The first time I pulled a perfectly smoked porterhouse off my pellet grill, the aroma alone stopped conversations across the backyard. Something entirely different emerged from traditional grilled steak: a tender, deeply flavored piece of beef that combined the best of slow cooking with the satisfying char of high heat. Smoking steak transforms an already great cut into something extraordinary, where the low-and-slow process breaks down tough fibers while infusing every bite with rich, woodsy flavor.
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
The magic happens through a two-stage cooking process that first slowly builds flavor and tenderness at low temperature, then finishes with high heat for the perfect crust. Pellet smokers provide consistent temperature control that traditional smokers can’t match, while the wood pellets infuse continuous smoke flavor throughout the cooking process. This method creates incredibly tender results that rival the most expensive steakhouses.
What is the best steak to smoke?
You can smoke any cut of steak, You can smoke ribeyes, t-bones, sirloin steaks, or anything you desire.
This smoked steak recipe uses porterhouse steaks. The porterhouse cut location is the large end of the short loin. It has a bone with tenderloin on one side and strip steak on the other side. The name Porterhouse originated from English pubs that served porter (a type of ale)
Smoked Steak Recipe Ingredients
Here’s a list of what you need:
- Porterhouse steaks – Combines tenderloin and strip steak in one cut for varied texture and flavor
- Coarse salt – Enhances natural beef flavor and helps create proper seasoning penetration
- Fresh ground black pepper – Provides aromatic spice that complements smoky flavors perfectly
- Butter – Adds richness and creates glossy finish when melted over hot steak
How to Smoke Steak
- Preheat your pellet smoker to 165°F.
- Let steaks come to room temperature.
- Sprinkle the steaks with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Place steaks in the smoker and close the lid.
- Smoke the steaks for about 45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 110°F.
- Increase the temperature of the smoker to 500°F (high heat).
- Let it smoke for 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 135°F.
- Top with a pat of butter, and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
How long it takes to smoke a steak depends on how you like it cooked and whether it is a thin or thick-cut steak. Letting the meat reach an internal temp of 135°F is considered medium rare. Medium would be 145 to 150 degrees. For rare, it would be about 125°F. You should cook your steak to your personal desired level of doneness, raise the temperature of the steaks to the level of doneness you enjoy the most.
You can salt the steak before letting it come to room temperature, making it extra tender.
Use any seasoning you like, or even dress it with some BBQ sauce when it comes out of the smoker.
Most pellet smokers come with an attached meat probe, which would be the ideal probe to use, if available.
What Type of Wood Pellets should you use to smoke steak?
Different types of pellets will flavor your meat differently, here are some of the most common wood pellets you can find. My personal preference is to use hickory wood pellets, I love the bold smoke flavor, and hickory works well with beef, pork, and chicken.
| Wood Pellet Type | Flavor profile |
| Hickory | If you want a well-balanced smoke flavor that is milder than hickory or mesquite, this is for you. |
| Mesquite | Mesquite is typically associated with Texas barbeque. This gives off a bold flavor that has a touch of pine. |
| Oak | If you want a well-balanced smoke flavor that is milder than hickory or mesquite this is for you. |
| Pecan | This has a bold profile of smoke flavor reminiscent of the smokey flavor of bacon. |
What to Serve with Smoked Steak
These are great side dishes to go with a delicious smoky steak:
- Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
- Easy Broccoli Rice Casserole
- Homemade Potato Wedges
- Homemade Onion Rings
- Olive Garden Salad
Popular Beef Recipes
- Beef Jerky Recipe
- Beef Tips and Gravy
- Chow Fun
- How to Cook Beef Chuck Roast
- NY Strip Roast
- Shank Steak
- Steak Marsala
- Stove Top Pot Roast
Check out more of my easy beef recipes and the best summer dinner recipes here on CopyKat!
Smoked Steak Recipe – Perfect Pellet Grill Porterhouse
Ingredients
- 2 porterhouse steaks You can substitute your favorite cut of steak
- salt & pepper
- 2 tablespoons salted butter unsalted is ok to use
- 2 teaspoons parsley
Instructions
- Allow your steaks to come to room temperature if not already there. You can salt the steaks before they reach room temperature, as this will make them extra tender.
- Preheat your pellet smoker to 165 degrees. This usually takes around 15 minutes, depending on the smoker.
- Sprinkle the steaks with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Place steaks in the smoker and cook for about 45 minutes (or until the internal temperature reaches 110 degrees.)
- Turn the smoker up to 500 degrees and let it smoke for another 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 135 degrees (for medium-rare steak). See notes if you like your steak less or more cooked.
- Top with a pat of butter and some parsley. Enjoy!
If you are fortunate enough to have a smoker that can reach 500 degrees this sounds like a great recipe. If not, just do the first part of the recipe and remove steaks to a smok-in hot iron skillet with some Kosher salt sprinkled in the bottom of the skillet. Cook steaks 1 min per side. (you should see heat waves coming from the dry skillet) Test for desired doneness and if not to your liking, sear an addition 30 sec per side. Rest, covered for 3-4 min . Don’t forget the butter to top it off. I did 2 NY strip steaks last night, about 1 1/4 ” thick, and it was amazing.