How to Pick the Right Smoker Wood Chips

Picking the right type of wood chips to use in your smoker can make or break the flavor of your barbecue. A common misconception is that any type of wood will do, and as a result many people often choose whatever wood is most readily available. A few of the more common and easy to find types of wood that will enhance the flavor of your barbecue are: mesquite, oak, hickory, apple, alder, pecan, maple, and cherry. Here is a breakdown of some of the strengths and weaknesses of each.

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Mesquite

Mesquite is known for having an extremely strong flavor and as a result is a quite popular smoke wood for many barbecue restaurants. This type of wood is not ideal for those who lack barbecuing experience because it burns hot and fast. It is considered to be best for barbecuing beef, though it will work for most any meat or vegetable.

Oak

Oak is another extremely versatile wood for smoking meats. You can use it to barbecue pretty much any type of meat. In terms of flavor it is a medium to heavy smoke flavor, though not as strong as mesquite.

Hickory

Hickory is by far the most popular smoke wood for barbecuing. It has a strong flavor that is adaptable to most any type of meat, though it is considered best for pork and ribs. Hickory is thought by some to be too strong for use alone, and advise mixing it with other types of wood in order to temper the flavor. If you do choose to use hickory alone, be aware of how much you use in order to avoid infusing your meat with a flavor that is too overpowering.

Apple

Apple is a very popular fruity smoke wood. It can be mixed well with other woods with good results. Using apple wood will give your barbecue a dense, fruity flavor. Recommended for use with pork and chicken.

Alder

Though alder can be used quite well with poultry or pork, it is most commonly used with fish, infusing it with a nice, light, sweet flavor. Alder is definitely far less dense and overpowering than many other types of wood.

Pecan

Pecan doesn't burn as hot as many other types of wood. It is considered to be fairly versatile, working with most types of meat, including beef, chicken, or pork. It gives your barbecue a slightly sweet and nutty flavor.

Maple

Another of the fruity types of smoke woods, maple is also considered to be pretty versatile and can be used with most any type of meat or vegetable. It is a dense wood, but gives a light, sweet flavor to your barbecue.

Cherry

Cherry wood goes great with chicken. It has a light, sweet, fruit flavor that does a great job complimenting poultry.