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The quick answer
- Mild fruitwoods (apple, cherry) suit chicken, pork and fish, and are hard to overdo.
- Medium woods (oak, beech, maple, pecan) are great all-rounders and suit beef and lamb.
- Strong woods (hickory, mesquite) suit beef and pork. Use them sparingly.
- Chunks suit kettles, kamados and smokers; chips suit gas BBQs and short cooks; pellets are for pellet grills and smoke tubes.
- Only ever use dry, untreated hardwood sold for cooking. No softwoods, no treated or painted timber.
Smoke is a seasoning, and like any seasoning, the type and the amount matter. This guide matches common smoking woods to the foods they suit, explains the different forms of wood, and covers the mistakes that make smoked food taste bitter. If you're still choosing a cooker, see kamado vs pellet vs offset.
Which wood for which food?
| Wood | Strength | Flavour | Great with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple | Mild | Sweet, fruity | Pork, chicken, fish, cheese |
| Cherry | Mild | Sweet; gives a deep red colour | Pork, chicken, duck |
| Beech | Mild–medium | Clean, slightly nutty | Fish, chicken, pork, cheese |
| Maple | Mild–medium | Subtle, sweet | Pork, poultry, veg |
| Oak | Medium | Classic, balanced smoke | Beef, lamb, pork; a great all-rounder |
| Pecan | Medium | Rich, nutty, milder than hickory | Pork, poultry, beef |
| Hickory | Strong | Bold, bacon-like | Pork shoulder, ribs, beef |
| Mesquite | Very strong | Intense, earthy | Beef for short, hot cooks; use very sparingly |
Not sure where to start? Apple or cherry for chicken and pork, oak for beef. You can also blend a fruitwood with a stronger wood.
Chunks, chips, pellets or logs?
- Chunks (fist-sized pieces) smoulder slowly on charcoal. Best for kettles, kamados and charcoal smokers. Two or three chunks are plenty for most cooks.
- Chips burn quickly. Best for gas BBQs (in a smoker box) and shorter cooks, or added in small handfuls.
- Pellets are compressed sawdust. Use food-grade pellets in pellet grills, or in a smoke tube on a gas or charcoal BBQ.
- Logs and splits are the main fuel in an offset smoker. Use well-seasoned or kiln-dried hardwood.
How much wood should you use?
Less than you think. Food takes on most of its smoke flavour in the first few hours of a cook, while it's still cool and moist.
- Kettle or kamado: start with 2–3 chunks. Add one more later only if you want more smoke.
- Gas BBQ: a small handful of chips in a smoker box.
- Look for thin, blue-ish smoke. Thick, white, billowing smoke means the wood is smouldering badly and will make food taste bitter.
- Make sure the fire can breathe. Clean smoke needs good airflow, so don't close the vents completely.
Smoking wood to try
- Apple wood chunksMild and sweet; a great first woodView on Amazon
- Oak wood chunksBalanced all-rounder, great with beefView on Amazon
- Hickory wood chunksBold flavour for pork shoulder and ribsView on Amazon
- Smoker box for gas BBQsHolds wood chips over a burnerView on Amazon
- Pellet smoke tubeAdds smoke on a gas or charcoal BBQView on Amazon
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Should you soak wood chips?
It's a popular tip, but many BBQ cooks now skip it. Soaked wood has to steam dry before it smokes, which cools the fire, and the steam isn't flavour. Dry chunks on a good bed of coals give cleaner smoke. If chips burn too fast on a gas BBQ, wrapping them in a foil pouch with a few holes slows them down.
Woods to avoid
Put it into practice
Ready for a first cook? Try how to smoke pulled pork, which is forgiving and suits apple, cherry or hickory. New to smoking? Start with the best smokers for beginners.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best wood for smoking beginners?
Apple or cherry. They're mild, sweet and hard to overdo, and they suit chicken and pork, which are the easiest meats to start with.
What wood is best for smoking beef?
Oak is the classic choice. Hickory adds a bolder flavour, and a little mesquite works for short, hot cooks.
Can I use wood from my garden for smoking?
Only if it's an untreated hardwood you can identify, such as apple or cherry, and it has been properly seasoned (dried) first. Never use softwoods, treated wood or anything you can't identify.
Why does my smoked food taste bitter?
Usually too much smoke, or dirty white smoke from wood smouldering without enough air. Use fewer chunks, open the vents and aim for thin, blue-ish smoke.
Home cook, keen DIYer and long-time website builder, writing practical outdoor cooking guides for UK gardens. More about me.