Smoking Foods In A Pizza Oven: Can It Be Done?

A pizza oven is a great addition to any outdoor kitchen. It can make delicious pizzas, it can be used as a smoker for meats, and best of all it doesn’t take up too much space!

Pizza ovens are designed to work best for cooking…well, pizza. But, at its core a pizza oven isn’t too dissimilar to a standard kitchen oven or grill, it just usually uses wood as its cooing source. 

I’m always interested in using my tools (including cooking tools) in unconventional ways so I started researching some different ways to use an outdoor wood-fired pizza oven and put it all together in this article.

Can You Use A Pizza Oven As A Smoker?

In general, it is possible to use a pizza oven as a smoker but it is not the ideal way to prepare smoked foods. You will have to use a wood-fired pizza oven and even then the smoke generated isn’t as much as a smoker would make and pizza ovens are designed to evacuate smoke rather than hold it in for cooking.

In addition to lack of smoke, pizza ovens are usually too small and there isn’t enough insulation around the oven.

For instance, if you put a rack of ribs in your oven and close the door, all that smoke will just escape through the cracks around the door. Additionally, most outdoor pizza ovens are designed to use wood to produce a lot of heat and not to produce smoke.

So, while you can use a pizza oven as a smoker don’t expect miracles! If you want to try smoking in your outdoor pizza oven here are some tips…mostly for what NOT to do: 

• Don’t expect your oven to produce a lot of smoke. 
• Don’t use wood chips in the pizza oven (it will be hard to control and you won’t get much, if any, smoky flavor). 
• Use indirect heat when cooking with it. If possible close off half of your outdoor kitchen so that one side is the pizza oven and the other side is your smoker.
• Don’t put large, slow cooking meats like brisket in a pizza oven…you’ll be disappointed with the results!
• Don’t close the door of your oven when cooking with it.

For more information about Pizza Oven Doors, check out this article.

Can You Smoke Foods In A Gas Pizza Oven?

While you can smoke foods in a gas pizza oven, it is not an ideal way to smoke foods. You will have to use a combination of gas for the heat and wood chips and coals for the smoke. Pizza ovens are designed to evacuate smoke rather than hold it in for cooking, so your results will not be worth the effort.

If you do want to try smoking in a gas pizza oven I would suggest using indirect heat, putting the wood chips on top of the lit charcoal (you’ll get more smoke that way), and covering your meat with aluminum foil or even better…with an aluminum pan like a disposable roasting pan. While this will technically work, you probably won’t get the smoky taste that you’re looking for.

But, if you really want to try it out one key piece of advice is to make sure you don’t burn off all of the smoke before cooking. You may need to keep adding wood chips throughout the process if they combust too quickly.

Smoking meats is usually all about “low and slow” cooking…meaning low temperature for a long time. This allows the smoke to penetrate the meats giving that coveted smoke ring inside. 

Pizza ovens (no matter if they’re gas, electric, or wood-burning) are designed to cook hot and fast. Most can reach temperatures upwards of 900 degrees F and can cook a 9-12 inch pizza with moderate toppings in 90 seconds!

Do Pizza Ovens Give Off A Lot Of Smoke?

In general, wood-burning pizza ovens give off a lot of smoke when in use. Gas and electric models can still produce smoke if wood chips are put inside, but all pizza ovens are designed to allow the smoke to escape through vents, the front door, or a chimney.

Burning wood produces smoke, as does burning wood pellets and, to a lesser extent, burning gases like propane.

If the wood you are using is wet or damp, then more smoke may be produced but you will also have more popping and small explosions inside your oven as the water converts to steams. This could mean your food will end up with ash, soot, and chunks of wood on top of it…not good eats.

Can You Use Wood Chips In A Pizza Oven?

In general, any wood-fired pizza oven can use wood chips as its fuel source. Smaller, portable ovens need smaller pieces of wood to fit inside the hopper and large, built-in outdoor pizza ovens can use logs as well as wood chips to enhance flavor.

Some gas and electric models can also accommodate wood chips to enhance the smoky flavor.

When using wood chips in your pizza oven, try to use small pieces of wood (like kindling) and make sure that they are dry before putting them inside or else you risk creating a lot of smoke but not getting any sustenance from it.

Everyone has their go-to woods to use for various applications, but since people like lists as much as they like to try perfecting their outdoor cooking, here are some recommended woods to use:

• Oak
• Maple
• Apple
• Cherry
• Alder
• Hickory

Just remember to use high-quality woods that are meant for cooking. Never use treated wood or wood that has been painted or stained…even if you sand it off or cut off the painted areas…as it can leave a chemical aftertaste on your food.

If you want woods that burn slower and at a lower temperature use:

• Hickory
• Mesquite

These slower cooking woods are ideal for smoking meats at a lower temperature for longer periods of time, these are woods that are probably best suited for smokers but they can be used in pizza ovens as well.

If you want woods that burn hotter and faster use:

• Alder 
• Cherry 
• Oak 

These are more ideal for quick-cooking items like pizzas, steaks, or vegetables. Any of these woods are likely the go-to for using an outdoor pizza oven…but then again, everyone has their favorites.

Can You Smoke A Brisket In A Pizza Oven?

Typically, a pizza oven is not ideal for smoking meats like a brisket because of the low temperatures and long time frame needed. Pizza ovens are usually designed to cook at very high temperatures for short periods of time, making them more ideal for pizzas or steaks that you want to sear and then flash cook in the pizza oven.

Anything is possible with a little innovation and trial and error. If you want to try smoking a brisket in your pizza oven: 

• Start by using a wood like mesquite or hickory and building the fire on one side of the inside. 
• Then sear the meat on the opposite side of where you are building your fire. 
• Then put it inside and monitor it until you reach an internal temperature that is ideal for serving or use a remote thermometer to track temperatures while using indirect heat (no direct flame).
• Make sure your brisket has an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F before removing from the oven.
• If you don’t have a remote thermometer, watch the temperature and rotate every 15 minutes or so to ensure even cooking on all sides of your brisket. 
• The main thing is that you keep an eye on temperatures as it cooks because if they get too low then smoking will not be possible and if they get too high then the crusty skin on your brisket will burn.

As you can see, smoking a brisket in an outdoor pizza oven is not impossible…it just takes some thought and planning to make it happen successfully. Your mileage may vary and you may not get the desired flavor but hey…at least you tried. 

Final Thoughts

Maybe I’m a bit of a purist when it comes to cooking pizza or smoking meats. They each have a tool that works best so why not just use that tool. 

I get it though, several hundred dollars for a pizza oven and another several hundred for a smoker plus another several hundred for a grill can really add up.

If you were in a position where you could only buy one then you may want to just stick with a grill…they are more versatile and usually have more attachments and options that make cooking in other ways easier.

But if you’re going all out on an outdoor kitchen or your family loves having pizza night, get a good quality pizza oven and cook the briskets in the kitchen oven.