Charcoal Briquettes for Gas Grills
Don't put charcoal briquettes directly over gas grill burners. Use them only if your grill maker approves a charcoal tray or smoker accessory for your exact model, and follow its instructions.
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Don't put charcoal briquettes directly over gas grill burners. Use them only if your grill maker approves a charcoal tray or smoker accessory for your exact model, and follow its instructions.
A gas grill's burners, heat shields and airflow are designed around its specified fuel. Briquettes can block parts, interfere with burner operation or create heat where the grill wasn't designed to handle it.
If your goal is smoky flavor, a smoker box with wood chips may fit a gas grill better. Start with the grill manual, then compare the options below.
Can you use charcoal briquettes for a gas grill?
Only use briquettes in a gas grill when its maker approves a charcoal accessory for your exact model. Without that approval, keep charcoal away from the burners and use the grill's intended fuel.
A charcoal tray is different from placing briquettes on top of burner covers or flavor bars. The tray must fit the grill and allow heat and air to move as designed, which is why the model-specific instructions matter.
Don't improvise a tray with foil or a pan. Those can block airflow or direct heat toward parts that aren't meant to hold charcoal.
If your manual doesn't mention charcoal use, treat the grill as gas-only. A charcoal grill or smoker is the clearer choice if you want charcoal as your main fuel.
Learn how to use a Kingsford charcoal chimney to light it outside the gas grill.
Our guide to whether a charcoal smoker is better than a gas smoker compares the two approaches.
Why can briquettes cause trouble in a gas grill?
Briquettes can disrupt the grill's burner layout and heat flow. Direct contact with burners or heat shields may cause poor combustion, uneven heat or damage.
Gas grills use burners to deliver controlled heat. Adding a bed of charcoal where those burners sit can obstruct flame paths, cover vents or trap heat beneath the cooking surface.
Briquettes also create ash. A gas grill's grease and heat management system isn't automatically designed to collect charcoal ash, so ash can fall into areas that are hard to clean or may affect burner openings.
Never use charcoal indoors, and don't use gasoline to light it. If you use charcoal in approved equipment, an electric charcoal starter guide explains another lighting method.
Keep any charcoal fire away from overhangs, trees and flammable items, and wait until the ashes are cold before disposal.
What can you use to add smoke flavor on a gas grill?
Use a gas-grill smoker box with wood chips if your manual allows it. It adds smoke while leaving the grill's burner system in its intended configuration.
A smoker box is a small metal container that holds wood chips. The grill's heat warms the chips, which release smoke.
Follow the box and grill instructions for placement, chip preparation and safe use.
For help choosing wood, see our smoking fuel buying guide. It covers how different smoking fuels fit different cooking setups.
If you're comparing briquettes for a separate charcoal grill or smoker, our best charcoal briquettes for grilling guide can help narrow the options. For charcoal smoking, see best charcoal briquettes for smoking.
Which accessories and fuels fit each setup?
Match the accessory to the grill's approved fuel system. A charcoal holder belongs in a charcoal fire setup, while wood chips in a smoker box may work with a gas grill.
A holder keeps briquettes arranged in a charcoal grill or smoker. It doesn't convert a gas grill into a charcoal grill.
Check our best charcoal briquettes holder guide if you need a way to contain briquettes in compatible equipment.
The Sunlight disks are described for incense and shisha use, not food cooking. Don't use incense charcoal as a substitute for barbecue briquettes.
For more options, compare best Kingsford charcoal briquettes and best natural charcoal briquettes. Those comparisons can help when you're choosing fuel for equipment designed to burn charcoal.
How do you check whether an accessory is approved?
Look in the manual for your grill's exact model number and a clear charcoal accessory instruction. A tray that fits physically is not enough to show that it is safe or approved.
Check the manual or contact the grill maker if the instructions are unclear. Confirm the accessory name or part number, where it sits, how much charcoal it can hold and which burners should be used or turned off.
Don't assume an accessory for one brand or model fits another. Grill interiors and burner layouts vary, and a generic tray may block airflow or sit too close to heat-sensitive parts.
If you can't confirm compatibility, skip charcoal in that grill. Use a smoker box approved for gas grills or cook with the specified gas fuel.
What should you choose for your cooking goal?
Choose fuel based on the equipment you have and the flavor you want. Keep gas grills on their approved gas setup, use wood chips for smoke when allowed, and reserve briquettes for charcoal equipment.
If you own a gas grill and want a little smoke, check the manual for a smoker box or another approved wood-chip method. If you want a charcoal fire, choose a charcoal grill or smoker designed to handle briquettes.
If you already have a gas grill with an approved charcoal tray, use only the specified accessory and follow its setup directions. Don't add extra briquettes or modify the tray to increase heat.
Charcoal briquettes for a gas grill are suitable only when the grill maker explicitly approves that use for your model. When in doubt, stick with gas and add smoke through an approved wood-chip setup.
Frequently asked questions
Can you put charcoal briquettes in a gas grill?
Don't put briquettes directly over gas burners or lava rocks. Only use charcoal if the grill maker approves a charcoal tray or accessory for your exact model and explains how to install it.
Otherwise, use the grill's gas fuel as designed, or choose a grill built for charcoal.
Can I use a smoker box in a gas grill?
A smoker box made for gas grills can hold wood chips and sit where the grill maker directs, often above a burner. It adds wood smoke without asking the burners to support charcoal.
Check your grill manual for approved placement, chip preparation and temperature guidance.
Can I put charcoal briquettes in a smoker box?
A standard smoker box is made for wood chips, not charcoal briquettes. Briquettes need a suitable fire area and airflow, so use them only in an accessory that the grill maker specifically approves for charcoal.
A smoker box can instead hold wood chips for smoke flavor.
What fuel should I use in a gas grill?
Use the fuel type and connection specified by the grill maker, such as propane or natural gas. Don't add charcoal to change the heat source unless the maker approves that setup for your model.
For a smoky flavor, check whether your grill supports a smoker box and wood chips.
