Smoking Woods: Smoking Meat, Making Sausage, Making Cheese, Making Jerky, Brewing Beer, Canning, Dehydrating

Smoking Woods

There are many types of wood that can be used for smoking food. I have compiled a list of ,any of these woods and what they are recommended to be used with. You may also find you like to use a combination of woods from you smoked meats.

My favorite combination is Hickory, Cherry, Apple and Pecan wood. I used this blend for just about every smoke. I also use quite a bit of apricot, peach, maple and oak because it’s easy for me to get for free and maintains a simpler flavor profile as my preferred blend.

I personally find mesquite revolting. It is in ever BBQ store but you have to use it carefully. Mesquite is very harsh and easily becomes over powering. Gotta be a Texan to like that stuff. It’s rather harsh like burnt sugar and a little bitter for my taste.

Wood Smoking Flavor Chart
Wood type	Smoking Flavor Characteristics	Meats or Veggiesto use wood with
Acacia	these trees are in the same family as mesquite. When burned in a smoker, acacia has a flavor similar to mesquite but not quite as heavy.	Good with most meats, especially beef and most vegetables.
Alder	A sweet, musky smoke that is the traditional wood of the Northwest.	Good with fish, pork, poultry, and light-meat game birds. Traditionally used in the pacific Northwest to smoke Salmon.
Almond	A nutty and sweet smoke flavor, light ash.	Good with all meats.
Apple	Slightly sweet but denser, fruity smoke flavor. Serve chutney made from the same fruit to accentuate the flavor even more.	The strongest flavor of all the fruitwoods. Beef, poultry, game birds, pork (particularly ham).
Apricot	The flavor is milder and sweeter than Hickory. Serve chutney made from the same fruit to accentuate the flavor even more.	Good with most meats.
Ash	Fast burner, light but distinctive flavor.	Good with fish and red meats.
Avocado	Unknown	Supposed to be good for all meats.
Bay	medium floral smoke with hints of spice & cinnamon	Good with most meats and veggies.
Beech	A mild much used wood like oak. Great for whatever you care use it with.	Good with meat and seafood.
Birch	Medium hard wood with a flavor similar to maple.	Good with pork and poultry.
Blackberry	Much like the woods provided from fruit trees, the small diameter trunks of the Blackberry bush provides a slightly sweet and delicate flavor.	Good for grilling poultry and other meats, such as small game birds like grouse, pheasant, partridge, and quail.
Butternut	Strong smoke, like walnut, bitter when used alone	Good on red meats like Beef, Pork, Venison and other game meats. Can easily overpower poultry.
Carrotwood	Unknown	Supposed to be good for all meats.
Cherry	Slightly sweet fruity smoke that's great with poultry (turns skin dark brown). This smoke is a mild, sweet and fruity smoke which gives a rosy tint to light-colored meats.	Good with all meats.
Chestnut	Slightly sweet nutty smoke flavor	Good with most meats.
Corncob	Although not considered to be a true wood. The heart of the cob that holds the kernels is the fuel section of this alternative for wood. It is ground into small granular bits that can be added to a smoking box or it can be combined with other woods such as woods from fruit trees, to impart several flavors. The Corncob provides a sweet flavor that may overpower the food if too much is used to season the food as it cooks. Begin by trying small amounts until the desired flavor is achieved.	It is often used as a smoking chip when grilling foods such as poultry, fish and small game birds.
Cottonwood	It is a softer wood than alder and very subtle in flavor. Use it for fuel but use some chunks of other woods (hickory, oak, pecan) for more flavor Don't use green cottonwood for smoking.	Use it for fuel but use some chunks of other woods (hickory, oak, pecan) for more flavor. Good for all smoking, especially pork and ribs.
Crabapple	Similar to apple. Provides a lot of smoke. Rich and fruity.	Good with poultry, red meats, game and lamb.
Fig	Mild & fruity like mulberry- Boston butt & ribs	Good with all meats.
Fruitwood	Medium fruity sweet smoke- all BBQ meats	Good with all meats.
Grapefruit	Produces a nice mild smoky flavor.	Excellent with beef, pork, fish and poultry.
Grapevines	Tart. Aromatic, similar to fruit wood. The flavor is milder and sweeter than hickory.	Great on most white or pink meats, including chicken, turkey, pork and fish.
Guava	Flowery fruity taste similar to apple.	Good for all meats,
Hickory	Sweet to strong, heavy bacon flavor. This great flavor works well with pork, ribs, hams, poultry, and beef. These chips should be soaked for 1-2 hours to prevent a bitter taste.	The most common wood used. Good for all smoking, especially pork and ribs.
Jack Daniel's Chips	Made from the mellowing charcoal used to make Jack Daniel's that smooth sipping whiskey. This is a STRONG, sweet smoke flavor with an aromatic tang.	It's supposed to be good for cooking Beef, Pork, Poultry and Game meats. You will either like it or not - no maybes on this one!
Kiawe	Hawaiian Mesquite of sorts although somewhat milder.	Good on pork, beef and fish.
Lemon	A tangy, citrus smoke. Medium smoke flavor with a hint of fruitiness. Medium smoke flavor with a hint of fruitiness.	Excellent with beef, pork and poultry.
Lilac	Very light, subtle with a hint of floral.	Good with seafood and lamb.
Lime	Medium smoke flavor with a hint of fruitiness.	Excellent with beef, pork and poultry.
Maple	Mildly smoky, somewhat sweet flavor. Maple chips add a sweet, subtle flavor that enhances the flavor of poultry and game birds. Smoke a pork roast with them for a sensational taste experience.	Mates well with poultry, ham, cheese, small game birds, and vegetables. Wonderful for smoked turkey!
Mesquite	Strong earthy flavor. One of the most popular woods in the country, mesquite is a scrubby tree that grows wild in the Southwest. Sweeter and more delicate than hickory, it's a perfect complement to richly flavored meats such as steak, duck or lamb.	Good with most meats, especially beef and most vegetables.
Mulberry	A mild smoke with a sweet, tangy, blackberry-like flavor	Good with Beef, poultry, game birds, pork (particularly ham).
Nectarine	The flavor is milder and sweeter than hickory.	Good on most meats, great on most white or pink meats, including chicken, turkey, pork and fish.
Oak (White and Black Jack)	Most versatile of the hardwoods blending well with most meats. A mild smoke with no aftertaste. Oak gives food a beautiful smoked color.	Good with red meat, pork, fish and big game. RED OAK is good on ribs. Especially good with beef brisket.
Olive	The smoke favor is similar to mesquite, but distinctly lighter.	Delicious with poultry.
Orange	A tangy, citrus smoke. Medium smoke flavor with a hint of fruitiness. Orange gives food a golden color. Produces a nice mild smoky flavor.	Excellent with beef, pork and poultry.
Peach	Slightly sweet, woodsy flavor, milder and sweeter than hickory.	Good on all meats, great on most white or pink meats, including chicken, turkey, pork and fish.
Pear	A nice subtle smoke flavor much like apple. Slightly sweet, woodsy flavor.	Good on Poultry, game birds and pork.
Pecan	Sweet and mild with a flavor similar to hickory but not as strong. Tasty with a subtle character an all-around superior smoking wood.	Try smoking with the shells as well. Good for most things including poultry, beef, pork and cheese. Pecan is the best for that beautiful golden-brown turkey.
Persimmon	Medium smoke- great for Boston butt & ribs	Excellent with beef, pork and poultry.
Pimento	Also referred to as Allspice, Jamaican Pepper, Myrtle Pepper, or Newspice. This wood adds a natural and somewhat peppery flavor that may also include flavors of several spices combined, such as cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, similar to the flavors provided when allspice is used as a seasoning to enhance the flavor of various foods.	It is a common wood often used in grilling Jamaican foods such as jerk chicken. Often used for grilling poultry and fish.
Pistachio Nut Shells	If you like the taste of pistachio nuts why not?	Allegedly not so hot with fish.
Plum/Prune	The flavor is milder and sweeter than hickory.	Good with most meats, great on most white or pink meats, including chicken, turkey, pork and fish.
Sassafras	A mild, musky, sweet smoke with a root beer aftertaste.	Especially good on beef, pork and poultry.
Seaweed	The seaweed is washed to remove the salt and air or sun-dried before use. It provides a somewhat spicy and natural flavor to the foods being smoked or grilled.	Commonly used for smoking shellfish such as clams, crab, lobster, mussles, and shrimp.
Walnut (Black)	While pecan is hickory's milder cousin, black walnut is the strong one. Often mixed with lighter woods like almond, pear or apple, can be bitter if used alone. An intense smoke that is slightly bitter like walnuts. Can easily overpower poultry.	Good on red meats like Beef, Pork, Venison and other game meats. Can easily overpower poultry.
Walnut (English)	Very heavy smoke flavor, usually mixed with lighter woods like almond, apple, pear or pecan.	Can be bitter if used alone. Good on red meats like beef, pork, venison and other game meats.
Whiskey Barrels	Made from whiskey soaked oak barrels.	Nice.
Smoking Herb Blends
Italian Herbs	A strong smoke flavor that is completely unique! This blend of oregano, rosemary, thyme with oak wood gives zesty and robust flavors like these herbs.	Especially good for lamb, pork and poultry. Good for pizza too, when you cook it on the grill.
Oriental Herbs	A strong smoke flavor with oak that's truly amazing ! A blend of Sesame seeds and Ginger Root with oak wood or Mesquite gives a nice oriental BBQ flavor.	Especially good for beef, pork and poultry.
Dried Herbs	Throw a spoonful of your favorite dried herbs into your water pot - as it moistens your meat it also adds aroma and flavor!	Good with any meats
Wood that is considered poisonous when used for smoking.
DO NOT USE any wood from conifer trees: PINE, FIR, SPRUCE, REDWOOD, CEDAR, CYPRESS, or they will make you sick!
DO NOT USE - ELM, EUCALYPTUS, SYCAMORE, SWEET GUM TREES and LIQUID AMBER wood is unsuitable for smoking.
More woods that you should not to use for smoking:
Never use lumber scraps, either new or used. First, you cannot know for sure what kind of wood it is; second, the wood may have been chemically treated; third, you have no idea where the wood may have been or how it was used.
Never use any wood that has been painted or stained. Do not use wood scraps from a furniture manufacturer as this wood is often chemically treated.
Never use wood from old pallets. Many pallets are treated with chemicals that can be hazardous to your health and the pallet may have been used to carry chemicals or poison.
Avoid old wood that is covered with mold and fungus that can impart a bad taste to your meat.