---
title: "Thanksgiving Sides on the Smoker: Stuffing, Sweet Potatoes and More – Grill50 — Practical Grilling & BBQ Guides"
description: "Thanksgiving sides on the smoker: pan stuffing cooked to 165°F, sweet potatoes, mac and cheese, cornbread and cranberry sauce, plus a cooking timeline."
---

# Thanksgiving Sides on the Smoker: Stuffing, Sweet Potatoes and More

[Recipes](https://grill50.com/category/recipes/)

The Thanksgiving sides that do best on a smoker or grill are the sturdy ones: stuffing (dressing) baked in a pan, sweet potatoes, mac and cheese, green beans, Brussels sprouts, squash, cornbread and even cranberry sauce. They all tolerate the 225°F to 300°F range a smoker runs at and pick up a light smoke flavour. The one firm safety rule: do not cook stuffing inside a smoked or grilled turkey. USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service says to cook it separately, and stuffing and casseroles must reach **165°F**. Using the grill this way also frees up the oven on the busiest cooking day of the year.

## Why Move Sides Outside?

Most home kitchens have one oven, and on Thanksgiving it is fought over. If your turkey is already outside, the smoker or grill is doing most of the work anyway. Adding a pan or two of sides makes better use of that heat. A few principles keep it manageable:

- **Use disposable foil pans or cast iron.** Smoke will discolour good bakeware.
- **Put sides on the indirect side,** away from the fire, unless the recipe calls for charring.
- **Expect longer times.** A smoker at 250°F cooks slower than an oven at 350°F. Start sides earlier than their recipe suggests.
- **Keep raw drippings off the sides.** If sides sit below the bird, they will catch drippings from raw poultry. Put pans on a separate rack or level, or cover them while the turkey is still raw on top.

## Stuffing on the Smoker: The Safe Way

Smoked stuffing is popular, but there is a clear line here. In its guide [Turkey: Alternate Routes to the Table](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GOVPUB-A110-PURL-gpo11272/pdf/GOVPUB-A110-PURL-gpo11272.pdf), FSIS says not to stuff a turkey that is cooked in a covered grill or a smoker. Because cooking is at a low temperature, it can take too long for the stuffing in the cavity to reach 165°F. The same guide also calls smoked stuffing undesirable in flavour, which is partly a matter of taste: if you agree, keep the pan covered or bake it indoors.

The solution is to make dressing in a pan:

1. **Prepare it as usual** with bread, aromatics, broth and seasoning. If you use eggs, sausage or giblets, cook the meat first.
2. **Spread it in a buttered foil pan**, no more than a few inches deep so the center heats through.
3. **Smoke it on the indirect side**, uncovered for the first part for smoke flavour, then covered if the top dries before the middle is hot.
4. **Check the center** with a food thermometer. The [USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperature chart](https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/content/uploads/sites/6/2023/07/Cook_to_a_Safe_Minimum_Internal_Temperature.pdf) lists 165°F for casseroles and for stuffing.
5. **Crisp the top**, if you like, by uncovering it near the end or moving it briefly closer to the heat.

Fruitwoods such as apple or cherry give a mild smoke that suits bread and herbs. If you are smoking the turkey with a heavier wood, put the dressing in near the end of that cook so it does not absorb too much.

## Other Sides That Work Well

### Sweet potatoes

Whole sweet potatoes, pricked with a fork and rubbed with oil, can sit on the smoker for the turkey’s last couple of hours until soft through. Split and top with butter, or scoop them out for a casserole. A mashed sweet potato casserole with a pecan or marshmallow topping can also go on in a foil pan to reheat and take on a little smoke; check that the center reaches 165°F, the FSIS figure for casseroles.

### Mac and cheese

Smoked mac and cheese is a natural. Cook the pasta a little underdone, mix with the sauce in a foil pan, top with cheese and breadcrumbs, and smoke until bubbling at the edges and hot in the center. Cheese takes smoke quickly, so keep it to a mild wood.

### Green beans, Brussels sprouts and squash

These suit direct heat or a hot grill basket more than the smoker. Toss them in oil and salt and grill until charred at the edges. Our guide to [grilling vegetables](https://grill50.com/grilling-vegetables-which-ones-work-best-and-how-to-prep-them/) covers prep and timing, and our method for [grilling corn on the cob](https://grill50.com/grilling-corn-on-the-cob-husk-on-husk-off-and-foil-methods/) gives you another side if corn is on your table.

### Cornbread

Cast-iron cornbread bakes well on a grill set up for indirect heat with the lid closed. Preheat the skillet with fat in it on the grill, pour in the batter, and bake until a skewer comes out clean.

### Cranberry sauce

A pan of whole cranberries with sugar, orange zest and a splash of juice can simmer on the grill, uncovered, until the berries burst. The light smoke is a nice change from the stovetop version.

## Make-Ahead Tips

Much of the prep can happen the day before, which takes pressure off the morning. Cube and dry the bread, chop the aromatics and cook any sausage for the dressing ahead, refrigerating the cooked parts, but keep the wet and dry ingredients separate and combine them just before the pan goes on. Mac and cheese and cranberry sauce can be made ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. A pan that goes onto the smoker cold from the fridge will need longer than the timeline below suggests, so check its center with a thermometer rather than trusting the clock. Label each pan with what it is and when it goes on.

## A Simple Timeline

Here is one way to fit sides around a smoked turkey that is planned to come off at 3:00 p.m.:

- **Morning:** turkey goes into the smoker. Keep the prepped sides refrigerated until needed.
- **Around 1:00 p.m.:** sweet potatoes go on.
- **Around 1:30 p.m.:** dressing and mac and cheese go on the indirect side.
- **3:00 p.m.:** turkey comes off to rest. Raise the grill heat if needed and grill the green vegetables.
- **3:30 p.m.:** check sides for temperature, then serve.

Adjust for your own smoker and weather. A cold, windy day slows everything. If you are hosting a large group, our [BBQ party hosting guide](https://grill50.com/bbq-party-hosting-guide-quantities-timing-and-setup/) has more on quantities and timing.

## Serving, Holding and Leftovers

FSIS’s [Basics for Safe Food Handling](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GOVPUB-A110-PURL-gpo26772/pdf/GOVPUB-A110-PURL-gpo26772.pdf) says to hold hot food at 140°F or warmer and not to leave perishable food out more than 2 hours at room temperature, or 1 hour above 90°F. On a long Thanksgiving afternoon, that clock runs out faster than you think, especially once people start on dessert. Put sides back in a warm oven, or chill them promptly.

For leftovers, the same FSIS publication says to put food in shallow containers and refrigerate it right away, and lists cooked stuffing at 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Reheat leftovers to 165°F.

When guests have brought sides of their own, send them a note of thanks the next day. If you need wording, [gratitude texts for everyone at the table](https://lovelysms.info/thanksgiving-text-messages-gratitude-texts-for-everyone-you-love/) are a good place to start.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Can I stuff a turkey I am smoking?

No. USDA FSIS advises against stuffing a turkey cooked in a smoker or on a covered grill, because the low temperature can take too long to bring the stuffing to 165°F. Cook the stuffing in a separate pan.

### What temperature should stuffing reach on the smoker?

165°F in the center, according to the USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperature chart, which lists that figure for casseroles and stuffing.

### Which Thanksgiving sides are best on a smoker?

Pan dressing, mac and cheese, whole sweet potatoes, sweet potato casserole, cornbread and cranberry sauce all work well. Green vegetables do better over direct heat on the grill.

### How long do smoked Thanksgiving sides keep?

Refrigerate them promptly in shallow containers. FSIS lists cooked stuffing at 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator, and its general guidance is to use cooked leftovers within 4 days.

### Will side dishes taste too smoky?

Not if you use mild fruitwood, add the sides later in the cook, and cover them once they have taken on enough colour.

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