So you have your Masterbuilt setup and you want to cook up some delicious ribs, but you have no idea which wood chips to use.
Sound familiar?
Well don't worry because we have complied the opinions from Pit Masters and come up with this guide.
APPLE
This is one of my favorites! Great with pork or as an accent for beef (try adding a little Mesquite wood with it for a nice blend).
Most of the fruity woods are great for pork… and apple is no exception. Apple wood is very mild with a subtle fruity flavor and slightly sweet. It is a good wood to use with poultry as well.
Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
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WESTERN 28065 Apple Flavored Smoking Chips, 180 cu in (Pack of 1) | $12.98 | BUY ON AMAZON |
APRICOT
This is somewhat similar to Hickory but a bit more mild and a little sweeter. Much like Hickory, it works with most types of meat.
Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
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CharcoalStore Apricot Smoking Wood Chips (Large) 2 pounds | BUY ON AMAZON |
ASH
Very mild aroma and is pretty darn good with fish. Some use it with red meats as well.
Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
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J.C.'s Smoking Wood Chunks - Gallon Sized Bag - Ash | $9.99 | BUY ON AMAZON |
BEECH
Yeah… never used beech so i would love to hear your feedback on this. I am told that it is a seafood favorite.
Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
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Weber 17905 Beech Wood Smoker Chips, 3-Pound, Brown | BUY ON AMAZON |
BIRCH
Not as easy to find as maple, but similar, yet subtle flavor. It really compliments poultry as well as game birds like duck, grouse or pheasant.
Not too shabby when used with pork ribs… if you can find it, buy some!
Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
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Wilson Birchwood Chunks | $35.50 | BUY ON AMAZON |
CEDAR
Cedar is rarely (if ever?) used as a “smoking” wood … but is very common as a platform when cooking fish.
Place your fillet on your cedar plank and grill low and slow. I would personally never use cedar in my smoker’s wood bin.
Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
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GrillPro 00275 Cedar Wood Chips | BUY ON AMAZON |
CHERRY
Now this here is a wood you should always have in your stockpile! It is a sweet addition for your pork!
The wood is fruity and mild. It is also makes a great accent for beef and poultry.
Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
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Western Premium BBQ Products Cherry BBQ Smoking Chips, 180 cu in | $3.97 | BUY ON AMAZON |
MESQUITE
Very strong and somewhat earthy flavor. It is really a great complement to beef, fish, turkey, chicken, and other most game meats.
Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
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Weber Mesquite Wood Chips, for Grilling and Smoking, 3 lb. | $5.39 $4.49 | BUY ON AMAZON |
A 50/50 Mix of Cherry & Hickory makes a nice blend for Turkey
HICKORY
Perhaps the most common wood for smoking and considered by some to be “the King” of smoking woods.
Sweet to strong, heavy bacon flavor. Good with pork, ham and beef.
Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
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Western Premium BBQ Products Hickory BBQ Smoking Chips, 180 cu in | 8,701 Reviews | $22.99 $12.89 | BUY ON AMAZON |
LILAC
Not a common wood to find in stores but a very nice floral smoke that works well with fish and other seafood or lamb.
MAPLE
I have not used regular maple a bunch but it is a very mild type of wood. Poultry and pork benefit from its mellow and slightly sweet flavor.
Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
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SMOKING CHIPS 2# MAPLE | BUY ON AMAZON |
OAK
If Hickory is the King, Oak might just be the Queen. Oak presents a very heavy smoke flavor and is very good with red meat and wild game and is also quite popular with pork and fish.
It is a favorite among pit-masters when cooking brisket. If you want to be a Tailgate Master… you should keep some oak on hand.
Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
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Western Premium BBQ Products Post Oak BBQ Smoking Chips, 180 cu in | 1,223 Reviews | $14.75 | BUY ON AMAZON |
OLIVE
Olive the other woods are very jealous…and used to laugh and call it names. No? Well in truth, the smokey favor of Olive is pretty similar to mesquite, but distinctly lighter.
It is simply a wonderful wood when paired with poultry. Try making a whole smoked chicken using Olive… you will be glad you did.
Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
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Jansal Valley Olive Wood Chips, 32 Ounce | BUY ON AMAZON |
ORANGE
I’ve never met a dead pig that didn’t love being paired with orange wood. It has a great and mild smoky flavor with just the right amount of citrus.
Nothing wrong with using it with fish or as an added accent with duck or chicken either.
Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
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WESTERN 80695 Orange Smoking Chips | BUY ON AMAZON |
PEACH
Another great wood for pork… also works pretty darn good on most other meats including chicken, turkey and fish.
Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
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Western Premium BBQ Products Peach BBQ Smoking Chips, 180 cu in | 8,701 Reviews | BUY ON AMAZON |
PEAR
Nice and subtle flavor of smoke very similar to apple. Woodsy and slightly sweet. It is paired best with pork, poultry and other game birds.
Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
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CharcoalStore Pear Smoking Wood Chips (Large) 2 pounds | BUY ON AMAZON |
PECAN
OH MY GOODNESS! Pecan is great with pork and poultry. (some people swear it is great for cheese and who am I to argue?).
I love the mild, subtle flavor and often pair it with a citrus wood to enhance a ham or pork ribs…. and don’t even get me started on pork chops. YUM!
Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
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Western Premium BBQ Products Pecan BBQ Smoking Chips, 180 cu in | $13.00 $9.99 | BUY ON AMAZON |
SUGAR MAPLE
Golly Gee Howdy!
This is one great wood to use for pork. A little bit harder to find but it has a great sweet subtle flavor that compliments pork like no other wood does. Great for baby back ribs!
Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
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Montana Grills Smoking Wood Chips, Sugar Maple SC220-SM | $15.62 | BUY ON AMAZON |
WALNUT
Very Strong Smoke: I like this best when mixed with other lighter woods (like the citrus ones). Works well with red meats and big game like elk or moose or bear.
Woods Not To Use
Don’t use pine, or any type of “Evergreen” for that matter… Cyprus, fir and spruce have sap in them and are not so good for smoking. They do not enhance the flavor and may even make some people sick.
Cedar and redwood are also bad. Don’t use scrap lumber, treated wood or anything that may have been painted. They can contain toxins.
If you have stumbled across this article during your research on what smoker to purchase, you should check out our Electric Smoker guide here.
We have also put together this handy chart for you to print and keep handy: