Foil packets are your best bet.

Yes, you can get smoky flavor on a gas grill without a fancy smoker box. The trick is simple: wood chips wrapped in foil.

Take a handful of wood chips (soaked in water for 30 minutes if you want, but dry works too), wrap them in heavy-duty foil, poke a few holes in the top, and toss the packet directly on the grill grate over a burner. Crank that burner to high. Once you see smoke, turn the heat down to your cooking temp and place your food on the other side of the grill. You want indirect heat—smoke plus even cooking, not a burnt crust.

You can also use a perforated foil pan if you’re doing a big batch, but a simple packet is all you need for most meals. Another option is a stainless steel smoke tube filled with wood pellets, lit with a torch, and placed on the grate. That produces steady smoke for hours and costs about $15–20. But the foil method costs nothing and works fine for a quick cook.

It’s not charcoal smoke, but it’ll get you 80% of the way there. Just keep the lid closed as much as possible.

A smoke tube is worth buying if you grill often—one less thing to remember.