The Best Smoker for Jerky

In a hurry? This is our winner!

1,439 Reviews

Smokehouse Products Big Chief Front Load Smoker , Silver , Large

• Capacity: smokes up to 50 pounds of meat or fish.
• Ventilation: engineered for Premium smoke ventilation for Premium smoke circulation and proper dehydration.
• Safety: smoker comes with UL and cul certifications.
• Consistent low temperature setting using a 120V, 450W heating element for approximately 165 F.
• Easy to use... plugs into standard household outlet and has easy to use wood chip flavor pan.

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Last update on 2023-03-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

The Best Smoker for Jerky – Runner Up

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5,142 Reviews

Weber 18-inch Smokey Mountain Cooker, Charcoal Smoker

• Material Type: Steel
• The Weber Smokey Mountain charcoal smoker helps you achieve an authentic smokehouse flavor at home
• It can accommodate a whole turkey and an entire ham at the same time. Item weight- 39.1 pounds
• Made of porcelain-enameled steel, this smoker comes with 2 nickel-plated 18-1/2-inch-wide cooking grates
• Includes a water pan, thermometer, individual vents on bowl and lid, and heat-resistant nylon handle

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Last update on 2023-03-11 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

The Best Smoker for Jerky – Comparison Table

The Best Smoker for Jerky – Reviews

This is, hands down, the best smoker for jerky. Smokehouse’s Big Chief (or its smaller counterpart, Little Chief) is the first product that comes to mind to many Americans when it comes to jerky-making. It’s the superstar amongst smokers. It’s even been on a national TV for smoking beer!

We’ve chosen the bigger smoker version for this top pick because of its capacity of 50 pounds, which is twice the size of the Little Chief, so you have enough room for all the jerky your family might need.

This is a classic “cold smoker,” whose temperature doesn’t go above 165 degrees Fahrenheit, which means that it doesn’t allow you to every once in a while smoke, let’s say, a chicken. However, constant low temp makes sure your jerky comes up perfectly.

Big Chief has two different load types – top and front load. There isn’t any difference in loading difficulty, so it all comes down to your personal preference. 

With Big Chief being so affordable, it’s expected to be made out of thinner material, in this case it’s embossed aluminum. However, to say it’s mediocre in quality would be an understatement. In fact, many people still own their Chief bought decades ago, which only proves its durability. 

Big Chief smoker comes with 5 Chrome-plated grills, an electric cord, drip pan and wood flavor pan. You also get a bag of alder wood chips, along with a recipe booklet, which is especially handy for first-time smoking.

• Easy to use
• 2-year warranty
• Perfect jerky smoking temperature
• Affordable but sturdy
• Lightweight

• Low temp makes it not great for smoking many other things
• Not for indoor use

While Smokey Mountain comes in 3 different sizes (14, 18 and 22 inches), we believe that 18-inch size is optimal for families of four, a size on par with our other choices.  

The design is rather sleek – with pitch-black glossy finish and bullet-like design, it looks like you paid a pretty penny for this beast. It is, in fact, more expensive than the other smokers listed here, but it’s money well spent.

WSM is made out of steel, which is perfect for enduring high temperatures. The aluminum pan under the smoker protects your patio from the heat. The damper system gives you easy control over the heat without the need to lift the lid. In the middle part, it has a water bowl located above the coal that helps to regulate the temperature while catching dripping juices, as well as the door for adding charcoal or wood. 

Weber Smokey Mountain is a great choice for making jerky (and even to smoke a fish). Add ice cubes in the water pan, which will help you absorb the heat and reach the perfect temperature. On the other hand, WSB can also serve as a standard grill, which is always great to have.

• Slim design that fits anywhere
• A water bowl that regulates heat
• A lengthy, 10-year warranty for bowl, lid and center ring

• Many customers found it a bit difficult to assemble
• On the pricier side

Smoke Vault is a propane smoker that unlike other gas smokers, has a rather big temperature range. It goes from 160 to 400 F, which is great for smoking just about anything that comes to mind. Smoke Vault comes in two different sizes, and the 18-inch one has made this list.

This smoker is made out of sheet steel, which makes it rather light and easy to move and transport. The doors, however, are made out of aluminum, unlike the rest of the body, and some customers have found that the heat is a bit higher at the back of the smoker than at the front. For making jerky, this won’t be that noticeable, but if you use it for something that smokes on a much higher temperature, you might want to rotate the trays every few hours. 

The design of this smoker is a piece of art – it looks like an old-fashioned vault, and it definitely is eye candy for every back porch. Inside, it has two removable smoking racks and one jerky smoking rack which you can adjust at a level of your choice. 

The downside is that, like almost all built-in thermometers, Smoke Vault has one that’s often off for more than 10 degrees. It’s advisable you use your own food therm.

• Fancy Design
• Simple cleaning
• Easily assembled

• No separate door for the water pan and the wood tray
• Only 1-year warranty

Red Rock is another gas smoker that claims it can reach temperatures from only 100 F to 350 F. The customers, however, mostly agree that it doesn’t really go above 300 F, which is still probably more than enough for whatever you might need. The temperature though depends a lot on the weather conditions. Therefore, smoking outside during colder months might make it more difficult for you to reach the desired temp. 

This is yet another smoker that comes in two sizes, and our choice is 77435, a model with 4 porcelain coated cooking racks. At 884 square inches, this Red Rock version has quite a spacious cooking area.

As the name suggests, Red Rock smoker comes in red, and it has a semi-gloss finish, which makes it a stylish, modern addition for your patio. The front has a large windowed door, which is a great addition that allows you to see your food. Underneath, it also has external access to the wood chip drawer and grease tray. Both of these features are designed to prevent the unnecessary opening of the door, which would cause a change in heat.

Red Rock smoker has a dual valve burning system that warms up wood chips, while the other steel burner takes care of the overall temperature.

• Dual burner system which provides an even smoking process
• 5-year warranty
• Easy to set up and use
• Door window
• The separate wood chip area

• A bit expensive for a gas smoker
• Doesn’t quite hit the high temperature it claims it does
• Somewhat small

With 1,382 square inches cooking area, this is the giant on our list. It weighs over 120, which is around twice the size of any other smoker selected for this list. And even though it has two big steel wheels, it’s no easy task moving this smoker around. Since it’s not that portable, a smoker cover is highly recommendable to protect it from the bad weather conditions.

This Dyna-Glo smoker has the look of a signature grill with an offset smoker (being a grill and smoke combination unit), but the tables are turned now – the smoker is the main part, with the offset grill, which is also the main heat supply. It has a side tray where you put charcoal or wood chips.

The smoker part has five chrome-plated grates, which are placed closely together. That’s great for placing the jerky horizontally, but if you ever decide to smoke a turkey, you’ll need to remove a grate to fit it in.

This is a versatile smoker, as it can serve as both grill and smoker. Convenient in theory, but in practice, it’s not that great. Since chambers are connected, every time you open the grill chamber, you’re losing heat in the smoke zone. That’s a big issue, especially on those colder days when reaching higher temperatures is already difficult. That means you probably shouldn’t grill while you’re making jerky. 

• Very stable
• Multifunctional
• Made from durable, stainless steel material
• Chrome-plated sausage hoops on the top

• Only analog controls
• Only 1-year warranty, lower than other models
• Quite heavy

The Best Smoker for Jerky – Buyers Guide