Smoking Wood Chart - Flavor Profiles & Wood Type Pairings (2025)

When smoking food started to become a thing, everyone was using wood logs as their primary heat source. Propane was not discovered yet and the smokers were not as advanced as today to use other fuel sources.

Eventually, bbq enthusiasts started to try other additional options, such as propane, charcoal or pellets. They found some of these options more convenient and easy to use.

If you go to a bbq store nowadays, you may be overwhelmed by the options you have for wood alone. You need to make a decision if you need to use chunks, logs, pellets, and all of that, before jumping to decisions for wood types and smoking methods.

Since choosing wood for smoking is overwhelming for so many people, we decided to put together a guide to cover everything you need to know about smoke woods.

We will try to answer all the most frequently asked questions, including all the types, what flavors they produce and what are the best practices to get the best results when smoking meat. We also prepared a detailed chart for all wood flavors, so you get a better understanding of all flavor profiles.

Choosing the best wood for smoking meat is a very important decision that will impact your end results. You should know their flavor profile, so you can match it with the right type of meat.

So, even though there are woods which are recommended to use and woods which are recommended to skip, there is no clear answer to say when asking 'Which types of wood are best to smoke with?'. It totally depends on what you are smoking and meat type, so you can combine the correct type with certain meat.

The infographic below offers you some guidance about which woods go with certain meats. Below the table, you will also find a detailed description of each type & all thesmoking wood flavors, so you get a better understanding of how to use them.

These are some of thetypes of wood you should never smoke with. If you are in doubt about a particular type, don't use it until you confirm from a source that it's Ok to use. You can even participate on online discussions to read more about other experiences with certain woods.

Meanwhile, here are some extra tips on woods you should avoid:

• Don't ever try smoking with wood that has been painted, stained or treated previously. Also, avoid bits of woods from old pellets as you don't have info about what chemicals it has been exposed to.
• Avoid softwoods as they are sappy and contain terpenes. These can make your meat taste odd and even worse, some people may feel ill if ate meat smoked with these kinds of woods.
• Avoid old woods that seem covered in mold or fungus. They may contain toxins that will be released in the smoke and your food.

Smoke woods are available in several different forms, from big logs to chunks, chips, disks, pellets and even sawdust. In stores, chunks, chips, and pellets are the most popular ones.

The biggest cut are the logs. They can be up to 18 inches long and are mostly used in large cookers, often in commercial or competitions. They take long to burn down and are used as a heat and smoke source as well.

Chunks are probably the most used ones. They vary in size from small to fist-size pieces. Chunks burn slowly and release smoke for a long period of time.

Chips are smaller in size than chunks. They tend to burn hot and fast, releasing smoke quickly. Since they burn fast, you will need to add them several times during the cooking sessions while for larger woods, such as chunks, you only load them once at the beginning. One technique that is widely used to prolong the chips' smoke is by placing them in a pouch formed with aluminum foil, with small holes poked in the foil to allow the smoke to escape when putting them directly on the hot coals.

Next, are the pellets. They are processed wood made from compressed sawdust. Pellets come in several varieties and are a quick and convenient way to produce smoke. They are becoming more and more popular in the last years.

Sawdust is wood ground down into a coarse powder form. You will get almost instant smoke from this form but it cannot be used as a heat source.

The last form are disk-shaped chips. They are made of compressed sawdust as well, formed into a flat, disk shape. They are also a convenient and quick way to produce smoke. Mostly used on electric smokers.

If you are wondering if youCan mix woods when smoking to create unique flavors, then you may be surprised by how many people like to mix different wood types together to create their preferred flavor profile.

This can become complicated, so if you are a beginner, is better to stick with one type to better explore the flavor of each one. Once you have an idea of flavor profiles, you can try and mix them up.

Here are some of the most popularsmoking wood pairings: (Create a table or styling list)

• Apple + Cherry
  
• Apple + Hickory
  
• Apple + Oak
  
• Cherry + Maple
  
• Cherry + Oak
  
• Oak + Hickory
  
• Oak + Hickory + Apple
  
• Oak + Pecan

Flavored Smoke Woods

Flavored woods are becoming more popular recently. A lot of retailers sell flavored smoke woods made of old wine barrels, whiskey barrels or even soaked completely in Wine or Tabasco.

They will definitely add a unique aroma to your food but not everyone likes these flavors. It totally depends on your judgment if it is worth it or not.

Should You Soak Wood in Water Before Using?

A lot of people like to soak smoking wood in water for several hours to overnight before using it. I think that this is necessary and you will not notice any difference, especially if you are using large chunks.

The main reason why the wood is soaked is to prolong their life and burn for a longer period of time.

If you have a good smoker, where you can control the airflow easily, you will not have any issue with that. You don't need to soak wood prior to cooking since the adjustable vents on most smokers will be enough to allow the chunks to burn slowly throughout all the cooking sessions.

There are some testing results online where for the fist-sized chunks, the water has barely penetrated the logs, even after 24 hours submerged.

How Long Do You Soak Wood for Smoking?

If you decide to soak the wood for smoking, then you should leave it from a few hours to 24 hours submerged in water or your liquid-of-choice.

Should You Remove Wood Bark before Smoking?

Another technique a lot of people apply is removing wood bark before smoking. They believe that it produces an undesirable flavor to their food. I personally don't do it since I haven't seen any noticeable difference. I know a lot of people who remove it and a lot of others who don't. You have to try it both ways to see if there is any difference for you.

Most people follow the suggestions of famous pitmasters, such as Mike Scrutchfield. On several articles and online videos, he suggests removing it. You can get a better insight on this topic by watching an interview he did for the TheSlabsBBQTeam onthis video.

How Much Wood to Add to Smoker

Knowing how much wood you should use is mandatory as overloading the cooker with woods will produce too much smoke to meat, making it bitter and overpowered in flavor.

Usually, 2-4 fist-sized chunks are more than enough for most meat cuts (If you are using a smoker big for the average family). This is the ideal amount for the flavor I am looking for. You can experiment with different amounts of woods to determine what works best for your preferences, depending on how heavy flavor you want.

If you are just beginning, I suggest to start small and go for a lighter flavor. Remember that you can increase the smoke wood flavor but you cannot remove it from the meat once it is over smoked.

Here's a helpful video on fire management which you can watch to get a better understanding:

• Try to go with a small, hot fire burning at the beginning. This will produce a steady and the best results. Avoid resembling woods like a bonfire in your smoker.
• You can read below to get info on how much wood you should use as it depends on your smoker type and if you are using it as a primary heat source.
• In most cases, 2-4 medium-sized chunks are more than enough to create the right amount of smoke.
• If you are not using wood as a primary heat source, then you should add it once the coals are hot. This way, you will start getting good smoke right away.
• If you are using offset smoker, the wood would be your primary heat source, so a different technique is followed. You can read our previous article on how to use an offset smoker to learn more on this topic.

3 Different Ways to Add Smoke Wood to Fire

Here are three different and very popular ways that are used to add woods to your fire:

Bury Wood in Unlit Charcoal

This technique is possible if you started the cooker using the famous Minion Method.

You have to bury wood chunks in the unlit charcoal, so the tops of the chunks are exposed. Then, distribute the hot charcoal evenly over unlit fuel, while making sure the coals touch the woods, to start smoking right away.

Placing Wood on Top of Hot Coals

This is one of the easiest and most common ways to add smoking woods to fire. You only have to distribute the wood chunks evenly on the surface of the lit charcoal, after you have already put food into the smoker.

It is important to put the food on the smoker before adding the chunks, so you will not get blasted with smoke while putting the meat.

Layering Wood Chips and Charcoal

If you are using wood chips, then you can lay down a layer of charcoal in the bottom and then add a layer of wood chips and then add a layer of charcoal again and so on. This technique is also suggested to light using the Minion Method.

The woods go through a four-stage process when producing smoke.

The first one is the dehydration process which starts at around 500°F. This is the stage where the wood hasn't yet caught fire and any moisture will evaporate, leaving the logs completely dry.

The second stage happens between 500-700°F. At this temperature range, the compounds within woods start to change, with some of them becoming flammable. This is the stage where the wood 'catches fire' as it is known by everyone.

Next, we have the burning stage, starting at 700-1000°F. The chunks are in flames and the gases, like nitric oxide which is responsible for the formation of the smoke-ring, start to release.

The best temperature to release such gases is between 650-750°F. As the temperature gets higher, the compounds start being broken down, with some of them even becoming hazardous.

When gases are released, they ignite if are combined with oxygen and significant heat or transform into smoke if escape without burning.

The last stage is the charcoal formation, which starts once the temperature gets above 1000°F. At this point, many compounds are burned off and the charcoal is left behind. At this stage, the smoke produced is very low.

If you add woods to the already-hot coals, it is common to see a flush of white smoke as the wood ignites. Eventually, the amount of visible smoke will decrease. You don't need to clearly see the smoke to flavor the meat. If you close the lid and open it after a while, you will notice that there is still a lot of smoke there, slowly doing its job. So, no need to worry if the fire is consumed or not. As I said in the beginning, 2-4 chunks are more than enough for any kind of meat.

You can read more about wood burning stages in this article by AmazingRibs.

How Long to Produce Smoke?

Another concern from many people is to know for how long to keep the fire going and produce smoke. The meat will continue to take smoke as long as there is smoke. If you leave it for long, it can result in flavor overpower and making the meat bitter. It totally depends on how heavy or light flavor you are looking for.

If you are looking to produce smoke for a long time, here are a fewwood smoking tips that can help you achieve that easier:

• The smoke will stick to the meat's surface quickly if it is cool and moist. Eventually, the surface of the meat will dry out and warm up. That's the reason why many people use basting and spritzing throughout the cook.
• If you are continuously using basting, then be careful to not go overboard as it could wash off any rubs or sauces you may have applied.
• Another tip to have in mind is that coals won't produce as much smoke as wood. So, as the wood turns into charcoal, you may want to add additional wood to the fire to keep the smoke going.
• If you keep the smoke for too long, the meat may start to taste a lot like a lump of coal. Try not to go overboard with the smoke levels.

The best way to get smoking woods is to get them for free. Check with local orchards, tree trimming services or other wood-related businesses and they would be more than happy to help you and give the wood for free.

If you need to purchase it, then the best possible way would be locally, so you skip the shipping costs. Most of the common types, such as Hickory, Mesquite or Oak are very easy to find at most hardware stores or even grocery stores.

If neither of these options is good for you, then you can go online shopping, with almost any type of wood being available on Amazon or other BBQ related websites.

As for rare or un-common woods listed on this guide, they might not be available through retailers and you may need to find a local connection to distribute you these wood types.

Can You Use Any Wood in a Smoker?

While most of the wood types are safe to use in the smoker, there a few types which are not recommended to be used. These include Aspen, Cedar, Cyprus, Elderberry, Elm, Eucalyptus, Fir, Hemlock, Mangrove, Laburnum, Liquid Amber, Locust, Pine, Redwood, Orange, Oleander, Osage, Tamarack, Tambootie, Spruce, Sycamore, Sweetgum, Yew.

Which Wood is Best for Smoking?

There is no exact answer to which the best wood for smoking. It depends on what type of meat you are going to cook as different woods go with different kinds of meats.

The most common woods to smoke with are Hickory, Mesquite & Oak. These are probably the most popular ones which go with most of the meat types.

What Color Should the Smoke be when Smoking Meat?

In the beginning, once the wood starts to catch fire, the smoke will have a dark grey color. Eventually, as the fire keeps going, it will become a white color and then, it will transform into a desired blue color. This is the smoke color you want to maintain throughout the entire smoking process.

What is the Best Wood for Smoking Fish?

The best wood for smoking fish, especially salmon, is Alder. Alder is not too heavy and will not overcome the delicate flavor of your fish. You can also go for a cedar plank technique when smoking salmon.

If you are looking for something a little bit heavier, you can try Oak, Mesquite or Fruit Woods.

Can you Smoke with Pine Wood?

It is recommended to avoid smoking with woods from conifers. These include pine, redwood, fir, spruce, cypress & cedar. All these trees have high levels of sap and turpenes, which will make your food taste odd and can make people sick.

What Should I Smoke with Apple Wood?

Since Apple wood has a light, fruity and sweet flavor and aroma, it is mainly used for Pork, poultry, and even beef or lamb.

You can get great results if you combine it with other non fruit woods, such as mesquite, oak or cherry.

Can you Smoke with Oak Wood?

Yes, Oak is totally safe for smoking. Actually, it is one of the most popular woods which is used to smoke food. It has a medium, smoky flavor, can be combined well with a lot of other woods and is great for almost any type of meat.

Does Smoking Wood go Bad?

Smoking wood can actually go bad. If you keep it stored in a damp area, it will pick moisture and maybe rot, becoming unusable.

However, if you keep it in a safe environment, where it will stay dry and stored with airflow, then it will never go bad.

What is the Mildest Smoking Wood?

Some of the most popular mildest woods are Apple, Cherry & Maple. They all have a delicate and subtle flavor, which goes well with almost all meats and non-meat foods.

Does Smoking Wood need to be Seasoned?

While it isn't a must to season smoking wood, it is highly recommended. If green wood is used, most of the firepower will go to drive off and evaporate moisture during the process, which will also release some undesirable flavor compounds.

That's why it is recommended to season for 1 year or for about 6 months if you have cut it into small chunks.

What is the Recommended Smoking Wood Temperature?

The optimal temperatures for wood to start smoking are quite low. The wood should pass the temperature of burning, between 500-750°F. This is also known as stage two of the wood-burning process, where the wood actually 'catches fire'.

The smoking gases start to release between 650-750°F. Any smoke released at higher temperature points is not good for smoking food.

Why is my Smoking Wood not Smoking?

There are several reasons why your smoking wood is not generating enough smoke.

The airflow is one main reason why your wood is not smoking. Oxygen is needed to ignite the gases released from the wood. If the gases 'escape' without burning or ignition, they transform into smoke. So, adjusting the airflow inside your cooker will definitely impact the smoke amount that is generated.

Another reason why there isn't enough smoke is because of the low wood moisture or if you are using big wood logs.