If you want to add smoked flavor to your food without buying a whole smoker unit, buying mesquite pellets is a good solution. You can add some of these wood pellets to the charcoal fire in your grill, and they'll create smoke that flavors your food. It's a pretty simple process, but if you're new to using mesquite grill pellets, you may benefit from the following tips.

Add the mesquite pellets after the charcoal has burned down.

Light your charcoal, let it burn down until it's mostly covered in white ash, and then add the mesquite pellets to the grill. You don't want to add the pellets earlier than this because then they will all burn away by the time you put the food on. Once you do place the pellets on top of the charcoal, you want to let them sit for about 5 minutes, which will give them time to get smoky. Then, place your food on the grill to cook.

Go easy on the pellets.

Mesquite is one of the strongest-flavored woods you can smoke with. That's one reason why it works so well in this application. A few pellets of mesquite give off a lot of flavor, so you really don't need a whole smoker. However, you do want to be careful not to use too many mesquite pellets on your grill. Otherwise you will over-flavor your food, and the smokiness will overpower any other flavors. A generous handful of pellets is enough for one grilling session. 

Keep the lid on your grill.

When you are using mesquite pellets on your grill, make sure you keep the lid on. There are two reasons for this. First, keeping the lid on keeps the grill from getting too hot, which helps ensure the pellets give off smoke rather than just burning up quickly. Second, the lid keeps the smoke trapped around the food you're cooking so that it's able to impart more flavor. If you have to remove the lid to check on the food, feel free to do so, but don't leave it off for any longer than necessary. If you see the pellets starting to catch flame, put the lid back on immediately.

Using mesquite pellets on your grill might take some getting used to. However, if you follow the tips above, you will soon hone your technique and start creating delicious, smoked foods in your own backyard. For more information about mesquite grill pellets, contact a company like Smoke Baum.