipe calls for simple ingredients already in your fridge or pantry! Once you’ve tasted them, you’ll understand why it made our list of holiday recipes for the grill or smoker! Serve these au gratin potatoes with turkey, prime rib, or ham.
Smoked Sausage Stuffing
Whether you call it stuffing or dressing, this super simple smoked sausage stuffing will brighten up your holiday table, and your taste buds will thank you for it! This cast-iron skillet recipe starts with simple ingredients like seasoned bread cubes, chicken broth, and cooked sausage. Then it’s placed in the smoker for 40-45 minutes and viola! You’re ready to serve a delicious side dish.
Bacon Wrapped Green Beans
These Bacon Wrapped Green Beans bundles are simple to make and easier to grill than you’d think. Make sure that the beans are all equal in length and purchase a thinner variety of bacon. These bacon wrapped green beans make a fantastic side dish, and let’s be honest, bacon just makes everything better! We love serving this with smoked turkey or glazed ham.
Smoked Baked Potatoes
These smoked baked potatoes are crazy good, and so easy to make. We absolutely love them fully loaded! Not only are these potatoes versatile, but they can be cooked low and slow right along with your main protein.
Skillet Gochujang Brussels Sprouts
This easy, homemade brussels sprouts recipe combines the delicious earthy flavors of gochujang with honey, bacon, and a hit of smokiness. Look no further if you’re searching for a unique holiday side dish or meal prep idea!
Pellet Grill Funeral Potatoes
These smoky pellet grill funeral potatoes are incredible and so easy to make! This is the perfect recipe for those who own a wood pellet grill like a Traeger! This cheesy potato casserole pairs well with any smoked or grilled meats, and the best part is that even if you do not own a pellet grill, you can cook this hash brown potato casserole right in your oven!
Loaded Sweet Potatoes
Smoked loaded sweet potatoes take a traditional holiday staple to a whole new level. These sweet potatoes are smoked then topped with a delicious butter spice mixture and marshmallows at the end of cooking time. The hint of smoke sets this dish apart from grandma’s casserole! Even better, they make the perfect individual portion!
Smoked Butternut Squash
This Smoked Butternut Squash is one of our favorite holiday side dishes, and it’s so easy to make! The best part is that it requires little time and ingredients. A win-win in our book.
Twice Baked Potato Casserole
This creamy, delicious twice-baked potato casserole is out of this world. It really is hard to resist. A great comfort food item that also makes the perfect side dish for any special occasion or holiday meal. Simply fantastic!
Desserts
Dinner is not complete until a well-made dessert hits the table. These smoked dessert recipes are crowd-pleasers and some of our reader favorites!
Smoked Pumpkin Pie
We first developed this smoked pumpkin pie recipe in 2013 by smoking pumpkins and using the pureed flesh for these amazingly delicious pies. It was a huge hit! Smoking the pumpkins adds a new level of amazing flavor! Top this smoked pumpkin pie with sweetened whipped cream and a little caramel sauce for the perfect dessert!
Chocolate Sauce on the Smoker
Drizzle this smoky chocolate sauce over ice cream, grilled fruits, pie or cake. We love this sauce on brownies too. Don’t worry; the smoke flavor will not be overpowering, but it will add depth to the chocolate.
Smoked Salted Caramels
While this recipe isn’t technically made on a grill or smoker, we thought it deserved to be on this list. Salted caramels are delicious, but the simple addition of smoked salt is just perfection. Serve these caramels at potlucks and parties, and they also make the perfect gift for the holidays. If you’re new to caramel making, don’t worry. We’ll guide you through all the steps.
Smoked Sweet Potato Pie
Nothing screams fall like a freshly made pie with creamy sweet potatoes, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flaky crust. The best part is that cooking sweet potatoes in a smoker is so easy! Especially if you’re using a pellet grill. Set it and forget it; let the sweet potatoes cool, and you’ll have slightly smoky, fresh sweet potato flesh to make your filling.
Did you enjoy our best holiday recipes for the grill or smoker? We have more fantastic recipes in our book, “The Complete Guide to Smoking Meat.”
