For all you meat smokers out there, if you haven’t tried smoked shrimp, yet, what are you waiting for? It doesn’t take long from preparing to enjoying, so grab some shrimp, preheat the smoker, and get ready to enjoy that rich, smokey flavor in less than an hour.

Whether you like to eat shrimp alone as an appetizer or use it with other recipes, Smoked Shrimp is a great choice. Using common spices you already have on-hand, as long as you have shrimp, you can toss it in your smoker any time you’re smoking other meats as well. You don’t even have to share, if you don’t want to. Eat these right out of the smoker and enjoy your reward for smoking some other meat for dinner.

Smoked Shrimp Ingredients

Below is an overview, so be sure to check the recipe card at the end for exact measurements.

• Raw Shell-On Shrimp – You don’t need jumbo shrimp, but you could use them. Just be sure to check the internal temp and adjust the cook time, if needed.
• Vegetable Oil – To help the seasoning stick as well as encouraging that smokey flavor you love.

Good Shrimp Seasoning

• Kosher Salt – A staple in cooking, salt is the flavor enhancer. Kosher salt also is a little larger and changes the texture some.
• Cracked Black Pepper – Also larger like the Kosher Salt, Cracked Black Pepper adds an even more robust flavor.
• Garlic Powder – Garlic is always a great flavor enhancer.
• Paprika – A great addition to any smoked meat, paprika will only compliment the smokey flavor.

How to Make Traeger Shrimp

To make Smoked Shrimp, start with preheating the smoker. It doesn’t take long to prep the shrimp, so it’s good to get it going so it’s ready when you are. To prep the shrimp, first peel and rinse them. Use a paper towel to blot off the excess water. Take a large bowl and toss the shrimp with all the other ingredients, making sure the shrimp is well coated.

Once your smoker is preheated, place the prepared shrimp onto the smoker grates and cook until they are done. Be ready, because they are best eaten straight out of the smoker. If you’re using them in a recipe rather than eating them as an appetizer, have everything else ready to go when the shrimp is finished.

How Much Shrimp Do I Need?

This recipe calls for 1-2 pounds. Each pound will probably give you about 13-15 shrimp, depending on the size of shrimp you purchase. Usually, a pound of shrimp can feed around 4 people, depending on how you plan to use the shrimp. Eating the shrimp alone as an appetizer may require more shrimp than including the shrimp in, say, a pasta dish. 

Keep in mind, not only the size of the shrimp will matter, but if the shrimp are raw, you’ll need more pounds and if they are peeled and deveined, you’ll need fewer pounds. It can be a confusing kind of math to do, but you’ll want to make sure you have plenty for everyone. 

Quick Tips for Smoked Shrimp

You may find that the shrimp are too small to place directly on your smoker grates. If this is the case, simply cover your smoker grate with some aluminum foil, taking care to poke small holes into the foil. The holes allow the smoke to flow through and still add the smokey flavor to your shrimp. 

If you’re smoking meat for a different meal and you have some room in your smoker, go ahead and toss these shrimp in with it! Even if you don’t make a ton, no one will ever say no to such a delicious pre-dinner snack. 

WHAT SIDES TO SERVE WITH SMOKED SHRIMP?

Smoked Vegetables – serving fresh vegetables is the perfect addition to Smoked Shrimp

Homemade Hush Puppies – seafood and hush puppies go hand in hand

Grilled Asparagus – a great way to keep the meal light

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Often overlooked because of the intimidating thought of smoking them yourself, Smoked Oysters make a great appetizer, snack, or addition to a meal. With the options of tossing them in pasta, in a vignette, or simply served in the shell, Smoked Oysters are versatile and seriously tasty.

Don’t be put off by the idea of smoking oysters. Smoking fresh oysters in smaller batches is a completely different experience than eating industrial smoked or canned oysters. They are juicy, delicate, and the flavor is just barely smoky. In less than an hour you can have a delicious delicacy that can make dinner unique and fun.

Smoked Oysters Ingredients

Check the Smoked Oyster recipe card for the complete list of ingredients. The following is just an overview.

• Fresh Oysters – You’ll need two dozen of them to serve about six people. Don’t get anything other than fresh for this recipe. Trust me.
• Unsalted Butter – Oysters are already salty enough, so unsalted butter is essential. Since oysters pump salt water through themselves like it’s their job, they take on the salinity of the water around them. 
• Garlic – in case you didn’t know, everything’s better with garlic. Lots and lots of garlic.

How to cook Smoked Oysters

Start by preheating your smoker to 225 degrees Fahrenheit. While that heats up, melt the butter in a microwave-safe dish. Then mix the minced garlic into the melted butter. 

Next, shuck the oyster, reserving as much of the liquid as you can. Put the shucked oysters on a wire rack and add a tablespoon of the garlic and butter mixture into each oyster. 

Place the oyster laden wire racks into the smoker and smoke them until they are firm and have the correct texture. Be sure to serve them fresh from the smoker.

Is This Oyster Fresh?

How can you tell if an oyster is fresh? Here are a few things to check:

1. The oysters should be tightly closed. The muscle works hard to keep that shell together, so if it isn’t shucked, it should be locked up tight. Otherwise it is likely dead. Dead oysters aren’t fresh.
2. Live oysters don’t smell bad. They should smell like the sea, not fishy or gross. 
3. Once shucked, the inside should be moist and have lots of seawater and oyster liquor.
4. Poke it with a fork. Live oysters should move. So if you are uncertain, give it a good prod and see what happens.

How to Shuck an Oyster

In simple terms, shucking an oyster means removing the oyster from the shell. It’s the process of using careful knife work to get the meat out to eat or cook.

1. First grab the oyster with a tea towel on the rounded end and hold on tight. 
2. Using a shucking knife (consider one with a safeguard, if you’re a newbie), put the tip of the knife at the base of the hinge. 
3. Use a bit of pressure and slightly twist the knife, then once you have the tip inserted into the hinge, cease using pressure and twist the knife or use the leverage you created to pry the hinge apart. 
4. Then slide your knife under the top shell to release the oyster. Now you can remove the shell, taking care not to spill the liquid. It may take a bit of practice, but it will get easier. 

Smoked Oysters are something delicious and worth making a part of your cooking rotation. If this is your first time trying oysters, then you’ve picked an awesome recipe to get started. 

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I’m a firm believer that smoking meat only makes it better. Fish is no exception. This Smoked Rainbow Trout recipe is flavorful and smoky, whether you use freshly caught fish or buy filets from the store.

I love a simple, yet powerful recipe. The brine for smoking trout only takes three ingredients besides water. Not to mention, they are ingredients I always have in the kitchen anyway. This Smoked Rainbow Trout recipe also won’t take all day, which is also useful when you forget to get dinner going in the smoker first thing in the morning. From start to finish, your trout should be done and ready to serve in under three hours.

Smoked Rainbow Trout Ingredients

Check the recipe card for full instructions, this is just a preview.

Brine for Smoked Trout

• Water – A wet brine needs a liquid. This recipe calls for water.
• Coarse Sea Salt – Probably the most important ingredient in a brine. Not only does salt add amazing flavor, it also makes the texture perfect and keeps the fish moist.
• Brown Sugar – Brown sugar won’t be used in every smoked fish recipe, but it really helps make the Rainbow Trout flavor incredible. 
• Worcestershire sauce – Instead of adding tons of different spices, Worcestershire sauce covers all the extra flavors you need.

Extra Seasoning for Smoked Trout Recipe 

• Sea Salt – Once the brine is removed, you’ll need to add some more salt to keep the flavor profile up to snuff.
• Black Pepper – You can never go wrong adding pepper. It will give the fish that extra kick that blends so perfectly with the sweetness of the brown sugar.

Options for Serving

• Fresh Dill – Dill goes with almost anything. The flavor is always exactly what was missing and never too overpowering.
• Lemons – A common addition to a fish dish. The tartness will offset the salty and sweet of the brine and seasonings.
• Butter – You can never have too much butter.

Don’t forget the Rainbow Trout. If you love fishing and have fresh filets, that’s great. For those of you who don’t love the great outdoors, store bought filets work just as well.

How to Smoke Rainbow Trout

Start by making the brine. Grab a large bowl and add the water, salt, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir until completely dissolved. Toss the filets in, cover it all and put it in the refrigerator.

Once the brining is done, drain off the excess liquid and pat the filets dry with a paper towel. Season each filet with salt and pepper then set your smoker to 180°F.

The filets can be placed directly on the grates and smoked for at least an hour or until it’s flaky and 145°F inside. After the Trout reaches temperature, it’s ready to serve.

How Long to Smoke Trout

The length of smoking time depends mostly on the thickness of the Rainbow Trout filets. It should take at least one hour, if not 1 ½ to 2 hours to smoke them to perfection. You’ll know they are done when the meat is opaque and easily flakes or when the internal temperature is 145°F. If you don’t have a good meat thermometer, trust me it’s a good investment. Cooking to a temperature is always more accurate than cooking for a certain length of time.

What to Serve with this Smoked Trout

• Grilled Asparagus
• For Dessert try these Grilled Peaches
• Grilled Corn

 

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