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    Home » Vegetables

    Published: Oct 24, 2023 · Modified: May 21, 2024 by Mads Martigan · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Smoked Pumpkin

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Smoked Pumpkin is so simple to make, yet adds great smoke flavor to this fall favorite. Pumpkin can be smoked on a pellet grill such as a Pit Boss or Traeger, in an electric smoker, or even on a gas grill with a smoker box!

    After being smoked, the pumpkin can be used in a number of different recipes, even in a homemade pumpkin pie!

    pumpkin smoking on the grates of a Z grill pellet grill

    Nothing says fall quite like pumpkin. While typically thought of as a vegetable, pumpkin is actually a fruit, but it can be smoked much like other vegetables.

    Just like with Smoked Acorn Squash, we like to smoke the pumpkin in large pieces. It can then be eaten as a side dish or used to make a number of different recipes.

    Smoked pumpkin is great in savory recipes like Chicken and Pumpkin Tarts or sweet ones like Smoked Pumpkin Bread or Smoked Pumpkin Pie.

    Jump to:
    • What Type of Pumpkin to Smoke
    • Cutting the Pumpkin and Removing Seeds
    • Seasoning the Pumpkin
    • Best Wood and Wood Pellets for Pumpkin
    • Smoker Time and Temperature
    • Serving Suggestions
    • 📖 Recipe

    What Type of Pumpkin to Smoke

    a pie pumpkin on a cutting board in front of smokers

    When you are choosing a pumpkin for smoking, it's important to choose a pumpkin called a "pie pumpkin" or a "sugar pumpkin."

    These are relatively small and the best for eating, as compared to the larger pumpkins that are better suited for carving into Jack-O-Lanterns.

    Cutting the Pumpkin and Removing Seeds

    Using a sharp chef's knife or meat slicing knife like our favorite from Mairico, slice the pumpkin in half.

    You want to slice it right down the middle, a little offset from the stem.

    slicing a pumpkin in half using a large meat slicing knife
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    This will create two halves that are filled with the seeds and pulp.

    a cut open pie pumpkin revealing the seeds and pulp inside

    Scoop out the insides, including the seeds and pulp, with a large metal spoon.

    a metal spoon scooping out the seeds and pulp from a pie pumpkin

    The sharp edges of the spoon are help scrape the inside of the pumpkin to remove all the strings that are attached to the walls. Repeat with both halves.

    two halves of a cleaned out pumpkin

    You can save the seeds to make Smoked Pumpkin Seeds.

    a spoon with pumpkin pulp and seeds

    Seasoning the Pumpkin

    Use a fork to prick the flesh of the pumpkin. This will allow steam to escape during the cooking process.

    pricking the flesh of a pumpkin with a fork

    Brush the inside walls of each half of the pumpkin with olive oil using a silicone basting brush.

    a silicone basting brush brushing olive oil on the inside of a cleaned out pumpkin
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    Season lightly with salt.

    The salt will help draw out some of the moisture. Even if you plan to use the pumpkin in a dessert, still use the salt.

    half of a cleaned out pumpkin oiled and salted

    Best Wood and Wood Pellets for Pumpkin

    For pumpkin, we prefer to use a fruitwood like apple or a nutty wood like pecan.

    In a pellet grill like a Pit Boss or Traeger, we like Bear Mountain Apple Pellets or Knotty Wood Almond Cabernet Wine Blend Pellets.

    Bear Mountain BBQ 20 Pound Natural Hardwood Outdoor Grilling Smoker Pellets with Gourmet Blend, Hickory, and Apple Smoker Flavors (3 Pack)
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    We often bump up the smoke on a pellet grill by adding a pellet tube smoker or a firebox with charcoal and real wood chunks.

    Check out those articles and videos to show you exactly how to set those up.

    Electric smokers will use wood chips, which can also be used in a smoker box to smoke on a gas grill or a charcoal grill.

    Our favorite way to smoke on charcoal grill is to use wood chunks, which we show step by step in How to Smoke on a Charcoal Grill.

    Smoker Time and Temperature

    Start your smoker and let it run through the start up process. Then set the temperature to 350°F.

    For a reminder on how to start your grill, check out:

    • How to Start a Pit Boss
    • How to Start a Traeger
    • How to Start a ZGrill
    • How to Start a Camp Chef
    • How to Start a Masterbuilt Electric Smoker

    Many models of Masterbuilt electric smokers only go up to 275°F.

    If this is the case for you, just set it to 275°F and know it will take longer to cook.

    Make sure to oil your cooking grates ahead of time to prevent sticking!

    Once the smoker is preheated, place the pumpkin halves, skin side down, on the grates of the grill.

    pumpkin halves on the grates of a pellet smoker

    You will continue smoking the pumpkin until the flesh is fork tender, which takes about 1 hour at 350°F.

    fork going into the flesh of a smoked pie pumpkin

    Serving Suggestions

    smoked pumpkin on a cutting board

    Smoked pumpkin is great served by itself as a side dish, much like you would serve smoked acorn squash.

    If you prefer to use the pumpkin in a recipe, it would be great in pumpkin dessert recipes that call for pumpkin puree like pumpkin bread or pumpkin pie.

    Simply remove the smoked flesh from the skin and place it in a food processor or blender to puree.

    You may want to use a food mill to make the puree smoother if it contains a lot of fibers.

    📖 Recipe

    pumpkin smoking on the grates of a Z Grill pellet grill

    Smoked Pumpkin

    Mads Martigan
    Smoked pumpkin adds great smoke flavor to this favorite fall ingredient. Eat it as a side dish like a squash or use it in a recipe. Pureed smoked pumpkin makes delicious desserts!
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    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 1 hour hr
    Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 2
    Calories 124 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 Pie Pumpkin
    • 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
    • ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt

    Instructions
     

    Cutting Pumpkin and Removing Seeds

    • Using a sharp knife, slice the pumpkin in half. You want to slice it right down the middle, a little offset from the stem.
      1 Pie Pumpkin
      slicing a pumpkin in half using a large meat slicing knife
    • Scoop out the insides, including the seeds and pulp, with a large metal spoon.
      a metal spoon scooping out the seeds and pulp from a pie pumpkin
    • Scrape the inside of the pumpkin to remove all the strings that are attached to the walls. Repeat with both halves.
      two halves of a cleaned out pumpkin

    Seasoning the Pumpkin

    • Use a fork to prick the flesh of the pumpkin.
      pricking the flesh of a pumpkin with a fork
    • Brush the inside walls of each half of the pumpkin with olive oil using a silicone basting brush.
      2 tablespoon Olive Oil
      a silicone basting brush brushing olive oil on the inside of a cleaned out pumpkin
    • Season lightly the inside of each half with salt.
      ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
      half of a cleaned out pumpkin oiled and salted

    Start the Smoker

    • Start your smoker and let it run through the start up process. Then set the temperature to 350°F. If your smoker does not go this high, set it to the highest temperature it will go.
    • Load the wood pellets, wood chips, or wood chunks into the smoker or grill, depending on what type of grill you are using.
    • Light pellet tube smoker or firebox, if using.
      wood chunks in a firebox set inside an aluminum foil loaf pan
    • Oil the cooking grates to prevent sticking.

    Smoke Pumpkin

    • Once the smoker is preheated, place both halves of the pumpkin onto the grates, skin side down.
      pumpkin halves on the grates of a pellet smoker
    • Smoke the pumpkin until the flesh is fork tender, which takes about 1 hour at 350°F.
      fork going into the flesh of a smoked pie pumpkin
    • Carefully remove the pumpkin to a cutting board to cool before eating or using in a recipe.
      smoked pumpkin on a cutting board

    Nutrition

    Serving: 8ozCalories: 124kcalFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gSodium: 582mgPotassium: 0.3mgCalcium: 1mgIron: 0.1mg
    Keyword bbq vegetables, how to smoke a pumpkin, pit boss pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin in a smoker, smoked pumpkin, smoked vegetables, traeger pumpkin, traeger smoked pumpkin
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    About Mads Martigan

    Mads is the founder of Madbackyard.com and has been a BBQ and Grilling enthusiast for the past 15 years. He loves to write about and make videos on smoking and barbecuing all kinds of great food.

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    Robert "Mads" Martigan, the founder of Mad Backyard

    Hi, I'm Mads, the founder of Mad Backyard and an avid outdoorsman, barbecue/smoker buff, and pellet grilling enthusiast who loves to share my passion for outdoor living and outdoor cooking with the world.

    More about me →

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