Propane grills can absolutely smoke ribs. You just need the right setup.

Yes. A gas grill is not ideal—but it works fine for smoking ribs if you know the trick.

The main challenge is keeping low, indirect heat (225-250°F) and generating actual smoke. Propane grills don’t produce smoke by themselves, so you have to force it. That means two things:

First, a smoker box or a simple aluminum foil packet full of soaked wood chips. Place it directly on the burner grate over a lit burner. The chips smolder and produce smoke. Don’t use dry chips—they just catch fire. Soak them for 30 minutes, drain, then wrap in foil with a few holes poked in the top.

Second, you need a good instant-read thermometer (and ideally a leave-in probe). Most propane grill built-in lid thermometers are garbage. You’re aiming for a steady 225°F in the cooking chamber. Use the burners on one side only, put the ribs on the unlit side, and keep the lid closed as much as possible.

That’s really it. Ribs don’t need a ton of smoke—3-4 hours at 225°F with a few batches of wood chips will give you decent bark and flavor. A water pan on the indirect side helps keep things moist.

The results won’t match a proper offset smoker, but for a backyard cookout, nobody will complain.