Detailed Smoking Wood Chart

Suppose you made your favourite grilled dish and when it’s time to eat, the dish doesn’t taste good. Your time and money will be wasted and of course, you’ll be worried. First of all, you have to understand the theory behind the flavour and what will be missing while making the dish.

I know many people use smoking wood while grilling which is the wrong way to cook a dish. Choosing a perfect smoking wood can make your food more flavorful. There are many types of woods that are available but how do you know which wood will be good for your dish?

This may confuse you a bit but don’t worry. To solve this problem I have made a simple wood smoking chart for you that will help you to find the best wood for your favourite dish.

Smoking Wood Chart

Types Of Wood

I’ll give you the specifics of each wood and tell you which smoking wood will be best for your food, whether you’re looking for turkey, chicken, or something else.

In the chart above, I have detailed almost every wood well. But I’ll say here that you should never be afraid when trying a new experiment. And you can also use the combination of two smoking woods.

Apple

Apple wood gives a sweet and mild flavour to your smoked dishes. It is one of the most versatile smoking woods that can be used with a variety of meats including pork, poultry, seafood, lamb, and venison. It also provides a lovely fruity flavour to your vegetables and fruits.

Alder

Alder wood offers a delicate and slightly sweet flavour. It is especially suitable for seafood, such as salmon. Its mild flavour also goes well with pork and poultry as well as veggies.

Peach

Peachwood adds a slightly fruity and mildly sweet flavour to your dishes. It works well with pork, and poultry and gives natural flavours.

Cherry

Another fruity and sweet-flavoured smoking wood is cherry. I think it is the most versatile wood because it can be used with almost every type of meat. It gives an awesome reddish colour to your smoked dish. You can also use it with other woods, like oak and hickory. 

If you want a double-smoked flavour to your dish, cherry wood is a good option.

Hickory

Hickory wood is known for its strong smoky flavour. It is also one of the versatile woods that can be used with any kind of meat, seafood or veggies. It is especially popular for smoking ribs and bacon.

Mesquite

Mesquite wood is famous for its intense and bold flavour. It gives an earthy, and slightly sweet taste that works well with beef, especially ribs and brisket. It is also suitable for pork. But remember, too much use of this wood can overpower the natural taste.

Oak

It is one of the most versatile smoking woods that gives a medium smoky flavour to your dishes. Oak can be used for any type of meat, veggies and seafood. It is used in most restaurants because of its clean burning.

Orange

Orangewood provides a mild and citrusy flavour. It goes well with pork and poultry. This wood has been very good for me because I love a little citrusy flavour.

Walnut

If you want a rich and bitter flavour to your smoked dishes, use walnut wood. It works well with beef and pork but can also be used for lamb. I would suggest you use this wood with a combination of other woods.

Pecan

Pecan wood adds a sweet and nutty flavour that works well with beef, pork and poultry. The combination with other woods like apple wood is a good option. This wood is known to be very good for smoked turkey.

Apricot

If you want a mild and sweet flavour to your smoked dishes, apricot can be a good option. It goes well with pork and chicken. But you can also try it with other meats.

Maple

Maple wood is popular because it gives a subtle and slightly sweet flavour. It is an excellent option for pork, poultry, seafood, as well as cheese.

Beech

Beechwood provides a mild and slightly nutty flavour to your food. It is not a common wood. It can be used for smoking chicken and cheese as well. This wood will not overpower the natural flavour of your food.

Plum

Plum wood offers a slightly sweet flavour to your food that works well with poultry, pork, and seafood. If you want a unique smoked flavour, use plum wood.

Mulberry

Mulberry has a mild and little sweet flavour. It is suitable for pork, poultry, lamb, and venison. It can be a bit difficult to find but can provide an excellent taste to your dishes.

Lilac

Lilac is also a popular choice for smoking due to its aromatic flavour. It provides a mild flavour that makes it excellent for smoking pork, poultry, seafood, as well as cheese.

Pear

Pearwood is also a fantastic option to add a delicious flavour to your smoked item. Because of its mild flavour, it won’t overpower your dishes. It goes well with pork, poultry as well as venison.

So these are the most common types of smoking wood, now it depends on you which wood you would choose. And let’s say one thing, never be afraid when doing an experiment with different woods. Try to combine strong-flavoured woods with others.