Smoked SPAM has a reputation, and I get it. But over the years I’ve made it probably ten times. And I haven’t found a single person who tried it and didn’t end up liking it — usually to their own surprise.

It Was Never the Main Event

SPAM was always a cheap add-on smoke, never a dedicated session of its own. It rode along with whatever else was already going — chicken, sausage, ribs — soaking up the same smoke and wood as the main protein rather than getting its own dialed-in cook. I haven’t done it recently, but it’s a technique worth writing down.

The Technique

The trick is cross-cutting the block before it goes on — scoring it so the smoke can actually penetrate through the piece instead of just sitting on the surface. Typically ran it for about 3 hours at 225°F. Wood is hickory, my go-to for pretty much everything. There’s also just something damn sexy about that cross-hatch pattern once it’s scored — it goes from a slab of mystery meat to something that actually looks like it belongs on the grate. It’s basically putting lipstick on a pig, except in this case the lipstick works.

An Alternate Method: Deep-Cut SPAM

I’ve also made it a different way — cutting deep into the loaf before it goes on, something I picked up after seeing someone else do it online. The deeper cuts let more rub work into the meat and give the smoke and char more surface area to grab onto. For this version I seasoned it heavily with garlic and paprika, then smoked it alongside chicken thighs and Italian sausage at 250-275°F for about 2 hours total, rotating everything for even cooking. The classic cross-cut method above is still my usual go-to, but this deeper-cut, heavier-seasoned version is worth trying if you want more bark and char on it.

The Reaction

This is really the whole point of doing it: almost everybody I’ve made it for has liked it, and they were shocked that they liked it. That reaction — surprise, then genuine enjoyment — has been consistent every time I’ve served it.

I haven’t smoked SPAM in a while, but after going back through the old photos and realizing how many times I actually did it, I probably need to put another one on the smoker. It was never the reason I fired up the WSM, but when there was some room left on the grate, it was an easy and inexpensive addition — and usually the thing people were most surprised they liked.